How Far Will You Go to Stop Bullying?

Plastic surgery to stop bullying? 

Doesn't that mean the bullies win?

We have been discussing bullying throughout the past few months, and we all agreed that parents need to play an important role in helping their kids deal with bullying.  We read about parents that picketed the school, confronted the bullies themselves, and one even attacked the bullies on a bus.  The following covers an issue that was missed in all of our research.

It seems like the issue of bullying, and how to deal with it, has evolved throughout the years into a complex ordeal that may require drastic measures to reach a solution. A recent current event assignment that was handed in to me contained a blog by Andrea Bennett, published on August eighth of this year. Check out her blog by clicking on her name.  Is plastic surgery a possible solution?

Watch the CNN video to get the whole story of 14 year old Nadia Ilse being interviewed by Sanjay Gutal.  You might agree she looks better.  I do, but at what cost.  I'm not talking about $40,000 price tag for the surgery.

Is this a parenting problem or a sample of how society has molded our perceptions? Maybe you are comfortable with this idea. Tell me what you think.

-Mr. Kohl

Holiday Outlook

Holiday Tablets

BY JOE HELLER, GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE  

Experts have used Christmas spending as a great economic indicator that will let us know if the economy is turning around.  The confidence in the public to spend money on higher priced items will tell us if the new year be easier on the middle and lower classes, decrease unemployment, and improve our economic outlook.  

Do you think this political cartoon by Joe Heller of the Green Bay Press-Gazette supports the idea of economic growth? What message is the artist trying to make? Can you make any connections to this cartoon?

Time Keeps On Slipping into the Future

I heard somewhere that studies have shown that time seems different for kids than it is for adults.  Check out a blog by Psychology Today.  The evidence might be all in my head.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/thinking-about-kids/201010/does-time-fly-when-youre-getting-old

For kids, time goes slow, the days seem long, nothing ever happens fast enough, and they can’t wait for tomorrow.  For adults, time goes fast, there is never enough time to do all of the things we want to do in a day, and it always seems like we always have to leave something for tomorrow.

We’re talking about the same time here.  For kids, time drags on.  Kids seem to have so much time that they have to fill the void of unusable time with something they call boredom.  We all have seen the physical symptoms of boredom, when a kid’s head becomes limp and may fall from side to side as their eyes roll up toward the ceiling.  This often is accompanied by an involuntary sigh and prolong yawn that can make an adult cringe.  Kids are not afraid to tell you when they enter this mysterious vortex of excess time.  The phrases, “I’m bored,” and “This is boring,” will spew forth almost immediately prior to the physical, all body drop, almost like fainting.

Adults, on the other hand, are tying to figure out what  happened to all the extra time they used to have, and if kids seem to have so much of it, maybe they could share it.  That’s why adults are so frustrated whenever they witness a kid with so much extra time on their hands.

If I had a million dollars, I would see if I could buy some extra time.  I wouldn't need much, just enough to complete the tasks I should have done yesterday.  I want to visit a good friend, catch the big game, or perhaps go on a vacation I have been talking about, but could never find the time.  I’m afraid I am going to spend so much time looking for extra time that someday I just might run out of time.

In conclusion readers, my advise is to cherish time.  Boredom is ok once in a while. Have the courage to take a positive risk to fill that boredom void with some new adventures.  Kids, you are only young once and the responsibilities of adulthood can be managed in time if you learn to manage your time now while you still have so much of it.  And if you don’t want it, I’ll take it.  Perhaps we could start a new adventure together after I finish grading papers, mowing the lawn, picking up my kids from sports and music, making dinner, paying bills…...

-Mr. Kohl

Communication is Key to Ending Bullying

Study: Half of teens have been bullied last year by Andrew Dalton of the Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/27/study-half-of-teens-have-_n_774738.html

Bullying can have a lasting effect by Oshkosh writer Julie Genisot
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20121021/APC06/310210056/Julie-Genisot-column-Bullying-can-lasting-effect

Above are just two articles of many dealing with bullying in the United States.  We have been discussing the topic in our 6th grade classes at Merrill Middle School in Oshkosh to gain background knowledge of this issue, and develop our thinking about the topic.  The complexity of  relationships and how technology has changed bullying has made it difficult to determine how bullying should to be dealt with. We have considered the causes, the effects on victims, parents' reactions, and the seemly inability of teachers and schools to do anything about it. One conclusion we can all agree on is that bullying is wrong and needs to stop.  Bullies need to be the ones who stand alone.  Strength in numbers is crucial.  Tolerance and acceptance of everyone  will empower the majority and perhaps keep bullies under stronger social disgrace.

What do you think?  With programs trying to increase awareness of bullying, why does it seem to continue to be a social problem.  What do you see being done?  What still needs to be done?

Mr.Kohl

Students Prepare for Election 2012

Middle school students many not be confident in their selection for President of the United States, if they know who is running at all.  Their background knowledge consists of the information they have gained by the highly suggestive political ads telling us that each candidate is a crook and neither can be trusted.

Scholastic Magazine has a page on their site that does a nice job breaking down the candidates and the political process.  You have to dig a little, but there is a lot of information about what each candidate is all about and the obstacles they have to overcome to become president.

http://magazines.scholastic.com/election-2012

Diffen is a fun website that compares anything you can think of.  It does a nice job breaking down the two candidates into two columns and covers a variety of issues.  Some of the content is over my head, but there is a lot of interesting information that may help in your decision when voting time comes.

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Barack_Obama_vs_Mitt_Romney

Middle school students need to think about the fact that whoever wins on November 6 is probably going to make decisions that will affect them directly when they are older.  One good example is college tuition.  It may not possible in the future for everyone to go to college if everyone can't afford it.

Merrill Middle School students can go to my web site to cast there vote for president starting on November 1.  Be sure to be an informed voter.  Don't be swayed by the opinions of others, make your opinion count.

https://sites.google.com/a/oshkosh.k12.wi.us/timothy-kohl/

Sports Books That Will Engage Young Athletes

Money Ball by Michael Lewis was the first book I read this past summer. It took me a long time, not because I didn't have time to read, but because I had to do so much thinking and re-reading to consider the impact the information in the book has for me as a coach of players. I'm not sure why it was so controversial. I suppose if you were portrayed as one of the characters in the book that didn't like Billy Bean, the manager, then maybe you would feel the facts are twisted. Controversy was also risen from the details of baseball life that author Michael Lewis was expected to keep within it's exclusive club.  It does contain some very popular baseball vocabulary that I suppose is only meant for the dugout.  Therefor, I suggest that parents preview the content of the book before their children read it.

Other more kid friendly sports books I would promote to any sport loving kids are the books by Mike Lupica. Lupica does not only write about baseball, as in Heat,  The Big Field, and Wild Pitch.  He also has other sports covered as well, such as Summer Ball, The Penalty Kick, and The Red Zone. So no matter what sport you are into, Mike Lupica has a book for you.

Check out Mike Lupica's website and tell us what books you have read or would like to read:  http://www.mikelupicabooks.com/

Mixed Ethnicity. Is a New Label Needed?

The Latte Rebellion: by Sarah Jamila Stevenson

The Late Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson takes an interesting perspective into racial discrimination in northern California and the United States.  Asha Jamison, along with a few friends, come up with a plan to make some money to take a trip the summer after their senior year of school.  After an altercation with a fellow student about their mixed ethnicity, the girls come up with the idea for the Latte Rebellion. Being of mixed ethnicity, the girls are constantly forced to choose a racial identity that doesn't seem to fit who they are or who they have become.  The girls use their newly fueled desire to stand up and be identified, to develop a simple manifesto, a cool t-shirt design, and a website to promote their money scheme.  Little did the girls know that their idea would go viral and potentially ruin any plans they had for a trip, friendships, and maybe even graduation.

The Late Rebellion is certainly a book that would fit well in a text set with civil rights and racial discrimination.  It would make for interesting discussion in book talk sessions when compared to the strict racial tensions of the 1930s or 1960s.  It certainly brings into question that racial tensions may have taken on new perspectives. I would recommend it for my mature readers.  The content is certainly appropriate for all middle school students, probably more for the girls, but I'm not sure it is fast enough for what a lot of my students are looking for in a book. It would make a good pool side book this summer.

As Good As Hunger Games?

The Maze Runner:
by James Dashner
The book I have recently read is The Maze Runner by James Dashner. The book is a very mysterious, and enjoyable book. The main character is Thomas who was sent to the Glade by the Creators. The glade is a man-made mysterious place for the kids that were sent to there after an apocalyptic disease has struck the earth. The other kids that were sent to the glade feel that Thomas has some kind of connection with the creators and the only girl, that ironically, was sent there day after he arrived. This was strange because one new kid usually came evey month. One of the problems between the kids is trust. The walls moving and the grieved machines that try to sting the characters that are trying to escape the maze, are also big obsticals to get back to home.

I recommend this book to anyone that likes a science fiction mystery book. This book will leave you hanging, and make you want to read more. I really enjoyed this book and I think everyone else will too

Being a Teenager can be Tough

Top 10 Problems Teenagers Face:
http://sofs.hubpages.com/hub/Its-hard-on-teens
Teens Today:
http://parentingteens.about.com/od/familylife/u/teenissues.htm

Our next next research topic in literacy will be related to teen issues.  Read the attached  website and blog. These sites are from two different perspectives.  There are certainly more related topics.  All students will get to choose the focus of their research.  Students can focus on one specific subject or a variety of topics. We will start by tapping into our background knowledge.  Consider your next book for fourth quarter. Think about the stories and articles we have already read.  What are the issues you would like to know more about as you enter the teen years?

Mr. Kohl