Student Edition
New Year’s Resolution for Education – Quit Whining!
By Guest Blogger on January 17th, 2013
Well it’s that time of year again, when we all decide what sort of gluttony is killing us and try to give it up (at least for a few weeks). The New Year’s resolution is obvious for some. If your couch has more wear than your sneakers, start exercising. If you can’t see your desk through the clutter, get organized. If you wake up and the bathroom scale says 400, step away from your stockpile of Twinkies.
But what happens if you wake up and find you’ve become average? That’s what most American students, teachers, and administrators will see in the bathroom mirror this year, and my suggested resolution is to quit whining. Continue reading
Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida!
By Guest Blogger on January 14th, 2013
The fifth annual statewide literacy event takes place January 14–18, 2013! The Florida Department of Education hosts this amazing week of activities, including participation from students, educators, authors, artists, and community leaders. On Monday, January 14, First Lady Ann Scott, Department of Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, and author Susan Snyder will participate with the students from the Villages Charter School to kick-off Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! Schools throughout the state will begin the Million Minute Marathon to achieve the collaborative goal of reading for 30 Million Minutes! There will be activities held daily to encourage literacy, including a Voluntary Prekindergarten simultaneous reading of Hot Rod Hamster by Cynthia Lord.
In addition to the state-level activities, school districts are also hosting local literacy events. Florida Virtual School is honored to host many unique interactive virtual events in conjunction with the Florida Department of Education. Continue reading
Make it Better
By Guest Blogger on January 9th, 2013
The New Year is fantastic. The annual explosion of holiday consumerism has died down and settled into soft piles of crumpled paper and curled ribbon. There’s the sense of joy from spending quality time with family and loved ones (or waving them farewell until next time). But my favorite part of the New Year is the enormous amount of possibility waiting just around the corner. After all, just look at all the cool stuff that happened in 2012:
http://www.google.com/zeitgeist/2012/#the-world
The New Year is a reminder to keep moving forward and to make things better. And you don’t have to free fall from space, win a gold medal or even win an election to seize the possibility in your own life. You just have to ask yourself a simple question. Is there a better way? Here are a few things I learned asking myself that in 2012: Continue reading