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What are the consequences if Education, Labor Departments merge?
Bambi Majumdar EducationThe White House has proposed to merge the federal Department of Education and the Department of Labor. The merger would form a new agency called the Department of Education and the Workforce. This proposal is one of the many that the administration has mentioned in a 132-page document for the restructuring of the federal government. Their focus is to create a leaner, more efficient and more accountable government. If it goes through, the merger would have a lasting impact on American education, with not everything being beneficial for schools.
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Improving engagement for students with disabilities
Brian Stack EducationRecently, I co-hosted a chat on Twitter on student engagement for Understood.org, an organization that focuses on giving parents of children who struggle with learning and attention issues the tools and supports they need to be successful. As we get ready to embark on a new school year, I thought it would be a timely opportunity to summarize the chat and the resources that were shared.
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The ‘3D’ model of effective instruction for English learners
Erick Herrmann EducationThe teaching profession is an important one, designed to create healthy, happy individuals who can accomplish their goals in life and be productive and happy. Yet, as a profession, teachers are not always held in high esteem. As our job is of critical importance, it is important that we use our professional knowledge and training to meet the instructional needs of students. To do that, we should follow a similar approach to what doctors use: diagnose, decide, and deliver.
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Beat-passing games for your students
Aileen Miracle EducationLooking for fun new songs for your music room next school year? In this post, I’ll share beat-passing games, which are games in which the beat is passed from one person to the next. Typically, at the end, the last person to be hit is "out." It is so much harder to pass the beat than it is to keep it on your lap, so whether your students have a solid foundation of beat since kindergarten and need a challenge, or if students are just learning steady beat, these can be very fun and rewarding games for upper elementary!
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Swimming against the educational tech tide
Sheilamary Koch Education"Make learning awesome!" and "Fully capture the attention of all your students!" urge marketing copy for new educational technology offerings. Such products are becoming commonplace in schools around the country — with no end in sight. The school computer and software market is projected to reach $21 billion in sales by the year 2020, reports The New York Times. However, children attending a handful of private schools intentionally bucking this trend will have none of these promised "powerful pedagogical experiences" with technology.
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Long-awaited new dental board exam slated for release in 2020
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareThe very first National Board Dental Examination in the United States was administered in 1933. This important test has gone through some changes and modifications over the years, including a switch from essay questions to a multiple choice format. But in 2009, a committee was formed, charged with the task of completely overhauling the somewhat outdated exam. Many in the industry have likened it to the creation of a new exam altogether, which will be called the Integrated National Board Dental Examination and will replace the current National Board Dental Examination Part I and Part II.
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Detracking math classrooms in San Francisco: A model for all?
Brian Stack EducationEducation Week’s Stephen Sawchuk recently highlighted an initiative now four years old in San Francisco schools where middle and high school students are heterogeneously grouped for math instruction. The city has leveled the playing field by enrolling all students in math courses of equal rigor in middle school all the way through Algebra 1 in high school. There are no "honors" classes. There are no accelerated programs where students can take Algebra 1 in 8th grade. This practice was not implemented without controversy.
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An undetachable burden
Debra Josephson Abrams EducationGames, small group work, puzzles, funny videos, my dancing, and goodies, lots and lots of goodies: candies of all sorts, cookies, minicakes. No matter how student-centered and engaging a class I prepare and present, there are always students who are disinterested, some to the point of slumber, with chins touching their chests and occasionally their heads bobbing. Some are disinterested to the point of doing absolutely nothing and feigning a search of their book bag for their text, materials, and homework when they and I know full well that they do not have them.
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K-12 schools should act as new net neutrality era arrives
Bambi Majumdar EducationIn May, the U.S. Senate voted to restore net neutrality rules, and school districts are hopeful that the bill will eventually become law, overturning the Federal Communication Commission’s December 2017 vote. The possibility of an open internet ensures access to high-quality educational resources. If the bill dies in the House, or on President Trump’s desk, then K-12 schools should brace themselves for the new era of no net neutrality, which officially began on June 11.
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Maintaining student progress in the ESL classroom
Douglas Magrath EducationESL programs should be more than just classes. Students need classes that are stimulating and relevant. Programs should include culture and sessions on adapting to life in the host country and interactions with regular students. In addition to classes and activities, the overall learning environment is a factor in retention and student progress. Students need to feel like participants in the program rather than just observers. Each student needs to be more than just a number.
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