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Should we replace textbooks with e-readers?
Bambi Majumdar EducationYou might think the answer is a resounding "yes" in this digital age, but a recent report from The Washington Post has shown some surprising facts to the contrary. It seems that the current generation of students — who we think are buried in electronics all the time — is more attracted to the white pages of physical books than we thought.
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Simple exercises to improve ELL reading skills
Douglas Magrath EducationReading is an essential means of communication. Reading involves the recognition of large units — words and word groups — along with phonetic decoding. Reading is not just a passive activity; rather it is an active skill where the reader interacts with the text bringing many different skills into the process.
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Differentiated instruction: Top 5 low-prep strategies
Savanna Flakes EducationIn January, James R. Delisle wrote a controversial commentary for Education Week titled, "Differentiation Doesn't Work." But what Delisle may not realize is that differentiation is not a set of prescriptive strategies, rather a purposeful way of planning to account for student differences.
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How does your school use social media to connect with families?
Brian Stack EducationAs I was walking down the hall the other day, I was struck by some recent student artwork that had been posted by one of our art teachers. I took a few pictures of them on my phone and quickly uploaded them to our Sanborn Regional High School Facebook page with a caption that read, "Check out some of the latest pieces of art by students in Ms. Ladd's class!"
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Encouraging the growth of a global citizen: Travel and service work for…
Katherine Dayton EducationAny educator who works with middle school and high school students knows how challenging it can be to understand exactly what kids are going through during these complex stages of life. It’s an exciting time of tremendous growth, both physically and emotionally. While many students thrive through these years, some struggle with self-esteem, the social pressures of trying to fit in, academics, and the list goes on.
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The secret to secured entries at schools
Charlie Howell EducationSchools across the nation are reacting to the public outcry to do something in the name of security to protect students and teachers from violence. Many schools look at the concept of a secured entry — a holding vestibule for unauthorized persons until they are vetted and authorized to enter — as the big answer.
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How cultural differences can affect learning
Douglas Magrath EducationCulture is a part of language. Even vocabulary can be culturally loaded. For example, the dictionary may say that "pain" in French and "bread" in English represent the same physical object, but the cultural load will be different. In Turkish, "ekmek" is bread, but it is more than a food item. One does not merely throw old bread away; it is carefully wrapped before being put out.
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How can we increase the value of a student’s evaluation?
Howard Margolis EducationAn evaluation is only as effective as the questions it aims to answer. And often, evaluators fail to see the precise, critical questions that need answering. They don't know the child or situation well enough to identify them. Therefore, they tend to do what they normally do, often leading to boilerplate evaluations and reports that leave parents and teachers wondering, "What new and valuable answers and recommendations did the evaluator provide?"
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Texas bill highlights issue of whether teachers should be armed
Bambi Majumdar EducationA new bill proposed by Texas state Rep. Dan Flynn in January speaks of arming Texas teachers with guns and allowing them to use deadly force against students. Naturally, this has added more fuel to the fire that is already roasting a lot of tongues around the country.
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The 4 C’s of 21st century learning for ELLs: Communication
Erick Herrmann EducationIn the first part of this series, we explored critical thinking as an important skill that students will need to master in the 21st century. The jobs of tomorrow are unknown today, and while the world is changing quickly, it is also shrinking. Small and large companies alike are building global teams, selling services and products all over the world. Global communication is instantaneous. Given this, tomorrow's workforce will need to be skilled in communication, the second of the four C's of 21st century skills explored in this series.
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