Chaper 2: The Global Achievement Gap

Five things I learned:

When Newsweek creates a list of the best high schools in America, all it looks at is the percentage of students taking the rapidly growing AP programs.

Only 10% of students play varsity sports.

The Department of Defense runs it's own school system.

In one school:

5th graders spent more than 90 percent of their time in their seats listening to the teacher or working alone and only about 7 percent or their time working in groups. Findings were similar in 1st and 3rd grade.

In 5th grade, more than 60 percent of students' time was spent on improving basic literacy or math skills, while less than 25 percent of their time was devoted to science and social studies.

Letter to the editor

As future teachers, cyberbullying is an epidemic that is taking control of our schools. Cyberbylling has caused many to take their lives in extreme cases, and causing many other problems that affect students in the classroom as well as the teacher, and the school itself.  Something has to be done, in order to protect those affected. What should be done? Parents should teach their kids what is appropriate behavior when it comes to the internet. The parents should also monitor what their child is doing on the internet. The internet can be a great tool when used correctly, but when it is misused it becomes a hazard.  

                The topic of cyberbullying has caused numerous problems among today’s teens and young adults.  Suicides, depression, and isolation are few of the many problems that are associated with cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is an unnecessary form of harassment that takes place via the web, cell phones, I pads/ pods. People aren’t afraid to say what they want, and aren’t aware of the consequences that can follow. This is where intervention needs to start. Young adults should be educated about cyberbullying, and the effects it has on people involved. This education should start as early as possible. The more we teach our children the more lives we can save by early intervention. Some states like New Jersey, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, are taking steps in the right direction to fix this problem. They are viewed as models because they include provisions allowing school officials to address off-campus actions that disrupt school operations.

                Although some states are taking steps in the right direction to stop, or prevent cyberbullying, this is not enough in some cases. Educating the children in our school systems has to be our number one priority. Hopefully in time other states will pass laws just like the ones that already have, to  prevent this from happening to any other young adults.