climate change education
Too many people think that schools are hopeless and that nothing can be done. Or they live in that dream world that says, “not here; not my school.” This is exactly the same mentality that we old-timers saw at the early stages of what later became a nationwide drug epidemic.
What all those parents who are so complacent about the alleged excellence of their local schools need to remember is: It was our best and brightest students that ranked 24th in global competition. No matter how good you may think your local school is, it still doesn’t stack-up against the rest of the world.
If you’ve been studying the news for any length of time, then you know about the relationship between our nation’s growing dropout rate and the massive increase in crime. With up to 75% of students dropping out in some of our large, urban areas, that converts to 3 out of four students with no diploma and no skills. Even worse, if that is possible, far too many students who DO graduate, cannot read or compute math adequately.
Many people don’t see how dropouts in large cities have anything to do with their own lives. They feel protected against the problems with schools in other areas and don’t believe that failing schools can have any impact on their own well being or safety. Thus, we see lethargy or denial when it comes to motivating people to insist on education reform.
Finally, in an attempt to try and FORCE improvements in our failing schools, the country adopted No Child Left Behind, a program of testing, testing, testing, supposedly to increase accountability. But it simply led to rigged results in too many states, and no basis for adequate comparison. Now it seems that even attempts to make NCLB work more effectively, keep getting postponed by Congress.
Complicating issues in our schools in 2008, kids are more exposed to drugs and drug use than ever before, both at school and at home. It’s extremely difficult to learn when the brain is scrambled on narcotics, prescription drugs, cold medicines, glue or whatever is the latest ‘high getter’. And, as the statistics show, parent’s expectations of their own children demonstrate awareness and denial of any drug use simultaneously.
On top of everything else, there is an appalling lack of leadership role models for our students today in the USA. Leadership is a skill that must be taught to our youth – along with critical thinking training and the ability to make life-enhancing decisions. For some reason, our school curriculum’s do not address these issues, or they are only implemented as of secondary, rather than primary importance.
Some people say that American kids are dumber, but I say “Phooey!” As a Grandmother and great-grandmother, I personally know that our children today are just as capable of excelling as any students in the past. Youngsters today grow up knowing more about new technologies than oldsters can even fathom. Children today know how to text message, play games and carry on internet or cell phone conversations simultaneously. Then we wonder why they are bored in class.
When are we going to wake up to the need for reform in our schools? Yes, there are some good programs being instituted on a small scale in a few schools across the country, but until now, there has been no plan that would improve every school across the nation.
Politicos and academic committees keep coming up with massively expensive programs that will take years, and tears, to implement. What is needed is a simple plan with solutions that can turn our schools around within 2-3 years and that are reasonably economical. Unfortunately, publicity goes to the unrealistic and expensive plans that have been suggested or implemented to date.
We need solutions not only to curriculum problems, but also the social ills that are impacting school quality in such a powerful way. It’s time to insist on implementation of techniques have already been proven to work in actual practice.
Policymakers and academicians KNOW we have a problem, but nothing is going to change until the public gets involved and DEMANDS changes.
Brennan Kingsland http://setourteachersfree.com
Global Climate Change Education Resources
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Architecture 2030
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Frogs & Amphibians: Crisis & Csi
$29.99 Frogs have inhabited planet Earth for more than 250 million years. Today, however, all their remarkable adaptations and survival tactics are failing them. More than a third of all amphibians--most of which are frogs and toads--have already been lost. Habitat loss, pollution, and a human population that has doubled in the past 50 years have set the stage for their diminished numbers. Now, a fungus ... |
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How It All Ends (Single Disc Edition)
$9.95 On this single disc, high school science teacher, Greg Craven reveals a method (risk management actually) to examine the changing climate debate and set it into a question we can all understand. Greg provides rebuttals to pretty well all the arguments skeptics use to avoid dealing with the situation we now find ourselves in. This DVD includes over 7+ hours of educational information on one disc. P... |
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Climate Change Gr 5-8
$9.98 The intent of this workbook is to present students with activities that structure their conceptual understanding of climate change. This is accomplished through a series of hands-onand thorough experiments followed by questions to build students' analytical thinking skills. Divided into these five parts: Weather and Climate, Measuring Change, the Greenhouse Effect, Heating and Cooling the Earth... |
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Industry Giant II Gold
$29.95 Become the greatest power in the industry!Product InformationBegin in the year 1900 with little money but large ambitions and through skilfuldecision-making you can build up an enormous business empire. Make criticaldecisions on which of more than 200 products you should manufacture where togather the best raw materials where to sell them and how to effectivelytransport them there.It's your choice... |
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Complete National Geographic- Every Issue Since 1888 (OLD VERSION)
$24.95 Explore 120 years of amazing discoveries, fascinating maps, and the world's best photography with The Complete National Geographic. This definitive collection of every issue of National Geographic magazine, digitally reproduced in stunning high resolution, brings you the world and all that is in it. Use the advanced interface to explore a topic, search for photographs, browse the globe, or wander ... |
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Financing Education in a Climate of Change (11th Edition)
$104.99 For educational administration and leadership students taking school finance courses. A popular, user-friendly school finance text that is both current and comprehensive. The newly revised eleventh edition of this classic school finance text retains its practical tone and superior presentation while adding the most up-to-date information and material regarding education finance. Providing ... |
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Understanding Weather and Climate (5th Edition)
$104.02 Using everyday occurrences to illustrate meteorology and climatology, this first-rate reference works together with inspired technology tutorials to engage readers in learning about atmospheric behavior. Dynamic illustrations from the book come to life in the fully integrated website, where a narrator guides users through animated tutorials, video footage and satellite loops of atmospheric phenom... |
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Energy: Its Use and the Environment
$145.89 What is the impact of such energy issues as global warming, radioactive waste, and municipal solid waste on the individual and society? ENERGY: ITS USE AND THE ENVIRONMENT answers these questions, emphasizing the physical principles behind energy and its effects on our environment, and explaining the basic physical principles behind the use of energy, including the study of mechanics, electricity ... |
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Climate Change Education Goals, Audiences, and Strategies (Paperback)
$26.6 Description not available. |
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Financing Education in a Climate of Change New Myedleadershiplab With Pearson Etext Standalone Access Card (Other merchandize)
$102.45 Description not available. |
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How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate (Paperback)
$8.86 "A guide for teachers to use `How We Know What We Know About Our changing climate : lessons, resources, and guidelines about global warming` by Lynne Cherry and Gary Braasch in classrooms as a student text, including meaningful, age-appropriate lessons... |
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Teaching About Climate Change
$14.8 Description not available. |
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Climate Change and Arctic Sustainable Development (Paperback)
$51.53 The Arctic is undergoing rapid and dramatic environmental and social transformations due to climate change. This has ramifications for the entire planet, as change spreads through interconnected global networks that are environmental, cultural, economi... |
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Tropic of Chaos (Hardcover)
$16.98 From Africa to Asia and Latin America, the era of climate wars has begun. Extreme weather is breeding banditry, humanitarian crisis, and state failure.In Tropic of Chaos, investigative journalist Christian Parenti travels along the front... |
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Changing Spaces of Education (Paperback)
$38.47 "In today`s modern climate, education and learning take place in multiple and diverse spaces. Increasingly, these spaces are both physical and virtual in nature. Access to and use of information and communication technologies, and the emergence of know... |
