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Are student labels helpful or harmful?
Erick Herrmann EducationIn every school, students are labeled for a variety of reasons. Consider the students you have or have had in your classroom. Of course, our intent in schools is always to help students learn and make progress so that they can be happy, healthy, productive members of society. To better serve students, we add labels to help us consider the needs of the students and ultimately better meet their needs. However, the labels may serve to ostracize, segregate, or otherwise provide a disservice to our students.
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Department of Education considers armed teachers, Title IX reforms
Michelle R. Matisons Civil & GovernmentSchools are back in session, and we all know what this means. Time to sharpen those pencils, set that alarm clock, and pack your bulletproof backpack up with everything you’ll need, right? Wait! Did you say bulletproof backpack? Earlier this year, after the tragic Parkland, Florida, mass shooting, there was widespread debate immediately on the almost desperate school security situation. Schools perform under mounting pressure to both protect students and staff while also building learning climates that are not ruled by fear. This is not an easy task.
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How asset-based programs help K-12 education
Bambi Majumdar EducationThe focus on asset-based education is growing. Often called strength-based education, this new-age approach seeks to build on the strengths that students already possess. It aims to unlock the inner potential of students by focusing on their talents. Schools and teachers who are adopting this approach believe that asset-based teaching will create lifelong learners who are confident, talented and proactive in their path. The traditional approach has been called the deficit-based style of teaching, which highlights students' inadequacies.
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What to know about teaching to Generation Z
Brian Stack EducationIn any profession, you have to know the audience of the people you work with or serve. As educators, what do we really know about our current students, who are members of Generation Z? How can we use that as school leaders to promote effective instructional strategies to meet their learning needs? To know how to educate them, we have to understand how a Gen Zer is different from a millennial. They are a group that was born in the era of smartphones, and those devices have become more robust with the passage of each year.
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Assaults on Medicaid: Threats to America’s most vulnerable children
Howard Margolis EducationThroughout America, the 2018 election may prove to be a momentous turning point for parents and supporters of vulnerable children, like children in poverty, children with chronic illnesses, and children with mild-to-profound disabilities. Not voting or voting for the wrong candidate may devastate these children. Ongoing assaults on Medicaid help to explain why. They explain why every vote by Americans who care about these children should reflect their distrust of both the executive branch of government and the current Congress.
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Special effects you can add to school music performances
Aileen Miracle EducationIf you've ever directed a musical program, you know how those "little" things can really add to a performance. In today's article, I'll discuss some special effects that I've tried for various performances to add another layer to each musical. For example, if you are planning any kind of firefly song at your program, flashlights are a really awesome addition. You could hand out flashlights to all students or just some of the students, and for that song, have the lights turned off. Then, as they sing the song, they randomly turn the flashlights off and on!
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L1 and L2 acquisition: Hints for teachers
Douglas Magrath EducationThe process of first language acquisition (called L1 acquisition) has been studied extensively, and the process is important for the theories of second language acquisition (called L2 acquisition). According to Stephen D. Krashen's "Fundamentals of Language Education," "Language acquisition is a subconscious process. We are not aware it is happening." The process involves the innate ability of humans to acquire language (called language acquisition device or LAD).
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American K-12 education needs a massive rethink
Bambi Majumdar EducationFormer Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s new book has recently been a topic of discussion across various news outlets. Duncan’s book offers a critical view of America's schools, which he feels are way behind their international counterparts. He also suggests ways to improve the system so that both teachers and students benefit in the future. American students do not rank in the top 10 in for K-12 or higher education internationally. This does not bode well for the future. Rethinking America’s education system has, therefore, become a priority.
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What I did over my summer vacation
Debra Josephson Abrams EducationFor two hours, she writes on the board. We sit and dutifully copy. Occasionally, she turns and points at one of us, says something in Korean, and we are supposed to repeat what she has said. If she has asked a question, we are supposed to answer it. Sometimes, after the board is full, she recognizes a mistake, erases it, and begins again. It is this way three nights each week for two hours each night for a month. Many Koreans have told me that the teacher’s approach is the Korean approach to education, despite what the school’s website promises.
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Start with a ‘pop’ by bringing today’s culture to the…
Savanna Flakes EducationWelcome back to another exciting school year! Let’s start the year off with a bang by building relationships, establishing a positive learning community, and including some pop culture to increase student interest and engagement. Our goal is to ensure our lessons are relevant for 21st century learners to support 21st century college and career success. If a lesson is relevant, students can answer, "What am I learning?," "Why am I learning this?" and "How can I use this information/skill in the real world?" Pop culture offers us the opportunity meet today’s students where they are.
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