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Do grades matter?
Brian Stack EducationLast month, ASCD released a series of articles on grading reform where both teachers and researchers identified key considerations for assessments that "fairly gauge and report students' learning" with the rise of the "no-grades classroom," one where the traditional A-F system is replaced by teachers by one with methods that encourage students to take charge of their learning progress. As a professional community, we need to move to a model where we grade students on what they learn, not what they earn.
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Providing students opportunities to self-regulate
Savanna Flakes EducationOur students have a lot going on inside and outside of school. Our students might be undergoing trauma, stress, and anxiety. To support the social and emotional well-being of our students, we must teach and provide space for students to learn how to self-regulate. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines self-regulation as, "the ability to successfully regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations — effectively managing stress, controlling impulses, and motivating oneself." Our goal is to normalize stress, anxiety, frustration, and the overall idea that, "It is OK to not be OK."
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Goal-setting with English learners and multilingual students
Erick Herrmann EducationIf asked, most adults would tell you that they have goals in life. For example, I have a personal goal of visiting every continent in my lifetime. When we set goals, we have not only identified what we seek, but also the steps needed to accomplish those goals. It is the same with our students; by helping them to set goals, we can support them in reaching those goals. English learners and multilingual students can benefit greatly by setting goals on a variety of topics, including learning and acquisition of a new language, while at the same time maintaining and strengthening their native language.
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Study: For teens and depression, not all screens are created equal
Sheilamary Koch Mental HealthcareDepression is a serious concern for adolescents and those who live and interact with them. A Canadian study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics on July 15 reveals sound evidence that adolescents who spend more time engaged in certain screen activities suffer increased depression. The study adds clarifying evidence to prior research linking increasing teenage depression with technology use. It was also unique in that it distinguished between four types of screen use.
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5 strategies for decreasing stress in the new school year
Kimberly Ragland EducationEvery teacher on the planet knows what I'm talking about when I say I had "the dream" last night. You know, the one where you show up to the first day of school dressed in shorts and a tank top. Your walls are completely blank, and you can't find any prepared lesson plans or materials. Sound familiar? Why do we always have "the dream?" It’s because teacher preparation is key. We know that if we're not ready to go when school starts, it sets the tone for our students.
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Will education be a top focus of the 2020 elections?
Bambi Majumdar EducationEducation is not always a top-tier issue in presidential debates, but it has increasingly become a topic that needs to be addressed. 2016 candidates touched it almost in passing, disappointing many. This is not the case with the candidates for 2020. They are vocal and are not afraid to address the biggest questions in education. The Democratic primary field has thus far taken education up as a major issue rather than leaving it to state and local authorities like before.
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What feast is this?
Debra Josephson Abrams EducationToo often, especially in higher grades/levels, and definitely in college and university, teachers assign books that students must immediately delve into. What is wrong with this? It overlooks context, and at the expense of sounding like a broken record of the Charlie Brown teacher, I tell my students, "Context is everything." Not examining the books and materials also overlooks schema (prior knowledge), and tapping prior knowledge is essential for authentic learning.
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Parental participation in IEPs
Howard Margolis EducationSome parents of children with disabilities readily accept whatever the school’s IEP team members recommend. After all, they reason, these people are the professionals. They know best. Other parents believe it’s critical that they participate in every aspect of developing, implementing, and assessing their child’s IEP. They believe that they know a great deal about their child’s needs that school-IEP team members need to address but may not know or fully appreciate. They see much that school personnel don't.
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Podcast: The state of medical education and physicians’ relationships…
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareOn this episode of The Nurse Keith Show, Keith Carlson discusses the state of medical education and physicians’ interface with nurses with guest Dr. Ted O’Connell, a family physician, educator, author, innovator, speaker, and founding director of the Family Medicine Residency Program at Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano. He founded the Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano Community Medicine and Global Health Fellowship, the first fellowship in the United States to formally combine both community medicine and global health.
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Can financial literacy in school curricula help address college debt?
Bambi Majumdar EducationA crippling national college debt situation is bad news for the economy. Now, states are looking to tackle college indebtedness. They, along with colleges, are trying out new ways to help students manage debt. Chief among them are approaches like financial literacy counseling so that students know how to make informed decisions and read the fine print on loans and payments. Several states think that financial literacy should be a part of the K-12 curricula. The Education Commission of the States reported that Oklahoma, Nevada, and Virginia are already addressing the issue.
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