A good example of pioneering TV programming for children’s brain development is the popular PBS show "Sesame Street," particularly its role in stimulating language development. In fact, the "Sesame Street" producers smartly surmised that effective children’s TV programing that focused on the areas of the brain responsible for language development [...]
Watching this year’s NFL football playoffs and/or Super Bowl requires extensive viewing hours of TV commercials, which are often laced with themes representing beer, cars and/or trucks -- Americana at its best. One underlying theme presides during the commercials that interrupt the entertainment of huge men bashing each other, and [...]
A recent article in the Press Democrat titled “Drug Firms Spend Big to Sell Public on ADHD” highlighted the proliferation of medication for ADHD children. The article illustrated how drug companies’ profit margins are directly connected to the overmedication of ADHD children. The overmedication begs us to question why so [...]
It was probably my fifth grade teacher who taught us how certain industries use deception to attract children to buy their products. For example, why has the tobacco industry never had a problem with candy cigarette companies replicating their cigarette packs or why has the gun industry allows close replicas [...]
Some of the most difficult children to teach are those who have a fear of failure. Unfortunately, for may teachers such children often display deep scars of failure that can challenge even the most experienced and successful teacher. In my opinion, those teachers who possess the ability to change an [...]
Today’s complicated car engines often seem analogous to the working of a student’s learning brain. Both mechanics and teachers do not get the credit they deserve. Compare yesterday’s cars and students with today’s cars and students and you begin to see how complicated both professions have become. Years ago, teaching [...]
Being in the zone is every athlete's dream.
The ongoing saga regarding professional athletes and PEDs, performance enhancing drugs, minimizes the real problem concerning the consequences for players and drug suppliers. For years those in power have looked in the other direction when dealing with performance-enhancing drugs. That is, higher athletic performance means money to the athletes as [...]
Today’s children face dangerous environmental hazards that can affect critical developmental milestones, particularly brain development.
The proliferation of cellphone offenses cited by a recent crackdown by police in Petaluma is frightening. Not only is the presence of danger for drivers, walkers, and bikers frightening, but also disturbing is the fact that all segments of our society seem to be committing this offense. In other words, [...]
