April 12, 2010 - Just when you think it's going to heck in a handbasket

I was at a fantastic PD session posted by my area's teacher-librarian team (find Pivot if you want to use an easy animation tool with loads of possibilities)and so I missed the recent events at my school - turns ot some kids vandalized part of the school and wrote mean things about several of the teachers and students. I did not emerge unscathed from their criticisms (although I've been called much worse) but I wasn't tremendously bothered. Why? Because the other news I missed while I was away involved a group of junior division students who, inspired by the Silver Birch non-fiction book "Courage and Compassion", have formed their own committee to raise money for a specific charity. So, when you feel like banging your head against a wall because students have done something stupid or thoughtless online or in your library, keep hope alive that for every one of those negative actions is someone (sometimes the same kid) trying to initiate a positive action.