Inspirational K

I’m a very sympathetic person and will shed tears for even strangers, but it never fails to irritate me when parents blame brands, companies, and the law for their own negligence. I understand that parents don’t have ultimate control over their children, but I do believe that proper upbringing will raise children to become rational decision makers. 

Just several months ago, two young children in my town drowned to death with no adults present. Their parents actually gave them permission to venture out on their own and play without any adults. They were concerned when the boys didn’t return home after dark. Yes, this is a very tragic incident, but those parents should have watched after their children. To reach the park with the river that they were found at, one would have to cross multiple high-traffic roads to get there. It’s not like a neighborhood park with swings and a jungle gym—and these children actually told their parents that they were going to the park, thus the parents knew the obstacles that their children were going to face. 

Another recent incident was when a teen with only a permit drove several of his friends in his new WRX while speeding on the highway, crashed, and killed all but himself. Also, tragic, but totally uncalled for when an uncle of one of the dead passengers blamed the law for having set such a “low” age to obtain a license—and he suggested that the age should be raised to 25. It’s absolutely absurd, because the boy who was driving the car, didn’t even have a valid license! There were also indications of the passengers not wearing their seat belts and that they were intoxicated or high. And to bring it back to perspective, where were the parents? To rule out questions of why an unlicensed teen was bought a new car—I was also bought a new car to practice in before I got my license, but it was no WRX, and I knew to drive it only with a licensed adult in the car.

Grieving parents would rather blame anyone else but themselves because they can’t live with the guilt of knowing that the incidents could have been preventable. Had they educated their children of consequences, of rational decision making, their children might still be here today. In today’s news about Monster Energy Drink causing the death of a teen, as other readers have noted, “You can overdose on most anything if you don’t use it as directed.” The packaging has a warning label and it has been noted in nutrition and health sources that children shouldn’t even be consuming caffeine. And now that their daughter is dead, the parents are questioning the regulation of caffeinated drinks. 

I’m sorry, but shouldn’t it be the other way around?

“Only 22% of the world finishes high school, and only 55% finish sixth grade. Those are just appalling numbers. As a species, we’re wasting almost four-fifths of the talent we produce. What if the person who invents a grand unified theory of physics is growing up in Africa and never gets a chance? What if the girl who invents a cure for ovarian cancer is growing up in some Cambodian fishing village and never gets a chance? I want to solve the access problem for the human race once and for all. We’ve always had this problem, and no one talks about it because we’ve always had it. Of the 1.25 billion kids in the world, a billion won’t finish high school. That’s a tragedy, a preventable tragedy.”

~Jose Ferreira, Founder and CEO of Knewton

Via Mashable 

What a great cause!

(Source: elefut)

I’m a digital advocate, but I’m not one to compromise emotional, mental, and physical development for digital advancements. It’s interesting how many studies are being conducted about the pros and cons of digital consumption with children and teens. But honestly, I believe that we won’t be able to get real answers any time soon. This technology is new and regularly being updated every second. Today, we use smart boards in classrooms, tomorrow we use laser technology on glass. With everything developing so quickly, how can these studies be reliable? And, there’s always a flaw with survey-based studies. Demographics play a huge role and if surveys aren’t conducted broadly, it’s very difficult to get someone to believe your numbers.

Like Sam Laird said, “Arguments can be made either way, but there’s no debating that today’s teens are more wired than ever.” I’ll just leave it at that. 

~K

mogeiko:

Easter Bunny puppet I made today in the kids’ crafts group at work. Super easy project for little ones. (Those under 4 years may need assistance from parents!)

Materials:
Brown paper lunch bag
Scrap paper
Felt (for eyes and nose)
Cotton ball
Glitter (optional)
Scissors
Glue stick

Turn the bag so that the folded bottom ‘flap’ is facing you. This will be the head. Cut out ear shapes in any colour paper you want and glue to top of the head. Cut out eye and nose shapes from any colour felt and glue on.
For the tummy, cut a large paper oval and glue on beneath the head. If desired, rub some glue onto the tummy and sprinkle with glitter. Tap off excess glitter and discard or collect for re-use.
On the back side, glue on the cotton ball for a fluffy tail.

And you’re done!

Adorable idea that I just had to share!

(via mogeiko-deactivated20120618)

This pertains to my post from earlier! What a coincidence.

(via classroomcollective)

I’m actually ashamed to admit that I’m just beginning the series! But, I hope to have it finished before the movie comes out. My answer might not be as well-rounded since I haven’t experienced the violence within yet, but I hope that I can provide a little insight to the age-old question of when kids should be allowed to read or watch certain things.

When I read that question, the first thought I had was, when should children be allowed to read Shakespeare? Romeo and Juliet’s read as young as Intermediate School, but it has so many sexual innuendos and violence as well for such a young age.

I don’t believe in censorship in reading either. I think that with reading comes knowledge and wisdom, no matter what you read. At a young age, this might not be comprehended, but I think we give children too little credit. When they’re able to read and understand what they’re reading, I believe that they reach a stage that they realize that what they’re reading is fictional—it’s imagined. Although I love working with my imagination, what the media provides us with visually is more realistic than what we can come up with on the spot while reading. How many times have our children sat by our side in front of the TV when a commercial for a violent action or horror film came on? How many times have we brought our young children to the movie theater to watch Mission Impossible or James Bond? How many times are children in the room when the news is on telling of a random act of murder? Violence is all around us and it really depends how we communicate that violence to our children. If we explain violence in media in a healthy way, i.e. explain to them that a movie’s a movie and as they can see from the movie, bad people have to take consequences for their actions—children will ultimately accept and understand that media doesn’t reflect every day life and that violence is not a positive choice to make.

We can apply the same process for reading. Depending on how you raise your children in terms of entertainment, your children may already understand the moral reality of violence (as per above) or may still need guidance when reading and using their imagination. In this latter case, I would suggest a similar approach. You can take this as an opportunity to spend time with your child. You can both take turns reading paragraphs, or each get a copy, read on your own, and after each chapter or every several chapters, get together to talk about it. That way, you can hear his/her thoughts on the book and see if they’re even fully comprehending the plot, and you can guide them in the right direction if the violence is disturbing them. Take this as an opportunity not to censor your child, but to give them the chance to prove to you that they’re more emotionally and mentally capable than you make him/her out to be.

Leap Day’s tomorrow! Like with V-day, I’m going to hopefully post some inspiring projects and activities for you to do with your children or students.

Here’s the first! Printable, adorable frog favor bags!

~K

(via classroomcollective)