Year around School and Businesses

Year around school does not only affect the children and parents it also affects businesses as well. I work at a local gas station where the summers are absolutly crazy. Children who are leaving for vacation or the beach and the oh so popular kids that have just learned to drive and think it is a milestone to get there own gas now. If school were to become a year around thing a business like the one I work at would not get the amount of customers as we do now. That can lead to businesses folding if it were to be a drastic change which would lead to more unemployed people, and in living in Elkhart County it is understood that we really do not need more people without jobs.
I can remember the first summer I was old enough to get a job. I had just recieved a car and needed to find money. I was never a kid who would only want a summer job so I kept my job even when school started back up. I thought at first that I was going to get buried alive with all of the stress of school, work, and my new car bills. If there were year around school children would not be able to adapt to a new job as well because they would not have that break to only focus on their job. That could lead to poor work habits and bad grades during the summer sessions.
Overall children need those few months of no school to be able to adapt to new jobs and opportunities that they would usually not have to face if they were in school. Yes children would more than likley get into more trouble but if they cannot make the mistakes in the first place they will never have the opportunity to learn from them and that is what children need to grow.

Colorado: The Splendor of Mountains

I feel as though my last post may have brought a little tension, so I would like to lighten that tension by going back to our groups first topic, which is travel, and talk about my trip out to Colorado last summer.  

Last summer I was able to take a week vacation over the 4th of July out to Colorado.  I was so excited to be able to see the beauty that Colorado possesses.  I had heard from many people just how beautiful it truly is.  To talk about all of the beautiful things I saw is nearly impossible.  First of all, it would take forever to write and second of all, words cannot describe its majesty.  I will however do the best I can to summarize with words and pictures.

It's amazing after such a boring drive through Iowa and Nebraska, how the landscape butterflies into something so breathtaking.  When we got to Colorado  There are literally mountains 360 degrees around you.  Everywhere you turn there are new lines and curves of mountains.  My jaw dropped when we arrived.  I couldn't even express my emotions because I was speechless.  My emotions, however, had to

 be dripping from my face.  

Our first stop on our Colorado excursion was Breckenridge.  Breckenridge is the place to go if skiing is your thing.  I am glad that we went in the summer when there was no snow, because skiing is definitely NOT my thing.  There isn't a whole lot to do in Breckenridge in the summer, but just to stare out your cabin window is enough to get you through a couple days.  We were fortunate enough to do a few things while we were there.  One of the days we were there we got to go horseback riding through the mountains and the ski slopes.  Now here's the thing about horseback riding in the mountains, horses have minds of their own and at some points were were at the edge of the mountain and could see TOO far down.  I am not great with heights.

  I actually get a little lightheaded and feel like I'm going to faint.  Luckily, my horse was pretty good for the most part and there were only a few times when he wanted steer off course.

This is a view from our cabin/condo in Breckenridge.

Our next stop in Colorado was Denver.  It was so crazy to go from Breckenridge to Denver because the change in weather was tremendous.  In Breckenridge it was in the mid to high 60's the entire time we were there and when we got to Denver it was almost 100 degrees.  Denver isn't too far from Breckenridge but the change in altitude is so different that the temperature changes that much.  Denver is a really cool city.  It was awesome to go to downtown Denver and still be able to see the mountains.  I felt like I were still a part of nature even though there are buildings all around me.  I love nature, so that was really intriguing to me.  I unfortunately don't have any pictures of downtown Denver because an ex-boyfriend was in the pictures with me, and in my anger deleted all of them.  

Colorado was an amazing travel experience.  I felt so much more in tune with myself being surrounded by the beauty of nature out there.  If anyone has an opportunity to go out west, take the time to visit Colorado for awhile.  It is well worth it.  Some advice for travelers who have never been out there:  Take medicine for headaches and migraines because the altitude will make you sick, and take lots of lotion and moisturizers because your skin will dry out faster than you can imagine.  Eye drops are good to have too.  My eyes were bloodshot for the entire week.  Oh and one more thing, I run two to three miles everyday, and I couldn't even make it a mile out there.  Prepare yourselves for an adventure you will never forget.  Below are some pictures I took out there.

   

Kid's Perspective on Year Round School

Going to school is something, i believe, most kids enjoy.  They get to spend time with their friends, learn new things, and participate in extra-curricular activities.  When I was a student in grade school I absolutely loved the whole concept of school, however, it was always nice knowing that there was a two and half month break at the end of the school year to enjoy summer and just be a kid.  After going to school for 180 days out of the year and having work to do the majority of that time, it was always fantastic being able to wake up on summer mornings without the stress of school.  

Many schools are taking into consideration the idea of year round school and some have already switched to this way of schooling.  One thing to think about with this idea, is the perspective kids have on it.  Will it increase their knowledge of subject matter?  Will it burn them out?  Will they constantly be unmotivated because it seems as though school never ends?  These are just some general questions that I have conjured up in my head, but I believe they are legitimate.

Let's say for instance I were a high school student asked about year round schooling.  Here is what my answer would consist of:  I do not agree with year round schooling.  The reason for my belief in this is bas

ed on many factors.  First of all, year round schooling could cause conflict in extra curricular activities.  For instance, I am a basketball player and lets say one of the breaks that comes with year round schooling is right in the middle of my basketball season.  I wouldn't be able to play basketball and take a family vacation at the same time.  The point that I am trying to make is that having school set up this way will cause conflict between family time and extra-curricular activities, making kids choose one or the other.  Another reason I do not a agree with year round schooling is that it might cause teachers to cram a lot of information into a shorter period of time in order to make sure their lessons get taught before a break.  This could cause problems for kids who do not have a great learning capacity.  If it takes some kids longer to learn something then they are at a disadvantage because it forces them to learn information in a short period of time.  They may not retain a sufficient amount of knowledge.  The last reason why I believe year round schooling is a bad idea is because with more breaks in the school year instead of having one long break, kids have more opportunities to fo

rget what they have learned before the breaks.  This will force teachers to re-introduce things multiple times.  This will take up the already small amount of time they have to learn new material which ties in to what I said before about cramming a lot of information into a short period of time.  These are just a few reasons I have.  

As I was searching the web for student perspectives on this issue, I came across a website that has comments from students regarding their thoughts on this issue.  Some think that year round schooling would be useful, and some agree with my argument as to why it would not

 be a successful switch from our present form of schooling.  A lot of students from this website didn't go into to much detail about why they did or did not want year round schooling, but some did.  One student disagreed with year round schooling through a personal matter.  He/she said their parents are divorced and summer vacations were the time to spend with their dad who lived out of town.  With year round schooling he/she wouldn't have this opportunity to spend time with their dad.  There are many other reasons why students agree or disagree with this idea.  To read students' perspectives click here.

A Parent Perspective on Year Round Academics

As a parent, I believe that going to school year round is not a bad idea but it's neither a great idea. Students, teachers and parents all want a mental break and a leisure break. Many parents wouldn't mind having their child go to school year round, but there will always be a downfall to this idea. Parents have to worry about school clothes, supplies, lunch money, extra curricular activities clothing and funding. All of the resources that children need in order to be successful within the classroom. These expenses cost and the person that mainly has to pay for it is the parent. Parents also may have a positive point about going to school year round, and that is it keeps children feed, out of trouble,learning and they don't have to worry most of the time about where their children are located at. School is like a safe zone and its convenient for them to work and go to school themselves. It appears that everyone should win and be happy but that's not the case. Many parents would like for kids to go to school year around but what about that time off for children to go visit family, enjoy a hot summer day outside and not sitting in the room, the amusement park that the family had plan to attend because they had saved money. Many factors play a role and there are pros and cons of going to school all year. From my perspective going to school all year would allow the students to learn more and possibly achieve more. It would also keep the children doing something over being in the streets in the summer time day time getting into trouble;however going to school year round can be more troubling with parents having jobs and worrying about their children getting to school, their sports games and other family relations. Which leads me to say that children and all students needs a break and if they go to school all year, there may be more drop outs and more absences due to many parents just wanting to have their children enjoy being a kid.

http://www.wral.com/golo/profile/3058806/

Vacation-No Fun!!

Over spring break i went to Indianapolis and I had absolutely no fun!!! I had planed to go down to Indianapolis to visit my family and I had also planned to go to a Jay-Z concert there. The planning was no fun, the drive was boring and I spent way to much money. I was upset, and on top of it all I didn't enjoy myself at all. It was a disaster. I have had the chance to live through and experience a vacation gone bad.My friends were all last minute decisions and we had talked about this whole trip prior,at least a month. After they decided to go they had not packed, no money to give for gas and barely any money to give for a two night hotel stay. So luckily I have family that cares and loves me because they allowed four fresh twenty one girls to stay with them and on top of that they were all loud and obnoxious. After this trip I vowed to never take a road trip or to foot the bill for others because they don't appreciate it and they take advantage. This short vacation made me realize that preparing is a necessity and you only travel with people you trust. If you don't than everyone will become unhappy.

Vacation: Culture Shock

After recently reading a blog about a fellow students travels, I have been inspired to tell of my travels.  I haven't been to many places, but I have been to two places out west that have really captured my interest.  My first trip out west was last year for spring break.  I flew out to Los Angeles, California to visit my cousin who is out there aspiring to be an actor.  When I got out there it was a complete culture shock to me.  I didn't think that traveling within the United States would bring any kind of culture shock.  Growing up in Cornville, USA (as I like to call it), there isn't a lot of exposure to things outside the norm.  We are simple people that lead simple lives.  I grew up in a family of farmers ( although i never actually farmed myself) who are pretty stuck in their way of life and nothing is going to interrupt that.  One of the first things I saw out in California was the Church of Scientology.  I am a very devout Christian, so seeing this so-called church was VERY new to me.

This a picture of the sign outside the church, which looks more like an insane asylum than a church.

This is a picture of me standing by the huge metal lion outside the "church."

I don't know too much about Scientology, but my cousin who has lived in LA for awhile said that along with the building being a church, it is also a detox center.  One has to go through a process of detox before becoming a member of a church.  It was weird walking around the proximity of the church because you would see people go in and out of the Scientology Church and they were all wearing blue polos.  They all walked around with blank expressions on their faces.  Tyler(my cousin) said that usually if you are anywhere near the church there people who will try to persuade you to take a tour of the church.  He then told me that one of his friends did the tour just to see what the church was all about.  Apparently the tour was around two hours and completely bogus.  It was a bit terrifying to be within feet of the church.  I have found a website that explains Scientology and its basic principles.  Click here to see this website.  

I really enjoyed California and living life for a little bit in completely different setting than what I'm used to.  It is a very beautiful place with interesting and exciting things to see.  I got to visit Orange County one day while I was out there and I was able to capture the essence of the West Coast.  The Pacific Ocean is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.  It is truly the product of something greater than any one of us. My camera does not do justice to what my eyes have seen.  I will never forget how I felt when I looked out and saw the depths of the Pacific Ocean for the first time.

This is a view of Laguna Beach that I was able to capture in the late afternoon.  It was absolutely beautiful and I would have been content staying in that exact spot for the remainder of my vacation.

For my next post I would like to share another trip I experience out west in Colorado!!

What Do Teachers Think About Year Round School?

The first thing a teacher might think about when they hear the words, "Year round school," is "Hey I thought I was going to get my summers off!" One might try to sound like they wouldn't enjoy their summers off, but who wouldn't like to take three whole months to have fun with your family, and get ready for the next school year? Well those teachers that participate in year round schooling do not have their summers off. Although it is a proven fact that kids study better, and have a more positive impact with year round schooling, we would still be going to school in June, July, and August, when all of the other schools had summer break. I interviewed an 8Th grade English teacher on her thought of year round schooling, and here are some of her answers. I asked her if she liked the idea, and her response was, " I like the idea of year round schooling, but I have a feeling when it's 85 degrees and sunny outside, it will be hard for my students as well as myself to focus on the subject." She said she enjoys her summers off, but at the same time, it might be nice going to school for 6 weeks, and then getting three weeks off. Families could still plan vacations, and it would be scheduled ahead of time, no snow days to make up, because they would be tacked on somewhere else. It is a possibility that one would have to go to school longer in March due to a snow day instead of going to the middle of June and then back to school again in August. As a future educator, I am still on the fence about this subject. It would be nice to have my summers off, but at the same time, the states are in much need of money, and the students are in my need of a higher level of learning. Both of these ideas mentioned have been proven to increase when the school switches to year round. Hopefully one day everyone will be on the same level, and we can impact our future students in the highest level of positiveness that we possibly can.

Should Year Round School be in the Future?

Going to school year round is a controversial subject. There are some states that are in favor of year round school, therefore they went ahead and proceeded with the idea, whether they had other states participating in the program. As of 2007, there were 19 states with year round schools in them. Those states had 10 or less schools participating in the program. Many people question, what does year round school consist of? Year round school consists of scheduling educational institutions so that students take class throughout the entire calendar year. Students are still in school the same number of days as regular schools, but their vacation is dispersed in different ways throughout the year. For example, one school might go to school for 6 weeks, and then have a 3 week vacation. Statistics show that it is a higher way of education, and students achieve higher standards because they are able to work on a subject that may seem harder for a longer period of time. Our blogging group was torn on the decision on whether or not we liked the idea. Two of us liked the idea, and two of us were still on the edge about the idea. If year round school has a more positive impact on the children, then we believe it is something that should be in the near future.

Here is a link that provided some of the statistics that we used for this blog, if you want to take a look at them.

What about Spring Break For A College Student?

Spring Break is coming up for many college students, and when you ask a college student if they are going anywhere they usually say, "I'm broke!" That is the typical response you will hear from a college student whether they are a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior. This is my junior year of college, and I have never been anywhere for Spring Break, because over break I usually try and work more. I want to save money to pay for summer classes, textbooks, and the next school year's tuition. Many of you might be asking, what are some alternatives we can do for Spring Break to still feel like we have a break, even if we are not going anywhere? Some alternatives a person could do would be to save up all three previous Spring Breaks, and then when you are a senior splurge and go somewhere with you friends since it is your last year of college. Another meaningful alternative that a lot of college students are participating in is volunteering over their break. Many colleges, religious organizations, and charity organizations have relief programs for countries that are in need. There have been many devastation's over the past year and many countries could use the helping hands. Many of you might be wondering if the trips cost a fee. Some of the trips do, but sometimes, if enough money has been raised throughout the year, it may be free, or a small fee may come with the trip. I realize the second alternative doesn't seem like a break, but if you are willing to sacrifice your time on a sunny beach, to help out someone that is in need, the reward will be more fulfilling in the end.

Here is a link for more information about alternative Spring Breaks!

Alternatives to Vacation

Millions of people have the chance to travel the world and see all of the different things that makes the world so different. There are also people who don't have the money or the time to travel so what do they do? They usually stay at home, watch a movie, go to the local beach, or the camp grounds. Besides traveling the world, other people consider or even prefer for their vacation to be right outside in their backyard or even down the street at a friends or wherever they can go to get away and have some fun to get away from all the stress at home. People also go shopping, out to eat or go for a bike ride. A vacation does not necessarily have to be a trip out of the state or around the country. It can be anywhere away from home that makes a person get away from the things they want to escape. Sometimes a real vacation can cause too much hassle and end up being a nightmare,so its best to stay at home save money, time and energy. A vacation should not have to be work, its supposed to be fun.
A link to check out other alternatives:
http://affordable-family-fun.suite101.com/article.cfm/affordable_family_mini_vacations

Affordability/ Expenses of Planning a Vacation

As a kid, going on vacation was like waking up on Christmas morning to an endless supply of Christmas presents. My only worry for vacationing was making sure I would be able to see and do everything on my list. As a child you don't think of all the expenses that go into planning a vacation. Now that I am older and traveling on my own, it has become evident that going on a vacation isn't as much like Christmas as I used to think it was. Planning a budget for a vacation sounds like an easy job, but there are so many things that go into one budget. First off, you have to decide what type of vacation you will be going on. Will it be relaxing, adventurous, or somewhere in the middle? Depending on the type of vacation your planning, your initial budget will change. The destination and accomodations you choose are just the start of your budget planning. Other things to consider are extra hotel expenses(i.e. internet use, telephone use, room service), transportation(gas money, airfare, etc.), appropiate clothing for your location, food, entertainment, and souvenirs. These are pretty obvious costs. Some hidden costs that we often forget about are things such as; tips, tolls, parking fees, etc. One more thing that just came to mind is one should always have emergency money that they can turn to in case of an accident, car trouble, or what ever the emergency may be. If you carefully plan a budget then you should be in good shape. If not, you must realize that money outside of your budget could be spent. So going back to the initial post, is a vacation really a vacation after all of the budgeting and stressing over how much to spend or how much not to spend? Ponder that.

http://hffo.cuna.org/12433/article/1744/html

Does a Vacation Equal a Stress Reliever?

Is taking vacation really a stress reliever? Many people want to take a vacation to get away from the stress, but in the initial blog, everything you have to do sounds like stress. One thing a family, couple, or person in general can do is plan. Many parents feel pressured when their students are out of school for the summer, because that is the time to take your family vacation. If co-workers ask you where your vacation is this year and you haven't planned it, it may start to stress you out. There are many tips online, on how to plan a vacation stress free so if you are up in the air about everything, look at the world wide web and find some helpful tips. One major tip that people need to remember is to decide what kind of vacation they want to take, and that alone will prevent a lot of stress. Do you want it to be close to home, far away, an adventurous vacation, a relaxing vacation, or a vacation that will have activities for your kids as well as you? Once you have your initial building block for your vacation you can start adding things(keeping your budget in mind) and hopefully everything will stay on track. If you plan out your budget a year or so in advance, you have the entire year to build your savings back up, therefore that would prevent stress before and after your trip. If you want to stay close to home, your travel budget will decrease and therefore you might have extra money to spend on things you may need. There are many different levels of stress on can have when taking a vacation, but hopefully this blog, and the links I have provided will help you from having a stressful vacation. As a side note the number one spot to vacation when you have had a stressful year is to an island or a beach so keep that in mind for the future when planning a vacation.

Tips on planning a stress free vacation:

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Plan-a-Stress-Free-Vacation&id=1352436

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/tips_for_a_stressfree_vacation

Is Vacation Really Considered A Vacation?

Every year many families take a vacation and travel somewhere away from home. Whether their travel be in close proximity or many miles away, they still consider it a vacation. So what REALLY goes into a vacation? One has the pre-planning, the planning, and the post-planning. The pre-planning includes: finding a place to vacation, booking the vacation, the transportation, the activities to accomodate the vacation, and lastly the dreadful budget. The planning includes: the packing, the schedule/day of departure and arrival, and how many stops will be taken between the beginning of your trip and the arrival. The post-planning includes: dealing with the stress of the budget, replenishing the budget, and getting back to your everyday routine. Do all of these things sound like a vacation? When you break down a vacation into terms of this, it makes vacation seem like work and that's what you are trying to get away from.