Don't give up! If college is not for you that is OK too...expand your horizons. eScholar through studentjobs.gov is an umbrella site where students can apply for scholarships, apprenticeships, internships, cooperatives, fellowships, and grants through the Federal government. If nothing else, review the requirements....sometimes a parent's passion for their student's future may not be a shared vision.
Don't forget to check your favorite corporation for opportunities.
Publix Careers - Culinary Experience, Tuition Assistance, Internships
Walmart Internships - MBA and Corporate Internships, Pharmacy Internships
Google jobs and internships
The last scholarship workshop for 2008 will be conducted on Wednesday, 12/17/08. I have been asked to do one more in January. Then we move on to the Google products workshops.
During the last couple of workshops, I have been asked, "Now that you have focused on the students what about us...the adults?"
This is why I love the Internet and the eroding of the walls. Adults...guess what the majority of our seniors graduating from high school are? Legal adults.
Adults...if you want to qualify for any type of financial aid you must fill out a FAFSA. Like our students you have the option of creating a GAcollege411 account. There is a tab titled Adult Learner. If you are a parent and involved with your student's pursuit of college financing...might as well join them.
Scholarship search sites such as Fastweb and Brokescholar are open to anyone who can input data to interact with a website. Check the privacy and TOS (Terms of Service) for age requirements.
Some of the participants stated, "This is like work"...regardless of the economy, applying for scholarships, internships, apprenticeships, and/or jobs is work. If you are passionate about pursuing an education, formally or informally, you have to apply everything you have learned...while continuing to learn.
The FAFSA student aid site provides links for students in middle school, high school, college, in English and Español. There are links for non traditional students, International students, Parents, Counselors/Mentors, and Native Americans.
Microsoft and Michigan Virtual University have partnered and created the CareerForward program. A website for students and teachers, "to be introduced to the growing global competition that they will face. Most important, they need motivation to plan and see the education that is so crucial for their futures."
There are too many programs to address in a blog, one workshop, with one counselor or one individual...It is OK to ask, never settle, and if you are going to soar with the eagles quit hanging with the turkeys.
When you want to throw in the towel and give up...just ask one question, "Whose future is it anyway?"
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Support the Digiteens - Different ways
For everyone who has been lurking and watching what the Digiteen Dream Team has been doing with their efforts to "Keep Lively Alive" they have posted some options for readers of their blog. Check the Digiteen Dream Team blog and read their updates. They have connected with a class in Hong Kong and provided links and suggestions that meet the needs of their blog readers.
So what can you do?
Check out the Cool Cat Teacher blog. Vicki Davis has posted a variety of projects created by her students from letters to videos. These posts include her support of the students and the actions they are taking about something they learned in school and connected with the real world, globally.
Sign the Keep Google Lively Active online petition.
Join the Facebook group of Livelyzens.
Share your succes feedback/opinion with Google
Check out the Livelyzens blogs in Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Portugese, and English
Download Lively and create an account and join the protest room.
This has been a valuable learning experience for all the Digiteen supporters and their blog readers. For all of the bad news spewed about children and the Internet, Vicki's students are learning, practicing, and teaching younger students about Digital Citizenship.
Parents...check out the Cool Cat Teacher's blog post titled, "A Little Digital Citizenship Parent Brainstorming: Share Your Thoughts" on 8/8/08.
There are still too many adults that could use a course in Digital Citizenship in order to set the example for the people they influence. We can all learn something from the Digiteen Dream Team. When is the last time you took a stand for something you believed passionately about that didn't include a majority?
So what can you do?
Check out the Cool Cat Teacher blog. Vicki Davis has posted a variety of projects created by her students from letters to videos. These posts include her support of the students and the actions they are taking about something they learned in school and connected with the real world, globally.
Sign the Keep Google Lively Active online petition.
Join the Facebook group of Livelyzens.
Share your succes feedback/opinion with Google
Check out the Livelyzens blogs in Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Portugese, and English
Download Lively and create an account and join the protest room.
This has been a valuable learning experience for all the Digiteen supporters and their blog readers. For all of the bad news spewed about children and the Internet, Vicki's students are learning, practicing, and teaching younger students about Digital Citizenship.
Parents...check out the Cool Cat Teacher's blog post titled, "A Little Digital Citizenship Parent Brainstorming: Share Your Thoughts" on 8/8/08.
There are still too many adults that could use a course in Digital Citizenship in order to set the example for the people they influence. We can all learn something from the Digiteen Dream Team. When is the last time you took a stand for something you believed passionately about that didn't include a majority?
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Continuing to empower students
Wow! I feel honored to be mentioned on Vicki Davis' Cool Cat Teacher Blog.
Empower - To equip or supply with an ability; enable: "Computers ... empower students to become intellectual explorers" (Edward B. Fiske).
empower. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved December 09, 2008, from Dictionary.com website:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/empower
I believe empowering students is what we should all do. In the real world, people learn from us, with us, in spite of us, or just because of what we do, whether you are a parent, an educator by career choice, a Sunday school teacher, a teacher of any topic or subject at a community center or a member of a community. So what do you do with the new knowledge, skill, attribute, or information? Do our students just hoard everything they learn then celebrate their 18th birthday and announce they are legally empowered?
A few years ago, I remember a debate amongst my own classmates (non traditional adult students). We were analyzing information gathered from a variety of stakeholders...and I brought up students. I stood my ground and will continue to support students as stakeholders in a school system because they are the primary mandated users. Teachers, administrators, counselors, and support staff...they will come and go...but without students...there is no need for the teachers, administrators, counselors, support staff and teams.
We have three top rated magnet schools in the Richmond County School district. People rent apartments in the district just to have their students apply to these top rated schools. At Thursday's monthly RCBoEd meeting recognition will be given to the following schools:
A. R. Johnson Magnet School will be presented awards for the following: Improvement in Biology on the End-of-Course Test, Achievement in Algebra I on the End-of-Course Test, Achievement in Biology on the End-of-Course Test, Achievement in Language Arts and Reading on the Georgia High School Graduation Test, Achievement in Mathematics on the Georgia High School Graduation Test, Achievement in Science on the Georgia High School Graduation Test
Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School named in US News & World Report's Best High Schools-Gold Medal List #89 out of 100. A.R. Johnson makes the Silver list of the US News & World Report
Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School is named 2008 School of Excellence
C.T. Walker Traditional Magnet School is awarded the 2008 Single Statewide Accountability System's Highest Performance Silver Award for Outstanding Student Achievement
A.R. Johnson Magnet School is awarded the 2008 Single Statewide Accountability System's Highest Performance Platinum Award for Outstanding Student Achievement
Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School is awarded the 2008 Single Statewide Accountability System's Highest Performance Platinum Award for Outstanding Student Achievement
Lake Forest Hills Elementary School is awarded the 2008 Single Statewide Accountability System's Greatest Gain Platinum Award for Outstanding Student Achievement
These schools deserve the recognition, accolades, and awards and should be recognized publicly...but when a sex scandal breaks out involving a principal, teachers, former public safety officer, graduation coach...no one remembers the awards, the good stuff, the proud moments of our students. Why not teach the students to empower themselves? To be better than those in the bad news of their school system?
Whose future is it any way? It is OK for them to be involved, to be the practitioners, to be the decision makers. You can rest easier when your students learn to make decisions in a timely manner, take the responsibility for their actions, learn from their actions or inactions and apply it to their life's folder of lessons learned.
Don't wait until the new year to make a resolution...start today, have your digiteen share something they have done on the web, a new technical skill, or community project...eventually we will all be replaced...it is the circle of life. Do you need a visual reminder? Watch the Lion King.
So to all the Cool Cat Teachers and the digiteens and digitweens...keep up the great work. We know you will incorporate lessons learned from your experiences and continue to improve the world, whether it is in the edublogosphere, connecting globally, and continuing to take the high road and the path less traveled.
Empower - To equip or supply with an ability; enable: "Computers ... empower students to become intellectual explorers" (Edward B. Fiske).
empower. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved December 09, 2008, from Dictionary.com website:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/empower
I believe empowering students is what we should all do. In the real world, people learn from us, with us, in spite of us, or just because of what we do, whether you are a parent, an educator by career choice, a Sunday school teacher, a teacher of any topic or subject at a community center or a member of a community. So what do you do with the new knowledge, skill, attribute, or information? Do our students just hoard everything they learn then celebrate their 18th birthday and announce they are legally empowered?
A few years ago, I remember a debate amongst my own classmates (non traditional adult students). We were analyzing information gathered from a variety of stakeholders...and I brought up students. I stood my ground and will continue to support students as stakeholders in a school system because they are the primary mandated users. Teachers, administrators, counselors, and support staff...they will come and go...but without students...there is no need for the teachers, administrators, counselors, support staff and teams.
We have three top rated magnet schools in the Richmond County School district. People rent apartments in the district just to have their students apply to these top rated schools. At Thursday's monthly RCBoEd meeting recognition will be given to the following schools:
A. R. Johnson Magnet School will be presented awards for the following: Improvement in Biology on the End-of-Course Test, Achievement in Algebra I on the End-of-Course Test, Achievement in Biology on the End-of-Course Test, Achievement in Language Arts and Reading on the Georgia High School Graduation Test, Achievement in Mathematics on the Georgia High School Graduation Test, Achievement in Science on the Georgia High School Graduation Test
Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School named in US News & World Report's Best High Schools-Gold Medal List #89 out of 100. A.R. Johnson makes the Silver list of the US News & World Report
Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School is named 2008 School of Excellence
C.T. Walker Traditional Magnet School is awarded the 2008 Single Statewide Accountability System's Highest Performance Silver Award for Outstanding Student Achievement
A.R. Johnson Magnet School is awarded the 2008 Single Statewide Accountability System's Highest Performance Platinum Award for Outstanding Student Achievement
Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School is awarded the 2008 Single Statewide Accountability System's Highest Performance Platinum Award for Outstanding Student Achievement
Lake Forest Hills Elementary School is awarded the 2008 Single Statewide Accountability System's Greatest Gain Platinum Award for Outstanding Student Achievement
These schools deserve the recognition, accolades, and awards and should be recognized publicly...but when a sex scandal breaks out involving a principal, teachers, former public safety officer, graduation coach...no one remembers the awards, the good stuff, the proud moments of our students. Why not teach the students to empower themselves? To be better than those in the bad news of their school system?
Dr. Dana Bedden apologized to the students of Spirit Creek and the community. Thanks for the apology Dr. B...but you inherited this district. Parents, educators, students, and community partners have attempted to inform you of the additional issues that you are uncovering and will discover as you work to improve this district. We know that you cannot do it alone but there is a breach of trust and a restrictive filters in the effective communication process.
The former public safety officer in this investigation had been assigned to my daughter's high school prior to being reassigned to Spirit Creek MS. WRDW reports and tweets on Twitter: Inside the Spirit Creek Sex Scandal Investigation Spirit Creek sex investigation closed, 7 implicated From the Augusta Chronicle: School's staff implicated in sex scandal From the Metro Spirit: Spirit Creek Scandal
Butler High School went through sex scandal when the Band teacher was arrested and then in June 2008 when Mr. Shelton was indicted by a grand jury.
As we explain to our students...bad news sells...to people who buy it. We have to teach our students that it is OK to make their own news. With Internet access and smart phones students have the capability to send a news clip to any media outlet, including starting their own blog, website, or piece of cyberspace. If their club or out of school organization is doing something great...people do want to know about it and the media release doubles as an external document of the community efforts.Whose future is it any way? It is OK for them to be involved, to be the practitioners, to be the decision makers. You can rest easier when your students learn to make decisions in a timely manner, take the responsibility for their actions, learn from their actions or inactions and apply it to their life's folder of lessons learned.
Don't wait until the new year to make a resolution...start today, have your digiteen share something they have done on the web, a new technical skill, or community project...eventually we will all be replaced...it is the circle of life. Do you need a visual reminder? Watch the Lion King.
So to all the Cool Cat Teachers and the digiteens and digitweens...keep up the great work. We know you will incorporate lessons learned from your experiences and continue to improve the world, whether it is in the edublogosphere, connecting globally, and continuing to take the high road and the path less traveled.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)