A very powerful video....

Check out this video!!!

I believe every student in America should watch this ten minute video clip.  In this powerful video a high school student gives an emotional speech regarding the use of the word "retarded." Soeren, who has a sister with mental retardation, addresses his peers, leaving the audience speechless. Soeren relates "the R word" to derogatory terms and racial comments. He shames not only students for using "the R word" but teachers for allowing it to occur. He brings his young sister to life as the face of "the R word" leaving his audience ashamed of their actions. In a society which does not treat all citizens the equally; in schools in which children are bullied; Soeren has a message for us all. 

Children can be particularly cruel to others. Students with special needs are often easy targets. This video gives life and meaning to the names students use as part of their everyday vocabulary. Children, and educators need to watch this video. We can all learn a lesson from this brave high school senior.  

Twitter as a tool for Educators

Twitter can be used as a tool for educators to stay informed and up to date. As educators it is not only our job, but our responsibility to stay informed regarding the latest research within the field. Twitter affords educators the ability to connect with the research, when convenient to them. It allows educators the ability to network and collaborate with agencies and professionals from around the world. Ideas and practices can be generated amongst educators. Twitter allows educators to network with an unlimited number of professionals throughout the world.

Twitter

Being an avid Facebook user, I must admit that the social network Twitter does not appeal to me as much as networks such as MySpace or Facebook. Although I still struggle to learn the ins-and -outs of Twitter, I believe that all social networks hold a great deal of potential, for students, teachers, parents, and children from all walks of life. 

What I have found to be of most benefit to me (thus far) is following tweets from the Library of Congress, CNN, and the New York Times. Twitter is unique in that your homepage is updated as your followers update their pages. As a result, I can follow the top stories from CNN and New York Times simply by signing in to my homepage. This allows me to keep informed on world events at the same time as connecting with friends and colleagues. The tweets I have read the most, and learned the most from are the news/information based tweets that I follow.