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Mindfulness: A potential lifeboat for middle school students?
Sheilamary Koch EducationDaniel was feeling anxious before an exam at school, but he paused and used the three breaths technique to get centered and settle his nerves before starting. When he got his test results, he seemed surprised — he’d expected a D or C but got a B — simply from being more grounded and calmer, shares Daniel’s instructor, mindfulness and emotional intelligence coach Janet Fouts. New evidence from two recent studies strengthens the argument in favor of mindfulness practice for young people. While earlier research has shown that mindfulness training has a positive effect on the adult brain, its impact on young developing brains was unknown — until now.
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Teaching meter in your music classroom
Aileen Miracle EducationFor many years, I’ve been tweaking my process for teaching meter/time signatures. I wish teaching this were as easy as saying, "In 2/4, there are two beats in every measure, and in 4/4, there are four beats in every measure." But as we all know, it is much more complicated than this. In this article, I'll detail some strategies that have worked well for me in teaching meter or time signature.
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How to prevent bullying in the classroom
Julie Anne Wells EducationAccording to the National Bullying Prevention Center, at least one out of every five students reports being bullied. StopBullying.gov, a website run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, reports a frequency as high as one out of every three students. Studies also show that 30% of students admitted to bullying others, and 70% of students said they had witnessed bullying. While searching for a solution to bullying is not simple, there are some tactics educators can use to combat it. Here are eight tips for preventing bullying in the classroom.
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How our students can ‘RISE’ up to face the future
Savanna Flakes EducationThe world is facing monumental challenges and complex situations that require analytical problem-solving, innovation, and collaboration. The Future of Jobs Report from the World Economic Forum shares that the top five skills graduates need are complex problem solving; critical thinking; creativity; people management; and coordinating with others. Here is my four-step approach to transforming learning into authentic collaborative experiences that can engage students beyond our classroom walls. It’s time to R.I.S.E.!
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Can Elizabeth Warren’s education plan finally end segregation in…
Patrick Gleeson EducationOne of the more disappointing failures in U.S. K-12 education has been the attempt to end segregation in U.S. classrooms. As I pointed out in an earlier article on this touchy subject, the end of segregated classrooms, seemingly promised more than 60 years ago in the historic Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling, never came close to being fulfilled. In reality, the degree of segregation in 2019 is about the same as it was in the 1960s. Democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren has a radical plan to change that. Whether it will help or hurt her candidacy remains to be seen, but it is a radical policy change even for Democrats.
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Tackling the fear of financial aid
Sweety Patel Education"I’m not going to help with the FAFSA, I will refer the student somewhere else, I am not touching that parent’s tax info." These are common thoughts in many school counseling departments, not out of task avoidance or malice, but simply out of fear. Many school counselors often do not want to get involved with assisting students directly with the FAFSA. They may also think that the family’s income information is not information that the school counselor is privy to. However, financial aid is a facet in the life of high school counselors that comes up all year long.
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Do we need smartphones in the classroom?
Bambi Majumdar EducationAt an age where kids are completely digitally immersed, some Michigan schools have banned cellphones in the classroom, raising a lot of eyebrows in the process. In these districts, students are barred from carrying or using cellphones in class, in hallways, or even at lunch. It is a generational debate. Parents everywhere consider cellphones a considerable distraction for students. Students cannot live without them, and at these schools in Michigan, they are chafing at the loss of their phones.
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Fair Pay to Play Act promises a better deal for the black college athlete
LeRon L. Barton Sports & FitnessIt is no secret that the black male has been the engine for collegiate sports for many decades now. African American athletes make up about 60% of all college football and college basketball teams. Football and basketball are the two revenue sports that dominate college sports. That dominance has created an incredible source of revenue for the biggest schools. As part of the podcast "Gangster Capitalism," a program dedicated to examining the college admissions scandal that has rocked the news this year, sports journalist Kevin Blackistone examined the racial overtones existing in the matter of high-level college sports.
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‘Fall’ for ed tech with 5 free tech tools to foster engagement
Angela Cleveland EducationWhat were your goals for the new school year? Less time on paperwork and grading? Collect data and assess student growth more efficiently? Stretch your budget with free resources? It’s not too late to make those dreams a reality! There are several free educational technology tools that can help every educator achieve their goals! Many have paid add-on features, but the free versions are sufficient to explore and meet your objectives.
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Enhancing early learning and care work through playful professional practice
Glory Ressler EducationWe all recognize the genuine joy of engaging with children in play; this is what motivated many of us to work in early care and education in the first place. Sadly, I have noticed that playfulness rarely makes an appearance in our adult interactions. This is understandable, given the high levels of engagement, professionalism and work ethic demonstrated in our field. We understand the importance and impact of what we do and, therefore, take our work seriously. However, I have personally witnessed the negative impacts of too much seriousness and not enough play.
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