I have just finished reading this piece about snacks and eating habits. It certainly raised a few questions for me. Do we need snack time? Do I ply my kids with snacks on a regular basis to avoid other issues? Why do we need to eat all the time? Can we have three meals a day and call it good? Are more meals a day better than the three meal model? 

I would like to think that we could do with less eating times at school but only if the food that is provided is of sufficient levels. We all need food in the morning. And it needs to be better than a bowl of processed cereal to get someone to a lunch time meal. That is what I think but I fear that we are so far down a path of unhealthy eating habits that it will be a hugh societal change that is needed rather than a simple school change.  Which of course is the reason for the story in the first place. So there, I have come full circle, not a big circle, nor earth shattering but a circle nonetheless. So now you can take a spin with the snacks and leave your comments for me to ponder. I need to find something to eat before I head to bed!

cc photo from morrissey

Here is a intriguing animation of Graphic facilitation. The topic is not new but the visuals are!  Enjoy

I think that this was what we were trying to get going last year. Without communication between teachers, parents, and community members to help create a vision for education in our town, school reform is destined to fail.  How will Appleton create a vision for our education?

Below is an interesting post from an excellent high school principal about education and the media's present marketing of the "issue".  I am hoping to tune into a webinar this evening about this issue.  If you have an interest here is  a link to it. 

Link to Chris Lehmann's post from which the following is quoted.


"I say as both an educator and a parent -- we need a great debate about education in this country.

We should be asking ourselves -- what do we need our schools to be? What do we hope for our children? How are we going to modernize our schools so that they can change with the changing times? What do our children need from schools and how are we going to teach to meet those needs?

We're not going to get there if we expect the politicians and the media to start these conversations. These conversations have to happen in cities and towns all over this country. Parents and children and educators need to take the time to come together and have these conversations. We need to understand that without a vision of what we want our schools to be, reform is destined to fail.

So where do we go from here? What can we do?

Write to MSNBC and demand that the next Education Nation segments focus on how we teach and learn and not on the charter vs. non-charter debate. MSNBC's address is: NBC News, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10112

Go to your local school board meetings and ask them how they are going to modernize the schools in your district. Ask them how they see the new tools that kids have at their disposal can -- and should -- change the way we teach and learn. Ask to sit on the committee that is drawing up the technology plan.

Organize conversations in the schools in your neighborhood -- ask the principal to hold an education summit on a Saturday that brings together community members and educators and parents and students and asks the hard questions about what our schools can be and the steps necessary to get there.

We deserve a great conversation about education in this country -- better than the one we're seeing now."