Well, not exactly. But the man behind Elmo, Kevin Clash, has an upcoming book, My Life as a Furry Red Monster, in which he describes his life as the animating spirit behind one of Sesame Street’s most beloved characters. Clash, who is six feet tall and African American, is physically a far cry from his […]
Many of us are busy this week buying new lunchboxes, pencils, sneakers, and knapsacks for our school-bound broods. Equally helpful may be some of these school-related resources for LGBT parents. (You can also find most of these links, along with other good stuff, in my resource directory): [Update: Please see the 2016 list for the
I was going to write a short post about the definition of “planet” recently proposed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). I thought some moms would find it useful when helping their children with science homework. Geoffrey Pullam’s post at Language Log on “Gay Marriage and Counting the Planets” made me realize I was thinking
A new college reference book, The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students, is the first to rate schools based solely on the opinions of LGBT students and faculty. The Guide looks at “schools’ policies, social organizations, support and healthcare resources, LGBT studies curricula, housing options, campus safety and general atmosphere for ‘out’ students and faculty.”
Should parents be able to prevent their children from buying certain items in the school cafeteria? Newsweek reports on a new cafeteria checkout system that monitors what each child eats so that parents can view the information online. This could provide the opportunity for discussion about healthy eating choices, although it does seem a bit
In the U. K., the National Union of Teachers (NUT) says teachers should challenge gender stereotyping and intolerant language as early as preschool. Pinknews.co.uk quotes the NUT’s report: Research shows that children as young as five begin to display disapproval of peers’ role-inconsistent behaviours and are self-critical when judging how they would feel if they
Just when I think I can’t get any more exasperated at educational policy after President Bush’s No Child Left Behind program, along comes his brother. Jeb Bush and the Florida legislature are embracing the victor’s privilege of dictating history. Last month, Jeb signed a bill stating that “American history shall be viewed as factual, not
My son, like most preschoolers I know, goes through phases with his book, CD, and video interests. For the past few days, his video of choice has been Sesame Street’s Learning About Letters. I love this video. I was part of the first generation of children to grow up with Sesame Street, and many of
Google has released version 4 of their amazing 3D mapping software, Google Earth. If you haven’t played around with it, I highly recommend giving it a try, especially if you have kids who are learning geography. “Fly” around the earth and see both satellite views and road maps. Overlay landmarks and geographic features. See 3D
More states around the country are boosting funding for preschool programs, Stateline.org reports. California and Illinois are even considering universal preschool, following the footsteps of Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma. At first glance, this seems like a good thing. Others, including California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, say the money would be better targeted at “high-risk” preschoolers or
