Political conflicts that require the presence of the brave men and women of our military have been a challenge for thousands of families for some years now. While every family that has to say goodbye and then prays each day for the safe return of a member experiences some trauma, it is the most difficult for families with young children.
Young children have trouble understanding why daddy or mommy is going away and why they have to be gone for so long. They may wonder what they did to make their parent go away and will they ever come back. In the best case scenarios, a parent will only be gone for a short time and will come back largely unscathed from their dangerous duty abroad. Sometimes, parents come back with physical or psychological scars that may never heal. In the worst case scenarios, parents don’t come back at all and families have to begin creating a “new normal.”
On Wednesday, April 1, CET will broadcast a special program from the Sesame Workshop, creators of the landmark series, Sesame Street, designed to help parents and caregivers of young children information and support to help deal with the deployments, homecomings and changes that are part and parcel of military duty today. “Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes” will feature the familiar furry characters children know as they deal with parents going to or coming from serving their country away from home. An accompanying website offers streamable video and corollary materials for use in homes and preschools. Special attention is paid to families that have to create a “new normal” after circumstances change them forever.
If you or someone you know is dealing with the challenge of helping a young child and a family navigate the difficulty of a separation due to military duty, please consider using this resource.
- Diane
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
National or not?
If you pay any attention to education news, you’ve no doubt heard the recent chatter about national education standards. With just a few keystrokes at your favorite Internet search engine, you can find many news articles and blog entries with many different viewpoints on the subject. Standards are important. Otherwise, how would we have consistent learning occurring in fourth grade classrooms throughout a school or a district? How would we ensure that students are learning accurate and developmentally appropriate concepts and skills? Standards are the signposts that teachers use to guide their students on the journey of learning.
Across Ohio, not only are educators focused on creating lessons and learning opportunities based on Ohio Academic Content Standards, so are educational organizations like CET that work closely with educators to create multimedia instructional resources for classroom use. We need the standards to guide us toward creating resources that support what is being taught in the classroom.
But national standards? Is there a good reason to scrap the existing state standards for a “one size fits all” approach? On the other hand, isn’t it a good idea to make sure that all kids are learning the same concepts and skills?
No matter which side of this fence you’re on, there is no easy answer.
- Diane
Across Ohio, not only are educators focused on creating lessons and learning opportunities based on Ohio Academic Content Standards, so are educational organizations like CET that work closely with educators to create multimedia instructional resources for classroom use. We need the standards to guide us toward creating resources that support what is being taught in the classroom.
But national standards? Is there a good reason to scrap the existing state standards for a “one size fits all” approach? On the other hand, isn’t it a good idea to make sure that all kids are learning the same concepts and skills?
No matter which side of this fence you’re on, there is no easy answer.
- Diane
Monday, March 16, 2009
It’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood
Do you remember that gentle friendly man in the cardigan sweater who asked you to be his neighbor? For more than 40 years on public television, Mister Rogers came through the door, changed to his sweater and sneakers with his invitation in song: “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Fred Rogers dedicated his life to serving children through public television as host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. His innovative approach and sincere respect for his young viewers and their parents helped him become known as “America’s favorite neighbor.”
Even though Fred Rogers is no longer with us, his spirit lives on. “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Day has grown from a one-time event in Pittsburgh’s into an annual national event. It started as a recognition of Fred Rogers’ birthday on March 20th in a way that reflected his deep appreciation of what it means to be a neighbor. Everyone is encouraged to wear a sweater and celebrate what it means to be a neighbor on his birthday, March 20th. Put on your favorite sweater this Friday and celebrate the people in your neighborhood.
Even though Fred Rogers is no longer with us, his spirit lives on. “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Day has grown from a one-time event in Pittsburgh’s into an annual national event. It started as a recognition of Fred Rogers’ birthday on March 20th in a way that reflected his deep appreciation of what it means to be a neighbor. Everyone is encouraged to wear a sweater and celebrate what it means to be a neighbor on his birthday, March 20th. Put on your favorite sweater this Friday and celebrate the people in your neighborhood.
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