Thursday, July 16, 2009

School to Career Summer Session: The Teenage Brain


If you have headphones: Click here to view the Frontline special "Inside the Teenage Brain". You will view the first 3 chapters today and the last 3 tomorrow. After viewing the full program, respond to the following short (3-5 paragraph) essay prompt. Integrate at least 3 quotes from the film.


How might teachers adapt their techniques to further relate to, or accommodate, the unique nature of the teenage brain?


Post your response here.



If you do not have headphones: Read Bill Gates' 11 Rules below, which I found on Mr. Dewar's blog. Write a paragraph response for each rule. Consider: is the rule reasonable? helpful? do you agree? disagree? explain.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will
expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school.
You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your
Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine
about your mistakes, learn from them..
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they
are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your
clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were.
So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's
generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but
life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and
they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer.
This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off
and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do
that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually
have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I completley agree with Rule Number 11! (as being a fellow nerd myself..) I think everyone should be nice to everyone, no matter how you are or what you look like. Even if you have big glasses and scruffy hair :D

Every kid should follow rule number six. Just because you do something wrong, don’t go run to mommy and daddy. Fix it yourself, of your going to be relying on them for the rest of your life, (loser.)

-Sophie

Anonymous said...

Rule 1I agree and disagree -- life is not fair because vou can not always get what you want. Even if you want something and work as hard as you can it does not mean it will happen. i disagree because if you work for something you want then acheive that goal life is fair.
- Bobby Hersey

Anonymous said...

The 2nd rule I think is the greatest rule I have heard in my life time.




chris

Anonymous said...

Rule 2 I agree because it does not matter how you feel because no one cares.

Anonymous said...

Rule 3 I disagree because if you are great at sports then you have a chance to be a proffesional and get drafted out of high school then you can make hundreds of thousands right out of high school.

Anonymous said...

Rule 4 i agree because your boss can fire you if you do a bad job but in school if you do a bad job then can just give you a bad grade.

Anonymous said...

rule 5 i agree because flipping burgers makes it more wanted for you to get a better job and earn more money because you should have a job you wanna have.

Anonymous said...

Nick Jenkins


Rule 1.
I would agree with the frist rule, life is not fair. If you don’t put time into anything you do you wont get any where in life. If life was fair people wouldn’t have to do anything and become rich.

Rule 3.
I would agree with the rule because you need to go to collage after high school so you can become better at what you wanna do to make a lot money and have a nice car. If you don’t go to collage you would miss out on a lot good thing and opportunitys.

Rule 4.
I don’t agree with this rule because not all bossies are mean. Some jobs the boss maybe will be mean. It would help you to better at your job if the boss was mean.

Rule 6.
I would agree, when you make a mistake it your fault so you should try to fix it and learn from them. If blame someone eles for your mistake it could lead to prombles at work or school.

Anonymous said...

I beleive the first one was a little un true because life can be you have to make it fair some people might think diffrently that is what i beleive.

Anonymous said...

rule 6 I agree because if you mess up it is because of the decision that you made not the decision your parents made.

- Bobby Hersey

Anonymous said...

Rule 7 i agree because your parents changed their ways to make a better life for you.

Anonymous said...

Rule 8 I agree because most of the time you only have one chance to get it right if notthan you might not have the same lifestyle.

Anonymous said...

I think that the 2 won is wrong because you are your owen person and you shouled take respontsability for your acchens and learn from ure misstakes

Anonymous said...

Rule 9 I disagree because there is still people that want to help you and would do anything to help you find yourself.

Shantelle said...

Bill Gates' 11 Rules
Objective - Consider: is the rule reasonable? Helpful? Do you agree? Disagree? Explain.
Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
I agree, life is not fair and people these days don’t think it’s fair. People need to get over the fact that in life you don’t get everything you want. Some people are lucky in a sense where their parents have or make large amounts of money a year! People say “you’re spoiled” but we are not. Don’t try to make yourself fell better, by telling people things that are not true. We are not spoiled we are lucky…so get over it!
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will
expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
That’s helpful, in a way. When you feel good about yourself, it makes life a whole lot easier. Once you accomplish something great, like buying your own car without help from anyone, your self-esteem goes shooting up!
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school.
You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Reasonable…
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
I agree, school is like work. No matter who you are, you will always have a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your
Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Reasonable…
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine
about your mistakes, learn from them...
I agree, your parent don’t have anything to do with your mistakes. You made them yourself. You have a brain that WORKS!!!! Use it.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they
are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your
clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were.
So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's
generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
I agree!!
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but
life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and
they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer.
This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
I agree, you only have one chance, and you shouldn’t try, you should do your best to “Do the right thing, the right way, the first time” – My father. And that is what he has told me and my family ever since we kids were adopted.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off
and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do
that on your own time.
I agree, we are not going to have a teacher by our side for the rest of our lives. Life after high school, gets tough. Finding yourself will help you.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually
have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Reasonable…
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
I agree, if you were a jerk to some poor kid that was a nerd, he will remember all the times you goofed on them when you want a job!!! And you won’t get it

Danielle C. said...

The first rule is rather helpful because it is true. Life is not always fair and there is really nothing we can do about that fact. I do rather agree with Gates on this matter. From personal experience, life is not always fair. You must learn this fact and get on with your life. Due to the act that this statement is true, it is a rather reasonable thing to use as a life rule.
The second rule is true, but negotiable. You must accomplish something if you want people’s respect, but having accomplished something is not the only reason that you should feel good about yourself. This statement alone can make people have a low self-esteem. Therefore, this statement is in no way helpful, nor do I agree with it.
The third rule is pretty reasonable. Chances are that you won’t be making that much money in a year straight out of high school. Though, this saying is not motivational by any means necessary. Rather, it is quite the downer. Though, yeah. You do have to earn your way to the top. So, I do agree with this.
The fourth is kind of a DUH statement. You won’t like everyone in life, but if they are over you in the work or school place, you have to show them respect. Even if they don’t necessarily deserve it. So, in latent terms, I do highly agree with this statement, it is a good rule to follow and always have in your mind while dealing with a tough teacher.
I’m not really liking this fifth statement on this list. Sure, life was different back then, but it is not like that anymore. Burger flipping is no longer an opportunity. In fact, now a days, it is considered a dead-end job. In NO way is this helpful at all. Subsequently, I do NOT agree at all.
FINALLY someone puts this as a rule. Number six. It’s more true than people like to believe. If you mess up, it’s your own fault. You can not blame things that you screw up on anyone other than yourself, so don’t even try. This statement is true in every sense of the word, therefore, very helpful. I agree with it by far.
This statement is kind of dumb. Rule number seven. Not only does it imply that all parents are boring, it implies that we should focus on miniscule things other than the big things to help save the planet. I agree with this ZERO percent. It is not helpful at all. Or true.
Rule eight. First off, where are the idiots whose ideas it were to abolish failing grades in schools? This is a horrible idea. It is totally possible to fail at life. You could get stuck in a Dead-end job. With no money, no nothing. So this is not true or helpful at all. There is no point in even putting this on the list of rules in the first place.
HA! This is SOOO true. Number nine. Like an uber epic rule. If you haven’t found yourself by the time you make it into the real world, in my opinion, you are hopeless. Yeah, it’s helpful. It’s motivation to find yourself before you go out into the real world because no one is going to help you do it later.
This rule ten is even better than nine! Life is not like that. ESPECIALLY those reality shows. Please explain to me where the “real” part kicks in. PLEASE! This is so beyond true. Life isn’t television. Get up off your butt and do something!
Finally, rule eleven. So true. The nerds are those which rule the world. So be nice to them now. Or you’ll really be kissing ass later. It’s better be nice now than have to make up for it later. Because if you’re working for them later, they can make your life hell. Remember. They’ll be the ones writing your paychecks!

Anonymous said...

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Many people say this….even the parents. I do not like this saying. I know that you cant have everything that you want in life and that life is not prefect however trying to improve it wont hurt!

Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will
expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
People who accomplish great things in life tend to have self-esteem! Feeling good about yourself helps you to do great things!

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school.
You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Right out of high school most people eather go right to collage or off to a decent paying job. Ssooo….no du you wont make $60,000 a year right out of school!

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Do not try and tell me thay ALL bosses are a butt head. Yes there will be people in life that you will not like however there are other people. At one point there will be a boss you won’t get along with and you will have eather deal with it or be a loser and quit. .

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your
Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
TRUE!!!!!!

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine
about your mistakes, learn from them.
Ok…….SoMe of the things that I messup on are my parrents fault. Other than that I agree.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they
are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your
clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were.
So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's
generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Atleast your parents don’t make you pay them back for all the money they spent to raise you.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but
life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and
they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer.
This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
A passing
F failing
D you just made it

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off
and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do
that on your own time.
True

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually
have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
But…but… why???????

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
My friend sam is a nerd and I would mabe worlk for her. As for all the other people don’t piss me off and we’ll be friends.
christine

Anonymous said...

Rule #1: In many cases, life is not fair. In life, people may receive less money in jobs than another person may receive for the same exact job. Also, if we don’t get used to an unfair life, we will most likely always be stressed with it, unless we can learn to accept it.
Rule #2: In life, you often need to make an accomplishment before you (and the world) can judge it. Once you have completed an achievement, you can then feel good about it, and the world around you may then recognize your accomplishment. Until then, it will remain a mystery.
Rule #3: After one graduates from high school, the person will most likely earn low-paying jobs, because they most likely have little experience in the field they are in, making the chances of someone making $60K a year extremely low. You will need to work hard at your career to earn the big money and live the good life.
Rule #4: Many people may agree that they have had teachers that are quite tough. However, they likely have a rude awakening awaiting them: their future bosses. Their bosses will likely be more forceful and less sympathetic. If you slack off, your teacher might say, “get your act together.” On the other hand, your boss might say, “you’re fired.”
Rule #5: Today, flipping burgers in many situations is considered to be part of a low-paying job. However, our grandparents believed the art of burger flipping was an opportunity, since they were the first people to see this happen. Things that youngsters may see as being opportunistic may be deemed as being novice to their grandparents by their grandsons, perhaps 50-60 years from now.
Rule #6: When we screw things up, we shouldn’t blame our parents on our faults. Unless they were partially responsible for the error, we need to assume full responsibility and learn from our mistakes. If they were partially responsible, they should also learn from their mistake(s).
Rule #7: After the efforts our parents have made, they may have become stressed out, and perhaps even consequently, boring.
DNF

By Mike G.

Anonymous said...

Rule number one: "life is not fair; Get use to it. I agree with that rule, because its the truth. I think us people should know the truth about life. And it is true that we jus have to get use to it. =) *mikhala andrade

Anonymous said...

I think that the teachers should try to adapt the techniques being taught so it is relevent to both everyday life and to the student's future careers.I also think that the teachers just shouldn't expect students to understand the overall lessons being taught right away. And if students do something wrong for example tell the students what it is that is being doing wrong so the same mistakes don't happen more than once. Or even if the students are doing it right explain why it is right and tell the students how they can improve that skill even more.

I do agree with rule #11 because I am a nerd and I also work with both really technical and non-technical nerdy people. For example I work with accountants in Business and Marketing and people in the IT Department everyday.

I also agree with rule number four and rule number eight. I agree will rule number eight because you are in school to learn and it is also a place to fix your mistakes and there are some cases in school where you can "re-do" your mistakes. In my school no such thing exists. Last year they tried it and it didn't work out because kids were taking advantage of that capability.Now they don't do it as much as they did last year but they do it once in a while when the time comes.You can try and ask them but it's all:"don't ask don't tell".

Instead we use "Contract for Success". "Contract for success" is very similar to credit recovery only you,the teacher of the course you have failed, your parent/guardain, and your guidance counselor sign a specific agreement saying you will have all listed assignments completed by an x date.And the teacher of that course has to initial and write notes of the progress you have or have not made on a specific assignment on the list during that time frame. I know this from personal experience. Because believe or not I failed a certain class while in my shop last year during term 1 but it was all good during term 2.
-Lauren Wefers