Students and Technology in the Classroom

    I love my blackberry—it's my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me.I also love my laptop computer,as it holds all of my writing and thoughts.Despite this love of technology,I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices（设备）and truly communicate with others.

    On occasion,I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers.My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas.Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom,I have a rule—no laptop,iPads,phones,etc.When students were told my rule in advance of the class,some of them were not happy.

    Most students assume that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology.There's a bit of truth to that.Some students assume that I am anti-technology.There's no truth in that at all.I love technology and try to keep up with it so I can relate to my students.

The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversions（转变）and truly engage complex ideas.Interruptions by technology often break concentration and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas.I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas.I want them to push each other to think differently and make connections between the course,the material and the class discussion.

    I've been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create.Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge,they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom.

    I'm not saying that I won't ever change my mind about technology use in my history class,but until I hear a really good reason for the change,I'm sticking to my plan.A few hours of technology-free dialogue is just too sweet to give up.

    Yellowstone Vacations Calendar & Events

    Plan Your Day at Yellowstone

    When you visit Yellowstone National Park, just stepping outside presents an entire world of things to do. But if you're looking for something more structured, we offer our own brand of fun and adventure. Check below for upcoming events and start planning your day-to-day stay here at Yellowstone.

    Super Party at Holiday Inn West Yellowstone February 4

    Will you be in West Yellowstone on Sunday, February 4? Well, great news! We have no intention of missing the biggest game of the year, and we will be celebrating in true “big game” fashion at the Holiday Inn West Yellowstone. Join us as we broadcast the big game on our BIG screen in the conference space, and come and cheer for the team of your choice! A range of food and beverage specials will be available, including buckets of beer, Buffalo chicken clip, and of course wings. We hope to see you here on February 4, 2018!

     Kids'N'Snow Weekend March 3-4

    Don't miss a special weekend in West Yellowstone filled with fun activities for kids (and families) both outdoors and inside. Join the fun at the West Yellowstone Ice Rink,(溜冰场). Warm up with hot beverages, toast, some marshmallows, sled on the sledding hill. Bring your own sled for the Kid's Sledding Hill. Or, try out West Yellowstone's ice skating rink. A limited number of ice skates will be available at no charge (come early for the best selection). Relax with music and conversation. It's old-fashioned family fun for everyone of every age. All Yellowstone visitors are welcome!

    For full details and schedule information, please visit the official Kids'N'Snow website.

    Yellowstone Snowmobile Tours

    Call 800-426-7669 today to make a reservation.

    Looking for something a little more hands on? Take one of our Yellowstone Snowmobile Tours and let our local guides take you through the impressive winter wonderland!

    Custom and daily tours available.

    Snowmobile and Tour： $219 which does not include tax of 3%, lunch, clothing, park entrance fees.

    Yellowstone National Park and Rendezvous Snowmobile Rentals, require a valid drivers license to drive a snowmobile.

    For more information on rentals, please see our Snowmobile Rentals page and Frequently Asked Questions page.

    Judge Frank Caprio is a famous person in the city of Providence, Rhode Island. And, he is starting to get noticed around the world, too. He is an 80-year-old judge in the capital city of Rhode Island, the smallest state in the U. S.. One of his jobs is to take charge of traffic court. That involves talking to people who have gotten traffic tickets for going though red lights or parking illegally. They go to traffic court to question the tickets. Caprio hears what they have to say. Then, he decides whether or not the ticket is legal.

Caprio recently heard the case of a young man who was driving his mother's car. He went through a light after it turned red. After he spoke with the high school student, Caprio decided to let him off with a warning—if he promised to go to college and graduate.

    Another video from the Providence traffic court came out earlier this week. It showed a woman speaking with Judge Caprio about a parking ticket. She went to traffic court after getting a ticket for parking in an area that only permitted parking after 10 a. m. . The ticket was written at 9:59 a. m. . The woman said the clock in her car showed 10 a. m., so she thought it would be OK. After some conversation, the judge decided to dismiss the ticket.

    But Caprio did tell her, “You violated the city laws.” He held up a large book of rules. He smiled and the woman laughed. He said: “Our parking enforcement officers are second to none in the country!” After talking with the court officer, he said “I think 9:59 is close enough. Matter is dismissed.”

    The video was viewed over 1 million times in just two days. One person wrote of the video: “This is so cute. What a great judge. LOVE THIS.” Others wondered if the video was real, because it seemed so funny. But, there actually are judges out there like Frank Caprio. He is as real as they come.

    We offer five kinds of courses. Each course has been designed to help students according to their needs.

    Course 1：General English

    General English is designed to develop students' basic communication skills in speaking and pronunciation，reading，listening，writing，grammar and vocabulary. Tuesday to Friday：9：00 am to 11：00 am，$288 per week.

    Course 2：Academic English

    Academic English is for students who want to take the IELTS exam or for those who need to use English in a professional area. Monday to Friday：4：00 pm to 5：00 pm，$320 per week.

    Course 3：High School ESL

    Why not make the most of your time studying in Australia with the help from TIES？We have High School ESL classes each week specifically designed for international students. Tuesday to Friday：8：00 am to 11：00 am，$25 per hour.

    Course 4：Night Classes

    Do you want to improve your English and get the best possible results in your GRE test？We have two night classes each week designed to meet your needs. Tuesday and Thursday evenings：8：30 pm to 10：30 pm. $60 per day.

    Course 5：One on One

    If you are interested in some One on One lessons with TIES teachers，we can design a course to meet your needs. One on One lessons can improve your English language skills more quickly and help students who want to take TOEFL. Tuesday and Friday：2：00 pm to 5：00 pm，$80 per hour.

    Please click here to learn more about the courses!

    Do's and Don'ts in Whale(鲸)Watching The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has developed guidelines for whale watching in Johnstone Strait, where killer whales are found on a daily basis each summer. It is strongly recommended that vessel (船只) operators follow these guidelines for all kinds of whales.

    Approach whales from the side, not from the front or the back.

    Approach no closer than 100 metres, then stop the boat but keep the engine on.

    Keep noise levels down-no horns. whistles or racing of engines.

    Start your boat only after the whales are more than 100 metres from your vessel.

    Leave the area slowly, gradually moving faster when you are more than 300 metres from the whales.

    Approach and leave slowly, avoiding sudden changes in speed or direction.

    Avoid disturbing groups of resting whales.

    Keep at low speeds and remain in the same direction if travelling side by side with whales.

    When whales are travelling close to shore, avoid crowding them near the shore or coming between the whales and the shore.

    Limit the time spent with any group of whales to less than 30 minutes at a time when within 100 to 200 metres of whales.

    lf there is more than one vessel at the same observation spot, be sure to avoid any boat position that would result in surrounding the whales.

    Work together by communicating with other vessels, and make sure that all operators are aware of the whale watching guidelines.

Each day, 10-year-old Seth asked his mom for more and more lunch money. Yet he seemed skinnier than ever and came home from school hungry. It turned out that Seth was handing his lunch money to fifth grader, who was threatening to beat him up if he didn't pay.

Most kids have been made fun of by a brother or a friend at some point. And it's not usually harmful when done in a playful and friendly way, and both kids find it funny. But when teasing becomes hurtful, unkind, and constant, it crosses the line into bullying and needs to be stopped.

Bullying is intentional torment(折磨)in physical or psychological ways. It can range from hitting, name-calling and threats to blackmailing(勒索)money and possessions. Some kids bully others by deliberately separating them and spreading rumours about them. Others use social media or electronic messaging to make fun of others or hurt their feelings.

It's important to take bullying seriously and not just brush it off as something that kids have to tolerate. The effects can be serious and affect kids' sense of safety and self-worth. In severe cases, bullying has contributed to tragedies, such as suicides and school shootings.

Kids bully for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they pick on kids because they need a victim—someone who seems emotionally or physically weaker, or just acts or appears different in some way—to feel more important, popular, or in control. Although some bullies are bigger or stronger than their victims, that's not always the case.

Sometimes kids bully others because that's the way they've been treated. They may think their behavior is normal because they come from families or other settings where everyone regularly gets angry and shouts or calls each other names.

Unless your child tells you about bullying—or has visible injuries—it can be difficult to figure out if its happening.