Week of 10/11/2010

Big thanks to everyone who helped promote our first "wear pink day" in support of breast cancer awareness.  As Nicole mentioned in her follow up email: overall, thanks to your efforts, we were able to donate almost $700 to the Susan G. Komen center for breast cancer research.  Additionally, almost $300 went to Lee National Denim Day!! $1,000 in one day is really pretty amazing!  Super kudos to everyone involved!


I added some pictures of teachers showing their pink pride to our photo stream in the upper left corner of the blog... but I thought I'd welcome our new 8th grade Language Arts teacher, Lynn Blades with a close up this week. :)  Speaking of which, if you missed the story that WECT did on all of Friday's "Wear Pink" activities, you can check it out here! I'm pretty sure the Star News picked up the story as well, but I've yet to see it appear on their website.  Similarly, I sent some pictures into the PR Dept. with NHCS, but they've yet to show up on the home page.  Stay tuned!


Switching gears...


Recently, we've talked a lot recently about the importance of integrating 21st century technologies into content area instruction.  One thing we don't talk a lot about, but that I think is equally important, is the need for our students to be savvy consumers of information.  Just forbidding them from using sites like Wikipedia doesn't teach them how to separate a good source from a less reliable one, which is the kind of skill they really need.  The new Information and Technology Essential Standards mandate that students learn how to evaluate information and be able to discern reliable media from the unreliable and even unscrupulous.  As we integrate new technologies within our instruction and turn kids loose on the internet, we need to make sure they are armed with the skills to make smart, responsible and ethical decisions while out there.  After all, our students are creating digital footprints right now that they will have to live with for the rest of their lives.

Anyway, check out the video and then let me know if you'd like me to work with your students in regards to online ethics, information evaluation or even on how to conduct a smart internet search, as opposed to just taking your chances on the first link that pops up on Google.  I'd love to come goof around with your kids for awhile.

Finally, I know I promised to update the staff birthdays last week, but...  clearly, I am falling down on the job.  My apologies to all of those October babies who have been forgotten the last two weeks.  I promise to set things right next week.  And this time I really mean it. :)  

And now, here's the calendar! (PS: Don't forget to check out the 21st Century Resource on the side bar!) Happy weekend, everyone!