>> welcome to "teen kids news." i'm siena. let's start with our top story for this week. there's a new approach to teaching that's turning the education process upside down. scott tells us more. >> it's called a "flipped classroom," and it's being tried out in schools across the country. one of those schools is new york's eastchester middle school. john blaser teaches sixth, seventh, and eighth graders there. welcome. >> hi. it's a pleasure to be here. >> and it's great to have you. so, just what is a flipped classroom?

>> well, a flipped classroom is where you do the classwork at home and the homework in class. >> okay. so how exactly does that happen? >> well, what we do is record screencasts or videos of me teaching the class. we put them online so that you can watch them at home, and then when you come into class, you're all ready to do the assignment once you're here. >> so this is actually a combination of two ideas, then. it's a flipped classroom, but it's also online learning. >> yes, because the videos of me teaching the class are online and you go to the website where they are and that's where you view the videos. >> why did you decide that this was such a good thing to do? >> well, i wanted the students to be able to work at their own pace. some students, some of you like to go faster. some of you like to go slower, take more time on an assignment. and it also gives me more time to work with you individually in

class. >> well, have you seen any improvement in students' work? >> oh, yes. first of all, everybody is much happier in class when they're working because they're able to work on the assignment that they want to be working on, and it also allows the students to spend more time on an assignment when they need to in order to get the assignment to be of better quality. >> and i guess that there's less homework, in a way. >> yeah, in a way, and a lot of people would rather watch a video than do the worksheet at home. >> so, nationally, is this becoming a trend? >> yes, it started out in colorado with a couple of high-school teachers and has just spread. and now there are many teachers on all different grade levels trying it. >> so, what do you think is the best thing to come out of this idea of both the online learning as well as the flipped classroom? >> i really think the best thing is that students are able to work at their own pace and

they're to spend the amount of time on an assignment that they want to spend. >> terrific. well, sir, thank you very much for joining us. >> oh, it was my pleasure. >> let's get reaction to this "flipped classroom" idea from some of the students. >> i think it's, like, a really beneficial way of teaching because it kind of teaches us to be independent in our studies. and, like, as we mature and go to higher grades, i think we're gonna be faced with more independent studies. >> it helps to explain things to -- you know, things that you wouldn't normally think of, and it helps with, like, research... stuff like that. >> i think it really benefits the students and, like, it helps them learn more in a way. because students are usually pressured by asking questions and learning, and this just helps them have less pressure and learn more. >> instead of, like, teaching you in person, he teaches you

about an assignment on a video, so if you have trouble with something, you can always go back to the screencast, look for answers for your questions that you have, and that would help you on your assignments. >> we're doing more work in school, so we more free time to relax at home. >> and it makes homework easier because you can look back at your assignment and see what you need to do. >> while flipped classrooms are still fairly new, it seems that the idea's catching on, and the students we talked to think it's a good way to learn. >> omg. a new survey shows the downside of too much texting. brb.

>> texting -- it's been around for awhile, but when it comes to text etiquette, most of us are in uncharted territory. [ cellphone vibrates ] [ cellphone clicks ] sorry. was that rude?

most teens in a recent survey say yes, yet for some reason, we still do it. alexa explains. >> when is the wrong time to send a text message? >> obviously, like, if you're in class. >> like, at the movies. >> way late in the evening, like, waking somebody up. >> when you're in the car. >> probably dinner, 'cause my mom, like, hates me when i start texting and she's trying to talk to me. >> okay, we know it's wrong to send a text at school, at dinner, or when talking with a friend, but have you ever done it? >> yes. >> yes. >> yes. >> yes, but i've never sent a text at school. >> margaret sullivan is with textplus, a mobile app that's very interested in texting trends. so it did a survey and found that the average teen sends 100 texts a day. that's about 3,000 texts a month. here's what else the survey found... >> 75% of texters say that it's

rude to talk and text at the same time -- to text in the middle of a conversation -- but 50% of kids say they've done it. >> but that particular rude behavior may be changing because of peer pressure. >> given how much teens are texting today, people might be shocked to find out that other kids are calling one another out on their rude behavior. so we actually have users who've said that, in the past, when they're talking to a friend who's texting and they're texting right in front of them, they'll shoot them a text saying, "you're being rude." >> given all the texts that are sent every day, it's not surprising that 85% of students admit to texting while in class. but you may find this surprising... >> a lot of those students have told us that it's their parents who are texting them during the class and during a school day. >> most adults don't think they're encouraging bad behavior. they send the text thinking the message will just wait to be read at the end of the school day, but no kid is going to wait to read a text. what's the point?

>> so it's instant, it's fast, it gets to you right away. >> yes, texting is a useful and powerful technology, but with power comes responsibility. sometimes we're texting so fast we send messages to the wrong person. >> so, if you're sending about a hundred texts a day, you've got to be typing pretty quickly. so count to three, look at who you're sending it to and make sure it's the right person and then press "send." >> i was supposed to go out to a party with my friend, and i didn't want my brother to come, but i sent it to him instead. oops. >> i was messing around with my friend at school, and i accidentally sent it to the wrong person, and he took it the wrong way. >> me and a couple friends were texting about a surprise party, and i accidentally sent the text to the person who the surprise party was for -- ruined everything. it was terrible. [ chuckling ] i felt so bad for so long afterwards. >> i was trying to text my girlfriend, and i ended up texting my ex-girlfriend a very intimate message, and it did not end well. >> so, i was really mad at one of my guy friends because he was

not doing a project with me the way i wanted him to, so i kind of cursed him out to my friend, and it turns out i sent the text message to him, so i'm not gonna do that on text message anymore. >> the most common text misfire is sending "i love you" to the wrong person. and while we're on the subject of dating... >> so, if you're gonna ask someone out on a date via text message, there are a couple things to keep in mind. one, personalize it. make sure that it looks like it was actually meant for this person and that you didn't just send out a blanket e-mail to everyone, hoping for one date. >> and here's another etiquette tip -- don't ask someone out who you've never met in person. that's just plain tacky. think of texting as a tool for quick communication, not a replacement for communication. >> take some time. texts are important. it's of course important to stay connected with your friends, but you should always put down the phone and make sure that you're staying connected with the people around you. >> and remember, don't say anything in a text that you

wouldn't say in person. it's easy to be mean in a text, and it's just as hurtful. >> coming up, i'm going to show you why trying to play injured is a technical foul.

>> sports can be dangerous, and not taking the right precautions can put you in the doctor's office. diyu has the story. >> what comes to mind when you think of a dangerous sport? football? hockey? maybe even rugby. but i bet basketball wasn't at the top of your list. meet rj mehan. he knows firsthand just how dangerous the sport basketball can be. >> i've pulled a couple muscles. actually, recently i just got an avulsion, which is when you pull a muscle and it pulls out a piece of the bone, too.

>> no stranger to pain, rj had to sit out earlier in his seventh grade season because of a broken arm. >> i went up to get a rebound, and i fell -- someone pushed me from behind. i fell. i went to catch myself, stuck my arm out, and i just felt, like, this jolt of pain go up through my arm. >> and rj is not alone. between 2005 and 2011, experts found that 1.5 million high-school basketball players were treated in emergency departments. that's certainly a lot. in an attempt to keep sports safer, many schools are hiring people called athletic trainers. >> we're there to prevent injuries and evaluate them quickly, treat them immediately, and try our best to make sure that, as we return them to play, we do it in the most safe and efficient way possible. >> unfortunately, not a lot of schools have athletic trainers for their sports teams. >> in the high-school setting, about 42% of high schools have athletic trainers. in the middle-school setting, i think it's even less.

>> whether your school has an athletic trainer or not, there's one thing to keep in mind -- if you're hurt, don't just tough it out. >> when you're feeling those aches and pains from sport, whether it's your knee or your back, and it's just not going away, it's hampering what you're trying to do on the court. >> if you don't follow the recommendations and you cut short your healing time, it really could keep you out for the rest of the season. you could be re-injured or you could have a career-ending injury. >> experts say that there is more than one way to avoid injury during your sports season, whether it's basketball, football, baseball, or even tennis. >> many of the injuries in basketball are preventable, and the ways to sort of avoid injury are gonna be stretching and conditioning, proper warm-up and cooldown afterwards. >> professional athletes can spend up to an hour getting ready for a game -- sometimes more. so get a good warm-up in before playing. and remember, if it hurts, stop and tell your coach or parents. >> we're here to help.

we're here to make sure that we can get you back as quickly as we can. and a lot of times, you're not gonna compete at your best until you're feeling good. >> having an athletic trainer on your team is surely a slam dunk. for "teen kids news," i'm diyu. [ bat cracks ball, crowd cheers ] >> anyone who has ever followed baseball is probably familiar with the cy young award, the award given to the best pitcher in the american and national league. this award was named after hall of fame pitcher cy young. cy pitched in the early days of baseball, back in the very early 1900s. he has the most career wins of any pitcher in all of baseball history, with 511. however, ironically, he also has the most losses of any pitcher in baseball history, with 316. i'm matt with "teen kids news." >> when it comes to improving grades, scientists in spain say girls have a leg up. they compared girls who walked or biked to school with girls who caught a ride.

on average, the more physically active girls scored four points higher on math and verbal tests. the researchers say exercise made the difference, though they aren't sure why. it may have to do with the increased blood flow to the brain. and here's something interesting -- exercise doesn't have the same effect on boys. i'd like to drop out of high school and get a meaningless job that makes me feel bad about myself. i'd like to fall victim to the old boys' network. i don't want anybody to notice me. i just want to fly under the radar. i want to splatter against the glass ceiling. i don't have an opinion. i want to be a straight "c" student. i'm going to be a biomedical engineer. [ girls laughing ] i mean, i want to succumb to peer pressure all of my life. i'm going to be a best-selling novelist and win the national book award. i'm going to be a marine biologist. wait! i take mine back. i'm going to be a biomedical engineer.

i think i'll be the president. i'm going to be secretary of state. ass chef right here. race-car driver. artist. paleontologist. film director. surgeon. teacher. scientist. olympian. i'm going to be the boss. i'm going to change the world.

>> in this week's "college & u," nicole takes us to a school that prides itself on giving back. >> washington, d.c. is the political center of our nation. it's home to monuments, memorials, the u.s. capitol, and the white house. it's also home to one of our oldest schools, georgetown university. shortly after the american revolution, the founding fathers saw the need for an educated and virtuous class of citizens to lead the young nation.

the ink had barely dried on the constitution when john carroll founded what would eventually be known as georgetown university. but georgetown's roots go even deeper into history. it's the oldest jesuit university in the country. jesuits are known for a commitment to learning and intellectual inquiry. they've been around since saint ignatius started the society of jesus in europe back in 1540. >> he wanted a group of priests who would not be bound to a particular church or parish or town. he wanted to start a religious order of men who would go anywhere where the needs of the world were greatest. >> so, what does it mean to be a catholic and jesuit university? >> to be a catholic and jesuit university means to be committed to academic excellence, to be committed to exploring one's faith across different faith traditions -- catholic, protestant, jewish, muslim, orthodox christian, or people who may be struggling to find their faith.

>> while most of the 7,500 undergrads here come from catholic or other christian backgrounds, all faiths are welcome. >> actually, right if you go into healy hall, there's the jewish rabbi, the muslim imam, and the head priest all in the same building -- offices right next to each other. >> georgetown is actually one of the first universities in the united states to have a muslim chaplain -- a full-time muslim chaplain. >> and the school motto is utraque unum -- "both into one." can you explain that? >> yes, utraque unum, it's a latin phrase -- "from the many into one," or "from the one into the many." so, for instance, we strive to be one community here at georgetown, but yet we're a very diverse community, and we welcome a diverse student body -- one and many. >> students are encouraged to uphold the jesuit ideals of being active on behalf of others. so it's no surprise that georgetown grads fill the ranks of service organizations like

habitat for humanity, teach for america, and the peace corps. >> it's a great school academically, but also the commitment to serving others and using your education to further the good of the world and humanity. >> there's a whole variety of programs to get involved in depending on your interests and language abilities, oftentimes. so you can take what you learn in the classroom and apply it to social justice in d.c. >> georgetown has a very important saying, and that's "men and women for others." >> there's yet another latin phrase that you hear students use to describe their georgetown experience. >> it really fosters cura personalis, or, you know, the formation of the person as a whole. and it emphasizes each aspect -- so your intellectual development, your spiritual growth and development, and academic growth and development. >> and that leads to leadership. for example, the georgetown class of 1968 delivered three future presidents -- arroyo of the philippines, cristiani of el salvador, and our very own

42nd president, bill clinton. georgetown has four undergraduate schools and offers degrees in more than 40 majors. and most students opt to spend at least one semester studying abroad. its world-renowned school of foreign service has trained generations of diplomats. [ crowd cheering ] georgetown athletics are world-class, too. the teams got the name hoyas back when every student was required to study greek and latin. so, do you have a latin phrase for that, too, that you cheer at games? >> i don't -- well, we do. it's a latin and greek phrase called hoya saxa, which has a lot of disputed origins. if you were to translate that directly from the latin and the greek, it would mean "what rocks." >> i've met some great people, i've had fantastic professors, and i'm having a great time. >> one of the deans here truly captured the spirit of the school when he said, "coming to georgetown is a privilege, and with that privilege comes the responsibility to give back." for "teen kids news," i'm nicole.

[ dramatic mid-tempo march plays ] >> the medal of honor is the highest award for gallantry in the u.s. armed forces during time of war. in american history, we have two father-and-son teams that have received the medal of honor. first, we have arthur macarthur during the american civil war. 1864, he was a 19-year-old lieutenant... >> who helped lead a charge up missionary ridge in tennessee and planted a flag on the confederate works, and for that he received the medal of honor. >> and then later, his son douglas macarthur received the medal of honor in 1942 for his defense of the philippines. >> the other set was theodore roosevelt and theodore roosevelt jr.

theodore roosevelt jr. received his medal of honor in world war ii because of his actions at normandy and the invasion of normandy on d-day. he helped secure the beaches and, actually, when they found they had landed at the wrong spot, said it didn't matter -- "we'll start the war from here." his father didn't receive his medal of honor until many years after theodore roosevelt jr. had gotten his. theodore roosevelt was given the medal of honor posthumously for leading the charge up san juan hill during the spanish american war. we were told nothing could be done, to enjoy these final moments together. but in that moment, when all seemed lost... st. jude children's research hospital gave us hope.

announcer: because at this moment, st. jude children's research hospital is saving lives with pioneering research and care. we're changing the way the world treats childhood cancer by sharing our discoveries with doctors and scientists everywhere. and we'll never have to pay st. jude for anything, ever. at this moment, she wants to be in her own bed. i want to be outside playing. announcer: please take a moment and join st. jude in finding cures and saving children. visit stjude.org.