Cirone on Schools

Guest:
Vickie Gill
Friends of Los Alamos Library

Talking with Teachers with Bill Cirone

Guest:
Ricardo Gabaldon
Righetti High School

Innovations in Education - December 2016

Santa Barbara Historical Museum
Special Education Cooking
REPEAT

Local Leaders with Bill Cirone

Guest:
Mona Miyasato
County of Santa Barbara

Education in our community

Radio Commentary

America’s schools are teaching young people how to succeed in a complex and ever-changing world. 

They are helping young people look beyond the problems and find new opportunities.

The world is different, and so are our schools. In fact, schools are being transformed in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. 

Many new techniques and new tools, like technology, are changing the way educators teach and students learn.

This is important if we are to compete in a global economy by using best practices to conquer modern challenges.

While schools are changing, community support and parental involvement remain key to the success of today’s students.

This is because America’s schools are everybody’s business. Their success is our nation’s best weapon against all future threats, be they economic, social, military, or strategic.

Take some time to visit a local school. See what’s going on. 

Volunteer to help. 

There’s no doubt that the future of our democracy and the health of our economy depend on what is happening in today’s classrooms. 

Your support and assistance will make a tremendous difference.

Let’s all resolve to help.

Class participation

Radio Commentary

Everyone benefits when students participate in class discussions at school.

Teachers enjoy lively interactions. It means that they have struck a chord with an interesting subject. For students, lively discussions can engage them in the material in new and interesting ways.

For that reason, parents should encourage their children to be inquisitive. It gives them the self-confidence to raise their hands in class and to ask questions.

Classrooms where honest, give-and-take discussions take place are wonderful learning environments.

To help nurture class discussion, it's important that parents react positively to questions from their children at home.

Don’t be impatient. Engage your children in conversations about what they are learning and questions they have.

Also, if students really get into the subject matter and think of a variety of related questions, it helps them better understand the material.

Remind shy students that everyone feels some fear about being called upon to give an answer in class. Your children are not alone if they feel this way. But they should not let this stop them from trying.

Class participation is a common part of school life, and it can translate positively when it comes to life beyond school.

Give your children the best chance to succeed and to learn by encouraging them to take an active role.

Ethic of caring

Radio Commentary

An ethic of caring is worth fostering among our children if we want to live in a society that is compassionate and kind.

Research confirms what common sense tells us: the more young people value compassion, kindness, and helping people, the more likely they are to actually help out when the need arises.

That’s why it is important to promote values of caring in our communities, our schools, our families, and our congregations.

This is especially the case these days, when the media messages that bombard our young people are filled with conflicting values — violence, celebrity worship, materialism, and very little of the old-fashioned “sweet” stories young people used to hear and see at every turn.

It is unlikely a young person will develop caring values unless he or she is continually exposed to adults who model and reward them. 

This includes parents and teachers, as well as a broad array of other adults and role models as well.

What’s more, it is critical that these values be reinforced in young people’s everyday lives in order to override the competing messages that surround them through music, videos, games, and television.

Though we live in a time when the country appears polarized and fragmented, the goal of fostering an ethic of caring is not impossible to achieve.

It will take a concerted effort among those who value that outcome. It is clear we ALL have our work cut out for us if we want to succeed. I, for one, feel deeply that it is worth the effort.

How parents can help

Radio Commentary

Sparking a child’s curiosity can be key to lifelong learning. Parents can help.

Make up trivia games that you can all play regularly, even when you’re on the run. Give children a chance to experiment around the house with measuring, cooking, repairing broken items, and other activities that require finding and using information.

Also, be sure to know what’s going on at school. Attend school events. Your presence will show your children that you’re interested in their school life and value it.

Ask children for detailed descriptions of what they’re studying and doing at school.

You should also help children establish a sense of ethics. Have the courage to say NO when children’s interests are not acceptable.

As children get older, continue to uphold firm, clear limits. But gradually give them more chances to make choices and live with the consequences.

It is easier to set these standards in first and second grades than in preteen years. But there are also ways to encourage preteens to stick to standards of behavior.

Teach children of all ages to say “thank you” and write thank-you letters when appropriate. Tell them stories of justice. Teach them that there is a right and a wrong way to do things.

In these areas, parents are the most important teachers of all.