September 2007 Archives

September 28, 2007

"Fitness and Fatness"

The majority of what we write about in this blog centers on academic motivation. But motivation matters in the physical education world too.

That's why it's worth noting that Texas recently introduced a statewide physical fitness test, to address what one health expert calls the "fitness and fatness of our youth in Texas," according to an Associated Press story on edweek.org. (FYI: We now have an AP education news feed on edweek.org that rolls new stories online 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. There's a lot of good content in the feed that you would probably find useful and interesting.)

Anyway, back to fitness and fatness.

According to the AP story, the test — which measures aerobic capacity, body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance and flexibility — will be used in every gym class in the state in grades three and up.

The emphasis on fitness is needed in Texas, state officials contend. Forty-two percent of the state's fourth graders, 39 percent of eighth-graders and 36 percent of 11th-graders are overweight or at risk of being overweight, according to a 2007 report from the Texas comptroller, according to the AP article. The same study concluded that the more education people get, the less likely they are to be overweight or obese.

Now, the real challenge begins: Motivating thousands of lazy, poor eaters to get outside and exercise and learn to eat less junk food. Easier said than done, right?

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 12:05 PM | | 5 Comments | Recommend

September 26, 2007

Sputnik Revisited

In "Lessons Drawn from Sputnik 50 Years Later," Education Week writer Sean Cavanagh looks back at a defining era for math and science education.

But some experts say the more recent quest to increase interest in math and science careers, and raise the rigor of courses in those subjects, is more complex today than it was 50 years ago. Rather than simply competing with the Soviets, it's about competing with the world.

What lessons do you think Sputnik has for today's schools?

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 8:17 AM | | Leave a comment | Recommend

September 21, 2007

Building Skills in New Orleans

Education Week writer Lesli Maxwell is spending quite a bit of time in New Orleans this school year as she tracks the progress of Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School for Science and Technology. She is filing special online-only dispatches about the school's efforts to raise student achievement.

The latest dispatch, "Building Skills, Rebuilding a Home," looks at week five of the school year, when student progress reports were being sent home to parents.

This story is all about motivation. And it's a good read. So check it out.

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 10:33 AM | | Leave a comment | Recommend

September 19, 2007

Math and Science Worries

If you are concerned about getting students more motivated to study math and science, especially more difficult math and science, the results of a recent Public Agenda survey are likely to feel a bit troubling.

It seems that students, and their parents, are satisfied with a less-rigorous level of instruction in those subjects.

Check out the Education Week story about the survey results.

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 2:14 PM | | 2 Comments | Recommend

September 14, 2007

10,000 Sign Up for Wisconsin Covenant

Back in May, I had promised to keep readers up to speed on any developments in the Wisconsin Covenant program, which plans to offer guaranteed college placement and financial aid to high school students in the state who maintain B averages.

Well, here's the latest: Almost 10,000 ninth graders in the state have signed a pledge that promises them a route to a college in Wisconsin if they meet certain goals, according to a recent Associated Press story.

That number seems like a first step toward determining how effective such external motivators can be. But it's also worth noting there are 75,000 ninth graders in the state, meaning only a fraction signed the pledge. That raises the question: Why would they choose not to sign up?

There are also issues that still need to be resolved, as the Associated Press story points out. For starters, the covenant remains a proposal by Gov. Jim Doyle that has yet to get legislative approval. And it's still not clear how the governor plans to pay for the program, especially if its popularity grows.

Stay tuned for future updates.

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 12:24 PM | | Leave a comment | Recommend

September 13, 2007

'Absent From Class'

Will Fitzhugh, the founder and president of the Concord Review, a journal of academic writing by high school students, has written a thought-provoking essay, "Absent From Class," for edweek.org that poses the question: Why do so many of our high school students do so little work?

This, of course, is a question educators have been asking for years. But what was especially interesting about Fitzhugh's essay was how he contrasted the high levels of motivation today's high school students show in sports and other extracurricular activities versus the disturbingly low levels of motivation they have for academic work.

"I cannot think of a single high school sport that asks for only three or four hours a week of practice," Fitzhugh writes, citing a study indicating that only half of high school students spend more than 3-4 hours a week on homework. "So little time spent preparing would easily lead to an athletic failure to match the academic failure of so many of our students."

Fitzhugh's contrasting of motivation in sports versus academics raises some important questions and might point educators in the direction of figuring out how to get students more motivated to learn traditional academics.

But as a longtime youth sports coach who is now coaching high school boys in lacrosse, I am not convinced that today's high school athlete is as highly motivated as Fitzhugh suggests. In fact, at times, they seem much less motivated than athletes of a generation ago. Some high school coaches I know have said that this generation simply has too many choices or distractions--and, hence, they have trouble focusing their efforts. Other coaches have seen a sense of entitlement among today's teenagers, an attitude that they should be given special treatment regardless of how hard they work or whether they are willing to make personal sacrifices for the good of the team.

So let the debate begin...What must be done to get today's high school students more motivated? And do high school sports provide a model for figuring out how to motivate today's teenagers to perform better in their classes?


Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 1:17 PM | | 8 Comments | Recommend

September 11, 2007

Remembering Manhattan

My thoughts today turn to a Tuesday exactly six years ago when I was driving into Manhattan on a beautiful, sunny morning to spend the day with New York City teacher Laura Marks. I was writing a story about her motivation to return to the classroom after recovering from a violent beating from a student. On that day, her state of mind would be put to the test.

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 7:44 AM | | Leave a comment | Recommend

September 07, 2007

Picking a Major: Good or Bad Idea?

A growing number of schools across the country are asking or requiring students to pick an academic major or specialty before they enter high school. Seems a bit premature for most kids, who probably do not have a clue what career they want to pursue. My oldest son, for one, picked engineering as his concentration.

Still, if picking a major gets students more interested in coming to school and paying attention, then it's an idea worth considering. The Seattle Public Schools blog addressed this issue in a recent post.

What do you think? Should high schools have incoming freshmen pick their academic majors? What problems might occur with such efforts?

For a little more context on the issue, read the Associated Press story on the extended part of this entry. It comes from a new AP wire service Education Week is using.


Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 10:52 AM | | 1 Comment | Recommend

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