Brenna's Edu 3650 Blog

     If the generations born from 2000 and on had to be defined with one concept, it would be the concept of social media. These generations are embodied and consumed by technology. This is why these generations have doubled the numbers for suicide rates, psychiatric diagnoses, and many other negative factors. However, in regards to schooling, technology can be helpful by allowing for more flexible practices and interaction, but it comes with a price: student mental health. As a society, as educators, as parents, as whatever role we play, we have to ask to what price or extent are we willing to let social media control us. There is no amount of money, or valuables that should be worth more than one's mental health.       The documentary,  Plugged-In: The Toxicity of Social Media   Revealed , emphasizes the hidden toxicity of social media and the platforms it has created and promoted, and how harmful it is. Society has been on a gradual declin...

       This week's blog topic was interesting because this conversation is vital to America's youth. Young students today deem vaping to be cool, trendy, and easily accessible. The youtube video shows kids interviewing and speaking about how they are easy to take with you anywhere, and how they can be hid in your shoe, sock, backpack, pocket, or anything really. Children can be stealthy with these tragic and turmoil devices. It is truly saddening to even put children and vaping within the same sentence, but it is true, children are the main targets are these cancer sticks.       The video we watched, "Vaping in Schools: 'Juuling' Is Popular Among Teens Despite Health Risks" highlighted many of the problems with America's youth. America's youth deems vaping to be a new fab or fashion, when in reality it is just a way to possibly shorten or hinder their adult lives. There is no stereotype for people who vape or juul, they are athletes, honors studen...

                                                       This week's module, Social and Emotional Mindfulness, explored the concept of how to control one's emotions and alleviate student stress. It has been seen that "An increasing number of today's students face challenges that affect their ability to focus attention, regulate difficult emotions, build inner resilience, and form healthy and supportive relationships'' (Why Is Mindfulness Needed in Education?) These concentrations can directly affect a student's studies because if their emotions are unbalanced, they will struggle to retain information. The module gave us primary sources through the viewing of the video, and reading various articles which all promote the importance of mindfulness and the benefits it brings forward.     The film Room to Breathe was interesting an...

         This week's discussion talked about poverty and homelessness in America's youth, especially students. Poverty in America is not something new, rather it is an aspect of America's society that has been a concerning component since its beginnings. Since the early days of America, especially after the creation of cities, we have seen an overpopulation of people living on the street, with no place to go. Since then, this problem has only amplified, especially with America's youth. It is our job "... As a nation, [that] we must do everything we can to ensure that all students — including students experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity — are able to access an excellent education that opens doors to opportunity and thriving lives,” ( Cai, 2021.) After reading various articles, and watching the documentary The homestretch it can be seen that there are an overwhelming number of children enrolled in public school, but why? One answer is lack of pro...

     The mental health of students is a growing concern, as the silent epidemic of mental health is becoming more and more prominent. There are more than 50 million public school students int he United States, and 1 in 5 students suffer from a mental health disorder and it is noted that "Kids who suffer from mental health disorders... inevitably miss out on opportunities for learning and building relationships" (Nadworny, 2016). The overwhelming amount of students who suffer from mental illness is a serious concept that schools need to be able to tackle, and is why teachers around the world need to be informed on the signs and symptoms of mental illness. Schools should implement that teachers are required to have some sort of psychology background or degree, and have them attend professional workshops on mental illness. I learned from the module about psychosis and the signs and symptoms to look out for in my students. Some signs may include but are not limited to th...

          This week's discussion explored the topic of cyberbullying and how it has impacted society, especially in the school system. Bullying in general has become more of an important school discussion over the years, especially as we are beginning to see more and more students suffering at the hands of cruelty. However, it once was not, and it is because of this that we have seen many people fall at the hands of bullying and leave this world. It is now our job as educators to take note of how students interact with others and themselves, and provide a safe and comfortable classroom atmosphere to ensure physical and mental safety. The Video "Dark Cloud: the high cost of cyberbullying" and the articles I read raised a heightened sense of self awareness in myself to take note of what I learned and how I can apply it to my future classroom. After viewing the resources given to us on the concept of cyberbullying, I developed a central theme of "hope" t...

         School violence has been an ongoing issue throughout the history of the education system. From Little Rock Nine, the integration of African-american and white children in the schools, To Sandy Hook, Columbine, and all other acts of aggression in between. Take note of the phrase "and all other acts of aggression in between", because it is deeply disturbing that there a myriad of examples of school violence. Schools are designed to be spaces where academics, athletics, and interaction unite simultaneously to provide a safe atmosphere for growth and development. The individual student discovers themselves and finds their identity through years of schooling, yet students generally never feel this way because we live in a society with status  quo's that are unattainable. The film Bowling For Columbine and the articles regarding school violence voiced the ...