Tuesday Open Thread

News that President Smith-Blum fell on her way to a restaurant and broke her arm.  We wish her a speedy recovery.

From The Guardian, kids of today can't run as fast as their parents.

On average, it takes children 90 seconds longer to run a mile than their counterparts did 30 years ago. Heart-related fitness has declined 5% each decade since 1975, for children aged 9 – 17.

If you have a girl, you might want to watch this video of a young woman who gives voice to body image issues.  If you like powerful storytelling, it's also a must-listen.  It appears to be a performance competition/show and the crowd is with her as she gets deeper into her story.

Want something for the kids to do while you're preparing that Thanksgiving meal?  More DIY Star Wars Snowflake Templates.  

created at: 11/07/2013

What's on your mind?


Comments

Anonymous said…
Michelle Rhee's hilarious reason for backing out of a debate: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/23/1257313/-This-week-in-the-War-on-Workers-Michelle-Rhee-s-hilarious-reason-for-backing-out-of-a-debate?detail=email#

rk
11/26/13, 9:09 AM
Anonymous said…
I was wondering if anyone knows if it is possible to take other language classes in high school for credit, other than the ones offered? Perhaps online? My daughter wants to take Chinese and it it not offered at our assignment high school. Any thoughts or experiences you all could share? Thanks in advance!

-Language Learner
11/26/13, 9:11 AM
Jamie said…
Melissa thank you so much for the link to the Star Wars snowflakes. My daughter will be so excited.
11/26/13, 9:37 AM
Melissa Westbrook said…
Rk, I saw that about Rhee. Ravitch accommodated her every step of the way.

LL, that is a good question.
11/26/13, 10:30 AM
Eric B said…
LL, my daughter took an online French course through BYU over the summer to get a needed credit. You should be able to do something similar through an accredited school/university. Your school counselor should be able to help. I don't know if your daughter will be able to do the class during school time, though.
11/26/13, 10:34 AM
Anonymous said…
Question about demographic research. Is there a good location for determining percentage of school-age children enrolled in SPS by neighborhood?

Researching
11/26/13, 10:37 AM
Lynn said…
LL,

Here's a copy of the Counseling Services Manual. Info on Alternative Courses of Study starts on page eight. She'll need to get permission before the class starts in order to receive credit. The form is probably available online on the counseling page of the website.

An added bonus is the possibility of arranging her schedule so that she has no first period class!
11/26/13, 10:58 AM
Anonymous said…
Researching - that would be good to know. OSPI might be where to look or contact:

http://www.k12.wa.us/dataadmin/

Ann D
11/26/13, 11:23 AM
Anonymous said…
5If you are willing to pay for it and want one-on-one, Brightmont Academy offers some languages for credit. I know of one student taking Spanish there. My child took Geometry there for credit as the BYU online Geometry is awful. I have heard that other BYU online courses are okay. Like the online courses you do have to have the school accept the class. Talk with your child's counselor.

HP
11/26/13, 12:27 PM
SolvayGirl said…
My daughter made a bunch of the SW Snowflakes last year…and Doctor Who ones as well!
11/26/13, 12:37 PM
Eric B said…
Researching, you might also get useful information from Tracy Libros. Her info is likely broken down by attendance area school and/or census tract rather that official Seattle neighborhood, though.
11/26/13, 12:38 PM
Anonymous said…
Eric B - Thanks for the language info. I looked at the BYU info and they have a French Year 1, Part 1 and French Year 1, Part 2. Did your daughter need to take both for 1 year of high school credit, and how many hours a day/total days did the course take?

MSparent
11/26/13, 3:22 PM
Eric B said…
MSParent, she took both parts of French 2 for a year's worth of credit. It took an hour or two per day over about 8 weeks to get it all done. It wasn't that big a hassle, although the final exam was kind of a pain since it was hard to get everything set up right for the counselor to proctor. In their defense, it was in the middle of the school registration disaster at the beginning of the school year.
11/26/13, 4:22 PM
kellie said…
@ Researching,

The Puget Sound Regional Council has great demographic data. There are lots of sources of great demographic data.
11/27/13, 5:40 AM
Anonymous said…
My little sister is taking Chinese at North Seattle CC through running start and loves it!

-fyi
11/27/13, 9:31 AM
Anonymous said…
The video to which you're linking isn't just some random East Coast college kid -- that's Lily, a graduate from Roosevelt High School.

David
11/27/13, 3:59 PM
dw said…
It looks like the Education Lab allows guest posts that don't align 100% with the party line.

Strong Teacher or not, Class Size Still Matters
11/28/13, 9:37 AM
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