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Museum educators fill a critical need for students
Sheilamary Koch EducationTo say museums have been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic would be an understatement. The American Alliance of Museums estimates that museums in the United States are collectively losing at least $33 million a day. Yet even now while they’re hurting most, many museums have offered entertainment and solace to families sheltering in place at home with free virtual tours. Teachers have been able to take advantage of these resources to create engaging lessons for students on virtual field trips.
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On equity: How the pandemic may impact schools in the future
Brian Stack EducationAs our nation prepares to enter a third month of altered operations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, an alarming reality is starting to give rise amongst policymakers, educators, and parents alike: When it comes to equity, many schools and school systems may in fact be worse off than they may have originally thought, and it will get worse before it gets better.
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Why we need differentiated instruction now more than ever
Savanna Flakes EducationCarol Ann Tomlinson defines differentiation as a continual process of assessing and monitoring students’ readiness levels, interests, and learner profiles. We are in an unprecedented time as we aim to support all students virtually. As such, our learners are logging into our virtual classrooms with various emotional and academic needs. Based on such diversity, differentiating instruction is the one approach that will work. Upon pre-assessment/diagnosis in virtual and online environments, teachers can differentiate with the following.
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Fewer beach cleanups and more awe for World Oceans Day 2020
Sheilamary Koch and Ayla Reguero Koch EducationWorld Oceans Day is on for 2020! Although there are fewer beach cleanups and more virtual events scheduled than usual, you can still join forces with people around the globe to celebrate our amazing oceans on June 8 — and keep the momentum going year-round. For this article, I teamed up with my 15-year-old daughter Ayla who’s become an ocean expert and advocate over the past couple years. Her experience speaks to how life-changing, engaging and fun environmental education can be.
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Infographic: College in the age of coronavirus
Brian Wallace EducationStudents are scrambling to figure out what higher education will look like in the fall, and 1 in 6 high school seniors are changing plans to start college then. This infographic outlines the challenges to higher education during the pandemic, both from the student side and the university side.
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The future of work: Why resistance is futile
Patrick Gleeson Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementI've had two careers in my life: one as a college English professor, the other as a composer. What both professions have in common is that they're both being transformed by technology that many musicians and teachers find threatening. Sometimes I'm amazed how much teachers and musicians resist this transformation. Unfortunately, resistance to the incursion of technology in both professions is almost certainly doomed to failure and will deprive skilled workers the opportunity to shape this technology in ways that could benefit everyone.
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Will federal emergency relief funds help alleviate K-12 education cuts?
Bambi Majumdar EducationOhio, Georgia, California, and Kansas were some of the first states to announce massive budget cuts in K-12 funding, and others will almost certainly follow soon. COVID-19 has led to a deep economic downturn that some say is worse than what Americans faced during the Great Depression. To date, over 38 million people have filed for unemployment aid. K-12 budget cuts in districts across the country will result in laid-off teachers and other workers. The education of a generation is at stake, and vulnerable children and families are facing higher risks.
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Planning for summer: Keeping emergent bilinguals, multilingual students…
Erick Herrmann EducationMany, many students around the world will not return to school until the fall at the earliest. Researchers are predicting that there could be great learning losses due to students not being in school, despite our best efforts to continue instruction through virtual or distance learning. The effect of emergent bilingual and multilingual students could also be significant. Yet there are some ways we can attempt to keep students engaged in learning, or at the very least engaged in continuing to build relationships with us as teachers and the school community.
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Infographic: Enhancing home learning
Brian Wallace EducationRight now, 90% of parents are concerned about their kids falling behind academically, and more than 80% say they are struggling to keep their kids engaged in learning. This infographic outlines how to keep your kids engaged by making learning feel like play and exploration instead of an academic exercise.
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Is it time for higher ed to move away from time-based learning?
Brian Stack EducationAs he approaches 15 years of age, my son Brady has now started reminding me regularly that he will be able to drive soon. In the state of New Hampshire, the law will require him to complete 46 hours of driver's education before he can be eligible for a driver's license. For a life or death skill such as driving a car, why do we continue to rely on such an antiquated, one-size-fits-all training and assessment model? The Department of Motor Vehicles, much like our colleges and universities, could learn a thing or two from high schools that have moved away from time-based models.
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