RATE MY TEACHER
Have you ever heard of it? Rate my teacher is a site where students can give their opinion of teachers they've had in the past, and teachers who they currently do have. It's very controversial because there apparently is no way - through the website or otherwise - of verifying that the people (students), who are 'rating' said teachers, actually are being forthcoming and honest. Here's an extract of the website warning:
"We prefer you only rate teachers of whom you have first-hand knowledge. It is not possible to verify that a rater had a particular teacher, so use caution in making decisions based on isolated ratings. Anyone can rate - students, the teacher, other teachers, parents, dogs, cats, etc."
I happened upon this page via YAHOO.CA. So when I tried to access the site (and proceeded to type in my two favourite teacher's names (both in high school teachers, Mr. C and Mrs. R for Philosophy/Religion and Law classes respectively, to write how amazing they are) I noticed that it's only for American teachers. I find myself wondering if there is a Canadian version, an Australian version, an English, Scottish, Irish, and other respective versions all over the world. Probably. I have yet to see them.
I don't know how useful this can be for students from K to 12. When you're just in K, teachers are the bees knees. When you're aged 12-18 there isn't much control you have over who you get (so seeing how good or bad they did on the ratings is completely useless to you as well). It only serves you when you're in university/college and maybe you only have to sit in a 500 person hall and the T.A is who you're worried about. Perhaps the class is so huge there are multiple T.A's to choose from and you don't want to get the one who is crap at explaining the 2 hour blur of lecture you just sat through.
I think there is a danger in how much you might hate - or be resentful towards- teachers of your past who might have purposefully or inadvertently caused you harm. I think of how some teachers behaved when you addressed your concerns about another students treatment of you, and I reckon people should know how useless some of these people (who call themselves teachers) are. The problem is that when you put too much anger and emotion into it, it becomes more of a way to get revenge then a way to try to get people to understand how their method is not working, and to get a real feel for them.
There are a multitude of tools out there - online or otherwise -which have been invented in order to make something better. But as sure as there are good people creating good things out there, there are also people who can think of a way to twist it to make it useful to them. In ways which are not so good.
What do you think?
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
A New Year, Uniform vs Non-Uniform Schools....
I'm hoping to make this an annual post to kick off every school year. As you've probably guessed, this is the start of something new.
It's the start of a new school year. The disgusting smell - and for some chewy yet tangy taste - of fresh pencil and paper will fill elementary classrooms and high school every year. Weeks of being good (doing the dishes, sweeping the kitchen and front entrance of the house) has paid off and your parent(s)/guardian caved in and gave your money to spend on a new wardrobe. I believe it was Paige from Degrassi who said "New year, new look, new Paige." Maybe the rich kids will find fault in your department store clothes because mommy or daddy took them to Neiman Marcus , Bloomingdale's, then capped it off by cleaning out Sephora of their makeup counter. Or maybe it's half of that. Maybe you went to Catholic/Private/Public(UK) uniform wearing school, where there is very much so a hierarchy of its own. I went to a Catholic School. My parents spent an arm and a leg buying my twin sister and I McCarthy Uniform for the high school we went to in Canada. I remember seeing kids get insulted when they came - in grade 9 - wearing 'used' uniforms, where the colour wasn't as 'rich' or 'deep' as the newer uniform. Well, God forbid their parents wanting to be able to pay the bills and put food on their table. The point I'm making here is that whether you wear a kilt or whether you pull on whatever went through the wash at the beginning of the week, it's all the same. Every school board lifts up it's 'achievements' and 'superior offerings,' as if it puts them head and shoulder above the rest. The reality is that the difference is slim. Catholic schools are private here in Canada, and so are the actual private boarding schools. Funding is private. Public schools funding comes more easily, and they wear whatever they want to wear (with limits of exposure and etc). One has regular mass, and the other does not. One end has schools named after saints/scripture, and the other after - presumably - beneficiaries and whoever threw the most amount of money at them.
It's the truth isn't it?
I can tick off the differences between the two boards with one finger. They are more a like then they are different. And where they are a like is in the following ways:
1. No school wants to to be 'dirtied' by any expose on heavy bullying occurring within their walls.
2. Bullying goes unreported often in schools and this seems satisfy them enough to leave the issue unproved, even when students often - and frequently - fail to attend classes.
3. Students don't go to school because they don't want to be bullied
4. Students at both ends have attempted to commit suicide - or indeed succeeded - because they could no longer handle what was going on at school.
5. School shootings have occurred, and causalities have resulted.
We - generally - go to school (on a mandatory basis) from the age of 3 to 18 (end of high school). If the average school day starts at 8 and ends at 2:30, that's 6.5 spend in school per day, five days a week.
6.5 multiplied by 5days in each week (spent at school) equals 32.5 hours per week
32.5 hours per week multiplied by four weeks in a month equals 130 hours per month.
There are 48 weeks in a year. An average elementary/high school year runs from September to June. That is 9 months/year or 36 weeks, spent in school.
4680 hours per year spent in school multiplied by 15 years......
70,200 hours spent in school. Approximately. You might take 10,000 or less off for Christmas/new year holiday. Still a massive amount of time spent in one place.
130 hours per month multiplied by 36 weeks in a year 4680 hours per year spent in the institution of education. Wow. This is an approximate (considering holiday and what not), but still. That's a lot of time spent in two or three places. All of these critical moments, and crucial age gaps, spent in this fraying at the seams institution. It concerns me greatly. And I know there are some amazing teachers out there doing amazing things. What is unfortunate about that is that when I could have used a teacher like that in elementary school, they just were not there. What's even more saddening to me is that more have yet to see them now. I can name two great teachers in high school, and I can name none who would have come forward/did come forward in elementary school. Where are these teachers? I really hope other teachers can follow their example. I'm going to throw a thought out, and some people aren't going to like it. I hope I don't offend too many people. Has anyone considered the theory that several teachers enter the profession of 'teaching' because there is so much demand for it - and therefore guaranteed employment? A steady job (maybe not the best pay but enough to get by perhaps.*** There are teachers who enter because they 'love kids and want to be a part of their growth,' and all of those good things. I believe that. But you can't deny - and I've seen documentaries about this - that often, teachers enter for all the wrong reasons. The heart to do the job and look after children isn't there because it isn't where they want to be. So they go through the motions of their job, go home and do it all over again tomorrow. People can argue against it all they want. The reality is what it is. It's the very same thing you've got when you have people entering desk job professions when all they wanted to do was act or sing. People who let go of their dreams because they got pregnant and now they have to look after their children (and according to their beliefs, throw away their dreams).
****I'm not a job earning rate professional, please don't sweat the details.
And I have to rehash the approximate time spent in the institution of 'learning,' higher or otherwise. I can't help but find it ironic that the amount of time it takes for a school year to run is course is how many months it takes for a baby (carried to term), to be fed and watered in her mother's uterus. I wonder if people who are directly interacting with school and students take this into account. When students are in school (experiencing difficult times and feeling like there is no one to turn to), and when teachers, principals, parents, etc, are pushing issues under the rug/not doing enough, another baby is born who might get to experience bullying themselves. The circle of life isn't it?
There is a lot of work to do this year and every year. I sincerely hope that teachers, principals, parents, and students, take it upon themselves to make the effort to make school a safer and more secure place to learn on a yearly basis. Because we only spend about 4680 hours per year, 15 years spent in mandatory school anyways....
**sorry for my hiatus, I've been working 13 hour days and I have not a blackberry or i phone to access my blog**
Take care,
Adaora
It's the start of a new school year. The disgusting smell - and for some chewy yet tangy taste - of fresh pencil and paper will fill elementary classrooms and high school every year. Weeks of being good (doing the dishes, sweeping the kitchen and front entrance of the house) has paid off and your parent(s)/guardian caved in and gave your money to spend on a new wardrobe. I believe it was Paige from Degrassi who said "New year, new look, new Paige." Maybe the rich kids will find fault in your department store clothes because mommy or daddy took them to Neiman Marcus , Bloomingdale's, then capped it off by cleaning out Sephora of their makeup counter. Or maybe it's half of that. Maybe you went to Catholic/Private/Public(UK) uniform wearing school, where there is very much so a hierarchy of its own. I went to a Catholic School. My parents spent an arm and a leg buying my twin sister and I McCarthy Uniform for the high school we went to in Canada. I remember seeing kids get insulted when they came - in grade 9 - wearing 'used' uniforms, where the colour wasn't as 'rich' or 'deep' as the newer uniform. Well, God forbid their parents wanting to be able to pay the bills and put food on their table. The point I'm making here is that whether you wear a kilt or whether you pull on whatever went through the wash at the beginning of the week, it's all the same. Every school board lifts up it's 'achievements' and 'superior offerings,' as if it puts them head and shoulder above the rest. The reality is that the difference is slim. Catholic schools are private here in Canada, and so are the actual private boarding schools. Funding is private. Public schools funding comes more easily, and they wear whatever they want to wear (with limits of exposure and etc). One has regular mass, and the other does not. One end has schools named after saints/scripture, and the other after - presumably - beneficiaries and whoever threw the most amount of money at them.
It's the truth isn't it?
I can tick off the differences between the two boards with one finger. They are more a like then they are different. And where they are a like is in the following ways:
1. No school wants to to be 'dirtied' by any expose on heavy bullying occurring within their walls.
2. Bullying goes unreported often in schools and this seems satisfy them enough to leave the issue unproved, even when students often - and frequently - fail to attend classes.
3. Students don't go to school because they don't want to be bullied
4. Students at both ends have attempted to commit suicide - or indeed succeeded - because they could no longer handle what was going on at school.
5. School shootings have occurred, and causalities have resulted.
We - generally - go to school (on a mandatory basis) from the age of 3 to 18 (end of high school). If the average school day starts at 8 and ends at 2:30, that's 6.5 spend in school per day, five days a week.
6.5 multiplied by 5days in each week (spent at school) equals 32.5 hours per week
32.5 hours per week multiplied by four weeks in a month equals 130 hours per month.
There are 48 weeks in a year. An average elementary/high school year runs from September to June. That is 9 months/year or 36 weeks, spent in school.
4680 hours per year spent in school multiplied by 15 years......
70,200 hours spent in school. Approximately. You might take 10,000 or less off for Christmas/new year holiday. Still a massive amount of time spent in one place.
130 hours per month multiplied by 36 weeks in a year 4680 hours per year spent in the institution of education. Wow. This is an approximate (considering holiday and what not), but still. That's a lot of time spent in two or three places. All of these critical moments, and crucial age gaps, spent in this fraying at the seams institution. It concerns me greatly. And I know there are some amazing teachers out there doing amazing things. What is unfortunate about that is that when I could have used a teacher like that in elementary school, they just were not there. What's even more saddening to me is that more have yet to see them now. I can name two great teachers in high school, and I can name none who would have come forward/did come forward in elementary school. Where are these teachers? I really hope other teachers can follow their example. I'm going to throw a thought out, and some people aren't going to like it. I hope I don't offend too many people. Has anyone considered the theory that several teachers enter the profession of 'teaching' because there is so much demand for it - and therefore guaranteed employment? A steady job (maybe not the best pay but enough to get by perhaps.*** There are teachers who enter because they 'love kids and want to be a part of their growth,' and all of those good things. I believe that. But you can't deny - and I've seen documentaries about this - that often, teachers enter for all the wrong reasons. The heart to do the job and look after children isn't there because it isn't where they want to be. So they go through the motions of their job, go home and do it all over again tomorrow. People can argue against it all they want. The reality is what it is. It's the very same thing you've got when you have people entering desk job professions when all they wanted to do was act or sing. People who let go of their dreams because they got pregnant and now they have to look after their children (and according to their beliefs, throw away their dreams).
****I'm not a job earning rate professional, please don't sweat the details.
And I have to rehash the approximate time spent in the institution of 'learning,' higher or otherwise. I can't help but find it ironic that the amount of time it takes for a school year to run is course is how many months it takes for a baby (carried to term), to be fed and watered in her mother's uterus. I wonder if people who are directly interacting with school and students take this into account. When students are in school (experiencing difficult times and feeling like there is no one to turn to), and when teachers, principals, parents, etc, are pushing issues under the rug/not doing enough, another baby is born who might get to experience bullying themselves. The circle of life isn't it?
There is a lot of work to do this year and every year. I sincerely hope that teachers, principals, parents, and students, take it upon themselves to make the effort to make school a safer and more secure place to learn on a yearly basis. Because we only spend about 4680 hours per year, 15 years spent in mandatory school anyways....
**sorry for my hiatus, I've been working 13 hour days and I have not a blackberry or i phone to access my blog**
Take care,
Adaora
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Are Kids ruder these days?
I was looking for another topic to bring to the table and I found a link on Yahoo's homepage titled "Are kids ruder these days? If so, what can be done about it?"
I couldn't help but want to make it the topic for discussion here.
YAHOO ANSWERS(Are Kids ruder these days?) -
Do you agree kids are ruder these days, and if so, what can be done about it?
Kids these days talk back, challenge authority and swear on the playground. Experts blame it on parenting flaws, but is this rudeness really new or just kids being kids? Tell us what you think.
Final Thoughts:
Well, no one asked me particularly, but I'll give you my answer anyway.
Kids aren't ruder these days, they are (in my opinion), the same as they always have been. You have kids who are very well manered, very sweet, very open and oblging, and you also have children who are the opposite of that. It has to do with the environment. And when I speak of the environment, I'm not just refering to the environment within the household, I refer to the society we live in, the school - which we spend the majority of out time in during those critical years of life, the values insitilled in us as a result of ALL of these influences. People can point the finger at parents, at schools, and at any one else as much as they choose. The reality is that it's a problem in which we all deserve to shoulder some of the blame. If you're a student, and you're watching someone being bullied - and you ignore it - in any sort ot way, you're doing something wrong. It may not have been your hand (or your mouth) which dealt the blow, but your refusal to do nothing is abetting. You've just helped keep the problem - the issue - in motion because you didn't say "Stop, this is wrong." Ask yourself why you couldn't do that. If you're a parent and you overhear your kid saying something nasty about another, if you over hear them gossiping with their friends about a 'loser,' as you pass their bedroom, and you roll your eyes and keep walking, you are abetting the issue. Every seemingly little thing you ignore, everything you brush off as 'none of you buisness,' everything that is ignored is just as nasty as being the so called 'bully,' in full. I'd call the people who ignore the issue 'bullies' as well. If you really want to put a label on it, why not label everyone who REALLY played a hand in causing the damage. A school teacher who does nothing when a student reports to him or her their suffering at school. You better believe I'm going to call you a 'bully' too.
I couldn't help but want to make it the topic for discussion here.
YAHOO ANSWERS(Are Kids ruder these days?) -
Do you agree kids are ruder these days, and if so, what can be done about it?
Kids these days talk back, challenge authority and swear on the playground. Experts blame it on parenting flaws, but is this rudeness really new or just kids being kids? Tell us what you think.
Final Thoughts:
Well, no one asked me particularly, but I'll give you my answer anyway.
Kids aren't ruder these days, they are (in my opinion), the same as they always have been. You have kids who are very well manered, very sweet, very open and oblging, and you also have children who are the opposite of that. It has to do with the environment. And when I speak of the environment, I'm not just refering to the environment within the household, I refer to the society we live in, the school - which we spend the majority of out time in during those critical years of life, the values insitilled in us as a result of ALL of these influences. People can point the finger at parents, at schools, and at any one else as much as they choose. The reality is that it's a problem in which we all deserve to shoulder some of the blame. If you're a student, and you're watching someone being bullied - and you ignore it - in any sort ot way, you're doing something wrong. It may not have been your hand (or your mouth) which dealt the blow, but your refusal to do nothing is abetting. You've just helped keep the problem - the issue - in motion because you didn't say "Stop, this is wrong." Ask yourself why you couldn't do that. If you're a parent and you overhear your kid saying something nasty about another, if you over hear them gossiping with their friends about a 'loser,' as you pass their bedroom, and you roll your eyes and keep walking, you are abetting the issue. Every seemingly little thing you ignore, everything you brush off as 'none of you buisness,' everything that is ignored is just as nasty as being the so called 'bully,' in full. I'd call the people who ignore the issue 'bullies' as well. If you really want to put a label on it, why not label everyone who REALLY played a hand in causing the damage. A school teacher who does nothing when a student reports to him or her their suffering at school. You better believe I'm going to call you a 'bully' too.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
News Roll: Bullying and Health
I found an extremely interesting article on the google search. Check this out:
Bullies more at risk of health problems than their victims - news.smashhits.com
Washington, July 16 (ANI): While bullying in schools is a common scenario, it's not the victims but the bullies who are more at risk of facing a wide range of health, safety and educational problems, says a new study.
Jorge Srabstein, M.D., medical director of the Clinic for Health Problems Related to Bullying at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C, along with co-author studied data from a 1996 survey of 9,574 students in grades 6 through 10.
The students not only took into account their involvement in bullying in the last year, but also identified whether they had participated in a variety of risky behaviors.
We see that the [obvious] victims are not the only victims. The bullies are also victims of their own emotional problems, said Srabstein.
They found that more than one-third (39 percent) of students reported some involvement in bullying within the preceding 12 months, either as bullies, victims or both.
Both the bullies and the victims have a very significant, high probability of suffering from injuries - self-inflicted, accidental and injuries that are perpetrated by others - as compared to those who are not involved in bullying incidents. Because of this, they are at a considerable danger of dying from suicide, homicide and accidents, said Srabstein.
In this study, victims proved more likely to inflict self-injury or experience accidental injuries, abuse over-the-counter medications, hurt animals and people on purpose, use weapons and be absent from school, compared to uninvolved students.
But, it also came out that bullies and bully/victims - students who have both bullied and been bullied - experienced an even greater risk of these problems than victims. Bullies and bully/victims were more likely - with up to a 14-fold increased risk - to abuse alcohol, drugs and tobacco; experience injuries requiring hospitalization; set fires; carry weapons to school; skip classes; and receive poor grades, compared to victims alone.
Bullying occurs among children in every part of the world where it has been studied. The amount of bullying has not changed in recent years. Instead, more people identify bullying as a problem among children, look for bullying and look for ways to prevent it, said Rachel Vreeman, M.D., a fellow in children's health services research at Indiana University School of Medicine.
While being involved in bullying is associated or tied with some scary things like hurting others, using weapons and abusing medicines, this does not mean that one causes the other. They go together in these groups of kids, but this type of study cannot tell us that being bullied or being a bully means that you will do these types of things, she said.
Srabstein said that finally the research would declare bullying as a public health issue for both educators and health care practitioners.
Both bullies and victims need to be referred for health care if their participation is accompanied by problems like this, he said.
The study is published in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health. (ANI)
Bullies more at risk of health problems than their victims - news.smashhits.com
Washington, July 16 (ANI): While bullying in schools is a common scenario, it's not the victims but the bullies who are more at risk of facing a wide range of health, safety and educational problems, says a new study.
Jorge Srabstein, M.D., medical director of the Clinic for Health Problems Related to Bullying at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C, along with co-author studied data from a 1996 survey of 9,574 students in grades 6 through 10.
The students not only took into account their involvement in bullying in the last year, but also identified whether they had participated in a variety of risky behaviors.
We see that the [obvious] victims are not the only victims. The bullies are also victims of their own emotional problems, said Srabstein.
They found that more than one-third (39 percent) of students reported some involvement in bullying within the preceding 12 months, either as bullies, victims or both.
Both the bullies and the victims have a very significant, high probability of suffering from injuries - self-inflicted, accidental and injuries that are perpetrated by others - as compared to those who are not involved in bullying incidents. Because of this, they are at a considerable danger of dying from suicide, homicide and accidents, said Srabstein.
In this study, victims proved more likely to inflict self-injury or experience accidental injuries, abuse over-the-counter medications, hurt animals and people on purpose, use weapons and be absent from school, compared to uninvolved students.
But, it also came out that bullies and bully/victims - students who have both bullied and been bullied - experienced an even greater risk of these problems than victims. Bullies and bully/victims were more likely - with up to a 14-fold increased risk - to abuse alcohol, drugs and tobacco; experience injuries requiring hospitalization; set fires; carry weapons to school; skip classes; and receive poor grades, compared to victims alone.
Bullying occurs among children in every part of the world where it has been studied. The amount of bullying has not changed in recent years. Instead, more people identify bullying as a problem among children, look for bullying and look for ways to prevent it, said Rachel Vreeman, M.D., a fellow in children's health services research at Indiana University School of Medicine.
While being involved in bullying is associated or tied with some scary things like hurting others, using weapons and abusing medicines, this does not mean that one causes the other. They go together in these groups of kids, but this type of study cannot tell us that being bullied or being a bully means that you will do these types of things, she said.
Srabstein said that finally the research would declare bullying as a public health issue for both educators and health care practitioners.
Both bullies and victims need to be referred for health care if their participation is accompanied by problems like this, he said.
The study is published in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health. (ANI)
Final Thoughts:
What's amazing is how bullying doesn't do anything for ANYONE involved. So parents and adults can try all they want to attempt to control the more obvious victim (the person being openly bullied), and they can ignore the person bullying other people (who is in turn bullying themselves). As a child when you bullied it is a big deal. Adults can try and talk down how much it knocks you down, and they can call it a phase, but it really does give your pride and your fledgling personality a major knock down. This article amazed me because it brought proof that bullies do suffer from bullying themselves. So to me, that just speaks to the need for us to dig deeper as to why people are bullying other people to begin with. Not enough work is being done in trying to help people who are being bullied, and not enough work is being done to help people who are bullying other people as well. It just goes back to that old saying : "you never know what goes on behind closed doors." And I think I will leave it at that.
Adaora
Sunday, July 6, 2008
News Roll: Equality education to beat bullying?
Equality Education to beat bullying?
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber has called on the government to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) equality education in the school curriculum, as the only way to address homophobic bullying in schools.
Speaking at the TUC's annual LGBT conference in London, he said that schools need to protect their pupils from homophobic bullying, and that promoting LGBT equality in the classroom is the best solution.
“Whereas our schools and colleges have done much to counter racism and sexism, the same cannot be said when it comes to tackling homophobia,” he said.
“Despite some notable exceptions, too many educational establishments are breeding grounds for the worst kind of casual prejudice.”
Final Thoughts:
The shortest article I've ever seen and yet I had to post it. The title, the opening lines, everything. I don't have anything negative to say about it (and by negative I mean I won't be saying anyone is shameless, useless, selfish, or anything else of that nature). What I would like to make clear is how slightly disappointed I was when I opened it up. When I opened it, I expected to find an extremely long and well written (not that this was sloppy) article, with enough points on the issue to shake a stick at. Not quite what I found when I opened the article. I honestly wish the attention wasn't put on one little bullet (maybe more if some folks fancy splitting it up even more) under the heading of bullying. Why can't the attention be on the way people think, the way they are raised, as it allows them to think it's OK to treat someone (or some people), in X amount of ways, whatever it may be. Too many labels. I would love some work done on creating respect for people who are gay. Love is love, to be in love is to be alive. I keep saying that, but I also want people to focus on racism, sexism, physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological, cyber...etc and so on. See the list goes on and it becomes daunting. All of the matters which have been ignored by those who should be bringing it to the forefront. Their boxes make things convenient. This is the society which (I mean the Western world as a whole by the way), which made people who are born of both African American and Caucasian parents, check being both 'black' and 'white,' because their wasn't 'biracial' on the list. That just goes to show you how useless the lists and categories, these people insist on making are. You make one official list, new arenas open, and it makes the last one obsolete and outdated. Think about it. You can't make lists and expect to solve problems. Making lists is just another way to pretend they have an understanding of the problem, and therefore, the solution is right around the corner. "Don't worry folks, we know what this is...solution is coming, hold tight!" Give me a break. Schools have never taken it upon themselves to take the time to put an end to disrespect and 'bullying' as it happens. This is indicative, of a lot of things. What do you think?
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber has called on the government to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) equality education in the school curriculum, as the only way to address homophobic bullying in schools.
Speaking at the TUC's annual LGBT conference in London, he said that schools need to protect their pupils from homophobic bullying, and that promoting LGBT equality in the classroom is the best solution.
“Whereas our schools and colleges have done much to counter racism and sexism, the same cannot be said when it comes to tackling homophobia,” he said.
“Despite some notable exceptions, too many educational establishments are breeding grounds for the worst kind of casual prejudice.”
Final Thoughts:
The shortest article I've ever seen and yet I had to post it. The title, the opening lines, everything. I don't have anything negative to say about it (and by negative I mean I won't be saying anyone is shameless, useless, selfish, or anything else of that nature). What I would like to make clear is how slightly disappointed I was when I opened it up. When I opened it, I expected to find an extremely long and well written (not that this was sloppy) article, with enough points on the issue to shake a stick at. Not quite what I found when I opened the article. I honestly wish the attention wasn't put on one little bullet (maybe more if some folks fancy splitting it up even more) under the heading of bullying. Why can't the attention be on the way people think, the way they are raised, as it allows them to think it's OK to treat someone (or some people), in X amount of ways, whatever it may be. Too many labels. I would love some work done on creating respect for people who are gay. Love is love, to be in love is to be alive. I keep saying that, but I also want people to focus on racism, sexism, physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological, cyber...etc and so on. See the list goes on and it becomes daunting. All of the matters which have been ignored by those who should be bringing it to the forefront. Their boxes make things convenient. This is the society which (I mean the Western world as a whole by the way), which made people who are born of both African American and Caucasian parents, check being both 'black' and 'white,' because their wasn't 'biracial' on the list. That just goes to show you how useless the lists and categories, these people insist on making are. You make one official list, new arenas open, and it makes the last one obsolete and outdated. Think about it. You can't make lists and expect to solve problems. Making lists is just another way to pretend they have an understanding of the problem, and therefore, the solution is right around the corner. "Don't worry folks, we know what this is...solution is coming, hold tight!" Give me a break. Schools have never taken it upon themselves to take the time to put an end to disrespect and 'bullying' as it happens. This is indicative, of a lot of things. What do you think?
Monday, June 30, 2008
News Roll: Cyberbullying is something kids can't talk about
Cyberbullying is something kids can't talk about - New Haven, Connecticut,USA.
Any adult who made it through childhood intact knows that the way to deal with a bully is simple: You confront the person, stand your ground, hang tough.
But kids say that doesn't work with a cyber bully — someone who sends you anonymous hate mail, or posts wrong information about you to everybody you know, or who even pretends to be you online and sends terrible messages in your name.
"A traditional bully could be identified. It was somebody, usually male, who had some power — size or strength — but now that it's anonymous, anybody can do it," says Marji Lipshez-Shapiro, education director for the Connecticut office of the Anti-Defamation League.
"Girls are just as involved as boys, and the victimization doesn't end with the school day. Kids were once bullied in the bathroom or on the bus, but now it's 24/7. In fact, the bullying intensifies when kids are at home. There's no place to get away from it. And because you don't know quite who's doing it, there's never a way to confront the person."
Lipshez-Shapiro recently held a workshop on cyber bullying as part of the Southern Connecticut Conference, which invites a "dream team" of student leaders from area high schools to gather and discuss issues of diversity, among other things. Although the conference is in its 15th year, this was the first year cyber bullying was discussed, and the adults present got a true perspective of how truly widespread and damaging cyber bullying has become.
Although there are those high-profile news stories of how cyber bullying has led kids to commit suicide, most of it is much lower key. High-school-age kids tell stories of how cyber bullying has become a routine part of the world they inhabit, so pervasive that they can't imagine a time when it didn't take place.
"People go on Facebook and there are places where they can rate and rank their friends," says Nav Kaur, a new graduate of Branford High School who worked as a counselor at the conference. "You go and read that the person you thought was your best friend put you way down on her list of friends. Or you find out that someone is spreading rumors about you — telling people that you're gay, for instance."
One participant said that the good spirit at her school has been ruined by something called the "honesty box," an application you can add to your Facebook page that encourages anonymous comments. According to the description on Facebook: "(Honesty box) lets people send you anonymous messages removing any inhibitions and letting them be completely honest with you. Find out the truth!"
But even if you don't want to know the truth about yourself, that's not the only thing you have to worry about.
"Kids even create Web sites that are devoted to how much they hate one kid," added Sean Corlett, of Madison, who now works as a substitute teacher in Brooklyn. "There are whole sites devoted to people coming online and listing things, anonymously, that they hate about a person. It all starts with some silly drama at school that goes on for a couple of weeks and then blows over, but all that hate has scarred a person for life."
"Someone might come online and flirt with you, and once they've gotten you to say something vulnerable, they cut and paste the entire conversation and send it to everybody, just to humiliate you," said Jocelyn Schur, of Westport. "I'd come home every day from middle school and then go online and fight with people. My mom had no idea."
Kids unanimously said this wasn't something they could talk to their parents about. They were worried that their parents would overreact and make the problem worse. And according to one girl, "Parents are clueless. My mom barely even knows how to work her cell phone!"
"Even worse," says Kaur, "the solution parents suggest is to just turn off the computer. But that doesn't make the problem go away! It's still there, waiting for you."
Also, kids wanted to emphasize that the computer age — even with its problems — has made it possible for many good things to happen. "Kids who are ostracized can reach out to others online and feel a part of a community," said Corlett. "It can be a place where you can define yourself in safe place. There are great positives to the Internet, but it can be a cruel place, too."
The students at the conference said they didn't expect that cyber bullying could ever be eradicated completely, but they did think kids need to be educated about hurtfulness. "I think bullying in any form is learned behavior," said Corlett. "It's symptomatic of what is going on in society. Teachers need training in how to help kids with this, and kids need to know that what they're doing is wrong."
Final Thoughts:
That opening line is so far off I can't even being to tell you how much I winced reading it. This is straight out of my beloved home state of Connecticut - and so close to my town- so you can be forewarned that I have no problem saying it like it is, even in regards to my home state. Here's me being explicit: Every adult knows the best way is to confront the bully and stand your ground? Are you kidding me? It's the ideal thing to do (in a delusional and dream like world), but in reality,absolutely the WORST thing you can do. Here's why:
1. The bully will get angry that you've told. - Let's be honest, this is the truth. I'm sick of hearing this. They're bullying a student (or several) successfully because they personally have the power (in numbers or in brawn, strength, intimidation), to make it so they can do this. Do they honestly think confronting them is going to suddenly give them an Epiphany that what they're doing is wrong? Newsflash: THEY KNOW. They're doing it because they want to have control and they believe they have the right to control. Do you think they don't know bullying is wrong in general? Do you think they'd lay down and take it if they were being bullied? Give me a raving break.
I also believe that anyone being cyberbullied can absolutely pinpoint who is making their life hell in a lot of cases. It's always the former friend, and the person(s) who are making it difficult to be happy while on school grounds as well. This is not just 'I'll be nice at school and I'll give you hell at home.' It's 'I'll give you hell everywhere that I have the ability to give you hell. It's extending their means and capability to torture students to the point that they feel those feelings of isolation, grief, embarrassment, anger, shame...all of those feelings are felt on a larger scale on the web. THE INTENTION is to worsen it, and broaden the impact. The intention is to continue to do what they haven't been taught to do in the past: respect the decency of people, and respect boundaries and the well being of another person (and the influence which you may have on it).
Look, technology is just another means to do what people have been doing before - quicker and easier. And those things which they use to do? They're the good, the bad, the ugly, and the unchecked. Technology can only do what man intended it to do, and what it dreams it to do. Chatrooms and pedophiles, cars and drag-racing, cooking knives and stab wounds, guns and Russian roulette, the internet and cyberbullying. People need to remember to check themselves, and to check their children.
Take care,
Adaora
Any adult who made it through childhood intact knows that the way to deal with a bully is simple: You confront the person, stand your ground, hang tough.
But kids say that doesn't work with a cyber bully — someone who sends you anonymous hate mail, or posts wrong information about you to everybody you know, or who even pretends to be you online and sends terrible messages in your name.
"A traditional bully could be identified. It was somebody, usually male, who had some power — size or strength — but now that it's anonymous, anybody can do it," says Marji Lipshez-Shapiro, education director for the Connecticut office of the Anti-Defamation League.
"Girls are just as involved as boys, and the victimization doesn't end with the school day. Kids were once bullied in the bathroom or on the bus, but now it's 24/7. In fact, the bullying intensifies when kids are at home. There's no place to get away from it. And because you don't know quite who's doing it, there's never a way to confront the person."
Lipshez-Shapiro recently held a workshop on cyber bullying as part of the Southern Connecticut Conference, which invites a "dream team" of student leaders from area high schools to gather and discuss issues of diversity, among other things. Although the conference is in its 15th year, this was the first year cyber bullying was discussed, and the adults present got a true perspective of how truly widespread and damaging cyber bullying has become.
Although there are those high-profile news stories of how cyber bullying has led kids to commit suicide, most of it is much lower key. High-school-age kids tell stories of how cyber bullying has become a routine part of the world they inhabit, so pervasive that they can't imagine a time when it didn't take place.
"People go on Facebook and there are places where they can rate and rank their friends," says Nav Kaur, a new graduate of Branford High School who worked as a counselor at the conference. "You go and read that the person you thought was your best friend put you way down on her list of friends. Or you find out that someone is spreading rumors about you — telling people that you're gay, for instance."
One participant said that the good spirit at her school has been ruined by something called the "honesty box," an application you can add to your Facebook page that encourages anonymous comments. According to the description on Facebook: "(Honesty box) lets people send you anonymous messages removing any inhibitions and letting them be completely honest with you. Find out the truth!"
But even if you don't want to know the truth about yourself, that's not the only thing you have to worry about.
"Kids even create Web sites that are devoted to how much they hate one kid," added Sean Corlett, of Madison, who now works as a substitute teacher in Brooklyn. "There are whole sites devoted to people coming online and listing things, anonymously, that they hate about a person. It all starts with some silly drama at school that goes on for a couple of weeks and then blows over, but all that hate has scarred a person for life."
"Someone might come online and flirt with you, and once they've gotten you to say something vulnerable, they cut and paste the entire conversation and send it to everybody, just to humiliate you," said Jocelyn Schur, of Westport. "I'd come home every day from middle school and then go online and fight with people. My mom had no idea."
Kids unanimously said this wasn't something they could talk to their parents about. They were worried that their parents would overreact and make the problem worse. And according to one girl, "Parents are clueless. My mom barely even knows how to work her cell phone!"
"Even worse," says Kaur, "the solution parents suggest is to just turn off the computer. But that doesn't make the problem go away! It's still there, waiting for you."
Also, kids wanted to emphasize that the computer age — even with its problems — has made it possible for many good things to happen. "Kids who are ostracized can reach out to others online and feel a part of a community," said Corlett. "It can be a place where you can define yourself in safe place. There are great positives to the Internet, but it can be a cruel place, too."
The students at the conference said they didn't expect that cyber bullying could ever be eradicated completely, but they did think kids need to be educated about hurtfulness. "I think bullying in any form is learned behavior," said Corlett. "It's symptomatic of what is going on in society. Teachers need training in how to help kids with this, and kids need to know that what they're doing is wrong."
Final Thoughts:
That opening line is so far off I can't even being to tell you how much I winced reading it. This is straight out of my beloved home state of Connecticut - and so close to my town- so you can be forewarned that I have no problem saying it like it is, even in regards to my home state. Here's me being explicit: Every adult knows the best way is to confront the bully and stand your ground? Are you kidding me? It's the ideal thing to do (in a delusional and dream like world), but in reality,absolutely the WORST thing you can do. Here's why:
1. The bully will get angry that you've told. - Let's be honest, this is the truth. I'm sick of hearing this. They're bullying a student (or several) successfully because they personally have the power (in numbers or in brawn, strength, intimidation), to make it so they can do this. Do they honestly think confronting them is going to suddenly give them an Epiphany that what they're doing is wrong? Newsflash: THEY KNOW. They're doing it because they want to have control and they believe they have the right to control. Do you think they don't know bullying is wrong in general? Do you think they'd lay down and take it if they were being bullied? Give me a raving break.
I also believe that anyone being cyberbullied can absolutely pinpoint who is making their life hell in a lot of cases. It's always the former friend, and the person(s) who are making it difficult to be happy while on school grounds as well. This is not just 'I'll be nice at school and I'll give you hell at home.' It's 'I'll give you hell everywhere that I have the ability to give you hell. It's extending their means and capability to torture students to the point that they feel those feelings of isolation, grief, embarrassment, anger, shame...all of those feelings are felt on a larger scale on the web. THE INTENTION is to worsen it, and broaden the impact. The intention is to continue to do what they haven't been taught to do in the past: respect the decency of people, and respect boundaries and the well being of another person (and the influence which you may have on it).
Look, technology is just another means to do what people have been doing before - quicker and easier. And those things which they use to do? They're the good, the bad, the ugly, and the unchecked. Technology can only do what man intended it to do, and what it dreams it to do. Chatrooms and pedophiles, cars and drag-racing, cooking knives and stab wounds, guns and Russian roulette, the internet and cyberbullying. People need to remember to check themselves, and to check their children.
Take care,
Adaora
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
News Roll: Consistency in Reporting
Consistency in Reporting - Scotsman, UK
IT is difficult at first glance to effectively analyse the latest statistics issued today by the council on bullying and harassment in the city's schools.
While a relatively moderate rise in the numbers of racist incidents should give some cause for concern there is some satisfaction to be gained in the fact that the numbers of children reported for bullying continues to fall sharply.
But what should perhaps be more worrying is – even by the council's own admission –
is that the figures appear to be far from an accurate picture of the true extent of what goes on in school corridors and playgrounds as it appears most schools have fallen out of the habit of recording or reporting such incidents.
The lack of co-operation from some schools is disappointing. Edinburgh has always attempted to take a robust attitude towards bullying. Eight years ago it launched a strategy to tackle it by encouraging both pupils and teachers to report and log incidents. It is still one of only nine local authorities in the country which continues to produce annual figures on reported incidents.
From today's evidence it would appear that its attempts to gather effective data are being undermined by staff in the majority of city schools who claim only a few incidents have taken place in the last year.
This is hard to accept – certainly so for the council, which believes that today's reported figures are still only the tip of the iceberg and that many incidents are still going unreported.
They are backed in that assumption by Edinburgh and Lothians Racial Equality Council, which believes that only one in four incidents of racial abuse are being reported. And it does seem strange that in the wider world Lothian and Borders Police puts the steep rise in the number of racial crimes that they have recorded down to a greater willingness among victims to lodge complaints.
Doubtless one of the difficulties facing teaching staff is determining what constitutes bullying or just teasing which has gone too far. For example, it is difficult to understand why 14 incidents of homophobic attacks in primary schools were logged last year against pupils of an age where they are unlikely to be fully aware of their own sexuality. How many of these could have been regarded as pre-adolescent repetition of words and phrases picked up by children and not insults?
There has to be consistency in reporting if the council is to ascertain the extent of the problems and develop effective strategies to combat bullying and all types of harassment. But clear guidelines have to be issued so that political correctness does not run amok and that genuine incidents do not become confused with everyday playground banter with which generations of children have grown up.
Final Thoughts:
The title of the article left me reeling. It really is one of the problems that we face with bullying. If no one is reporting, who is going to speak up and bear witness (to prove it is happening)? Students are either afraid to get bullied even more, their discouraged because there isn't any proper punishment for those who are bullying them, students don't want to be bullied themselves (if they're witnessing it), and since when did those bullying other students want to speak up about it (never mind if they themselves are being bullied additionally). It's a vicious cycle. Everyday StatsCan, U.S. stats sites and other similar organizations around the world churn out their studies which are 'representable' to the population they are studying. I don't believe it. I don't believe it for the reasons I just highlighted. People don't speak up about it - for the reasons listed and more - and therefore, there is no way you can even begin to have a sample which can represent the population. But people like to believe that things are under control - or at least that we know what were dealing with - so they go along with it. Ignorance is not bliss. If you don't open your eyes and start being proactive - in order to work towards solving the problem - it's only going to get worse and evolve with technology. Observe:
1. Knives - children brought knives to school to injure their peers (whether they are the bullier , the bullied or both.
2. Guns - same as number one but with a different weapon.
3. Internet - WWW, chat rooms, blogs, online slander, Myspace, Facebook, Friendster, IM, etc...all a hotbed for damaging words and action which throw the victim of it all into depression, suicide, etc. It's been seen.
So when people try to act like the technology is to blame, I'm going to tell them they're in denial. Technology (whatever is available to us to continue to live our lives in the way that we are brought up to in society), is only as useful as the person wielding it, intends it to be. A computer was just for data and information storage until folks imagined it to do bigger and better things. They imagined the world wide web (WWW), and young folks imagined networking sites and other online communities which were spurned from it. The road to hell was paved with good intentions. If you just sit there and let things happen, they will. They'll go so far that you won't even have the opportunity to step in front and take the reins anymore. Better to act now then be sorry later. That's the bottom line.
IT is difficult at first glance to effectively analyse the latest statistics issued today by the council on bullying and harassment in the city's schools.
While a relatively moderate rise in the numbers of racist incidents should give some cause for concern there is some satisfaction to be gained in the fact that the numbers of children reported for bullying continues to fall sharply.
But what should perhaps be more worrying is – even by the council's own admission –
is that the figures appear to be far from an accurate picture of the true extent of what goes on in school corridors and playgrounds as it appears most schools have fallen out of the habit of recording or reporting such incidents.
The lack of co-operation from some schools is disappointing. Edinburgh has always attempted to take a robust attitude towards bullying. Eight years ago it launched a strategy to tackle it by encouraging both pupils and teachers to report and log incidents. It is still one of only nine local authorities in the country which continues to produce annual figures on reported incidents.
From today's evidence it would appear that its attempts to gather effective data are being undermined by staff in the majority of city schools who claim only a few incidents have taken place in the last year.
This is hard to accept – certainly so for the council, which believes that today's reported figures are still only the tip of the iceberg and that many incidents are still going unreported.
They are backed in that assumption by Edinburgh and Lothians Racial Equality Council, which believes that only one in four incidents of racial abuse are being reported. And it does seem strange that in the wider world Lothian and Borders Police puts the steep rise in the number of racial crimes that they have recorded down to a greater willingness among victims to lodge complaints.
Doubtless one of the difficulties facing teaching staff is determining what constitutes bullying or just teasing which has gone too far. For example, it is difficult to understand why 14 incidents of homophobic attacks in primary schools were logged last year against pupils of an age where they are unlikely to be fully aware of their own sexuality. How many of these could have been regarded as pre-adolescent repetition of words and phrases picked up by children and not insults?
There has to be consistency in reporting if the council is to ascertain the extent of the problems and develop effective strategies to combat bullying and all types of harassment. But clear guidelines have to be issued so that political correctness does not run amok and that genuine incidents do not become confused with everyday playground banter with which generations of children have grown up.
Final Thoughts:
The title of the article left me reeling. It really is one of the problems that we face with bullying. If no one is reporting, who is going to speak up and bear witness (to prove it is happening)? Students are either afraid to get bullied even more, their discouraged because there isn't any proper punishment for those who are bullying them, students don't want to be bullied themselves (if they're witnessing it), and since when did those bullying other students want to speak up about it (never mind if they themselves are being bullied additionally). It's a vicious cycle. Everyday StatsCan, U.S. stats sites and other similar organizations around the world churn out their studies which are 'representable' to the population they are studying. I don't believe it. I don't believe it for the reasons I just highlighted. People don't speak up about it - for the reasons listed and more - and therefore, there is no way you can even begin to have a sample which can represent the population. But people like to believe that things are under control - or at least that we know what were dealing with - so they go along with it. Ignorance is not bliss. If you don't open your eyes and start being proactive - in order to work towards solving the problem - it's only going to get worse and evolve with technology. Observe:
1. Knives - children brought knives to school to injure their peers (whether they are the bullier , the bullied or both.
2. Guns - same as number one but with a different weapon.
3. Internet - WWW, chat rooms, blogs, online slander, Myspace, Facebook, Friendster, IM, etc...all a hotbed for damaging words and action which throw the victim of it all into depression, suicide, etc. It's been seen.
So when people try to act like the technology is to blame, I'm going to tell them they're in denial. Technology (whatever is available to us to continue to live our lives in the way that we are brought up to in society), is only as useful as the person wielding it, intends it to be. A computer was just for data and information storage until folks imagined it to do bigger and better things. They imagined the world wide web (WWW), and young folks imagined networking sites and other online communities which were spurned from it. The road to hell was paved with good intentions. If you just sit there and let things happen, they will. They'll go so far that you won't even have the opportunity to step in front and take the reins anymore. Better to act now then be sorry later. That's the bottom line.
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