Life Is The Future

Here we are with another Fun Friday! Check out our Weekly Trivia question and Wacky Facts. This week: What's a scab? + Weird & Wonderful People. BACKGROUND Sadly, the COVID-19 quarantine has put a hold on the student-led podcasts for Season 2. However, to supplement the remote teaching and e-learning that is occurring, I will put together a sample of some of the "Fun Friday" activities that us...

Another Fun Friday! Here's our Weekly Trivia question and Wacky Facts. This week: Why do we burp? + The Animal Kingdom. BACKGROUND Sadly, the COVID-19 quarantine has put a hold on the student-led podcasts for Season 2. However, to supplement the remote teaching and e-learning that is occurring, I will put together a sample of some of the "Fun Friday" activities that usually occur within our Health...

Sadly, the COVID-19 quarantine has put a hold on the student-led podcasts for Season 2. However, to supplement the remote teaching and e-learning that is occurring, I will put together a sample of some of the "Fun Friday" activities that usually occur within our Health classroom. I was going to just record these for students in my virtual classrooms, but figured I'd use this platform to share with...

Mental health: our cognitive, emotional, and behavioral well-being-- in other words, the relationship between how we think, feel, and behave. This week our hosts Lauren and Rhys have a conversation with classmates Sreenija, Vanshika, and Audi about mental health. Their discussion focuses on the perception of mental illness, having open dialogue about mental health, if schools and Health Classes he...

The Internet. Is it possible to be safe and private while still having fun with social media? This week's 8th grade hosts, Salil and Shauna, are joined by Sara, Danielle, and Brady. The group starts off by discussing if businesses should check social media prior to hiring employees. They continue the conversation to include Internet privacy, and the lack of, as well as young people lying to get on...

Dress Codes: a set of rules with regards to clothing, often created out of social perceptions and norms, with a required manner of dress at a school, office, restaurant, etc. This week our hosts Lauren and Rhys have a conversation with classmates Sydney and Manasvi about dress codes in school and the impact of clothing styles on teens. The group considers whether school uniforms would be bene...

Drug testing: Is it legal? Invasive? A viable way to help or intervene? This week's 8th grade hosts, Salil and Shauna, are joined by Luke and Antwoyne. The group discusses teen influences, focusing mostly on drug use, and debating the possibility of drug testing in schools. First, could that ever be a thing, and next, is that the right type of help for students? Is that the intervention young peop...

Back at it with another discussion on teenage stereotypes! Stereotype: a generalization based on a group in which a person belongs. (Ex: race, age, gender, income, neighborhood, etc.) This week our hosts Lauren and Rhys have their first conversation about stereotypes in school and society. They talk with classmates Nathan and Ethan about unfair perceptions of people based on example stereotypes, a...

Socialization: the process of mixing and getting along with others; learning to behave in a way that is acceptable to society. This week's 8th grade hosts, Salil and Shauna, are back in action for 2020! They are joined by Siddarth, Megan, and Makenzi. The group discusses relationships and social interactions, with some tangents into school projects, Health Class activities, honors classes, an...

Expectation: a belief that someone will or should achieve something. Back for the new year... it's 2020! This week our hosts Lauren and Rhys have a conversation with Lara and Melody about the pressure of the future teens feel at each present moment. The four 8th graders discuss high school classes, stress management, today's generation vs. their parents, and managing future expectations. R...

Motivation: the desire and action towards a life goal. This week's 8th grade hosts, Salil and Shauna, are joined once again by Makenzi and Sathvik. The group discusses life motivation and more, focusing on wrapping up first semester of the school year, hopes for heading into winter break, and even potential topics that would be fun for students to discuss for future podcasts. RESOURCES: What is Mo...

Student voice: the values, opinions, and other perspectives of students in a school, which can lead to the development of student choices, interests, passions, and ambitions. This week our hosts Lauren and Rhys have a conversation with Josh and Karshin about their new school project we have launched: "A Middle School Minute." The four 8th graders discuss student voice in education, focus...

Homework... the dread, the procrastination, the necessary evil? This week's 8th grade hosts, Salil and Shauna, take on the topic of homework and discuss the merits and downfalls of work outside of the school day. They interview classmates Drew and Ryan and all four talk through whether homework is worthwhile and what makes class projects fun and engaging. RESOURCES Homework or No Homework? Wrong Q...

What is the influence of drugs on teenage life? How do middle school students perceive vaping, alcohol, and marijuana use? This week our hosts Lauren and Rhys have another conversation about drug use, focusing on media influence on teenagers, legalization, and other perceptions surrounding the topic. This week's guests, Aarushi and Nick, help process things with their own thoughts, and the four 8t...

Popularity... What a loaded word. This week's 8th grade hosts, Salil and Shauna, discuss the concepts of popularity and social health in middle school life. They interview classmates Dhruv and Nina and all four talk through the positive and negative impact of popularity, how it matters in school and later in life, and recommendations for younger students looking ahead to middle and high school. RE...

What are the current trends with teens and drugs? How do middle school students perceive vaping, alcohol, and marijuana use? This week our hosts Lauren and Rhys have a conversation with their guests, Dani and Inara. All four 8th graders examine drug use, focusing on perceptions surrounding the topic, influences on teenagers, and coping with related pressures. RESOURCES Youth Risk Behavior Survey C...

Stereotypes: generalizations based on a group in which a person belongs. (Ex: race, age, gender, income, neighborhood, etc.) This week's 8th grade hosts, Salil and Shauna, take on the topic of stereotypes in middle school and in life. They discuss topics like gender, race, and age with classmates Danielle and Sathvik. All four talk through unfair perceptions of people, the influence of generalizat...

Almost 90% of American teens now have their own smartphones, and some 70% use social media multiple times per day. This week we hear thoughts about phones and social media from five 8th graders, including our hosts Lauren and Rhys. The group discusses both the positive and negative aspects of phone use, the messages teens get from social media, and how to handle screen stress to maintain a healthy...

School is more than just an academic experience. This week's 8th grade hosts, Salil and Shauna, discuss extra-curricular activities in middle school with classmates Makenzi and Nico. All four work through some nerves and awkward pauses to practice communication skills and healthy dialogue surrounding the place that sports and other after-school commitments have in teenage life. RESOURCES: The Impa...

Stress: The body's response to change. Distress is a negative pressure or threat; the "bad" stress. Eustress is beneficial challenge; the "good" stress. We continue our student-led podcasts this school year with our first offering from our second set of hosts, Lauren and Rhys. Like last week with our other two leaders for this season, Lauren and Rhys find their footing during live recordings and w...

Procrastination: The art of keeping up with yesterday. We get started in our student-led podcasts this school year with our first set of hosts, Salil and Shauna. These two work to navigate the interview and discussion process with Sienna and Emerson, and the students talk about starting 8th grade and the role that procrastination plays in their lives. RESOURCES: Students: Teens Who Procrastinate f...

Back in action and getting started with our new hosts! We meet our Season 2 podcast hosts, Salil and Shauna, Lauren and Rhys! These 8th grade students will take the lead in weekly interviews with classmates. By recording in this format, the students will put Health Ed life skills into practice-- communication, decision making, and advocacy will help them create discussions and debates on the multi...

Who are you, and who do you want to be? Here’s the final installment of the Summer Shorts podcast blogs. All summer I’ve asked my adult guests on the podcast for 3 tips to leave for listeners as recommendations for a better, more successful life. So, here are a few of mine. As we start the new school year and finally say goodbye to summer 2019, here are three quick recommendations I have towards s...

AUDIO STORYTELLING.   In the final installment of the 2019 Expert Insight summer series, Scott interviews Maverick Aquino, co-founder and chief creative officer of Hueman Media Group and the Sincerely Hueman podcast. Maverick and his partner Camille work to provide stories from diverse lives of change makers and compassionate humans. Their award-winning podcast focuses on real people, from ce...

CANCER DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE. 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Everyone deserves the right to education and the access to detection. In our second-to-last installment of the 2019 Expert Insight summer series, Scott interviews Zionna Hanson, founder of Barbells For Boobs , a cancer awareness and cancer detection organization. Zionna and Barbells For Boobs work to...