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I believe it is up to the parents and the teachers to assure that every child is a success in their education.

It has been said that children today live in a world where they have instant gratification. What's wrong with that? I grew up stressing about what grades I rec'd on tests and papers. I would have been considerably more at ease knowing my grades on reports, etc. This, of course, was at the high school level.

But even at the elementary and middle school levels, what's wrong with giving kids instant gratification? I believe it is up to the teachers to come up with activities that give their students this. Activities can be as simple as tossing a beach ball around - from teacher to student and back again... teacher asks a question, the correct answer gets the beach ball. Then passes it back. All kids get a turn, they get hands on lessons with instantly knowing they were right and getting rewarded for their participation. As an instant reward, the teacher can use a point system and the students can earn points - again instant gratification. They can save their points to apply to a test on which they did poorly or to skip a non-essential quiz altogether, even to make up for class work they missed due to an absence.

Just because video games are for fun doesn't mean that we cannot create things to reach the students where they are. Why can't there be grammar video games? Why can't science be made into video games where you have to learn facts and go on e-digs for archeology? Why can't someone create games where you use a video game to dissect a cat, a frog, an earthworm, etc? They have created all other forms of video games.

If kids are used to instant gratification, we need to reach them where they are and move towards them, not force them into a mold and stifle their individuality.

~~~~~~Sierra St. James
You can read more of my writing at either of the links below.

http://sierra-stjames.blogspot.com/

http://www.amishlesbians.com/