Kidshealth.org argues that many teens and children are strongly affected by divorce and have weak coping mechanisms to deal. Research has found that teens from divorced families are more aggressive, anxious, higher school drop out rates, more sexually active at an earlier age, higher rates of delinquency, higher rates of drug and alcohol addiction

(http://understandingteenagers.com.au/blog/the-impacts-of-divorce-on-teenagers/#sthash.kUV9XyqK.dpuf). With such a high percentage affected, shouldn't students be able to voice their opinions and express their feelings on the matter?

What about the recent Texas cheerleaders Supreme Court case (see: http://cnsnews.com/blog/mark-judge/texas-supreme-court-rules-8-0-favor-cheerleaders-biblical-banners). .) The Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of the cheerleaders to use biblical messages on their banners. Don't these cheerleaders deserve religious freedom in school as long as their voice is their own?

The First Amendment does not separate God and government but actually encourages religion. It reads:

"Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

The first clause merely declares that the federal government cannot establish one religion for all the people. It says nothing about "separation of church and state." In fact, five of the 13 states that ratified it had their own state religions at the time. The second clause insists that the government should do nothing to discourage religion. But forbidding prayer in schools discourages religion.

Congress has prayed at the opening of every session since the very beginning. Indeed, in a moment of crisis at the very first Continental Congress Benjamin Franklin urged prayer and observed:

"In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible to danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine protection. - Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered... And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance? ...I therefore beg leave to move - that henceforth prayer imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service."

Congress has begun with prayer ever since. If the government can pray in their session, why can't the governed pray in their (school) sessions?

What would you say to the argument that since the court outlawed prayer, the nation has been in steady moral decline? Former Secretary of Education William Bennett revealed in his cultural indexes that between 1960 and 1990 there was a steady moral decline. During this period divorce double, teenage pregnancy went up 200%, teen suicide increased 300%, child abuse reached an all-time high, violent crime went up 500% and abortion increased 1000%. There is a strong correlation between the expulsion of prayer from our schools and the decline in morality.

Disagree. Most Englishmen did not leave to Barbados or the West Indies- only those wealthy and able did so. West Indies and Barbados were mostly inhabited by absentee landlords- men whom still lived in England but yet controlled land through slaves.

Why did they have a larger population? Why would the Chesapeake be exposed to disease and not the New England colonies???

Why was there a lower mortality rate? Why were they able to farm more efficiently? This seems to contradict the Chesapeake and their more geographically accepting terrain.

I am without a doubt a Digital Native. I thrive off technology and can see how my students crave that thrill and accessibility of technology in the classrooms. I agree with Premsky that students are 'socialized' differently (Facebook, IM, text messaging)- these venues are attractive because they provide information "really fast". We shouldn't have to go 'backwards' as Premsky says to incorporate education, but adapt to our student's learning needs. According to Schlecty, before we can create a lesson, we must focus on the "who" and as teachers we have to accept that our "who" are technology driven students.

That being said, Digital Natives will not always be Digital Natives. In two years, I might transform into a digital immigrant as technology is growing and changing so fast.