One School One Book

We all GET that the world has changed. We all GET that we need to be aware of other nations and cultures. But how do we start the process of really CARING about what is happening beyond the walls of CCHS? What does it really mean to enact CHANGE? What does CHANGE look like? What does ACTION look like? Show up and be part of the discussion. Show up, and care about Ishmael and other children involved in conflict situations around the world. Show up, even if you haven't read the book. Pay attention. Lend your voice. Be the change.
Join Us

Thursday, Nov. 6th
6:30pm - CCHS Library
Shared Interest
Social Action Through Micro-lending

The Video Republic

Camera phones and YouTube have changed the terrain. Students are visual learners, they create visual content with ease and skill. Statistics show we live in a visual world, with most adults getting their news in digital formats. This video (three and a half minutes) speaks to this point very well. Britain is far ahead of the U.S. in the integration of different forms of media into the educational system. We need to do do the same.

Teen Read Week - Bite Me

Teen Read Week
Getting teenagers to read isn't really hard. They read constantly, and they read for pleasure. They read each other's work, and they comment on what their friends have to say. They engage in the world, and many are collaborating globally (YouTube) on a regular basis. They care about their world. The thing is, they don't necessarily do it in school with the same enthusiasm with which they do it for themselves on their own time. Everyday, teens are engaged in creating, customizing, and developing with their own personalized digital environment (Facebook is clearly the elephant in the room here). They are eager to share, which is why they engage in social networks (Digg, del.icio.us). Our job is to reach them in ways that are relevant to what they value. 21st century skills are being talked about more and more, and this is what students are already engaged in - but not always in school. They are already creating, collaborating, and sharing their efforts with a global audience.
The theme for Teen Read Week this year is "Books with Bite". A great theme, given the incredible popularity of the Twilight Series and other popular vampire fiction. Here at CCHS we invested in lots of graphic novels, manga, and high interest fiction. Books are flying off our shelves, and our circulation statistics are higher than ever. So, to people who moan about teens not reading, I say "bite me", because I see them reading more than ever.