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TEEN ISSUES PAGE
There are many issues on this page where you may or may
not agree with in my choices. Maybe my experience has been different than
yours; probably, it has been. I think it is imporatnt to be an informed
parent and these are issue I think are important in parenting teens these
days.
Good
Books for
High School Students
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Not
Back to School: A Dancer With Many Hats in a Thankless and
Undervalued Job
by Amy Cortez, Editor Eclectic Telegraph
As a parent, sometimes we feel that in raising teens we have
a thankless job. Often your teen is too busy to recognize
all the things you do, all the support that is there for them.
Just for them. They don't ever really look at all the hats
you have to wear to all the groovy dances you attend on their
behalf [read
on]
Topics
on this Page
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Rights of Young People
Are
Your School Records Private?
by Amy Cortez - Editor The Eclectic Telegraph
If you are a student at a private school or a public school you
probably ought to know that your records are not really yours.
This holds true for homeschooled students in most states in less
you take care of this little detail. A little item called the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) allows a school
to release personal informational items such as: your name, address,
telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards,
and dates of attendance to pretty much anybody, including the
military...[read
on]
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Rights
of Young People
Historically, children have been and are still the most oppressed, exploited
and victimized group of human beings on the planet. Children remain the
most voiceless and the most discriminated against group of people in all
societies. While every adult group has fought for and won basic human
rights protections and freedoms (USA), children remain the only group
of human beings without the same rights to equality, respect, protection
from bodily harm and freedom of speech.
Trashing
Teens: Some Food for Thought
Trashing
Teens By Hara Estroff Marano
In recent
surveys I've found that American teens are subjected to more than 10 times
as many restrictions as mainstream adults, twice as many restrictions
as active-duty U.S. Marines, and even twice as many as incarcerated felons.
Psychologist Diane Dumas and I also found a correlation between infantilization
and psychological dysfunction. The more young people are infantilized,
the more psychopathology they show.
Teens
Really Are Responsible - if you let them be
Teens
are young adults, even at age 13. The way they learn to become an adult
is by doing things for themselves. Adult things that demonstrate maturity,
exemplify responsibilty, encourage independent thinking.
Driver's
Edge Know yourself, know your limits.
Traditional driver's education in this country is quite simply appalling.
Do you think your child is ready for the real world just because he or
she passed their driving test and received a license?
Outward
Bound
Our mission is to inspire character development and self-discovery in
people of all ages and walks of life through challenge and adventure,
and to impel them to achieve more than they ever thought possible, to
show compassion for others and to actively engage in creating a better
world.
Peace
Corps Teens
Just like the thousands of Peace Corps Volunteers around the world who
make a difference, you, too, can do great things to help others. There
are lots of reasons to volunteer, including wanting to make a difference,
meeting new people, finding purpose, expanding your horizons, and trying
something new. The fastest and easiest way to get involved right now is
by volunteering with an organization in your community. You can offer
your time and services to a group or organization that is already in existence
and know that your skills are being put to good use.
Earthwatch
Institute
Earthwatch Institute is an international non-profit organization that
brings science to life for people concerned about the Earth's future.
Founded in 1971, Earthwatch supports scientific field research by offering
volunteers the opportunity to join research teams around the world. Through
our new teen
expeditions kids ages 16 to 17 can connect with leading scientists
in a peer setting while learning new skills and appreciating the power
that they have to change the planet. These special teen teams focus on
the same research activities and have the same expectations as our regular
teams, but with more supervision and support.
Since
When is Violence Entertainment?
Video
game addiction
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Video game addiction, also called video game overuse, is a proposed
form of psychological addiction[1] composed of a compulsive use
of computer and video games. Sometimes the addiction will manifest
itself as part of excessive Internet use.
Most notable are massively multiplayer online role-playing games
(MMORPGs), and related to the also-debated Internet addiction
disorder. Instances have been reported in which users play compulsively,
isolating themselves from social contact and focusing almost entirely
on in-game achievements rather than life events.
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'Game Over' - A Feature on Video Game Addiction - Short YouTube
documentary on video game addiction.
Parental
Ignorance: No Longer Bliss
As the world of video games continues to evolve, parents are falling behind.
As we found last year, this year’s parental survey uncovered an
alarming gap between what kids say about the role of video games in their
lives and what parents are willing to admit. For instance, while nearly
two-thirds of surveyed parents said they had rules about how much time
their children may spend playing video games, only one third of their
children said they had such rules. Perhaps parents are reluctant to confess
how little they attempt to control the amount of time their kids spend
in front of the screen. This much is certain: too many of us do not seem
to exercise enough control. The amount of time kids spend playing video
games is on the rise.
Video
Game Violence and Public Policy
Concern about violent video and computer games is based on the assumption
that they contribute to aggression and violence among young players. That
conclusion was originally based on the extensive body of research about
the effects of television violence on children's behavior. Prominent organizations
like the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics,
and the American Medical Association have all concluded that the scientific
evidence shows a cause-effect relationship between television violence
and aggression among the children and youth who watch it. Based on this
research, many social scientists have hypothesized that we should expect
video games to have an even greater impact
"You
aren’t compelled to loan your car to anyone who wants
it, but you are compelled to surrender your school-age child
to strangers who process children for a livelihood, even
though one in every nine schoolchildren is terrified of
physical harm happening to them in school, terrified with
good cause; about thirty-three are murdered there every
year. From 1992 through 1999, 262 children were murdered
in school in the United States. Your great-great-grandmother
didn’t have to surrender her children. What happened?
Why are you so docile when you give up your child to a government
agent called a schoolteacher?
The
Underground History of American Education
by John Taylor Gatto
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"The
growing awareness of violence in our society, especially
among children, seems to be finally waking us up. However,
it would be a mistake to think that violence is the only
problem. It isn’t. It is a tragic symptom of an underlying
crisis that involves an entire set of values being taught
to our children. We will only begin to make progress when
we see the whole problem for what it is. Violence grabs
the headlines, but violence itself is a result of a society
that promotes selfishness, greed, and instant gratification..."
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What
Does One Teach a Smart Teenager These Days?
Amy Cortez, Editor -- The Eclectic Telelgraph
How about to be aware of how desensitized we Americans have become to
things that are about common sense.
Our newsletter this month is brief as we are very busy getting plans together
for our upcoming school year. Most of what I have been planning surrounds
the idea that many of the jobs and careers that the kids we are homeschooling
will contemplate are jobs and careers that have not even been considered
yet. How do we "teach to that"?
Bullying
People (guys as well as girls) who are threatened and fight back "in
self-defense" actually risk making a situation worse. Theattacker,
who is already edgy and pumped up on adrenaline — and who knows
what else — may become even more angry and violent. The best way
to handle any attack or threat of attack is to try to get away. This way,
you're least likely to be injured.
Cyberbulying
& Cyberthreats
Cyberbullying is emerging as one of the more challenging issues
facing educators and parents as young people embrace the Internet
and other mobile communication technologies.
Cyberthreats are a related concern. A cyberthreat is online material
that threatens or raises concerns about violence against others,
suicide, or other self-harm.
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Internet
Safety & Other Issues
Teens
& Technology is it KPC?
(translation: Teens & Technology is it Keeping Parents Clueless?)
by Amy Cortez, Editor The Eclectic Telegraph
Now that summer is here, many schooled kids are hanging out getting to
do what homeschooled teens get to do every day - experience life. Teens
these days are far more hi-tech than our generation ever was, heck we
only had 3 channels on television and transistor radios were about as
close to an iPod as we got. We did our best to explore the world in our
teen years, enough to scare the heck out of our parents, but today, technology
can bring new wonders, but also new dangers and places where kids can
get into really different kinds of situations than we did. Often teens
are spending their time more in the digital world than in the real world
and that sometimes makes me wonder just what "socialization"
has become.
Safe
Surfing Tips for Teens
First rule of smart surfing? Remain as anonymous as possible. That means
keeping all private information private.
Protecting
Your Online Identity and Reputation
Mark your profiles as private. Anyone who accesses your profile on a social
networking site can copy or screen-capture information and photos that
you may not want the world to see. Don't rely on the site's default settings.
Read each site's instructions or guidelines to make sure you're doing
everything you can to keep your material private.
WiredSafety
The web site provides help, information and education to Internet and
mobile device users of all ages. We help victims of cyberabuse ranging
from online fraud, cyberstalking and child safety, to hacking and malicious
code attacks. We also help parents with issues, such as MySpace and cyberbullying.
Teach
Your Children Well: Teaching A Teen About "Teen Health"????
You really have three paths you can take:
- Don't
tell them anything and let them find out from another teen - or some
other way.
- Scare
the crap out of them with 1 sided information.
- Give
them as much good information, let them know they can talk to you about
anything and help them make the right choices.
I
assembled a bunch of information I thought was appropriate and timely
for my teen. Since it is current and relavant, I've included those items
here. If you approach these topics reminding your student that they are
an adult in training, they are most liklely going to take the topics and
the information you present seriously. I have to admit, I do expect some
giggles, but who didn't giggle when they learned the real "birds
and bees" story?
A
Course Description: Healthy Teen Living: (.5 credit hour)
Topics include teen peer pressure, dating, STDs, smoking, drug awareness,
Pre-Driver’d Ed information, PSAT test prep.
Resources:
TeenSource.org
is an educational website launched in July 2001 by the California
Family Health Council, Inc. (CFHC) as a resource for teens and young
adults between the ages of 13 and 24 seeking information on healthy
and responsible lifestyles.
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A
Commencement Speech - Urban Legend
Note: (This speech was spread around the internet in 1997 as Kurt
Vonnegut's :Commencement Address at MIT. Classic urban legend stuff. Mr.
Vonnegut did not write this speech and it was never delivered at MIT,
rather it was written by Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune. In her column
she wrote that this would be the commencement speech she would deliver
if ever asked to. Anyway, it is still a great speech )
Read about the history of this great speech and the story behind it [here]
Download a hardcopy.
Ladies
and gentlemen of the class of '97:
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would
be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice
now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth.
Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of
your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll
look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't
grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous
you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future.
Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to
solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles
in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried
mind, the kind that blindside you at 4:00 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with
people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes
you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with
yourself. Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults.
If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters.
Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your
life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what
they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting
40- year-olds I know still don't. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind
to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce
at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding
anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too
much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance.
So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of
it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument
you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone
for good.
Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past
and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand
that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold
on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because
the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when
you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you
soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians
will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll
fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians
were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust
fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when
either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it
will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way
of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting
over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
...But trust me on the sunscreen.
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