Monthly Archives: November 2017

Spotlight Blog 2: DARE

--Original published at Site Title

DARE was a remarkably ineffective government program with an outcome far from what was anticipated. Launched in 1983, DARE was operating in around 80% of schools in the United States, starting with elementary students and even working with them throughout high school to reinforce what they have been taught. By 2003, it was determined that DARE had been overall ineffective in keeping youth from using illicit drugs long-term, according to a reports published by the General Accounting Office. The University of Kentucky conducted a decade-long study that showed how the DARE program had absolutely no positive impact on students by the time they were 20 (US).

DARE America, a sponsor of the DARE program as a whole, even admitted publicly that the program was ineffective and needed time to redesign its approach (“DARE”). Despite its failure, the program still runs today. Popular opinion overshadows the evidence, and there has still been a huge amount of government money being funneled into the program. I think the results of DARE demonstrate that no matter how much funding or public attention these kinds of programs receive, they aren’t necessarily going to be effective. Perhaps the most striking finding about the ineffectiveness of DARE is that students who participated in the program actually showed significantly higher rates of experimentation with drugs, according to a study by the University of Illinois (“Reallocation “). For at-risk teen, experimenting with drugs tends to be an common alternative to “just saying no.”

I myself was a DARE graduate among twenty other elementary students in my grade, and over half of those classmates became involved with drugs in high school. Whether or not a student becomes involved with drugs depends more on the environment and mental state they are in than on whether or not they have been properly oriented to the dangers of drugs by an official program. Destructive decisions cannot be prevented by aids like abstinence programs because those decisions are a constant option to young people and cannot be ignored. These programs are ultimately a waste of government funding which could be used to provide resources to those at-risk students, such as effective health and counseling services for schools. If a student has a proper support group and a caring environment they will be less likely to get involved with drug use, with or without a DARE certificate.

 

Sources:

“DARE Admits Failure.” Common Sense for Drug Policy: Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), http://www.csdp.org/news/news/darerevised.htm.

“Reallocation of Dare Funds.” Edge, https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/ganginterv/reallocation.htm

“US: DARE Drug-Resistance Campaign, Called Ineffective, Is Being.” Powered by MAP, http://www.mapinc.org/newscsdp/v01/n277/a07.html.

 


November Spotlight Post

--Original published at Site Title

https://www.everydayhealth.com/college-health/college-life-10-ways-to-reduce-stress.aspx

This website lists stress management tips for college students. These tips are “Get enough sleep,” “Eat well,” “Exercise,” “Avoid unnatural energy boosters,” “Get emotional support,” “Don’t give up your passions,” “Try not to overload yourself,” “Avoid relaxing with alcohol,” “Breathe,” and “Get a massage.” In general, these tips are helpful and attainable. However, certain strategies, such as getting enough sleep and avoiding overloading, may be difficult for college students to manage. The additions of emotional support and remembering to breathe are valuable tips. Stress can cause physical and emotional maladies, and stopping to breathe and talking to others can aide in clearing the mind and distancing students from stressors.

https://www.theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/8-stress-management-tips-for-writers/

This website lists stress management tips for writers. These tips are “Set realistic expectations,” “Eat nutrients that increase energy,” “Move your body,” “Write in a different genre,” “Visualize the finished manuscript, article, or book proposal,” “Free your mind,” “Organize your desk, computer files, and house,” and “Write for someone who loves you dearly.” These tips are exceptionally helpful for writers. Writing in different genres can relieve stress caused by writers’ block. Organizing other materials  can distract one from the task at hand and be relaxing. Visualizing finished projects is motivational and relieves growing pressure.

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/managing-stress.aspx

This website lists stress management tips for families. These tips are “Evaluate your lifestyle,” “Talk about it,” “Create a healthy environment,” “Focus on yourself,” and “Change one habit at a time.” These tips are helpful for families struggling to destress together. Though they are somewhat generic, following these strategies can create a comfortable environment within the family. Family members can communicate individual concerns and work together to change stressful aspects of family life.


Spotlight Blog #2- Intelligence

--Original published at alanaspsy105blog

There are many controversies over what is the best way to teach children. One recent controversy that has been brought to the public’s attention is whether or not year-round schooling could be beneficial. This is a hot topic; there are many people that are strongly in favor of laws that support this, but there are also many people that are skeptical about changing the system. It is known that other countries besides the United States utilize year-round schooling but would it work in the US? An article titled “Research Spotlight on Year-Round Education” from the National Education Association mentioned some pros and cons. The pros included increased retention rates due to a shorter time away from school, efficient use of school space so buildings would never be left unoccupied, and remediation can occur during the school year. Some of their cons included scheduling conflicts with extracurricular activities, scheduling conflicts if the whole district does not adopt year-round education and a parent has children that go to more than one school, and no research suggests that year-round education is beneficial for students.

Another article titled, “Year-Round Schooling Explained” also weighed the pros and cons of year-round education. They emphasized that going to school all year long with frequent breaks could actually relieve stress for students and teachers and prevent burnouts. They believe that even though students would be going all year long, there would be enough breaks that it would not drain the kids. For their cons they added to the list that tourism could suffer because in the summer months when families usually go on vacations, their children will still be in school so they will be less likely to go and in turn will negatively affect tourism. Also, high schoolers could have difficulty finding jobs because instead of one big break that lasts a couple months, their breaks only last a couple weeks at a time.

The next two articles I found on the same website; they were written by the same person, but each argued a different opinion. The first article, “Top 3 Reasons the US Should Switch to Year-Round Schooling,” claims that year-round schooling will actually decrease obesity among children. They believe that over the summer is when kids gain the most weight because instead of playing outside with friends, many kids are turning to video games for entertainment. Whether or not there is a connection between year-round education and obesity is still unknown because there is no conclusive evidence from research. In the article, “3 Reasons Not to Adopt Year-Round Schooling,” the author argued that year-round school would actually end up costing the tax payers more money. This is because the schools would have to pay more for air conditioning over the summer months than they are currently. After looking at all the information, I do not think year-round schooling is overly beneficial for students and taxpayers. Sort of like the saying “if it’s not broke don’t fix it,” I do not think there is anything wrong with the current system. I do not think young kids in elementary school could handle going year round because when I was little, I always looked forward to summer vacation. Sometimes kids need to just get away for awhile from all the schoolwork, and I do not think a week here and there would be enough time for the kids to de-stress from all the work.

 

 

References

http://www.nea.org/tools/17057.htm

https://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/year-round-schooling/index.html

http://www.theedadvocate.org/top-3-reasons-the-us-should-switch-to-year-round-schooling/

http://www.theedadvocate.org/3-reasons-not-to-adopt-year-round-schooling/


Spotlight 2: Year-Round Education

--Original published at Casey's Blog Site

For many decades there has been a controversy whether or not the current education system should change from having nine months of schooling and three months of summer to having shorter terms of schooling and short breaks along with them all year long. Both options have their pros and cons and both have their supporters.

An article from the Edvocate focuses on some of the cons that can come with having year-round education. They argue that having year-round education could cost more than the traditional education system. “Having empty classrooms in the summer months means less money going out to air conditioning,”(3 Reasons) which means if there was year-round schooling then schools would have to worry about paying for more air-conditioning during the summer days that students would be in school.  An article from a school that is using the year-round system says that “it costs $128,000 more just in busing expenses to keep the schools operating under the year-round calendar”(Year-Round). Usually the time that students would be off for summer is the time that schools would fix anything that is needed fixed or add anything the school may need such as a new air-conditioning unit for example. Another argument suggests that younger students need the down time that summer gives for proper development, suggesting that kids should be out playing games with friends and getting fresh air. “Students can use traditional summer breaks to gain work experience, to take specialized courses or remedial tutoring…  all of which shape a student’s character”(Year-Round). Taking away from this time could hurt students preparing for college, without time to work how will they be able to pay for schooling?

When it comes to year-round educational system there are some positives contrary to popular belief. “Reasons Why Year Round School Is A Good Idea,” argues several points to having a year round school system, including “easier to schedule vacation.” With more breaks for the students it is easier for parents to schedule vacation time rather than struggling to find the best time in the summer to get off and go somewhere with the children. It may also cost less as well since having little breaks would mean that there aren’t as many people to compete with to get that nice resort room at Disney World. Another point brought up is that teachers would make more working year round. “During the summer, many teachers have to take on second jobs to supplement their loss of income.” A long with several other arguments/points for pro year round schools they all mention that student’s brains won’t be drained from constantly being at school for nine months straight, same with the teachers. Having a usual summer vacation causes “children to lose a good bit of what they have learned each yeah”(Reasons).

When looking at both sides of this argument I would have to decide on our traditional way of schooling. I would go with this decision by looking back at my school district I grew up in, it really wasn’t the richest to say the least. Having a year round school system would really hurt my district when it comes to all of the expenses. Also I have been friends with many great and incredible students, with the traditional system, that are out accomplishing their goals, which shows me that our traditional school system is still credible in producing excellent students and people.

 

“3 Reasons Not to Adopt Year-Round Schooling.” The Edvocate, 16 Apr. 2017, http://www.theedadvocate.org/3-reasons-not-to-adopt-year-round-schooling/

“Reasons Why Year Round School Is A Good Idea-Screenflex.” Screenflex Portable Room Dividers, 21 Apr. 2017, http://www.screenflex.com/reasons-why-year-round-school-is-a-good-idea/.

“Year-Round Schools Don’t Work, so Districts Should Abandon the Idea.”DeseretNews.com, Deseret News, 30 Jan. 2011, http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700105078/Year-round-schools-dont-work-so-districts-should-abandon-the-idea.html.

 


Spotlight 2

--Original published at Lynsey Wissler's Blog

There are lots of controversies when examining the educational system. Everyone has a different opinion on how to create the environment optimal learning environment for students. There are many common suggestions which could improve learning experiences and determine how well student perform. One aspect where people have strong opinions about is year-round education.

Year-round education would eliminate summer vacations and students K-12 would attend school all year rather than nine months of the year. However, they would still be attending the same number of school days. These days would just be spread throughout the entire year rather than just into the 9 months. According to the National Educational Association, the most common type of year-round schooling runs on a 45-15 schedule. Students attend school for 45 straight days and then have 15 days off.

When looking at the pros of year-round education, NEA states that often times “students tend to forget a lot during the summer break, so a shorter time away from school might increase retention rates.” It is also noted that remediation can occur when it is most needed- during the school year. This would lead to better grades and a more supportable learning environment for students. Along with this, ThoughtCo. states that “school buildings are often unused in the summer and are wasted resources.”

Contrary to these opinions, the Daily Journal makes the point that students are not able to have summer employment leading to college in the summer months. It is also stated that “While year-round schools are more economical overall, there are added expenses such as air conditioning for the summer months. The normal wear and tear on the facility require continual care. Imagine having 500 or more guests in your home on a daily basis! Many school systems do infrastructure repairs and maintenance during the summer to minimize disruption of instruction. At year-round schools, isn’t possible, so costly overtime and disrupted schooling may result.” Global Issues blog stated that having year-round schooling does not support or help students who have attention difficulty.

After examining the two sides of the argument regarding year-round school I have several thoughts. Initially, I was not sure which side that I agreed with. I felt that year-round schooling was a good idea in making the schooling go faster, however that is not the case. After researching I decided that I agree that not year-round schooling is not a good idea for students. As a student, I understand how important summer vacation is to reset and prepare for the next school year. I also understand that there would be added stress going all year round, not just to the students but the parents as well. Overall, I feel that despite the controversy towards the most suitable educational options for students, non-year-round education is the most beneficial system.

 

“Research Spotlight on Year-Round Education.” NEA, http://www.nea.org/tools/17057.htm.

“Pros, cons of year-Round school.” The Daily Journal, 14 Oct. 2013, http://www.daily-journal.com/life/pros-cons-of-year-round-school/article_e9b3f69d-aa53-5725-b2f9-a1705ca3a2eb.html.

Connectusfundadmin. “6 Predominant Advantages and Disadvantages of Year Round School.” ConnectUS, 19 Aug. 2015, connectusfund.org/6-predominant-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-year-round-school.

Kelly, Melissa. “Does Year-Round Education Make Sense?” ThoughtCo, http://www.thoughtco.com/year-round-education-6742.

 

 

 

 

 

 


To Stress or not to Stress?

--Original published at Caitlin's corner

We all know we can easily get stressed out when it comes to school, work, or our love lives, and so forth, or a combination of everything altogether. However, some deal with this stress far better than others, and it definitely with the help of specific techniques that most can de-stress. This blog post with examine three different websites that provide stress management tips. These three websites will all have a different audience in mind, so there’s something for everyone!

  1. https://stressfreekids.com/13654/reducing-stress-in-kids/

This website is specifically aimed at children who experience stress for various reasons whether it be school, friends, or home life. This website gives advice like, “Be aware that change, be it positive or negative, creates stress for most kids. Make time to relax and schedule downtime for your children. Do not over-schedule. Show your child how to maintain a positive outlook, stop the chatter and lists in their heads, and take their mind off of their worries.”  It goes on to provide techniques to do so. They say to make visualizations and help them tap into their own happy places or to use their imaginations to create stories. They offer A Boy and a Turtle as a story that introduces visualizing. This is one technique we learned about in class to calm down for a few minutes and to center ourselves. It only takes a few minutes to do and is free, and actually works! They also suggest the use of practicing controlled breathing. Taking slow deep breaths can help lower a child’s anxiety and anger. All children can benefit from this important powerful stress and anger management technique. Children with special needs; Autism, Aspergers, ADHD, SPD, PTSD can learn to bring their energy level down a notch and feel in charge of themselves. Children can use breathing when they feel over-stimulated or on a verge of a temper tantrum. Remind your child to use their breathing tool. Breathe in 2,3,4 and out 2,3,4. In 2,3,4 and out 2,3,4. For added fun encourage your child to show one of their dolls or stuffed animals this technique. They suggest Sea Otter Cove as a story that introduces breathing techniques. This is a very useful technique for anyone who feels they are worked up or angry or getting to that point. It effectively calms our nervous system and stops the release of adrenalin and norepinepherin.

2. https://www.umh.org/assisted-independent-living-blog/bid/306253/6-stress-management-tips-for-seniors

This website and tips are specifically for seniors and the elderly who live in a senior care facility. Even though retirement is supposed to be relaxing and stress-free, it can be for many people. Along with aging comes new concerns, such as managing your health, how to fund retirement, and a general sense of “loss.” These new challenges can be worrisome and keep you up at night. This website offers tips on how to live a healthy life. They suggest meditation and being thankful first. They say to start with choosing a comfortable area and try practicing some deep breathing. Eliminate distractions around you and take several deep breaths until you find yourself becoming calm; it’s easier to do when you think about things in your life you are most thankful for. Allow yourself to relax and find a quiet inner place of peace, where you can feel content and at rest. We know from class that meditation and mindfulness have serious calming effects. We know from the previous website that controlled breathing works. Controlled breathing and meditation usually go hand in hand, so it’s no wonder why this works. They also suggest playing with a pet. Even though it doesn’t deal with source of the stress directly, it can help take you mind off of the situation and to feel better. Therapy or service pets are a great tool for people with various health concerns; they can create a warmer and happier environment, warn them about an upcoming episode, and bring them company. Overall, the techniques listed here are great for seniors and everyone actually although most of them don’t deal with the stressor, just the stress itself.

3. https://www.everydayhealth.com/college-health/college-life-10-ways-to-reduce-stress.aspx

It’s no secret that college students face some of the highest stress levels among populations. There are financial, social, existential, and academic worries and concerns at all times and it’s easy to let everything overcome you, but this website provides useful tips for students. They suggest getting the recommended 7.5 or 9 hours of sleep because it is also a fact that many teens and young adults do not get the correct amount of sleep. Too little or too much sleep can be detrimental to your health and mental stability as we learned in class. Many executive functions can be compromised if we’re continually lacking sleep. Our brain needs REM and the four sleep cycles in order to repair our brain and help keep us healthy so if we’re pulling all nighters or depriving our brains of sleep, it’s much easier to get stressed out. Another tip they give is to exercise frequently. Exercising releases endorphins into our body and helps keep our mood in check and also keep our bodies healthy. If you’re overweight then it’s much easier to fall into cycles of depression and anxiety. Exercising 20-30 minutes a day can reduce anxiety levels almost immediately. Although they say to do something you love, and not to force yourself to run or do something you hate, that can give you the opposite effects.

 

Overall, everything mentioned in these articles are good tips for reducing stress in our lives. Nearly every tip they gave was something we had covered in part or in full during our classes so they all seem to be very successful. Of course though your success at de-stressing depends on you and everyone is different. Not every tip will work for everyone, but regardless, they all have real effects in the brain.


Spotlight 2

--Original published at Site Title

Doctor Erlanger Turner explores and provides tips in handling the stresses of parenting in his post on Psychology Today. His first advice for coping with the stresses of being a parent is to seek professional help from a psychologist. As we know counseling psychologists can help an individual cope with challenges and crises to improve their social and personal functioning. This tip proves to be a good one, as help may even point you towards ways to improve your child’s behavior and make the role of a parent a little easier. Another thing he suggests is spending more time together as a family. It is posed that quality time may strengthen the parent-child relationship. We know how important attachment is and for one to feel an emotional bond towards their caregiver. Many children seek comfort and soothing from a parental figure and making sure your child has secure attachment is important. Participating in a family game night or something your child enjoys may have them further associate you with joy. Time for yourself as Turner points out is also vital. Self-Indulgence as we learned is doing something pleasant to compensate for stress, but it has limited usefulness and can backfire. This type of emotion-focused coping only addresses the feelings resulting from the stressor and not the problem itself. However, it may prove to be helpful, but only for a little while as it is not a permanent solution. Lastly, he makes a point to mention that a parent should use their support systems, he is right to include this tip. Social support is an immense part of helping one cope. Support provides hope and resources for an individual to turn to. Giving someone the belief that there is a potential for something to change is very powerful.

Sam Malik looks in on ways students can manage their stresses. He mentions that managing time, academic life, and not procrastination can reduce school stresses. I agree with him that being on top of things largely create less panic. Writing down the things you need to complete for the week in advance and checking them off as you go along is very beneficial and helps you stay organized. You can look at all you have accomplished and all you still need to do so you don’t fall to far behind. Having a sense of control over our lives and what we are doing helps to reduce stress. He further clues in to exercise being a key tip. Exercise has proven to increase energy, calm anxiety, and boost mood. We also know that participating in exercise orders up the neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, serotonin, and the endorphins. Exercise therefore can help to relieve stresses and foster neurogenesis. His next suggestion is to stay positive and optimistic. As we learned of mindful based stress reduction it is important to stay in the moment. Not to remember the pains of the past or rehearse the pains of future but to be in the present. It is said our problems come from the way we observe life so if we look at life positively and with open minds good will come. This is what I believe Malik was trying to express when he wrote this tip. He also mentions spending time with friends to release stresses and to have someone to talk to. Self-disclose as we learned in class can work to a point depending on whom exactly we are talking to. Sometimes however, talking things out can help you or a friend find a solution to the problem and ease your stresses about it. It’s important to feel that you’re not alone when under immense loads of stress. Water therapy was another tip Malik threw out there that I have never heard of before. It involves treating yourself to lots of water or hot baths. I can however see how this can be effective. It reminds me of the technique of a stress shower in wish you imagine washing all your worries or stresses away. Lastly, he suggests doing something you love, again this only focuses on removing the emotions of the stressor and not the stressor itself, but it does help for a little bit of time. Self-indulgencing can distract you from the thing stressing you out but is only temporary you will have to face it eventually.

Christie Morton wrote an article for Live Strong on how athletes can cope with stresses. She suggests that athletes should meet with a clinical psychologist who can assess and treat the athletes undergoing stressful tasks. Her first tip is to have guided relaxation. To focus on relaxing muscles and diaphragmic breathing techniques Morton says will decrease stress. We know from our learnings that simple relaxation produces many results of biofeedback. Relaxing procedures are proven to alleviate headaches, hypertension, anxiety, and insomnia. Mindfulness meditation is another relaxing technique I believe athletes could benefit from where people attend to current experiences in a nonjudgmental and accepting manor. Visualization was another tip that she mentioned that I believe can do wonders. Seeing yourself accomplish something in your mind can build confidence in a person. Imagery can help you to go on a mental vacation and picture yourself in a place that you feel most calm. Putting yourself in a position imagining how it feels and cluing in to your senses is really relaxing. This however is emotion focused and only deals with the emotions of the stress and not what is causing the stressor. This safe space meditation can be very beneficial to athletes to help them stay calm and imagine how a race or situation will turn out positively. Cognitive restructuring was the last topic she mentioned in which you turn a negative into a balanced response and make plans for future improvement. It is important to evaluate and look at things you can do differently or better, as well as what you did good. Planning for the future and having control or input reduces stress as well as excepting you’re not perfect. This method helps to reduce the pain of the past and forget about it however the individual still is rehearsing the pain of the future and may have stresses about what hasn’t happened yet.

Links to websites:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-race-good-health/201306/4-tips-managing-parenting-stress
https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2016/02/03/stress-management-tips-for-students/
https://www.livestrong.com/article/371195-stress-management-techniques-for-sports/


Spotlight 2: Drugs

--Original published at Kevin Psych Blog

I think it’s well established that D.A.R.E. has been an ineffective effort for a long time now.  Almost, if not all, evidence has shown that it either had no impact on drug use, or it caused children to be MORE inclined to abuse drugs. Several U.S. government officials have labelled the program as “ineffective” such as the U.S. surgeon general, the U.S. General Accounting Office, and even the U.S. Department of Education, which prohibits funding for D.A.R.E. in schools. There’s really not much to say beyond that. The fact is that, statistically, D.A.R.E. did nothing. In fact, like I said above, some studies have suggested it may have even caused people to use drugs. An older study on the topic from Indiana University found that people who were exposed to D.A.R.E. showed an increased risk of using hallucinogenic drugs. This was explained as students becoming curious about the very drugs police officers told them to avoid. According to some of the articles I found, leaders of the program used very suspect tactics to push their agenda, such as attempting to bribe academic journals not to publish their findings. People who advocate for the D.A.R.E. program are often being mislead by an emotional response to what they believe they are doing, or they are essentially acting as lobbyists pushing the government to continue the program for their own interests.

So if the abstinence pushing strategies of D.A.R.E. did not work for drugs, would similar strategies work for other issues? I think that question should be met with a strong “absolutely not”. One of the other most common “abstinence only” teaching examples would be on the topic of sex, and trying to use it with sex is probably even less effective. Unlike drug use, sex is a natural biological drive that is present in most people, trying to tell kids to “not have sex” just isn’t a good idea It’s (arguably) exactly what we’re made to do. Schools that employ the abstinence only teaching style often overshadow the idea of safe sex with no sex to begin with which does nothing but endanger the children they are supposedly trying to protect.  Moving away from specifically sexual abstinence, I don’t see how it could be a good method in any other situation. The premise seems to be based on the idea that if an adult tells a kid not to do something, they won’t, but that has never once been an effective technique to prevent behavior, if someone wants to do something they will. Instead we need to teach children the consequences of the actions you’re trying to prevent, and teach them the safest ways possible to go about those behaviors. The words of adults is rarely if ever an effective deterrent so instead of hoping we’ll just be obeyed unquestioningly, I say we arm kids with the knowledge to make good choices, and let them choose for themselves what they want to do with it.

 

 

 

 

 

Was D.A.R.E. Effective?

Natalie Wolchover – https://www.livescience.com/33795-effective.html

Alcohol Abuse Prevention

Ph.D. Hanson – http://www.alcoholfacts.org/DARE.html

The Truth about D.A.R.E.

Kanopiadmin – https://mises.org/library/truth-about-dare


Intelligence Spotlight

--Original published at Site Title

Some may argue that year round education is a very positive thing for students to have due to various reasoning. Others express that children deserve a vacation, and summer break is a necessity for children to have throughout their educational years. Here, I’ve picked four different sources to lay out the argument. Matthew Lynch, a writer for the Edvocate, explains the top three reasons year round education would be beneficial to kids. The first point made is that students will remember what they learned since the breaks are shorter, but more frequent. The gap between lessons is littler, leading us into the second reason Lynch gives. It’s easy to bridge the achievement gap where children are likely to forget material that was taught due to the amount of time between big ideas in core classes such as division in math or writing in English class. The last point is that students will like school, due to the opportunity to have closer relationships with teachers and allowing students to become completely immersed in the educational environment. These two things put together gives an all around more positive outlook on school to children, as well as sparking excitement into school. Another source I explored is through Care.com with a discussion by Kimberly Demucha Kalil who made a good point of boredom during summer vacation. This was a unique point to make since it was something not found very easily in some of the other sources I’ve read, but it still very similar to the personal experiences I’ve had myself. Sure, vacation in the summer is fun, but my mom had to send me to soccer camp or my grand mom’s house in place of going to school every day; so I still had to find something else to keep me busy. Kalil states, “Year-round school eliminates the need to fill 12 weeks of vacation with activities to keep your child interested and engaged” (Kalil). This brings up a big issue for families that do not have other people to watch their children and are not financially stable enough to send their kids to camp. This affects families in the sense that their children are not mentally stimulated for months at home over summer vacation, and this only leads kids to boredom rather than a positive learning environment that school provides. On the flip side of things, so many researchers support summer vacation and the mental break it allows students to receive. Laurie Futterman from the miami herald talks about how kids need a break from the busy school year; as it is necessary for children to have an “unwind time” as well as simply a time to have fun. Futterman also brings up how summer time can bring unique forms of educational experiences. Futterman exclaims, “time off from school can offer different learning experiences, including the power of outdoor play” (Futterman). This was important to be expressed in addition to just fun because “just for fun” isn’t a great argument to make. Another supportive side of not having school year-round is that their is no research proving that it helps children first hand. Mary Brown offers up this simple statement exclaiming, “There is no conclusive data on whether a year-round system works as effectively as the traditional school year. The academic data is too scattered” (Brown). This shuts down most ideas that are for year-round school to begin with; but also expresses how new the idea is although it is a norm in other countries. This problem makes it seem like it would be especially bad in America due to how much research we put into our education system debating on whether or not the amount of time we go to school is beneficial or not; we attempt to make sure the benefits are there if we were to change the way school has been ran for years. It also adds the exploration of why we would change the way education is ran after years of it working just fine? Both sides of the arguments are fair and strong; although a lot more research has been done on allowing children to have their normal break rather than going to school year round.

Sources:

Lynch , Matthew. “Top 3 Reasons the US Should Switch to Year-Round Schooling.” The Edvocate, 13 Aug. 2016, http://www.theedadvocate.org/top-3-reasons-the-us-should-switch-to-year-round-schooling/.

Demucha Kalil, Kimberly. “The Pros and Cons of Year-Round School.” Care.com, Care.com, 18 July 2017, http://www.care.com/c/stories/3283/the-pros-and-cons-of-year-round-school/.

Futtermanlfutterman@dadeschools.net, Laurie. “Beyond the Classroom: Should Kids Get a Long Summer Vacation? Depends on Who You Ask.” Miamiherald, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/community-voices/article25609060.html.
Brown, Mary, et al. “The Year-Round School Debate.” SchoolMoney.org, 5 Mar. 2016, http://www.schoolmoney.org/the-year-round-school-debate/.

 

 

 

 

 

 


The D.A.R.E. Program

--Original published at Sarah's Insight

The D.A.R.E. program was designed to “teach students decision making for safe and healthy lives”. This program is taught by police officers to students in kindergarten through 12th grade all across the United States and in 52 other countries. This program educates and enforces children to make good choices when it comes to drugs, violence, bullying, internet safety, and other issues that children may face. While this program was created to show children the right and wrong ways to deal with these situations, it received backlash for the ways it might not have had a positive influence on students.

The D.A.R.E. program has seen a decrease in drug and substance abuse in the children that it had reached, showing that 40% of students that consumed alcohol prior to the program had reduced their intake of alcohol after exposure to the program, while 32% of said students discontinued alcohol consumption altogether. The program showed that students were less likely to indulge in drug related activities, however the Government Accountability Office said that these results are not statistically significant and the program was ineffective.

In a 2007 survey, 95% of the students surveyed said that the program was helpful and it taught them to make good decisions in the future. 99% of the parents surveyed supported the program and said the program had a positive impact on their children. As the children grow older, however, they are exposed to other people who are making decisions that go against what D.A.R.E. had taught them, like drug and alcohol use, and are pressured into making the same bad decisions. As time goes by, the children forget what they had been taught in their D.A.R.E. program and give into peer pressure and societal norms.

The D.A.R.E. program focuses on keeping children from developing a drug addiction or dying of a drug overdose, which is something that should be funded and implemented even if it isn’t reaching all children. In a 2012 study, 60% of schools who had previously implemented the D.A.R.E. program had ended the use of the program. D.A.R.E.’s revenue has also plummeted from $9.7 million in 2000 to $3.7 million in 2011.

When I was in 5th grade, I participated in a D.A.R.E. program in my middle school. At 13 years old, drugs and alcohol were not on most of my classmates minds. Besides the awesome song and rap we learned (I still remember the whole thing) none of the information really stuck. Of course, we knew the difference between right and wrong in those situations, but it wasn’t anything we wouldn’t know in due time. Watching my classmates who had participated grow up, none of the information the program gave us stuck. Peer pressure settled in and everyone was drinking alcohol and smoking at some time. I think that if the program had been implemented at an older age, perhaps early high school years when you’re exposed to older, “cooler” kids who pressure you into doing things you’ve been taught are wrong, the information the D.A.R.E. program was trying to teach us would have been engraved in our minds a little better.

As for other programs, such as sexual education programs, I do believe that they should be used in high schools. Unfortunately, my class in high school did not have a sex ed program, and as a result, my class had a higher amount of teenage pregnancy’s than the classes that did have sex ed programs.

I do believe that it is important to educate children and students on what is right and wrong in these situations, but the programs should be implemented at an older age, or be taught at various stages of students lives.

 

Sources:

D.A.R.E. America

D.A.R.E. Pros and Cons