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PAGE8, WrnITJBY MM PRSS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1990- Teachers' eetn Vioenoe in h media.and how to counteract it By Scott Laurie What effect does, violence in the media have on our children and what can teachers do to counteractit? bThat question was addressed by Susan Qwens, ýfirst vice, pre. sident of-,the* Ontario Womnen Teachers' Federation, at a meet- ing of the Durham 'association held at Kathleen Rowe public, school on Tuesday isat week. Owens feels that children in to)day's soci etyý are foroed to act like aduits and hurried to rW up. "'A.very concrete exam.'p e of thisphenomenon is the way "chul- drenls clothes are now a scaled down version of aduit clotbing,» she says. In speeding up theprcess of growing up,. Owens feels that children learn to become too coin- petitive, too fast. She cites, as'an example, enrolling one's child in hockey. This teaches the, cbild that winning is.the naine.of the gaine, no matter what the cost. TIliis competitive attitude is mirrored in many of the tele- vision shows that children watch: Owens used wrestling as 'an examp le. She says that children will, exactly imitate witnessed behaviors, and teachers and parents'have witnessed children imitating behaviors from TV. Teachers' strike FR OM PAGE 1 «If the teachers want to lose én200 a day ni hope fwinning J00 a year that is their right.» Teachers are frustrated and embittered.' "Teachers can't afford to sub- sidize the system. We're the lowest-paid teachers in the Metro area,» says Blair Morris» president of Durham Secondary OECTA. He says that teachers are aghast that board is unwilling.to spend ratepayers' dollars on hig ber salaries for teachers but wi-I- ling te Pay meney te hire a public relations firm, and te advertise and upropagandize7 the strike. No further meetings have been scheduled to negotiate the con- tract. GM donation to college The General Moters public relations department bas donated a sophisticated video editing suite te Durhamn Colege. The equipinent, previously used for GM's m-bouse, bi-weekçly video prograni, includes' video mixers, monitors, VCRs, ligbts, TV sets and editing equipinent. Durhamn College will use the equipinent for college training and promotional videes. Terry Capar, Durhain's m edia services manager recently received the editing suite, worth apprexiniately $60,000, frein Nick Hall, manager cf media relations and, public. relations at General Moters. She adds that there are repor- ted cases in which children dis- play more aggressive behavior after viewing. programs which centain violence. In ber speech, 'Owens.sMates that- with many single parent familles,'"TV becomes the sole babysitÏt,» because* of inade- quate daycare. facilities'that are affordable. 1Chijidren watch, on average, 25 hours of TV a week, saysOwens. M"That is exactly* thefisaine num-. ber of hours they spend in chool perweek,» she adds. 'Quoting from. -a Ministry of Education document on media literacy, she states, <Educators, and parents share'»the responsi- bility for ensuring that students have an understanding of the implications of -this media envirenment.» In order hI counfÏe-ract these, effects, Owens outlined three i- itiatives. The first is the Minis- try of Education and the docu- ments they have published on behavior, guidance, values edu- cation and peers. The second initiative is pro- vided by teachers. Owens sug- gests it is «TIhe developmentof .a, clear cbde of conduit for the schoel, agreed to and shared with everyone invol1ved, includ- ing the parents.» Teachers must also provide a clear understanding of con- sequences to the child and a commitinent to censistency in repnse te niisdemeanors. Tethird and final initiative is p ut forth by the Ontarie* 'Women Teachiers Federation. They provide information through reseaýrch as 'well as 'hrough seminars- and work- SUSAN OWENS, fîrst vice-president of the- Federation of Women Teachers' Associations of Ontario discussed violence in the- medfia a.nd wbt egihers can,.do-tq, 'on 14a - tbfore moiâre. than 30 teachers-Iat IKat- leen Rowe public sehool lastweek.- Elementary, lFrench teache contracts ratified by board The Durhamn Region Roman Catholic Separate School Board last- week ratified the two-year centract agreements, reached separately with elementary and French-ianguage secondary schol teachers. Thle main feature> of' both agements is a 6.1 per cent increase in salary in each of the two years for ail teachers, along with several improvements te the benefits package.,. The -,:"el"ementary, teacher agremen alo: ?rôvdé&for improvmentsthe pupil-teacheÏ,ràtio PTR) in each *of the- two -ye'ars ; thr9ugh th' hiring cf '35- additional tèachersl ahd an increase '>ieh'4 àeadie lesson planning 'and prepaiý1n time- frein 100 minutes per ,weQk te, 120 minutes per week in thq second year of the agreement.ý Th geenients are effective fo~Sept. , 1989. eAUg. 31 1991. Fuicher among,gra,,ds honored Marion Fulcher of Palmerston public scbool was recently con- gratulated by the Durhain Board of Education as one of four board secretaries who graduated from the Professional Secretaries International Prograin. The program ran froin Sept. 8 te Oct, il last year. The Certi- fied Professienal Secretary.exa': mination is developed and adminstered -internationally twice annually. <It measures basic knowledge, such 'as facta,- termnio'logy ýand dates, understadinïg, cf concepts procedures and principles, d the application of concepts. Chage hivioe- prncias Lorraine Veroba , vice-principal of Dr. Robert Thornton public school in Whitby, will be the new principal' at Claremont public school in Pickering, effective Feb. Enid Baird, frein Lakeside JOHN HEU TCHINSON of Whitby was.recentlypre-- sented with a Canada Scholarship at the- University of Guelph by MI> Bul Winegard. The echolarehips, given for academic achievement, are awarded to first-year students entering.science and agricultural programs.'Scholarships are for $2,000 annually, to a maium $8,000 over four years-. H.L Raumoier pho«to -- puiblic schôol, wilI take cirer as vice-prnceipal at Thornton, aIse effective Feb. 1. The Durham tien recently changes. Board cf Educa- approved bcth Trafagar Ca'stie Tiffany Bradley *Everyone looked so nice in their number one uniormi on Thursday. I. guess it was group picture day! Pictures were taken in the chapel, and concert hall for various organizations. The. pictures will be seen in,' the yearbook next year. Mr. McClure calledthe girisin with a cheery "Good morning fflgar!" Which started everyone smiling brighter. Smiles grew front ear to ear at the mention of ski day on'Friday, though, we will i.at Devil'is Elbow with positive reports on snow conditions. It's also .a' nice warm-up day for those girls who have signed up for Experfience Week si excurs ions. 1 wish the girls. good luck at the volleyballtourninent On Saturday Jan. 2%, the girls .battled it out-et Bishop Strachanchool. However,- they will. put forth thieir best in any ca ïse i, sure. As for the teachers, -I would, like to give. a warm, "get well soon" to Mrs. Sigsworth, our geography and E.S.L. teacher, Mrs. Mtslaar, -Our English teacher,.and Mms Muihali, Our spunlcy study hall monitor., However I don't, thirýk shefeels, to o spuniky today. Weé miss you, and hope you will be back on3yourfeet soon.