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New technologies are vitally important for K-12 schools
Bambi Majumdar EducationWe talk about digital transformation but we have little idea about the supersonic speed at which we are transforming. What once seemed fantastic and in the realm of science fiction is an everyday reality now. With these rapid changes in technology, adapting and embracing new teaching practices are needed for K-12 students to be ready technology of the future. In an age of automated stores like Amazon Go, augmented reality, and virtual reality, the mind boggles to imagine what today’s kindergartners will know in terms of technology when they graduate from college.
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A new insight for studying dyslexia
Dorothy L. Tengler CommunicationsDyslexia, a widespread learning disability, occurs when an individual has significant difficulty with speed and accuracy of word decoding. Despite different therapeutic approaches and learning strategies to address the reading and writing difficulties, there is no cure for dyslexia. And despite previous studies that developmental dyslexia is caused by dysfunction of structures in the cerebral cortex, the reasons for such alterations remain unknown. However, a recent study conducted by Dr. Katharina von Kriegstein and an international team of experts reveals that people with dyslexia have a weakly developed structure that is not located in the cerebral cortex but at a subcortical processing stage.
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What’s behind the Department of Education’s school funding…
Patrick Gleeson EducationWhy is the Betsy DeVos-led Department of Education continuing to slash education programs? And why, despite criticism even from congressional Republicans, has the department continued to slash budgets for disabled and disadvantaged children while increasing budgets for school choice? There seems to be a clear approach in DeVos' budgets that, while cutting budgets generally, has shifted remaining funds away from at-risk populations and toward wealthier families.
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Diversity in dentistry on the rise
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareThink about your dentist when you were a child. Can you remember? If you can, I’d be willing to bet your dentist was a man. Am I right? According to the ADA Health Policy Institute (HPI), 49 percent of U.S. dental school graduates in 2017 were women. That's up from 37 percent in 1997. Forty years ago, only 7 percent of graduates were women. "The increase in diversity in our profession is fantastic," said Dr. Jennifer Enos, Arizona Dental Association president-elect. "It allows many opportunities for growth and innovation with the varying backgrounds and perspectives."
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Strategies to embed social-emotional learning in schools
Brian Stack EducationIn an EdSurge article, Giancarlo Brotto makes a strong case for why the future of education depends on social-emotional learning (SEL), which he sees as a critical indicator to predict college and career readiness. He writes, "social and emotional abilities are said to be indicators of how well a person adjusts to his or her environment, adapts to change and, ultimately, how successful she or he will be in life." Student affect and SEL are important skills and dispositions that schools must find consistent, deliberate ways to assess. As schools think about college and career readiness, they must know that the critical competencies for success are evolving.
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Supporting students with self-regulation
Savanna Flakes EducationIt is no secret that our students today have a lot going on inside and outside of school. We are teaching students who are undergoing trauma, stress and anxiety. To support the social and emotional well-being of our students, we have to teach and provide space for them to learn how to self-regulate. Emotional self-regulation is important for helping children manage how they express and experience emotions. Just as we provide students explicit instruction on academic content, we want to provide explicit instruction for social emotional learning.
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Trauma training is imperative for K-12 students, employees
Bambi Majumdar EducationA report released by the Lastinger Center for Learning at the University of Florida shows glaring disparities in trauma training for K-12 students and school employees across various districts in Florida. In-depth analysis and mapping patterns of adolescent trauma show how the lack of trauma support can be detrimental for students, families, and districts as a whole. In the 29 districts surveyed, the researchers found that there was no uniform curriculum or training method for district personnel to help children who have experienced trauma.
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Has the Department of Education given up on poor kids?
Patrick Gleeson EducationIt's no secret that the current administration's highest funding priorities don't include the Department of Education. President Trump signaled as much in choosing Betsy DeVos to head the department. Her views on public schools were well-known long before her appointment and are summarized in her 2015 comment that public schools are "a dead end." For those who feel public schools are worth saving, the department's announcement earlier in March that it was further slashing the education budget after two years of earlier cuts was troubling. The department proposed eliminating 29 programs, by far the largest being the 21st Century Learning Centers that operate in high-poverty areas.
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How to use the Seesaw app in your music room
Aileen Miracle EducationAre you looking for an app to both assess students and communicate with parents? Seesaw is one of my favorite apps. I heard about Seesaw a couple years ago and had it installed on my iPads, but it wasn't until this past spring that I was finally able to check it out. Seesaw is known for being a great advocacy tool because parents can see what's going on in the music room. Whether you post a snapshot of a student's completed worksheet, a video of him/her singing, or a video of the entire class performing, it can be a fabulous way to communicate with parents.
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What is the Montessori Method?
Julie Anne Wells Education"Montessori" is becoming a buzzword among parents and educators. With the popularity of Montessori schools on the rise, you may find yourself wondering if it's right for your child. The Montessori Method is a specific teaching style that focuses on five key areas of child development: practical life, sensorial materials, mathematics, language, and culture. It is tailored to each child's unique attributes and learning preferences. To better understand a Montessori education, it helps to know the background behind the method.
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