Thursday, January 24, 2008

Long-Distance Conversations and Face-to-Face Debates




Although you won't find it on any state assessment, one of the important things schools teach is how to speak from an educated position on a subject. To this end, our government class requires students to take a position, whether they agree with it or not, and defend that position in front of the class. This can be a scary thing, but with practice all our students are learning how to be articulate and defend a position under stress. This is a skill everyone will use. It is used when a person is in a job interview, is negotiating the price of a car or even asking for a raise. We understand this and our teachers, in this case Ms. Westrate's long term substitute, Ms. Megan Matthews, are carrying on the tradition.

Another interesting thing happening in the classroom, or more accurately, in the library, are virtual field trips. A virtual field trip is when technology is used so students can see something or someone they might not have the opportunity to do otherwise. Sometimes it is a surgery where the students can ask questions of the surgeon while it takes place. Other times it is a visit to a zoo or a museum where distance make a personal visit extremely challenging. Also, like in the case below, it is so students can question an expert in a field they might not have access to under other circumstances.

The lecturer in this case is Charles Sacavage. He spoke to Ms. Aven's class and his biography reads as follows:
Charles M. Sacavage has spent most of his professional career studying and teaching the Holocaust and Tolerance Education. A former Social Studies Department Chairman at Pottsville Area High School, he is currently an adjunct Professor of History at Alvernia College in Reading, PA. He has visited the Death Camps at Auschwitz, Majdonek, andTreblinka; studied at Yad Veshem in Israel; and presented school programs and teacher workshops on these topics.

Watch how it works!



January Objectives



Probability - Exploring Odds and Change





Summarize & Paraphrasing: Putting what you read in your own words.



  • On Saturday the 26th, the Afro-club will have a Talent show. Call Mrs. Haines at 445-0508 for more information.
  • On Monday, the 28th at 8:30 the students in tenth grade will be receiving career information in preparation for a career fair next month. This fair is put on by Lewis Cass ISD for all the schools in the county.
  • On Wednesday, the 30th, a team of two teachers, the counselor, the superintendent, and myself will go to Lansing to be trained in how to assure all students, across all our sub-groups, receive an equal opportunity at college level preparatory coursework. Call me for more information. 445-0541
  • Auditions for this year's spring musical, A Year with Frog and Toad will be Feb 4th and 5th from 4:15-6:30 in the high school auditorium. Contact Ms. Porath if you are interested.
  • The week of Feb. 4th - 8th is Homecoming. Daily themes include:
  • Monday – Pajama Day
  • Tuesday – Opposite Sex Day
  • Wednesday – Crazy Clash Day
  • Thursday – Hat & Sunglasses Day
  • Friday – Blue & White Day
  • Click here to see the agenda for the assembly on Friday the 8th before the game.
  • On Thursday, Feb. 7th, Pat Davenport will be at LCISD for a process check for the Enrichment/Tutorials.
  • Feb. 9th, the ACT will be given here for those students who have already signed up.

Quote of the Week: Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. - Joseph Addison


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