Some (Adults) Call for Shorter Summer Break for US Kids

Why American students traditionally get a long vacation.

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The traditional American school year begins in late August or early September. It ends in May or June, followed by summer vacation.

Why such a long break? Because long ago, young people had to help their families harvest the summer crops. At least this is what people today may think.

The reason has more to it. A recent report from an education policy center at Indiana University explored the historical roots of the traditional school calendar.

In the early days of the United States, children were not required by law to attend school. School calendars depended on local needs.

Students in rural areas went to school for no more than six months of the year -- half in the summer, half in the winter. They worked on family farms during the other months.

City schools were often open much longer, some for 11 months of the year. Parents were happy to have a place for their children to go while the parents worked.

National leaders took a fresh look at schools after the Civil War, in the 1860's. They saw a free public education as a way to help support a strong democracy and prepare workers for new industries. Immigration was increasing and so was the student population.

More and more people saw the need for a system of required education. But they had different ideas for the calendar.

Many city schools wanted a shorter year and a longer summer break. The schools were often crowded. There was no modern air conditioning and air pollution from factories was a problem.
Hot days would make it difficult to learn. A long summer break would also give teachers time for other jobs to add to their low pay.

Many rural educators, however, pushed for a longer school year. They thought it would keep children safe from industrial dangers at a time when there were few child-labor laws. They also thought it would lead to a better prepared workforce.

So the traditional school calendar was a compromise, with roots that now go back about a century and a half. The average school year used to be 170 days. Times have not changed much. Today the common average is 180.

But some experts think the traditional school calendar needs to change because the needs of the nation have changed. This thinking has led some schools to keep students in class longer. More on that next week.

Teacher in Space Answers Questions From Students

Barbara Morgan and other astronauts take part in video link from International Space Station.

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"Good morning, Discovery Center -- good afternoon. We're happy to be here with you. This is Al Drew, Clay Anderson, Dave Williams and I'm Barb Morgan. And we are ready for your first question. Welcome aboard the International Space Station."

That was teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, speaking from more than 320 kilometers above the Earth.

CHILDREN: "Hello from Idaho!"

And those were the students she was greeting in the northwestern state of Idaho. They gathered at the Discovery Center in Boise on Tuesday to ask the astronauts questions by video link.

The astronauts already knew what the questions would be. One student asked what stars look like from space.

Basically the answer was that the space shuttle and the space station are kept brightly lit, so it is difficult to see a lot of stars.

BARBARA MORGAN: "In fact, one way to think about that when we're on the International Space Station and all the lights are on when we look outside, it's very much like trying to look at the stars when you're in Boise. You can see some, but then if you go up high in the mountains, up to McCall, and you have all the lights out, that's what it will be like once we undock from [the] station and we can turn all our shuttle lights out, and also for the station folks they can turn all their lights out."

Barbara Morgan taught elementary school in McCall, Idaho, before she trained for space. She and six other astronauts arrived Friday on the shuttle Endeavour to bring supplies and new equipment to the international station.

Barbara Morgan is 55 years old. She taught for many years before she became an astronaut.

QUESTION: "Hi, I'm Sarah Blum. How does being a teacher relate with being an astronaut on this mission?"

BARBARA MORGAN: "Well, astronauts and teachers actually do the same things. We explore, we discover and we share. And the great thing about being a teacher is you get to do that with students. And the great thing about being an astronaut is you get to do it in space. And those are absolutely wonderful jobs."

Barbara Morgan first prepared for a shuttle flight more than 20 years ago. She trained in case NASA needed a substitute for Christa McAuliffe, its choice to become the first teacher in space.

Then, in 1986, Christa McAuliffe died with the Challenger crew when the shuttle exploded shortly after launch.

After the disaster, NASA officials barred other civilians from shuttle flights. But in 1998, they created a new position for teachers to become fully trained astronauts. Barbara Morgan is NASA's first "educator astronaut" launched into orbit.

One of her first tasks was to operate Endeavour's robotic arm to inspect the shuttle for any launch-related damage. Cameras showed a small area hit by a piece of protective foam that fell off the fuel tank. NASA officials say the damage is not a safety threat but they are deciding what to do about it.

Note: Picture depicts Astronaut Barbara Morgan on the space shuttle Endeavour.

FREE EducationUSA ADVISING AT AMERICAN EDUCATION FAIR

The American Institute in Taiwan will sponsor an EducationUSA booth at the 2008 AIEF Spring American Education Fair in Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung. EducationUSA Advisor will be available to meet with potential students and parents about opportunities for study in the USA.

EducationUSA is global network of educational advising centers which actively promote United States higher education by offering accurate, comprehensive, objective and timely information about educational opportunities in the United States.

In Taiwan, there are two EducationUSA centers which provide Taiwan students and their parents with information on how to make a study plan, choose a U.S. school, find financial aid, apply for admission, obtain a U.S. student visa, and prepare for departure. Thousands of students interested in studying in the U.S. got started on this path at one of Taiwan's EducationUSA Advising Centers. For more information about EducationUSA Advising Centers, programs and free group sessions, please log on to http://www.educationusa.org.tw/.

Nicholas Papp, Director of AIT's American Cultural Center, oversees the EducationUSA program in Taiwan "We look forward to seeing and talking with Taiwan students at the American Education Fair," Papp said. "The U.S. remains the top choice for overseas study in Taiwan. Our doors are open, and we warmly welcome you to join the nearly 30,000 Taiwan students who are realizing their dreams by studying in the USA."

Advisors from Taiwan's EducationUSA centers will be available to meet students at the 2008 AIEF Spring American Education Fair events in Taipei on March 23 and 24 at the Howard Plaza Hotel; in Kaohsiung on March 25 at the Grand Hi-Lai Hotel; and in Taichung on March 26 at the Evergreen Laurel Hotel.


「留學美國」諮詢中心將在美國教育展提供免費諮詢服務

美國在台協會將在2008年美國教育基金會（AIEF）春季美國教育展，於台北、高雄和台中舉行時，設置「留學美國」攤位。「留學美國」諮詢中心的顧問會在現場，提供有關美國進修機會的資訊，給有意留學美國的學生和家長。

「留學美國」是由各地教育諮詢中心組成的全球網絡，透過提供有關美國教育機會的正確、完整、客觀且及時的資訊，來積極推廣美國高等教育。

台灣有兩個「留學美國」諮詢中心，為台灣的學生和家長提供如何擬訂留學計劃、選擇學校、申請入學許可、尋找獎助學金、取得學生簽證和準備出發的資訊。有數以千計對留美有興趣的的學生，是從這兩個諮詢中心之一展開他們的留學之路。有關「留學美國」諮詢中心、相關活動和免費團體諮詢的更多資訊，請上網站查詢﹕http://www.educationusa.org.tw/。

台灣的「留學美國」計劃，由美國在台協會美國文化中心主任潘柏楷負責。他表示﹕「我們期盼在美國教育展會場與台灣的學生碰面和交談。」潘主任說﹕「美國仍舊是台灣學生出國留學的第一選擇。我們的門戶敞開，熱誠歡迎大家加入將近三萬個正在美國進修、努力實現他們夢想的台灣留學生。」

台灣「留學美國」諮詢中心的顧問，在春季美國教育展期間提供服務的時間和地點是﹕3月23、24日在台北市福華大飯店；3月25日在高雄市漢來大飯店；3月26日在台中市長榮桂冠酒店。

Few US Schools Now Named for People, Especially Presidents of Fun

Study warns of loss for civic education in trend toward choosing names of things like animals or trees.

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Public schools in New York, America's biggest city, commonly have numbers for names. But this is unusual. In the United States, the process of naming a school often involves parents and the community as well as elected school leaders.

Researchers say school names can show civic values and also shape them. For example, naming a school after a historic person becomes a way to teach students about that person's importance in history.

A new study examines the naming of American public schools. The study is from the Manhattan Institute, an organization that does public policy research.

The study shows that fewer and fewer schools are being named after people. Instead, more schools are being named after the local area or natural features like hills, trees or animals. The researchers say these changes raise questions about the civic duty of public education.

They looked at seven states with 20% of all public school students in the country. They found similar results in every state: new schools are less likely to be named after people.

This is true especially with presidents. For example, in Arizona, public schools in the past 20 years were almost 50 times more likely to be named after such things as landforms or plants.

In Florida, out of almost 3,000 public schools, the report says five honor George Washington, the nation's first president. 11 honor the manatee, an endangered sea animal found in that state.

In fact, the study says that today, a majority of all public school districts nationwide do not have a single school named after a president.

School officials say they try to choose names that will not offend anyone. For example, a few years ago, the city of New Orleans banned the naming of any school after a person who owned slaves. Other school systems have rules against naming new schools after any person, living or dead.

The researchers say naming a school after a person can lead to important debates about democratic values. They call for more research to identify the causes and effects of the changes in school names.

The causes may include changes in American culture as well as in the political control of school systems. One area worth exploring, they say, is the link between trends in school names and weak results for public schools on measures of civic education.

Specialty Summer Camps Offer Kids More Choices of Fun

The growing popularity of technology camps and other substitutes for a traditional experience in the woods.

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Millions of children in the United States go to summer camp. Some go to play outdoors at traditional camps in the woods, in the mountains or on a lake.

But families now have many choices of specialty camps. These can be in the middle of nature or a big city. Specialty camps offer young people the chance to learn about different subjects. Anything from space exploration to business to medicine.

In technology camps, one subject that children can learn about is video game design. They learn how to use computer programs to create games of their own.

One program that teaches video game design is called Cybercamps, located at the University of Maryland. Children can learn how to design their own virtual worlds to set their video game in. Then, they program their own rules and objects into the game.

Cybercamps also offers courses in robot building and Web design. A recent story in the Washington Post described how one child made a robot that could sing a song. Another made a robot that could follow a black line drawn on a piece of cardboard. Also, children can learn how to make Web sites. One child made a site for Pokemon, one of his favorite cartoon shows.

Kids-N-Technology is a day camp offered in several American cities. Boys and girls age eight to 18 get the chance to build their own desktop or laptop computer or game machine. They take it home after the camp is over.

In the past twenty years, the number of day camps in the United States has grown by almost 90%. Still, more than half of all camps are overnight camps. But the American Camp Association says, over all, the most popular length of time for kids to attend a summer camp is one week or less.

Brown University:Allowing Students To Create and Soar Intellectually and Individually

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Providence Rhode Island is where Brown University is located and where Jamaican native Carrie Ann Gordon has chosen to attend. “I am not necessarily sure if I chose Brown or if Brown chose me. I applied to a decent amount of schools in the U.S. because I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for and Brown accepted me. They offered a good amount of scholarship or financial aid so that was also part of the reasons why I came here and it also had a really good liberal arts vibe,” she says.

Brown says you do not have to chose your major, you don’t have any core requirements, you could do whatever classes you wanted to do and then from there choose what you wanted to do for your life.”

Chemistry and Africana Studies are the two subjects Carrie Ann is majoring in at the university. She says Brown is a place where the people and the faculty make you feel welcome and glad that you are going there. “Right now, in the Chemistry department if I need help applying to graduate school, I’ve been able to talk to numerous professors and just say like ‘hi my name is Carrie Ann. I was wondering if you have heard of this school. This program. What do you think I should focus on if I am applying to Chemistry graduate school?’ They have been really supportive,” she says. “The Africana Studies department which is the second department that I deal with are really nice. They are just amazing people in the way that they embrace you and they want to know if you are okay, if you see them on the streets they will say hello. Sometimes they will pull you and say ‘hey, do you want lunch?’ So that is definitely good,” she says.

“The atmosphere at Brown has been really good for the most part. I haven’t had problems finding friends and there are people here who are of Jamaican decent so they are American, but their parents may be from Jamaica and that helps in some sort of a commonality. Also, the year I came to Brown two other Jamaicans came so I wasn’t alone in that and I am actually good friends with one right now,” she says.

“It is a pretty good environment. The deans are supportive and there is an advisory system and if you know how to use it, it can be extremely beneficial to your life.”

This is Carrie-Ann's senior year and she realizes that attending Brown has helped her reach her full potential to doing whatever she wants to do in life. “I think education is more than sitting in a college classroom and learning numbers and I guess chemical formulas in my field of study,” she says. “I think education is about learning about the world around you and how you yourself can contribute to the world. Jamaica doesn’t have the best educational system in the world and I think it is not because they don’t have a good syllabus or a good idea of what they should be teaching people, its just that education isn’t accessible to everyone and because not everyone can get the education that they need to survive or thrive in that society we have poverty and I guess people not being able to reach their full potential.”

Carrie-Ann says regardless what she does she will be going back home to help her country. “When choosing my major I was like I can’t choose something that I couldn’t utilize there because if I plan to live there and I choose a major that I can’t get a decent job or gainful employment then I am wasting my time at Brown,” she says. But what I realize is that getting a degree that you can use off the bat, like being a doctor knowing you can do medicine, but if getting a degree that you love and that I can use to like create a life of my own so that I can create the job that I want there and I believe that if I am able to find exactly what I want to do in my life and I know I want to do it there, then I will be willing to work to utilize whatever resources I have to be able to build whatever I want to build there,” she says. “

I think my education whatever it is can be used like I don’t necessary think the choice of like what my major is, but more of me being happy with what I have learned at Brown and utilizing it in anyway I see fit at home and that will be beneficial to my country.”

Evidence for School Uniform Policies in US Seen as Weak

Supporters believe dressing the same creates a better learning environment and safer schools. But studies find mixed results. Second of two reports.

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In 1999, 12% of public elementary schools in the United States required students to wear uniforms. Just three years later, estimates were almost double that.

Some middle and high schools have also joined the movement. Yet studies find mixed results from requiring uniforms. And some schools have turned away from such policies.

Supporters believe dressing the same creates a better learning environment and safer schools. The school district in Long Beach, California, was the first in the country to require uniforms in all elementary and middle schools.

That was in 1994. The example helped build national interest in uniforms as a way to deal with school violence and improve learning.

Findings in Long Beach suggested that the policy resulted in fewer behavior problems and better attendance. But researcher Viktoria Stamison has looked at those findings. She says they were based only on opinions about the effects of uniforms.

She says other steps taken at the same time to improve schools in Long Beach and statewide could have influenced the findings. The district increased punishments for misbehavior. And California passed a law to reduce class sizes.

Her report is among several in a book published last year called "Uniforms in Public Schools: A Decade of Research and Debate."

In Florida, for example, researcher Sharon Pate found that uniforms seemed to improve behavior and reduce violence. In Texas, Eloise Hughes found fewer discipline problems among students required to wear uniforms, but no effect on attendance.

Sociologist David Brunsma has studied school uniform policies since 1998. He collected the reports in the book. In his own study, he found that reading and mathematics performance dropped after a school in rural Pennsylvania required uniforms.

Political and community pressures may persuade schools to go to uniforms to improve learning. But David Brunsma and others believe there is not enough evidence of a direct relationship. In fact, he says requiring uniforms may even increase discipline problems.

But researchers also say studies of uniform policies are often scientifically limited. They say more work is needed to get better information.