“Black” in America 2: Teaching Opportunity
CNN – July 23
Dr. George Daniels, UA associate professor of journalism, was interviewed by Soledad O’Brien about a watch party and discussion held at The University of Alabama on Black in America 2.
Middle School-The Critical Link in Dropout Prevention
Heath News Digest – July 29
Concentrating on the tween years is important, said Dr. Joyce Stallworth, senior associate dean in The University of Alabama’s College of Education. “A student’s decision to drop out of high school is often the end result of a long series of negative school experiences that begin long before they get to high school,” said Stallworth. “Interventions in middle school can turn students around and reduce dropout numbers in high school.”…
Teaching Tweens Financial Responsibility
Health News Digest – July 29
Teaching financial responsibility is most effective during that time in a young person’s life when they are most impressionable. That time is during the tween years, explains Jan Brakefield, assistant professor of consumer sciences at The University of Alabama. “They don’t date. They don’t drive. They perhaps earn an allowance and are paid for chores by their parents and grandparents,” says Brakefield. “They are eager to learn about what they can do with their money…the impressionable nature of tweens also allows parents and educators to teach lasting money management skills. “Tweens soak up this information, where as teens have already become subject to instant gratification,” says Brakefield. “The concept of needs versus wants should come early-and they must learn to delay gratification at this time.”… “The economic turmoil has actually had a positive impact,” notes Brakefield. “We’ve seen a tremendous turnaround in the savings rate-from less than 1 percent to about 8 percent. Parents are saving now, which is a good model for their children.”…
Tween Behaviors Can Challenge
Health News Digest – July 28
…What’s happened is your child has entered the “tween” years, and all of this is perfectly normal, said Dr. Liza Wilson, professor of curriculum and instruction in The University of Alabama’s College of Education. “The tween years are a time of huge physical, emotional and cognitive change,” said Wilson. “Tweens are trying to figure out who they are and how they feel about things. “Sometimes a negative attitude is a reaction to stress or disappointment. If your child had a fight with a friend, or is doing poorly in school, a flippant, ‘so-what’ tone may conceal fear or anxiety….Wilson said it is extremely important during these years for parents to keep the lines of communication open at all times. “That’s important because when they are ready to talk, you’re there, and they don’t feel like they have to ‘approach’ you.”
Are certain genders or body types better at the art of persuasion?
Scientific American – July 2009
In the art of persuasion, does a person’s sex or body type make a difference?
-Randy M. Zeitman, Lansdowne, Pa. Social psychologist Rosanna E. Guadagno of the University of Alabama replies: People are more swayed by the opinions and behavior of those who are like them. Specifically, those who are akin in appearance, hobbies or behavior are relatively more persuasive to one another…So, yes, all else being equal, a skinny man would usually believe another skinny man over a heavier man…My research indicates that when a woman is trying to influence another woman she doesn’t know, a face-to-face conversation works better than e-mail because women typically get to know one another quickly in person. On the other hand, a man trying to plead his case with another man he knows but is not similar to is better off using e-mail, where the focus is on the text and not the persuader.