|
Share your lesson plans
Did you know the Tampa Bay Times provides more than 5-million print and digitial copies of the newspaper to Tampa Bay area classrooms? We want to know how you are incorporating the Tampa Bay Times into your lesson plans. Please share your ideas and lessons here on the NIE Blogging Zone.
Senate bill: Prayer in school
Times Columnist John Romano writes, "Maybe that's because prayer, by itself, is far from being the problem. It is those who would use it as an instrument, or even a weapon, for selfish purposes." Romano's column, "Prayer isn't the problem, but panderers sure are," is in today's Tampa Bay Times. You can read it here on Tampabay.com. What are your thoughts about the bill and allowing prayer in school? Do you think this will be a difficult situation to manage at the classroom, school or district level? Share your thoughts here.
To tax or not to tax
Teachers - today's Tampa Bay Times has a great debate topic for your classroom: "State weighs whether to tax Amazon's online sales or cut jobs deal". Split your students into teams: pro and con. Have them come up with arguments and examples for this issue. Come back here and tell us how it worked out in your classroom.
Pasco magnet schools
The Pasco school district is exploring the option of launching elementary magnet schools to meet growing demand for educational choices. You can read the story here. The school district is asking the public to participate in a survey to garner community feedback. Also, you can read "Should Pasco County start up magnet schools?" on the Gradebook blog. What are your thoughts about elementary magnet school programs? Do you think this would be a benefit to Pasco Schools, parents and students. Share your thoughts here on the NIE Blogging Zone.
STEM education comes at a high price
STEM education is being promoted by lawmakers and business people as "the key to future job creation and international competitiveness. In Florida, the pressure is on to push more kids into STEM. This session, lawmakers are considering a bill that would reward schools when students graduate with more math and science credits than currently required," write Tampa Bay Times staff writers Rebecca Catalanello, Jeffrey S. Solochek and Sherri Ackerman. "But as campuses move to aggressively bulk up their STEM programs, they are grappling with a perpetual question in K-12 education: How to pay for it?"
Read "Bulking up STEM comes with a price tag, educators say" in today's Tampa Bay Times. What are your thoughts about the article? What are your thoughts about STEM? Should school districts spend more money on STEM than other areas? Share your thoughts here on the NIE Blogging Zone.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
As we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it is a good time to reflect on some of King’s principles. King said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” What are your thoughts about this message? Do you discuss Dr. King and his message in your classroom? Share your lesson plans focusing on King Day and your thoughts here on the NIE Blogging Zone.
Your Tampa Bay Times NIE program has free curriculum focusing on Dr. King. Go to the NIE website. Go to the Resources tab. Click on NIE Institute. Then click on the Black History category. Look for the supplement titled "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Celebrate Black History". Let us know your thoughts about this curriculum.
School prayer
In today's Gradebook blog, Jeff Solochek writes, "After years of inaction, school prayer legislation clears another hurdle in Florida Senate". Read "School prayer bill continues to move through Florida Legislature" - http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/school-prayer-bill-continues-move-through-florida-legislature and tell us your thoughts about the issue. What do you think about school prayer? How do you feel about incorporating prayer in your classroom?
The art of rhetoric
Have you started teaching about the election in your classroom? There are some great critical thinking skill challenges you can present to your students using the articles and editorials in the Tampa Bay Times as well as using PolitiFact as a source. The most recent post by Polifact can be read here: 'Relax, dude, it was a rally speech'. Is it okay to lie or bend the truth in a rally speech? What is the difference between a 'rally speech' and a formal debate? What are the key points that caused PolitiFact researchers to rate this story false?
How are you talking about the candidates, elections and caucuses in your classroom? We want to hear from you.
Cyber bullying
The Pinellas County School District has rescinded a three-day suspension against a 16-year-old student at Osceola Fundamental High School accused of making threatening comments on Facebook. You can read the article is in today's Tampa Bay Times or on Tampabay.com.
There has been a lot of controversy about this particular issue. Have your students been discussing this? Do your students talk about social media in front of you? Do you talk to students about cyber bullying and social media? Do you engage with your students on Facebook or Twitter? Do your students seem to be aware of the consequences of posting personal information and/or posting negative information about others online?
Is this a teachable moment? What are your thoughts?
Happy New Year
Happy New Year and welcome to the new and improved NIE Blogging Zone! We are changing the focus of the NBZ from student focused to teacher focused. As we enter 2012, we want to know what teachers are thinking and doing in their classrooms. What are your goals for the rest of this school year? What are some of the challenges you are being faced with?
About the blog
The NIE Blogging Zone is a great place for teachers, parents and school administrators to share their thoughts about how they are using the Tampa Bay Times in their classrooms and to share thoughts about teaching, classroom management, the school system and education in general. If you have a burning topic to suggest or questions about the NBZ, e-mail jpushkin@tampabay.com
Advertisement
Full Category List
- 2012 General
- 2011 Reading with the Rays
- 2010-2011 School Year
- 2011 Cheetah Run
- 2011 Water
- 2011 Recycling
- 2011 Lights On Tampa
- 2011 Plugged In
- 2010 Florida Amendments
- 2010 Tough Decisions
- 2010 Project Weather
- 09-10 High School Blog
- 09-10 Largoing Green
- 09-10 Perkins Garden
- 09-10 School Year
- 09-10 Tampa Gangs
- 09-10 Walking with Dinosaurs
- 2009 Curlew Creek Character
- 2009 Hubble
- 2010 Big Read - The Joy Luck Club
- 2010 Fit4Allkids
- 2010 Plugged In
- 2010 Recycling
- 2010 Summer Fun
- Azalea Summer Readers 2007
- Book Battle Blog 2008-2009
- Bully Blasters 2007
- Contests 2007
- Dali & Film
- El Lector 2007
- FOR NEW BLOGGERS
- Hazardous Weather Awareness - 2009
- Hillsborough Summer Readers 2007
- Hot Spots - 2008
- Hot Topics 2007
- Human Anatomy & Physiology
- LEARNING TOGETHER
- Lights on Tampa 2009
- Meadowlawn Summer Readers 2007
- NIE Teacher Forum 2007
- NIE Teaching with Technology - 2008
- NIE Testimonials 2007
- Night Before Middle School
- PARADE TABLE TALK 2007
- Podcasts 2007
- Reading with Rays - 2008
- Reading with the Rays 2009
- 2010 Reading with the Rays
- Roller Coaster 101 2007
- School Year 2008-2009
- Summer Fun 2009
- Summer Reader - 2008
- Teacher Appreciation - 2008
- Their Eyes Were Watching God: Discussions
- Their Eyes Were Watching God: Teen Zone
- Voting - 2008
- Wander the World - 2008
- Winter's Tale
- Xpress Plugged In
- Zoo story
Most Popular Categories
DAILY CARTOON
Comment Policy
ATTENTION TEACHERS AND PARENTS
-
No profanity or inappropriate language is allowed. Editors retain the right to delete threatening or profane entries, or personal attacks on specific individuals.
- HOW DO I POST A COMMENT?
- First, read the posts that interest you on this blog. To see what others think about this subject, click on the word COMMENTS below the post and a new page will appear.
- Look for where it says: POST A COMMENT.
Go down to the name box and type in your name and school. - Type in your email address if you have one (it will not be posted) and leave the URL box blank.
- Click your mouse inside the COMMENTS box and type your response to the post.
- When you sure you have everything written they way you want it, click the button, POST.
- You are now officially a blogger and everyone in Tampa Bay – and the world – will soon be able to read your opinion!
Registration FAQ
| Read our Frequently Asked Questions on how to register to comment on the site. |
Archives