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by Jeff Myers, Ph.D.

Over consumption of media among Christians is an enormous concern. According to a study I conducted in 2003, the average Christian young man is involved in 33.25 hours a week of “screen time” (watching movies, playing video games, surfing the internet). Girls averaged 27 hours a week – the difference being that boys play a lot more video games.

That was seven years ago. Since then, the advent of Wii, smart phones, Blu-ray, and hyper-realistic video games have certainly only made the problem more acute.

While all of these so-called advancements have been coming about, brain scientists have been busy doing some fascinating research of their own – studying the hi-tech culture’s effect on the brain. And the conclusions are simply startling.

How the Brain Works

We only have to understand a few basic brain functions to grasp how our entertainment-soaked culture affects the brains of teens. Bear with me for a quick anatomy lesson.

Take a look at this picture of the human brain. The frontal lobe, shaded in purple, is the executive center. This part of the brain lights up when you come up with a plan and execute on it. In the center, in red, is the nucleus accumbens – a collection of neurons that forms the brain’s pleasure center. When a person experiences pleasure, this part of the brain displays stimulation.

Here’s what to keep in mind: the brain was designed in such a way that work and accomplishment stimulate the executive center of the brain (purple), which in turn stimulates the pleasure center of the brain (red). Work brings satisfaction, and the desire for life satisfaction motivates people to work.

The Effect of an Entertainment-Soaked Culture on Kids

So what does a culture like ours do to the brains of teens?

In his book Boys Adrift Leonard Sax reported on a study of 7 to 14-year-old boys which found that playing video games lights up the pleasure center of the brain while simultaneously shutting off blood flow to the executive center of the brain. In effect, these games offered boys the sense that they had accomplished something without actually having done so.*

Consider the shocking implications. The games children play are designed to bring effortless pleasure (movies and music have the same effect). Over time, this slickly produced entertainment “tricks” the brain into by-passing the executive center, making it more rewarding to pursue entertainment and less rewarding to accomplish anything of value. Academic work plummets. Social relationships suffer. And massive entertainment corporations make out like bandits, reaping billions in profits.

Quite frankly, if you’re a parent, teacher, or youth minster, this is horrible news. How could we have allowed the most privileged generation in history – in terms of spendable income, opportunity for education and travel, and access to information – to quietly amuse itself to death?**

The Antidote is Not What You Would Expect

If you’re thinking, “Well, the damage is already done,” here’s some good news.

There is a clear, simple way to rescue teens from the cultural addiction: engage them in conversation in the context of doing real things. Let’s look at two aspects of this answer.

1. Do real things. A Christian school headmaster friend of mine was recently approached by several parents whose children had been prescribed medications for ADHD and bi-polar disorder. They trusted their doctors but wondered, “Is there any way we can help our kids without having to turn to these strong medications?” The headmaster wisely proposed the parents give the following plan a try:

Take out TVs, Ipods, video game consoles, and computers from your kids’ bedrooms.

• Allow no more than 30 minutes of video gaming per week.
• Set a bedtime of 9pm on weeknights, 10pm on weekends.
• Provide three nutritious meals a day (note that the headmaster had to define “nutritious” for the parents).
• Plan for one hour of playing outside every day, and three hours on the weekend days.

Amazingly – after a few months of this regimen – all of the children showed far fewer symptoms and were doing significantly better in school (without medication!). For these kids, there was an undeniable connection between unplugging and thriving.

In a similar vein, many parents are starting to take seriously studies done by Dina Borzekowski, Linda S. Pagani and others that demonstrate a correlation between a child’s relatively innocuous television viewing and lower test scores. In fact, public health advocates have caught on and launched a “No Child Left Inside” initiative that appears to be gaining steam.

A quick word of warning: An entertainment-soaked culture affects the brain in similar ways to a chemical addiction. So don’t be surprised if heavily plugged-in kids express bitterness, anger, accusation and even paranoia when they get unplugged. Many parents will cave in to the pressure because they can’t handle seeing their children be unhappy, even for a short time. A few parents, however, will find wise ways to replace screen time with real things and intentional conversation. In the long run, kids who overcome this withering addiction will be significantly better prepared to live healthy, purposeful lives.

2. Engage them in conversation. Language lights up the brain. And as David Caplan, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, points out: in order to trigger the use of language, both motivation (from the executive center) and arousal (from the pleasure center) are required.

Language seems to be a bridge that reconnects the broken-down relationship between the executive and pleasure centers of the brain. Notice that this involves active language use, not just passive language reception. We’re talking two-way, engaging, in-person conversations. And that puts the ball squarely in your court to communicate with kids in a way that engages them in communicating with you.

Isn’t it interesting that expressing thoughts through language helps remediate the damage done by a culture built on amusement? The ancient Greeks called this kind of linguistic expression “logos.” It’s the same word used in John 1:1 to describe the ministry of Jesus: “In the beginning was the Word.”

Reclaiming the Ancient Art of Life-on-Life Discipleship

Jesus is the model for engaging people in conversation while doing real things. One scholar estimates that Jesus spent 13 months of his three year ministry just walking from place to place. All the while, he engaged others in conversation: Paul Stanley says that Jesus asked 288 questions in the gospels.

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said. They did. And along the way he equipped them to change the world, and they did that, too.

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*See Leonard Sax, Boys Adrift. New York: Basic Book, 2007,p.91.

**This phrase is drawn from Neil Postman’s book, Amusing Ourselves to Death. I strongly recommend that you read it.

Copyright 2010 by Jeff Myers, Ph.D. Used by permission. Dr. Jeff Myers is president of Passing the Baton International, a non-profit organization dedicated to mobilizing one million Christian adults to reclaim the ancient art of mentoring. To subscribe to Dr. Myers’ free e-mail newsletter go to www.passingthebaton.org

by Patricia Tofte, Administrator 

“Aw, That Is Just Not Fair!” This is an oft heard comment made by kids and adults for a multitude of reasons, ranging from blatantly unfair happenings to just not liking the consequences of decisions we have made.  We live in a world where fair seems to be the desired norm, even though we all know that much of what happens in our lives probably is not “fair” if “fair” means “equal.”  Perhaps the greatest example of unfair is the death suffered by Jesus, God’s sinless son, who gladly went to the cross in a very gruesome manner for the greater gain…our Salvation.  By man’s standard this was decidedly unfair, but by God’s standard it was the greatest gift we could ever receive.  So the concept of “fair” can open more avenues for discussion than we could possibly begin to address.

Today, however, we are going to focus on the definition of fair we use at Appleton Christian School.  ACS defines” fair” as giving each student what he or she needs, not necessarily what he or she wants.  We believe that is how God has operated from the beginning in the lives of His people.  It is rarely the positive, easy aspects of our lives that build our faith and character; rather, it is the hard, seemingly unfair times that grow our faith and character.  However, by ACS committing to give each child as equal an opportunity as possible to learn, we believe we are honoring God’s command to love one another and to help those who sometimes cannot help themselves.

By now, I am quite confident that all parents are aware that children are created with differing learning styles, differing abilities, differing motivations, and differing issues with which they must deal with throughout life.  Some of us remember a  particular” thing” that set us apart and made us different in a hard way, and we also well remember the hurt and insecurity that we felt as we lived through these differences.  Not by plan of any one person did it come about that Appleton Christian School would develop a program to help meet the needs created by these differences that students bring to the classroom.  I am convinced that a number of people followed where God led them to bring ACS to the place we are today.  And there have been bumps along the way, and there will continue to be bumps as we navigate some very interesting and challenging unchartered waters, at least for us!

In these early years of the Dyslexia Reading Connection and our growing commitment to becoming better at meeting their unique needs, we are also learning to balance the needs of all the students.  We have chosen specific curricula that offer a depth of resources for the faculty to use that will help us meet the many student abilities present in the school.  Over the last two years, our classroom sizes have increased, and so we have found ourselves in the position of needing to add teachers and teachers’ aids.  I am pleased to announce that this year we have chosen to go one step further, and, in conjunction with the DRC, we have hired Mrs. Ann Wittman to be the liaison teacher who will assist in providing each child what he or she needs.  As a faculty, working in conjunction with the DRC tutors, we are in the initial stages of designing how she can be most effective, and we already know that it will vary from teacher to teacher and student to student.  Our goal, meeting individual needs that cannot be met in large group, will encompass all the children who attend ACS and will be unique and challenging, and, we hope, finely developed and finely tuned by the leading of God.  Yes, an additional component of this program will be providing enrichment opportunities for those who need and desire an extra challenge.  Many of you may know Mrs. Wittman as the music teacher at ACS, which she will continue to be!  You may not know that she is also the mother of three very successful ACS graduates.  She herself is a graduate of UW Oshkosh, having majored in math and minored in Business Administration.  Ann has taught math at ACS, has been a great substitute teacher for many years, and most recently has tutored a middle school student in all subjects.  She is uniquely trained for both aspects of her new role.  The best part of Ann Wittman is her desire to learn and to share her enthusiasm for learning, but, more importantly, the best of the best part of Mrs. Wittman is her desire to share her enthusiasm for the Lord.  You can rest assured that He will be an integral part of all she does with our students.  Ann has been out visiting other schools to learn what they do so we have that information as we form our own programs.  She is also taking all of the DRC training available so she has a more complete understanding of what and how these students learn.

Our student population is a unique, varied, very talented group of boys and girls and young men and women who are in the process of becoming all that God wants them to be.  In this process there will be hard times, days, even weeks or more, when we will all be frustrated, but the end result, young men and women living up to their God-given potential who desire to serve Him, will make the hardest days seem well worth the struggle. 

The Bible verses that come to my mind in the times of struggle are Hebrews  12:2-3 and Galatians 6:9, because both remind me that weariness is but one result of our struggles and it does precede victory!

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the JOY set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

by Sherrie Grogan, ACS PE Teacher
Even though there are now more types of fitness equipment, activities, and clubs available than ever before …

• 2 out of 3 Americans are considered obese.
• Childhood obesity in the age group of 6 – 11 year olds has increased 4-fold over the past 30 years.
• Obesity has now passed smoking as the leading preventable cause of death.
• The average American child between the ages of 6 and 18 spends an average of 5 to 8 hours a day in front of some type of screen.

In the past several years we have seen a change in the activity and fitness level of our students here at ACS.  Each year we evaluate our students’ fitness levels by administering the Presidential Physical Fitness Test both in the fall and in the spring.  This is a nationwide standard test that is used by schools all across the country.  Looking back at test scores of previous classes from the last 10 years it is evident that there is a decrease in the level of fitness of our students.

As a result of the trend we are seeing, we have been putting more emphasis on fitness and a healthier lifestyle; consequently, our physical education classes include more fitness activities for each grade level.

At the elementary level, the focus is on encouraging the students to “play hard” while in PE classes and recess and to be active outside of school. In our PE classes, we emphasize games and activities that involve more continuous movement so the students get the greatest possible benefit out of class. 

At the middle school level, we have been able to increase the amount of time we have for physical education, allowing us to dedicate two days a week to fitness activities.  We have been blessed to have a workout room that has both aerobic and weight lifting equipment.  This has been made possible through the donations of equipment from families and also because of great deals from Play it Again Sports in Appleton.  Throughout the year the middle school students are taught how to properly use the equipment and to understand what a basic workout routine should include. The 7^th and 8^th grade students are given the opportunity to weight train in the morning before school and also throughout the year in PE classes.  Our faculty and staff also have access to the workout room, and we encourage them to use it.

Personally, I am a big believer in the benefits of weight training.  I have not only seen how it helps in the performance of sports and other physical activities but also how it helps performing everyday tasks.  And, as we have seen in the letter Mrs. Wittman wrote about her son’s injuries, it also helps to speed up the recovery from various types of physical injuries or illnesses.

So, as we continue to increase the amount of fitness we incorporate into our school, we ask parents to encourage their child to be active and take advantage of these opportunities we are offering. If each student develops a more positive and healthier lifestyle now, it will be that much easier to remain healthy in the adult years and the benefits could be life changing.

by Ann Wittman, ACS Teacher

This summer (actually the day after graduation) my son was in a terrible car accident. It involved two vehicles and eight people. The state trooper who was second on the scene said it was a miracle that no one was killed. He said ‘I have never seen an accident this bad with no mortality and no paralysis’. My son came away from the accident with multiple injuries: brain trauma, a broken jaw (in two places), broken spine, 3 bowel resections, among others. He spent just short of 5 weeks in the hospital and lost over 20 pounds. Yet when physical therapy started working with him they were very impressed with his strength and how quickly he improved his condition. I thought about his last year here at ACS and how Mrs. Grogan not only taught the 7th and 8th graders how to use the weight room equipment, but also made it available to them in the mornings prior to school. For the past year Tekoa worked out in the weight room two days each week, strengthening the full circuit of muscles. I am convinced that this is a large part of why the physical therapists were so impressed – how prepared his body was and also the year-long mindset of pressing on toward the goal. I also personally believe that this was a provision from God to prepare my son for this battle.

I want to thank Mrs. Grogan and ACS for opening the weight room for use by the students and Mr. Lingnofski and Mrs. Marnocha who were willing to be there to supervise those early mornings. I would also like to encourage the parents of the 7th and 8th graders to allow/encourage their children to work out and also to volunteer to be those early morning supervisors.

The following are presentation notes by Kathy Koch, Ph.D., President – CELEBRATE KIDS, Inc., Fort Worth, TX – used by permission

Culture affects everyone. A generation is shaped by the nurture it receives in childhood and the challenges it faces coming of age. Here is a listing of the generations 1900-present.

 The Technological and Digital Culture affects especially our children. The Millennials are surrounded by, participate in, and are seemingly “absorbed” in the following:

Computers/Laptops (PC was invented in 1982)
More affordable, word processing, spell check, copy-paste, cheating is easier.

Internet/World Wide Web
Search engines and websites make it easier to find information and to cheat; email makes instant and constant communication possible, high-speed/wireless connections everywhere, YouTube.

Social Networking
Facebook, Blogs, Twitter, Skype, online dating, … Stay connected to many people, illusion of many more friends than we really have, illusion that everyone cares, encourage instant gratification, make people more self-centered, shorten attention spans.

Cell Phones/Blackberries/Etc. (First crude cell phones were available in 1982)
Can be constantly connected even to the Internet, safety benefits, “free”/convenient calling, texting (unlimited), can use to take pictures.

Computer/Online/Video Games (Video games became more affordable in 1982)
Competition against others and self, winning is important, become addicted to scoring points, learn that rules change.

DVDs/Movies/TV/Cable (Cable – 1982)
No authority figures or inept examples of authority, MTV influence, competition and reality shows are popular, immediate access with Movies on Demand, Netflex, RedBox.

I-Pods and I-Tunes (I-pod – 2001; I-tunes – 2003)
Immediate access to all kinds of music, inexpensive, illusion that they can always get what they want when they want it (possible to buy individual songs and not entire CD), parents may not know what kids are listening to, easier to ignore what’s going on around them, easier to become self-absorbed.

Digital Cameras
More affordable, instantly delete or edit pictures you don’t like, illusion that we and our lives can be perfect, email pictures to anyone, less privacy.

SOME KEY ISSUES:

• Millennials decide quickly that they’re bored. (First impressions really matter.)
• Millennials tend to be impatient.
• Millennials prefer to multi-task, they need choice, and they struggle to focus and persevere.
• Millennials value competition and need frequent objective feedback. They aren’t skilled at self-evaluation.
• Millennials prioritize relationships. Therefore, they may pay more attention to their friends than to what teachers are saying. Teachers must relate to their students to be heard by them.
• Millennials have high/unrealistic expectations.
• Millennials and parents often disagree about what’s the best future for them.

MANY MILLENNIALS ADMIT TO:

• Using intuition, control-alt-delete, delete-a-friend, and cut-and-run problem-solving methods.
• Expecting knowledge to be current, instantly available, and personally relevant.
• Being curious about many things, especially about improving the world. Model/teach why and how to dig deep (beyond the first hit on a search engine).
• Not being opposed to investigating a variety of ideas and can easily hold diverse ideas.
• Preferring to discover/construct knowledge rather than receiving lots of instruction about what you want them to know. Think of yourself as a facilitator of learning rather than a transmitter of ideas.
• Needing help processing knowledge. They must learn why and how to sift/sort, synthesize, and share.

A BOOK FAVORITE ON THE TOPIC
Degraffenreid, S. (2008). Understanding the millennial mind: A menace or amazing? Dallas, TX: N2Milliennials.com. (A free download is available here:  http://bigbusinesszoo.com/millennials.php). 

SELECTED BOOKS – NEGATIVE TOPICS
Bauerlein, M. (2009). The dumbest generation: How the digital age stupefies young Americans and jeopardizes our future (or, don’t trust anyone under 30). New York, NY: Penguin Books.

Jackson, M. (2008). Distracted: The erosion of attention and the coming dark age. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.

SELECTED BOOKS BEFORE 2007
Hersch, P. (1998). A tribe apart: A journey into the heart of American adolescence. New York, NY: Fawcett Columbine.

Tapscott, D. (1998). Growing up digital: The rise of the net generation. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

OTHER RELEVANT RESOURCES
Ham, K., & Beemer, B. (2009). Already gone: Why your kids will quit church and what you can do to stop it. Green Forest, AR: New Leaf Publishing Group.

Kinnaman, D., & Lyons, G. (2009). unChristian: What a new generation really thinks about Christianity… and why it matters. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books. 

How is the Internet Changing the Way You Think?

by Nancy Menn, Director – Dyslexia Reading Connection

A common myth about dyslexia is that dyslexic people see things backwards. This is not true. Dyslexia is not a vision problem, it is a language processing disorder unrelated to vision. However, many people — both dyslexic and non — suffer from a condition called Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome (SSS.) It is also called Irlen Syndrome after Helen Irlen who first identified the problem and the solution.

People with SSS see a variety of distortions on the page (and often in their world at large.) The distortions can vary from slight to severe and can include letters that move around on the page, words or portions that fade away, the white standing out so prominently that the black cannot be identified as letters, flashes of color on the page, shadows of colors on the page, and a variety of other distortions. People with SSS also experience physical discomfort such as headaches, eye pain or fatigue, restlessness, dizziness, or nausea from reading. The distortions and discomfort make reading from “slow and difficult” to impossible.

SSS is most noticeable when reading black print on bright, white paper under fluorescent lights. The brain processes the different colors of the light spectrum at different speeds. Thus, the eye functions perfectly but, the image that reaches the portion of the brain that interprets what the eyes have seen is distorted. People with SSS do not realize that others are not dealing with the same image that they see. They often wonder how others read so easily when it’s so hard for them. Children may seem inattentive or poorly motivated when they are simply seeking relief from a painful activity.

The condition is hereditary. There is no cure but, for many people the use of colored overlays or colored filters are effective in reducing or eliminating the distortions and discomfort. A person who is dyslexic will still need instruction in reading but SSS must be addressed first. For a person who is not dyslexic, eliminating the distortions opens up the world of reading instantly. Dyslexia Reading Connection® has a Certified Irlen Screener on staff. See www.Irlen.com for more information. Call Nancy Menn if you want to discuss concerns about Irlen Syndrome or dyslexia for yourself or your child (920-422-2665).

by Patricia Tofte, Administrator

There is more than one definition of a myth, but there is one I really like. It defines a myth as a false idea or belief. So, taking our lead from the popular TV program Myth Busters, let’s look at what Appleton Christian School myths we should bust!

MYTH #1: “Everyone who has their child in a Christian school must be wealthy.” On the contrary, many parents who elect Christian education at ACS do so out of a conviction that to have their faith in Jesus Christ upheld in every aspect of their children’s lives is … priceless. Consequently, they are willing to sacrifice extras and go without what others may consider necessities in order to invest in their children’s eternal futures. In all reality, even those who work in Christian schools make a sacrifice to earn less than in the public sector because they feel compelled and, yes, called to share their faith with children as they teach them the skills needed for life.

MYTH #2: “Children in Christian schools are all super Christians who make very few mistakes and whose walk with the Lord is perfect.” Well, actually that is not true of even the adults who teach in Christian schools. We are all sinners saved by grace, and we are all at differing places in our personal faith walks with the Lord. We are a group of people committed to following Jesus, and our students are in the same place. They are children who are learning what faith in God is about and, over the course of their years at ACS, are encouraged to take ownership of their personal faith and not just assume that because their parents have faith it covers them, as well.

A big part of our 7th and 8th grade Bible class is devoted to understanding what the students believe, why they believe it, and then owning it! They are in process as are all of us who desire to walk with the Lord, and, as with us, there are times they are successful and times they mess up. Everyone needs a second chance, and at ACS, students are loved as they are. This is a great place for real people who are seeking a closer walk with Jesus through these challenging times.

MYTH #3: “Christian school students have not had all the extras the public schools provide, and when they get to high school, they are not as advanced as their public school peers.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. ACS students who have taken advantage of all we offer (and it is more than you might expect) are prepared to enter advanced English and Math, and they are highly esteemed high school students who have learned organizational and study skills and who know how to apply what they have learned from our very comprehensive program. They are able to handle advanced placement classes, and they are likely to be involved in a sport of their choosing or in the drama/forensic programs. And, because they have personal standards for conduct that are above the accepted norm, they are respected for their character, as well as for their academic success.

MYTH #4: “Christian schools only accept and keep students who are successful academically and behaviorally.” Actually there was a time when that might have been the case because we knew we did not have the needed information, skills, or staff to help students with learning or behavioral differences. However, those days are past! Over the last six years, working in conjunction with the Dyslexia Reading Connection, we have welcomed the opportunity to expand our knowledge and skills so that we are able to accommodate most all students who apply to ACS. During these years we have adopted a definition of “fair” that states we will give each ACS student what he or she needs. This means we have found a balance between the traditional and non-traditional learners. Our students are treated as individuals whose unique needs will be met through individually-tailored accommodations that enable all students to function successfully in the classroom. We are small enough to be flexible and large enough to offer the variety needed for all students to find a niche.

For me personally, the last six years have been the most rewarding years I have spent in Christian education. This also breaks with the myth that says those in education will eventually burn out. On the contrary, I have found that when God is leading the leader and the school, there is no burn out; rather, there is renewed enthusiasm for the difference that can be made when we look at children the way God created them. We do not try to fit them in to our preconceived box of what Christian school students should look like. Real Christian education loves each child “as is” and works with the parents and God to help bring out the wonderful God-given qualities waiting to be nurtured and developed.