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To play or not to play: The value of recess in schools
Brian Stack and Erica Stack EducationParents of today want their children to be the best, the fastest and the smartest. In pursuit of meeting these goals, many schools have added more time for instruction and testing for core content areas. The added time often comes at the expense of recess, physical education, and many other forms of movement breaks and activities. As parents of five children under the age of 10, we see the impact of this shift in our own community school each and every day.
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What to know when listening processes are impaired
Janet B. Reyes EducationOn occasion, most of us have experienced being unable to understand instructions we needed to hear. Despite concentrating very hard, we missed large portions of what was said, and ended up not knowing what to do. Now imagine that when the speaker finished, everyone else who was listening started to act on the instructions. Suppose every day in school were like that — wouldn't it be hard to keep up?
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Advanced nursing education and practice: An individual choice
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareAdvanced practice nursing is growing, and nurses are reading the writing on the wall. APRNs can practice autonomously in a growing number of states in the U.S., and the potential for increased earning and job security is attractive. Deciding whether advanced practice is for you is an individual decision that only you can answer.
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Nature or nurture? Outdoor preschools combine the best of both
Cait Harrison EducationImagine a day filled with nature walks, playing in the mud, studying worms up close and reading stories in the forest. Doesn't really sound like school, does it? Welcome to the world of nature preschool — where young learners spend part or all of their school day outdoors. There are more than 150 nature preschools across the country, up from about two dozen in 2012.
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Study productivity: Get the results you want
Aris Grigoriou EducationStudying is a necessity in school, but it is something that requires planning and commitment. The basic fact is that students who don't operate some system of studying will likely fall behind and not achieve the results they want.
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Integrative tests: More considerations for teachers
Douglas Magrath EducationIn a recent article, I described why integrative testing is a better way of testing language competence than discrete-point testing. An integrative test draws on a variety of sources. Syntax, vocabulary, "schema," cultural awareness, reading skills, pronunciation and grammar are all factors the test maker and test taker need to keep in mind. The integrative test is generally considered to be a more reliable instrument for measuring language competence.
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Instructional journaling for improved teaching and learning
Pamela Hill EducationTeachers of students with learning disabilities make multitudes of curricular and instruction decisions in any given day. Therefore, they must know the instructional methodology they are choosing is effective. In reality, special educators are always learning and improving their craft, and reflection by journaling is an important piece of this decision-making process.
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Better late than never: Accepting late work without penalty
Brian Stack EducationThe debate over whether to charge students a penalty for late work is not new to American education. For years, proponents have argued that a penalty is the best way to hold students accountable for meeting deadlines, a lifelong skill.
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Flowers aren’t always red
Debra Josephson Abrams EducationFrom the moment almost 40 years ago when I heard Harry Chapin's "Flowers are Red," I’ve played it at window-rattling volume and sung it as loudly and defiantly as possible. It tells the story of a free-spirited child who draws flowers in a rainbow of colors, only to be admonished by a teacher.
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Is the competition to get into top colleges too difficult?
Bambi Majumdar EducationIn the midst of an early morning walk, I could hear the nearby high school band practicing. At first, I had nothing but admiration for these kids who woke up in that ungodly hour to practice. Then, I heard the seniors in the band being called out, along with the colleges each one got into, followed by a round of applause for each.
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