Barack Obama and Preventing Bullying in schools.

Barach Obama is preventing bullying with "Bullying Preventation Summit," and he and the White House staff have been writing about their efforts on both the White House website and the President's blog.


"A federal law could help students even though states have been passing their own anti-bullying laws," said Kara Suffredini, executive director of Mass Equality, the leading LGBT advocacy organization in Massachusetts. The SSIA (Safe Schools Improvement Act), she said, goes further than most state laws in providing a specific enforcement mechanism -- the withholding of funds. "It also goes further than most states, including Massachusetts, in its reporting requirements and in prohibiting bullying based upon specific, enumerated characteristics, such as sexual orientation and gender identity," she said.

Obama made about three anti-bullying bills:

1st bill:

"A federal law could help students even though states have been passing their own anti-bullying laws, said Kara Suffredini, executive director of Mass Equality, the leading LGBT advocacy organization in Massachusetts. The SSIA [Safe Schools Improvement Act], she said, goes further than most state laws in providing a specific enforcement mechanism -- the withholding of funds. It also goes further than most states, including

Massachusetts, in its reporting requirements and in prohibiting bullying based upon specific, enumerated characteristics, such as sexual orientation and gender identity."

2nd bill:

"SNDA states that elementary and secondary schools must not discriminate against students on the basis of real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity in any program or activity receiving federal funds, or they will risk losing those funds. 'Discrimination,' under SNDA, includes harassment, bullying, intimidation, and violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity."

3rd bill:

"Schools can and must protect EVERY child -- including those confused about their sexual or gender identity. But they must never use 'bullying prevention' to engage in one-sided advocacy about homosexuality, thereby discriminating against Christian, Jewish and Muslim students who believe homosexual practice is wrong."

Barack Obama invited into the White House some parents of bullied children and the bullied children themselves.

Obama Tells the State of the Union

On January 25th, Obama held a speech, the State of the Union, which started with the topic of jobs. Obama said, "But this shouldn't discourage us. It should challenge us." We have the best colleges and universities in America, worldwide.

Obama asked three main questions: "What do you think of the idea?" What idea, you might ask? The idea Obama is hinting at is the rights of one's rights in America. I, Angela, think that the idea is correct: All people have rights of their own and choices of their own. I, Camryn, agree with Angela. I think everyone should go by their own opinion. Everyone should have equal rights.

The next question Obama asks, is, "What do you want to change about the world?" Camryn thinks that we should be focused on being more green. I'm about to move to Arkansas, where hardly no one recycles. I think that that should change because Earth is our home, and we're killing it. I, Angela, agree with Camryn's thoughts that we should go green. In one-hundred years from now, do you think our planet will be filled with plants and trees if we keep treating it like this? If we want it to stay with plants and animals, we should stop using fuels that harm the earth.

The last question Obama asks is, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" When I, Camryn, grows up, I want to be a paleontologist. I want to be a paleontologist because I am I am interested in the study of plant and animal fossils. I, Angela, want to be an animal cop because some animals are treated horribly by people and I don't see why they deserve it. I want to help animals who are in need and were treated with cruelty.

Can you answer these questions yourself? You can go see the excerpts at the White House Website.

Article by Camryn and Angela

What Did Barrack Obama Want All Students To Be Able To Answer?

Barrack Obama just made a State of the Union speech on Tuesday the 25th. He focused much of his speech on education.

There were three questions that Obama wanted all students to answer:

• What do you think of that idea? 
• What would you change about the world? 
• What do you want to be when you grow up?

Barrack Obama said that we have the most successful companies, and our country has the best colleges and universities. In fact, people come here more than any other place to study in our schools.

Obama thinks the future is ours to win. “The future is not a gift. It is an achievement,” he said, quoting Robert Kennedy.

Obama says, "And now it’s our turn. We know what it takes to compete for the jobs and industries of our time. We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world."

If you want to learn more go to the White House website.

President Obama's YouTube Interview: A Focus on Education

While President Obama was delivering his State of the Union speech, the White House opened a moderator platform on YouTube so thousands of Americans could post their questions for the president in response to his yearly speech. The best questions were used to interview the president on January 30. The questions were not filtered by the White House and were not seen by the President prior to the interview with Mr. Grove at the White House.

The questions were mostly about health care, the economy, foreign relations, education, and renewable energy.

Being an eighth-grader, the part of the questionnaire that really stood out to me, was the part concerning education. The president proposes that "you will not have to pay more than 10 percent of your income on those loans; that after 20 years they'll be forgiven; and if you've gone into public service, they'll be forgiven after 10 years." The Pell Grant program will also be expanded.

President Obama also declared that by 2020, we will make it a goal for America to once again have the highest college graduation rate.

He explains that it is crucial to the economy to have an educated public of critical thinkers, good workers, and good citizens.

To promote higher graduation rates, the Obama Administration has initiated the Race to the Top Contest.

For more about the president's State of the Union speech, read this article. To learn more about the White House YouTube page and to read its blog, click here (you can read many of the questions submitted to the President).



Sources: White House Official Website
by: Brigette W.

What Was President Obama Doing This Week?

Watch the news video from the White House this week. What was the president doing this week, and how did education into it?

First the iPad, and Now the Kno

Student: Zach

Last week, you played around with the iPad. Now, consider the Kno. While you will not have this device in the classroom (it's not publicly available yet), contemplate what it might mean for the realm of education.

Watch the video clip below, read the company website, and watch additional videos on the site (especially the clips with "student reactions"). Then read this article on TechCrunch, and write a news article about this device and what it might mean for your education. What would you like to see this device do? What features would you want? Think big -- and don't let what you know about today's technology hold you back. What would you do if you were an engineer or developer?


Kno Movie from Kno, Inc. on Vimeo.

Student Assignment: How to Study

Student: Rubina

The New York Times has a news story about how people — both adults and kids — study best.

Read the article, and write a news story about it (at least 250 words in length). Include a list of study tips for Herald readers.

Also, include links and at least one image that is related to your story. Do not forget to add "labels" for your story.