"Medicaid"... or "MedicATE"?

Did you catch the eye-opening piece in The New York Times this weekend, Poor Children Likelier to Get Antipsychotics? Fascinating... We can basically assume that there will be class disparities in almost every facet of life. Whether discussing inequities in the education system, gentrification, disease, employment, etc. those with less are seemingly always up against more. But, the notion that poor kids are being drugged at alarmingly higher rates than their middle- and upper-class counterparts with similar symptoms really seems... well, "unfair" doesn't capture it.

Studies revealed that Medicaid is prescribing antipsychotic medication four times as fast to the poorest children, and often for much less serious conditions. The problem? Obviously, no one wants to over-medicate children. But, these drugs can also lead to various complications, including heart and weight issues. It isn't bad enough that poor neighborhoods are populated with fast-food options while bereft of healthy choices, now the medicines being prescribed are compounding the problem?

Hopefully, this piece will raise the awareness of the decision makers - from doctors to health-care reformers - to analyze the current policies and practices in the prescribing of medication. The message also must reach poor parents who need to understand it is within their rights to ask questions of their insurance companies and doctors. For many groups, a doctor's word is law and is almost never questioned. But, we all have the right to gather more information, obtain second opinions, and seek alternatives to medicating.

And, where children's health is concerned, parents should have more information - not less.

Resources For Educators

In addition to fostering discussions, the Boy Talk blog is also your home for educational resources! Actually, it's a when-we-have-something-to-share-we-will situation...

The New York Times Learning Network is a fantastic knowledge base to which every teacher should subscribe. Last month, the site changed formats to a blog with all sorts of features including thousands (yes, thousands!) of free (yes, free!) lesson plans for teachers, quizzes, student opinions, and many more resources. In fact, today there is a very spirited debate on the question: "Should gay couples be allowed to marry?" Be forewarned: On this particular thread, as is to be expected, there is some ignorance in the comments section - but, the issues being addressed and the information being shared is well-worth the read, and may even inspire you to facilitate a similar discussion in your school.

A recent Google search revealed a fantastic resource called Jeopardy Labs. The site allows you to create actual Jeopardy-style games to use with your students! It's amazing how easy the site is to use, and how perfect the interactive template will be in your class (keeps track of team scoring and everything!). The best feature however, is the database. There are hundreds of previously made Jeopardy games (templates) created by other users and available for you to use. So, let's say you want to create a quiz on the topic of weather. Simply search for it through the "Start Browsing" link and use as you see fit! You can even modify the template if you need to change answers or point values, etc. Fantastic resource (and free!!)...

Lastly: HelpGuide.org is a great site filled with information, links, telephone numbers, and thoughts related to issues of grief, stress, addiction, disorders, and the list goes on. Whether you have concerns about people around you, or questions about your own mental or physical health, this site provides many answers and directions on where to find help. Highly recommend browsing their pages...

When Facebooking Goes Wrong...

As social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter continue to grow in popularity, more and more related issues are being unearthed: Are we losing human contact and face-to-face interaction? What is appropriate to reveal online? Are we spending too much time updating our statuses?

Schools are restricting access; businesses are researching candidates' online "brands" before hiring; sports teams are enacting rules about what, where, and when you can "social network." Apparently, even our government is cracking down on tweeting...

What is clear, is that there is very little that is clear. When are inappropriate times to use these social networking sites? When is regulation impinging on free speech? How much information is too much to share?

We are very interested to hear what your school or organization's policies are where social networking sites are concerned. Can students be held accountable - by the school - for what they post on these sites? Have you encountered incidents of student bullying or harassment through these sites, even if not on school time? Please feel free to add a comment here or shoot us an email: javaid@gp-bp.org

No matter what the policy, there is one rule we should all learn from this story: If you're going to break into someone's house, don't use their computer to check your Facebook account!

(Or, at least logout...)

Jesus Was Hot In That, Too!

Great line from a fantastic piece: "Coming Out In Middle School,"by Benoit Denizet-Lewis. The article chronicles stories of middle schoolers from Oklahoma to California who identify as gay or bisexual. Some are out to their families, peers, and schools, some aren't. And, although each kid's story is unique, there is one thought that consistently makes an appearance:

"You're so young, how could you possibly know already?"

Many acknowledge in the article how flawed this argument really is. How many would question it if your 12 year-old son or nephew said he had a crush on a girl? Would he be too young to know? The mother of 12 year-old Kera put it best: "I knew I was interested in boys when I was her age, so it didn’t strike me as unusual that Kera might know she’s interested in boys and girls, put two and two together and call herself bisexual. Kids just know what those words mean a lot earlier than when I was growing up.”

Obviously, not everyone is able to see the logic in that sentiment. From being ostracized by friends and family to actually being assaulted (with a bible?!), these teens and pre-teens are faced with a difficult choice of whether to come out or not; something generations before them faced, but without the presence of school organizations (like GSAs - Gay, Straight, Alliances), and probably with less open-minded adults around them.

What stands out in all of their stories is the role school plays in their lives. A comedian once said something like, "I don't know why parents beat their kids... when damaging them psychologically is so much more permanent." Parents play a huge role in our lives, but acceptance by the peer group at this age? Hard to say whether it's more important, but it's certainly up there. Some schools seem to get this concept completely. But, addressing issues of sexuality is still not easy for every teacher to do. Comments from teachers range from avoidance to discomfort:

"If I have to stop what I’m doing every time a student says ['You're gay!'], I won’t have any time to teach!"

Jennifer Mathieu Blessington of Johnston Middle School in Houston has adopted a simple policy that more teachers should try to impart on their students: "We don’t use the word 'gay' in a negative way in this classroom. Gay people are human beings, and that’s the way we talk about them in here. Is that understood?"

And, the discomfort:

"... Others are afraid to address the language because they feel like it would mean talking about sexuality, which they aren’t comfortable doing in a middle school setting."

The Girl Talk and Boy Talk Blogs are not intended to be plugs for our program. Through our blogs, we hope to facilitate discussions and stimulate some thought - and, occasionally offer a fun read. But, it's so hard to see a sentiment like this without thinking about The Girls & Boys Projects. In addition to trying to empower students to find their own voices, we also hope teachers will obtain new language and comfortability in dealing with these social issues.

As is clearly evident from the article, changing the culture of a school - of a society - is a collaborative effort. And, we're glad to be doing our part.

The Problem With Summer

For its poorest students, America doesn’t have a school problem.

It has a summer-vacation problem.

- Malcolm Gladwell

By now, you've either read Outliers, or become completely annoyed by those around you who keep recommending it (if not, you may need to change your circle). Gladwell's eye-opening read sheds light on a number of topics, one of the most interesting being the damaging effects of summer vacation on America's poorest students.

The studies cited in the book show that while lower-class students and upper-class students perform at similar levels during the year (5th Grade, in this particular study), over the summer, privileged students continue learning at a superior rate, while the rest fall behind. The obvious result is that come September, the gap between the haves and the have-nots is quite substantial - and, extremely difficult to overcome.

The reasons why you can probably figure yourself: absence of reading, days spent hanging out in the neighborhood, parents who can't take vacation leaving kids unmonitored... And, of course, there are those missing life experiences: camps, travel, trips to museums and other cultural institutions. For some, learning simply doesn't stop.

Which is why it was so refreshing to follow the Obamas' first summer in office.

Eiffel Tower. Pantheon. The Kremlin. Ghana. Rome... If these stops were crossed off your bucket list, you would have done well in life. Imagine covering them in two months! The message is clear: summer is not a time to slack. And, while you can read about a slave prison, nothing will replace the experience of having set foot in one. Indeed, the first-daughters have truly been exposed to an amazing amount of life experiences already...

Also amazing is that some have been critical of this type of travel in such a poor economy. What kind of message is the President sending to those who are struggling financially right now? The point is not invalid, but it doesn't address the counterpoint: True, but what kind of example is he setting for those who face financial struggles regularly?

The problem with summer? Probably, when it's viewed as a break - instead of an opportunity.

Tech Geeks Unite!

Having just returned from the National Educational Computing Conference in Washington, DC, technology and computing are on the brain! It is quite refreshing to see the creative ways in which educators are implementing moodles, cell phones, iPods, and smart boards (among other tech options) with their students. Students are now actively communicating across continents using video, text, and websites. And, participating teachers join a global network of like-minded educators trying to use every available resource to educate their kids.

In that spirit . . . a few tips picked up last week. Enjoy!

- Google: If you have not explored the new options on Google, what exactly are you doing with your life?! The search engine giant has its hands in so many different arenas, you may wish to subscribe to their blogs just to stay current. But, be sure to check out the following (btw, these are all F-R-E-E!):

• FORMS - You can create surveys for your parents, teachers, students - whomever. The options are incredible (explore the "Gadgets" section - one favorite is "Word Cloud") and will easily replace paying for similar services. The best part? You data is updated instantly in spreadsheet or graph views. Whoa.

• SITES - Did you know you can create your own website on Google? It's true - and now you have a place where you can embed maps, videos, articles, homework, student contributions - whatever you like. You can also collaborate (similar to a moodle) with other educators on curriculum.

There are so many more - just be sure to visit the Google Apps (and Labs) section and explore on your own time.

- Handheld Learning: Are you using an iPod Touch or cell phone to your advantage in the classroom? More teachers are than you might think. It's hard to deny that the future is headed towards more technology than less, so why not be ahead of the curve?

• Tony Vincent - Tony is an educator whose website learninginhand.com is an amazing resource for handheld teaching. Take a look at how students are using the Touch and all of its applications in school.
  

• Hall Davidson - From Discovery, Hall runs workshops on using cell phones (among other things). His site link has interesting ideas and websites showing the potential of this [normally] banned device. Very cool...

That's probably a lot for now. If you are doing anything creative with technology that you wish to share, please let us know. Next year's NECC is in Denver - look into it; it was definitely worth the trip!

[Last "tip": If you are an educator or student and purchase a new laptop from Apple, you can get a free iPod Touch! (rebate)] :)

Take a Stand. Lend a Hand.

Stop Bullying Now!

That's the mantra headlining the government's anti-bullying campaign. The website is extremely accessible and kid-friendly (mostly ages 9-13, with information for anyone - including an Educator's Corner and a Family Corner). Kids will be able to relate to the stories and scenarios, which were contributed by the Expert Youth Panel, i.e. other kids. Encourage kids to take the "Do You Bully Others" quiz . . . Examples include:

• You and your friends have regularly kept one or more kids from hanging out or playing with you. 
  
• You've teased people in a mean way, calling them names, making fun of their appearance, or the way they talk or dress or act.
  

Congrats to the HRSA for creating a great resource for kids. Hopefully, kids will take away some tools for dealing with bullying...