Great Food Podcast - And Others

Every morning on my drive to school I plug my smart phone into my car (well, I use one of those plastic tape cassette adapters) and use the Stitcher app to play podcasts. Mostly I'll listen to sports related podcasts but I do listen to some more obscure shows (when my wife isn't in the car). One of my favorite's is the BBC4 Food Programme They discuss food related issue and the recent episode talked about food politics comparing the differences on both sides of the Atlantic.
The good thing about the podcasts are that they are free and can be accessed readily and if you subscribe to them online you can play through your ipod/phone etc.
If you are interested, other shows that I listen to include 5 live Football Daily, Farming Today, ESPN:PTI, ESPN:Around The Horn, Freakonomics Radio and The Naked Scientists.

Do YOU listen to podcasts? Which ones? Do you use any health related Apps? Please share them in the comments box.

Mental Health Brochures

Once again my health classes have produced some fantastic tri-fold brochures on a mental health disorder of their choice. They researched the disorder, found appropriate images, discussed symptoms and strategies, and then provided further sources of information. All this, and they produced QR codes for the first time.
Here I share just 5 of the many examples of student work that will go on display in the classroom.
Click on the image above and you will be taken to a youblisher document where you can scroll (with sound) and zoom in on the text.

Blood Donation

LIFESOURCE, Chicagoland's blood center will be visiting Carmel High School on October 28th for our next blood drive.
Did you know that 60% of the population is eligible to give blood and yet only 5% of the national population actually donates?
If all blood donors gave 2 to 4 times a year, it would help prevent blood shortages.
4.5 million Americans would die each year without life saving blood transfusions.
ONE DONATION CAN SAVE THREE LIVES!

Check this link for frequently asked questions or see Miss Capelle for more details.
Are you eligible to donate? Check this link.

If you have donated blood before, I am very impressed. If you haven't donated before please consider doing so. What a wonderful feeling knowing that you have contributed to saving the life of another person. At the last blood drive we collected 125 UNITS. Can we beat that this time around?

Jordan Burnham - Unbreakable

Teaching the mental health unit can sometimes be tough, but when I am able to share stories like the one here, it makes the lesson so much better. I show some Jordan Burnham footage to my students to demonstrate the effects of depression and to open up the discussion of the topic of suicide.
This ESPN documentary is a great production. Take the time (15 minutes) to watch this and please share your thoughts in the comments section.

Great Smartphone App

I am increasingly impressed with the range of health-related apps that are available for phones and tablets. The best ones among them provide great health information at your finger-tips and among those is the "Everyday Health" app that one of my students shared with me this week in class.
The "Everyday Health" app is a spin off from their website www.everydayhealth.com
The app includes healthy tips, a health A-Z, a Doctor Q&A, and some great food and fitness tips. Scrolling through one of the options I noticed the following information. If I wanted to burn 50 calories I could do any of the following:
Take a walk for 15 minutes, vacuum for 10 minutes or jump rope for 5 minutes.

The app is free and definitely useful. If you use any other apps that make you healthy then please recommend them in the comments section below.

Txtng & Drivng...It Can Wait

On my journey to school for the first day of the new academic year I looked in the rear view mirror and noticed that the car behind me was driven by a student of mine. I was horrified that for the entire journey she was more interested in her cell phone than paying attention to the road.
I recently watched the excellent 10 minute video on the At&T website which ties in to their campaign to encourage drivers NOT to text while driving. Please take the time to watch the video and forward it to your friends and family.


Tips for Teens:
Be smart. Don’t text and drive. No text message is worth being distracted while you drive. Be in control.
Remember it’s your phone. You decide if and when to send and read texts so take control. Consider turning your phone off, setting it to silent or even storing it in the glove box before hitting the road.
Be caring. Never send a text message to a friend who is driving to meet you, or to anyone you know is likely behind the wheel.
Be a BFF. Friends don’t let each other text and drive. Visit www.facebook.com/att to take a pledge not to text and drive, and encourage your friends to do the same.

Internet Safety

It's the start of the new school year and all of our students will be watching this great video on internet safety. I was with a class of freshman girls yesterday, and after having watched the video they were asked if they knew anyone who had shared a similar experience to the one that was portrayed. At least 1/3 of the girls raised their hands.
This is a great video to watch and share with friends and other students.