1. The Anti-Achievement Dilemma

Many students avoid academic excellence because they fear their peers will label them "nerds" (or worse). Click here to read a piece from The Cincinnati Enquirer, Thursday, May 28, 1998

What are some of the cultural inhibitors and catalysts for student achievement? What influence does a student's home life have on their desire and ability to excel? What "lessons" can you take from this article and apply to your own teaching? How might this discussion affect the way you handle a class of students with diverse cultural backgrounds?

2. Preventing School Violence

Each year scores of students and teachers are killed by gunfire, hundreds are wounded, and hundreds more are held hostage. Meanwhile, more than three million other less-publicized crimes are committed on school grounds each year. To see what one group is trying to do about school violence, visit the Center for the Prevention of School Violence Web site.

First, summarize this organization's initiatives aimed at preventing school violence. Then discuss their Safe Schools Pyramid and how it relates to your textbook's description of "safe and orderly schools".

Finally, what do you think are the most important actions educators, administrators, students, and community leaders can take to prevent school violence? Are you familiar with any anti-violence measures that you feel "go too far" in trying to promote school safety (e.g., metal detectors, locker searches, armed guards)?

3. Monitoring Student Progress

The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, or FairTest, is an organization committed to eliminating the abuses, biases and misuses in standardized testing. Click here to visit the FairTest Web site.

Do you agree with FairTest's position, or are you more supportive of the usefulness of standardized tests? You may want to visit the Educational Testing Service Web site to get a view from the "test makers" who are a bit more supportive of standardized tests. What testing reforms, if any, would you advocate?

4. Gender Equity: The Work of Myra Sadker

Click here to visit the Myra Sadker Advocates Web site. You will learn about your textbook's co-author, the late Myra Pollack Sadker, and her extensive work in the field of gender equity.

Based on this Web site's content, define gender equity. Then choose three concepts from the list of Key Terms for Chapter 5 and discuss how they relate to gender equity and Myra Sadker's mission.

Finally, take special note of the announcement for Myra Sadker Day, a day to break gender barriers, celebrated every March 5th. The site lists more than 100 ways to break gender barriers, many of which can be done by preservice educators. How many more ways can you come up with?