Healthy Lifestyle Choices is a program dedicated to empowering children in grades kindergarten to eighth grade, through teaching lifelong skills “in the areas of nutrition, safety, fitness, conflict resolution and violence prevention and substance abuse prevention.” The program is currently in 40 states and is part of a nationwide initiative to improve youth health.

The HLC program realizes the power they can have in fighting the epidemic of childhood obesity, but the program aims to look at the bigger picture. HLC hopes healthy changes in children’s lives will not only give them a chance to turn their lives around before they reach adolescence, but also help HLC answer the question: “Do healthier students perform better academically and have less behavior problems at school?”

Article: Students take healthy lifestyle pledge

Students at Krotz Springs Elementary School, like fourth-grader Jaidyn Robinson, lined up Tuesday to take a healthy lifestyle pledge.

Read the entire article at: www.dailyworld.com

50 years ago, professor E. Paul Torrance tested a group of nearly 400 Minneapolis children on creativity, which has since evolved into his colleague tracking the grown kids to see if the documented levels of creativity were any indication of their adult accomplishments. Time has shown those who came up with more good ideas on Torrance’s tests grew up to be entrepreneurs, inventors, college presidents, authors, doctors, diplomats, and software developers. It’s no wonder 1,500 CEOs said creativity was the number one leadership skill of the future.

The importance of this study and others like it, is that researchers have found a significant decline in creativity; possibly from the increased hours of children playing videogames and watching TV or the lack of creativity in the classroom. Too often people confuse art with creativity, but as noted in the article, we look to creative solutions to solve national and international matters from saving the Gulf of Mexico to delivering health care. It’s a fact that ingenuity is a human necessity

Article: The Creativity Crisis

The accepted definition of creativity is production of something original and useful, and that’s what’s reflected in the tests. There is never one right answer. To be creative requires divergent thinking (generating many unique ideas) and then convergent thinking (combining those ideas into the best result).

Read the entire article at: www.newsweek.com

One teacher comments that these kids aren’t missing school because they’re vacationing in Europe but rather because they don’t have transportation, health care or stable homes. The schools are getting creative by competing with other classes for best attendance and winning pizza parties, pencils, wristbands and bikes. They are also reaching the parents through concerned, personalized letters, opposed to the usual government code violation warning, and informing them how much impact even an excused absence has on the future of the institution.

Article: School absenteeism has its costs

“Here,” “present,” “yo.”

It’s how most schoolchildren start their day, responding to the morning roll call taken by teachers as they measure daily attendance.

Read full article at : www.signonsandiego.com

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to go further in evaluating teachers and California student governments helped him attain his dream by creating a survey to give student feedback directly to their teachers in order to increase teacher effectiveness, which will be enforced by the bill Schwarzenegger recently signed. This bill hopes to incorporate student feedback into teaching methods and curriculum by letting students have an opinion on who teaches them and how they do it. The surveys will only be shown to the teacher of the class and not be accessible to administrators or be saved in the teacher’s personnel files.

Article: Students to get a voice on teacher performance under new state law

High school students will get a chance to say what they think of their teachers under a bill signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

To read this article: latimes.com

Freedom School’s are growing around the country in efforts to close the achievement gap between white students and black and Latino students, by improving literacy with a six-week summer program. The initiative was developed by the Children’s Defense Fund, a nonprofit child advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. that “is modeled after efforts in Mississippi and other Southern states in the 1960s to educate African Americans still encumbered by separate and unequal school systems.”

Through a program that starts the day with song, dance, meditation, and sharing of experiences called harambee, a Swahili word meaning “let’s pull together,” to afternoon activities outdoors, students are having fun at school and enjoying experiences, like exploring museums and soaring in a plane, they might not otherwise get. Freedom School teaches students to think critically, have a healthy mind and body, be creative and read multiple books a week. And at Freedom School, parental participation is required.

Article: This summer’s lesson: Learning is fun

It is a hot, energy-sapping morning on a quiet residential street, but inside the Lynwood United Methodist Church, summer school students are raising the roof with inspirational chants, boogie-down dances and affirmations of friendship.

To read this article: www.latimes.com

Carol’s Summary:

The scene opens with a San Francisco woman listening to her iPod, sending an email on her iPhone, and watching television while pedaling on an elliptical. Reporter Matt Richtel uses this subject and other familiar characters, like the guy talking on his phone while pushing his child in the grocery cart, to show people’s need to fill their days “micro-moments” with something entertaining or seemingly productive.

The problem? Scientists have found that constantly pumping your brain with digital input is taking away necessary downtime that our brains require to learn, remember information and come up with new ideas. Instead of being entertaining or relaxing, technology is actually fatiguing the brain by not giving it time to rest and process. However, there are some researchers who believe the benefits of technology out-weigh the side effects because people are more motivated to workout when they have their ear buds, their iPhone and their favorite t.v. show.  

Article: Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime

At the University of California, San Francisco, scientists have found that when rats have a new experience, like exploring an unfamiliar area, their brains show new patterns of activity. But only when the rats take a break from their exploration do they process those patterns in a way that seems to create a persistent memory of the experience.

To read the full article: www.nytimes.com

Carol’s Summary: 

According to the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher (2009), teacher’s spend an average of 93 percent of their time working by themselves. In order for education reform to stick, there has to be a strong foundation made of teachers teaming together for the same changes and supporting each other for the climb out of this education slump. Education reform is about advancement, and the only way to advance is to look to the future. A survey conducted by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, found education reform might lead to a brighter future if teachers follow these six learning-team principles:

Shared Values and Goals

Collective Responsibility

Authentic Assessment

Self-Directed Reflection

Stable Settings

Strong Leadership Support 

There are many plans for education reform and none of them can happen over night. The beauty of using this six-principle system is that it is based off a simple, human-skill that we all already have in us: teamwork. 

Article: Learning Teams and the Future of Teaching

Learning is no longer preparation for the job, it is the job. In a world in which information expands exponentially, today’s students are active participants in an ever-expanding network of learning environments. They must learn to be knowledge navigators, seeking and finding information from multiple sources, evaluating it, making sense of it, and understanding how to collaborate with their peers to turn information into knowledge, and knowledge into action.

To read the full article:  www.edweek.org

Carol’s Summary:

A recent article by Wall Street Journal reporter Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg, brings new light to the evolving world of electronic books. The advent of electronic readers, like the Kindle, caused a boom in electronic books, but has yet to catch electronic college textbooks up in the trend, due to high prices and glitchy hardware.

Apple has taken this as an opportunity to jump in and make the iPad a competitor in electronic textbooks by designing interactive digital textbooks specifically for iPad’s and developing them based on the iPad’s strengths (color quality, video, touch screen, ability to browse additional resources, like Wikipedia and Google while reading a textbook). The iPad e-textbooks, Inkling, are a big,vibrant, interactive, technological step-up from the grey screen of current e-textbooks, that are mostly only digitized versions of print textbooks.

For text book publishers to succeed with digital learning, they need to think digitally, not in the traditional book mode.  Some publishers use static formats instead of the interesting capabilities which technology affords.  Learning can be revolutionized if we all think differently about how students like to learn–through games, interactivity, social input and other modes of experiential learning which technology can simulate.

As is with most things in college, cost is still an issue with the iPad starting at $499 and a Kindle’s large e-reader designed for textbooks costing $379. However, if e-textbooks become a demand, we can expect affordability to follow, and hopefully classrooms, libraries, malls and dorms full of engaged, motivated students.

Article: Textbooks Up Their Game

Although electronic book sales have exploded, digital college textbooks have been slow to get off the ground, in part because of high prices and hardware concerns. Now, a former Apple Inc. employee Matt Mac Innis, is trying to shake up the market with a new approach that tape into the iPad’s strengths.

To read the full article: http://bit.ly/9vN7XM

High schools nationwide are beginning to offer dual enrollment to “high-risk” students, with the goal of improving the students’ options and opportunities to go to college. Dual-enrollment programs place students in college level courses for credit while they are still in high school, and have traditionally only been offered to high-achieving students.

Now researchers are finding that these kinds of programs also benefit students at risk for dropping out of high school, by giving those students more insight into the process of transitioning from high school to college. and showing them that going to college is a realistic goal to reach for. The programs guide students through the college application process and applying for student loans.

Sometimes they offer mentoring and job shadowing. However, currently only 15 states have colleges and universities that accept dual-enrollment credits. It seems implementing more of dual-enrollment programs nationwide and improving correspondence between high schools and colleges could significantly increase high school graduation rates. The percentage of high school students who choose to attend colleges and universities will likely improve as well.
The transition from high school to college can be difficult for many students, especially if they come from less fortunate economic backgrounds or are the first in their families to have the opportunity to attend college. It is crucial for all students to understand that they are capable of pursuing higher education if they so choose. Majoring in the Rest of Your Life is a guide to preparing for college and succeeding in life after secondary school. For more information on our books, visit www.lifebound.com or e-mail contact@lifebound.com.

Article:Dual Enrollment Programs Show Promise for Non-High Achievers
By Dian Schaffhauser

Is it possible that getting high school kids–even those who considered “high risk”–into college courses as part of a dual enrollment program could increase their chances of success and improve school retention efforts? That’s the conclusion of a recent study on the topic.

Dual enrollment programs give students in high school the chance to take courses for college credit. Typically, they’re taken by students who are doing well academically. While dual enrollment courses are true college courses, they may be taken in the high school–in fact, the authors reported that 74 percent of college classes are taught in the high school. Or they’re taught at a college campus or via online delivery.

To read the full article: www.thejournal.com

Likewise, what you can expect from college is a different kind of experience than high school. It’s more intense, and – for many students — more rewarding because it relates directly to their future. One thing’s for sure, knowing what to expect can help you make a smoother transition between the two worlds.

A is for Academics – Original thoughts count more in college. While you’re still in high school, strengthen your study habits. If you’re having trouble in a subject, don’t delay in getting help. And when you get to college, attend classes regularly and visit your professors during office hours.

I is for Independence - In college, you will become more independent than you were in high school. This means you need to make wise choices about your personal safety, finances, and overall well-being. You need to know when and where to get help in case you get sick or have trouble with a class.

M is for Marketability – The only goal of most high school jobs is to earn a little extra cash. But in college, you’ll need to think more strategically about work. You’ll want to look for internships, work study programs, and summer jobs that relate to your field of interest. Talk to someone who works in that field, and/or set up an appointment with a guidance counselor at school. Find answers to questions such as: Which college majors are ideal for this career? What kinds of skills are needed? What are the personal traits of people who are successful in this job (enjoy details, like to work alone, able to lead, etc.)?

Now, armed with a clearer picture of what will be expected of you in college you’ll know how to take AIM.