https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf Eight Articles Regarding Health Related Topics en-us 2021-01-16 14:13:50 UTC 2021-01-16 18:03:17 UTC hello@padlet.com jakebooth223 https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1093942396 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/07/us/video-games-child-sex-abuse.html?mtrref=www.google.com&assetType=REGIWALL

This article on online safety by the New York Times illustrates how dangerous it can be for some children to play online games. Many games in today's society are massively multiplayer online which serves as an outlet for people to say or do almost anything they want with little to no consequence or moderation. The article talks specifically about one mother's horrific journey learning that her son was involved with people posting vulgar language and sexual acts on a popular communication program called Discord. These servers are usually private and need to have an invitation to be allowed on them. Because of this, Discord has little responsibility to monitor or change anything that those private servers happen to have posted on them. The article also talks about the dangers of playing with strangers and never knowing who you might be giving certain information out to. In the classroom, I think it is important to talk about the dangers online communities might pose to students. Bringing up how some sites are blocked by the district because they can be dangerous platforms where it's like talking to strangers on the street might be helpful for some students to correlate. I have constantly heard students in classrooms I've worked in talk about playing mature rated video games and often ask them to leave those comments outside of the school environment.]]> 2021-01-16 14:40:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1093942396 jakebooth223 https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1093961230 https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/01/04/to-battle-food-inequity-a-nonprofit-helps-neighbors-eat-healthy

This article on access to healthy foods by the American Heart Association talks about one mother's choice to start eating healthier led her to creating her own business to help her community. The article talks about Bria Hutson, a mother that decided to make a difference in her community. She states that it is almost a barren wasteland when trying to find healthy foods in southern Oakland. She partnered with a non-profit organization called Mandela Partners, who helped train and teach her to run a food business. Mandela Partners helps work with food entrepreneurs to provide access to healthy food in low-income communities. The problem that healthy food presents is that it is often more costly to make than fast food chains that strive to make their food as cheaply as possible. This almost ensures that low-income communities are at higher health risks than more affluent ones where these "healthy" businesses tend to own and operate. In the classroom it is not only important to teach students about the importance of a balanced diet and good nutrition, but also helping students make decent choices when making food choices. In the school I worked in previously, we had a school policy that during birthdays or parties no cupcakes or candy was allowed, but parents were allowed to break healthy snacks, i.e. apple slices for the class if they would like.]]> 2021-01-16 14:54:49 UTC https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1093961230 jakebooth223 https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1093982876 https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/inclusion_pepa.htm

This article about inclusiveness in schools by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention highlights the importance of including the access to physical activities for all students regardless of ability level or handicap. The article begins by defining inclusion and stating that this means making sure all students have access to all equipment and environments regardless of their disability. It then goes on to describe what the federal regulations and policies are for allowing these students access. It gives facts about the Americans with Disabilities acts, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The article then gives resources where schools can gain more information about policies for inclusion. The reason this is important is so that teachers can understand what rights these students have and can advocate for them to have the same learning environment and opportunities as those without disabilities. In my classroom I plan to make sure I advocate for all my students regardless of disability to be able to promote physical activity.]]> 2021-01-16 15:11:33 UTC https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1093982876 jakebooth223 https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1094016091 https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/sports-injuries/10-tips-for-preventing-sports-injuries-in-kids-and-teens

This article about preventing sports injuries for kids by Johns Hopkins Medicine gives advice about preventative measures you can take to reduce the number of sports injuries that you see in children. Each tip is a wise and easy thing each teacher or coach could do to help prevent such injuries. It begins by stating to talk to your students, and make sure that they know to come talk to you if something doesn't feel right. This may sound pretty basic but most students will continue playing even if they are already injured only making the injury worse. It then goes on to talk about how students should be introduced to a variety of sports to reduce the amount of wear and tear on the same muscles. The article then goes on to state the importance of stretching and warming up before playing a sport, and the importance of rest after playing the sport. The article then goes on to talk about the importance of having a healthy balanced diet, as suggested in the healthy eating annotation. The next part that it describes is the importance of hydration, and how many kids forget that their bodies need water to function properly. All of these things are very easy to introduce in a classroom environment. Asking students to let you know when they feel hurt, giving them time to rest after a long period of play, stressing hydration, and suggesting stretching before play are all easy things to implement in a classroom. Working in a school, I used to lead certain outdoor activities like touch football, kickball, soccer etcetera. I also made sure when coaching to take two mandatory water breaks per practice session. These things may seem like common sense ideas, but they are very easy for teachers to make sure are implemented throughout the day and during recess periods.]]> 2021-01-16 15:37:07 UTC https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1094016091 jakebooth223 https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1094033036 https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/sun-safety.html

This article about sun safety and its importance by Kids Health is great in identifying the needs of protection from the sun as a resource for parents. My wife is a dermatologist and can never express the importance to me or my child enough the importance of being safe in the sun. The article first talks about how the sun can provide several good things such as vitamin D and calcium to promote good health, but too much exposure can lead to skin damage, eye damage, immune system suppression and skin cancer. The article then describes how people of all skin color need protection from the sun, not just fair skinned people which usually gets generalized as people who need it. The article then goes into to helpful ways to prevent damage from the sun beginning with sun screen. It then states that covering up, checking medications, wearing sunglasses, and avoiding the hottest part of days are also good ways of preventing sun damage. The article then explores what to do if a child does get burnt. While teachers and school nurses generally aren't allowed to apply these products anyway, it says that aloe vera gel and ibuprofen should be used to mitigate the burning, itching sensation of getting a burn. While teachers can not necessarily use all the information in this article in the classroom, some things may be considered. For example, if you are on a field trip, suggest that your children wear their favorite hat for the day to cover their face. A teacher also may find a spot in the shade to eat their bagged lunch instead of in the direct heat and rays of the sun.]]> 2021-01-16 15:50:01 UTC https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1094033036 jakebooth223 https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1094047630 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/nyregion/guns-shootings-nyc.html

This article on gun safety by the New York Times paints a vivid picture of an ever growing problem with today's society and the violence that we witnessed over this past summer. The article begins by talking about a boy at the age of seven being handed a gun and told "this is how we survive". It's not under debate that these problems are growing ever more prevalent in today's world. The article states that gun violence in the year 2020 in New York was the highest it has been in the past fifteen years. The article then goes on to state that young people carry these weapons because they don't feel protected by authority figures. In a different article refrenced in this one, it was said that ninety percent of the people interviewed knew a family or friend member that had been a victim of gun crime. The article then goes on to state that most of the guns these young people carry do not belong to them, were stolen, or rented out by someone. The problems here is that these guns are not just finding their ways on the streets, but into our school systems as well. I'm not sure how to address this in an elementary school setting but you could talk about the dangers that gun pose and that they should only be used for recreation and not as a means of defense. Also bringing in community leaders such as your local police chief or department of natural resources person who trains people in gun safety might be a fun engaging experience that puts a positive spin on gun safety.]]> 2021-01-16 16:00:57 UTC https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1094047630 jakebooth223 https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1094169490 https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/2012/consumer_booklet/pdfs/consumer.pdf

This article about preventing tobacco use by the Center of Disease and Prevention Control is an accurate pamphlet that describes the dangers that cigarettes pose to young people and how to possibly prevent the use of it by multiple young people. The article defines how this is a preventable epidemic, how smoking and health don't mix well together, why young people decide to smoke, the tobacco industry in general, and what we can do to help. The article begins by stating that nine out of ten smokers start smoking before the age of eighteen. The article also suggests that the tobacco companies don't have a lot of responsibility and regulation for promoting cigarette smoking for people under the age of eighteen. The article also depicts how cigarettes can cause disease and death, and if you ask me is a direct attempt to scare people from doing it. The article suggest that the main way we can prevent young people from smoking is making smoking seem like the exception and not the norm. Again I'm not sure how to implement this in an elementary classroom but the most effective thing that I've seen as an adult are the commercials on MTV and Nickelodeon that many kids and young people watch that depict people that have had lung cancer or have lost their throat box completely due to smoking. When I was younger we used to have a mascot "Smokey the Bear" that not only prevented stopping wildfires but said that cigarettes were a leading cause of them. I'm not sure what else we could do to help the matter but I feel some program like this might be a good start. ]]> 2021-01-16 17:28:41 UTC https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1094169490 jakebooth223 https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1094200355 https://childmind.org/guide/helping-children-cope-grief/

This article about helping children with cope and grief by the Child Mind Institute helps adults understand how children are processing cope and grief and gives helpful insight to what to do in situations that may be traumatizing for children and students that you may encounter. In today's world, with Covid and people experiencing grief at a nationwide scale, it is paramount that we as teachers understand what our students may be going through at any circumstance. The article begins by explaining that all people cope and deal with loss at different levels and that we have to be aware of those differences. It also begins by stating that the person closest to the child should be the person to tell them about the loss of the loved one. I know from personal experience that I've heard through the grapevine that I had lost a loved one, and wondered why people closest to me haven't told me personally. The article proceeds to talk about how encouraging children to express their feelings, maintaining routines, and memorilizing those that died is important things to address when experiencing losses. Whether it be the loss of a pet, or family member students may feel a certain way or grieve in different ways. Explaining why those things happened is also something that this article examines and is important to realize in a parent or teacher role. The article also states that giving children alone time to figure out things for themselves is also a good time for letting them process and grieve on their own. In my classroom, I would never try to bring this up on my own, but under certain circumstances taking a student aside and letting them know that I'm here if they ever want to talk might be a possible solution. I also believe that knowing the situation might allow for more tolerance on the teachers part and understand why a student might be acting a certain way.]]> 2021-01-16 17:49:58 UTC https://padlet.com/jakebooth223/wgqpi8ag0ao8t2tf/wish/1094200355