http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-978257.mp3
Albany, NY – OPENING BILLBOARD & EDUCATION HEADLINES - Glenn Busby (:30)
BACK TO SCHOOL AFTER 9/11
"CONFRONTING CHALLENGES TO CHANGE" -
During the months following September 11th, 2001, the media was flooded with reports and analysis. One full year later, in September, 2002, then U.S. Secretary of Education, Rod Paige, appeared before the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. for the secretary's traditional Back to School Address.
Dr. Paige's remarks, entitled "Confronting Challenges to Change", credited teachers and educators with being the "quiet heroes" on the front lines, providing safety and security for students.
As classrooms resume this fall, and we honor the memory of September 11th, it's a message that deserves remembering and still rings true today.
Glenn Busby reports. (5:18)
GUEST ESSAY:
"BACK TO SCHOOL AND THE END OF SUMMER" -
Well, another Labor Day is in the history books, wrapping up yet another Summer break. In this guest essay, "Back to School and the End of Summer", Shelley Fraser Mickle remembers the last days of summer.
Shelley Fraser Mickle comments. (2:06)
EDUCATION AND DISASTERS: SAFE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION -
This month marks the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the U.S. Whether disasters are natural, or manmade like 9/11, safe school construction can be critical to saving student's lives.
Natural disasters all over the world have claimed tens of thousands of children who's schools collapsed around them. Perhaps no building could have withstood the earth quake and tsunami that ravaged Northeastern Japan this year, but with proper planning, those schools might have been built in safer locations.
UNICEF Radio recently held a conference call discussion on natural disasters and school construction with: Kate Stohr, Co-founder of Architecture for Humanity and she Co-edited the book "Design Like You Give a Damn"; Dr. Brian Tucker, Founder and President of GeoHazards International; and Dr. Gianfranco Rotigliano, UNICEF's Representative in Indonesia. They talked about building safer schools.
Amy Costello reports. (7:59)
THE ACADEMIC MINUTE
"SCHOOL SPORTS CONCUSSIONS" -
And while we reflect on 9/11 and building safer schools, going back to school also means returning to sports and athletics, which brings with it, its own inherent dangers.
The state of Colorado recently passed this nation's most inclusive youth concussion law. The law was inspired by a high school football player who died from Second Impact Syndrome.
After that young football player's death, Dr. Karen McAvoy, then the school psychologist, brought together medical professionals, teachers, counselors, coaches, and athletic trainers to create a team dedicated to future concussion management.
Dr. McAvoy also created the REAP program. REAP being an acronym for Reduce, Educate, Accommodate, and Pace. It's a community-based model for concussion management. REAP was inspired by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study which found that effective concussion management depends upon education and collaboration between school officials, athletic trainers, coaches, parents, and students. To this day, the CDC continues to recommend collaboration among school staff as a key tool for concussion management.
REAP also includes a five-step Graduated Return-To-Play model based on recommendations from the Zurich Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport. Once a student-athlete is 100% symptom-free for 24 hours, he or she would be allowed to begin light aerobic activity only. These steps then progress over the next several days.
This week's Academic Minute professor discusses the dangers repeated concussions pose to competitive athletes.
Dr. Susan Guyer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Exercise Science and Sports Studies and is also Clinical Coordinator of the Athletic Training Education Program at Springfield College. She teaches courses in Prevention of Athletic Injuries, Research Methods and Education, Athletic Injury Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Exercise, and Human Anatomy.
The Academic Minute is hosted by Dr. Lynn Pasquerella, a celebrated philosopher and medical ethicist, and President of Mount Holyoke College.
Segment Run Time: (2:30)
*(Attention Listeners! For more Academic Minutes, we invite you to visit our archives at: http://www.wamc.org/academic-minute.html .)*
SHOW CLOSE - Glenn Busby. (1:30)