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Are you schooling or educating your English learner students?

Erick Herrmann Education

English learners, like all students, go to school to learn. They are learning the knowledge and skills of the content areas as they are developing English proficiency. The goal, of course, is that students learn to be critical thinkers, are able to engage in society, and develop the skills necessary to be happy and successful human beings. As we teach our students, then, are we creating situations in which students can develop those skills? Or are we teaching them to robotically follow the rules that are imposed by the adults in the school?

Taking drastic steps to improve teacher recruitment

Brian Stack Education

I recently attended the ASCD Empower18 national conference in Boston and was surprised to see that a brave rural New Hampshire school district from the western part of the state had set up shop in an effort to recruit educators to their schools. For this rural district, attracting educators from far away is their best strategy because their part of the state has seen a decline in population and an exodus of skilled workers leaving the region to seek employment in other parts of the state or country, where wages are often higher and housing is more affordable and/or available.

Have your students review the school year successfully

Susan Winebrenner Education

Are you looking for an end-of-year activity you can use to help your students review its events in a meaningful way? Keep in mind that some students are not comfortable with written work. Some teachers suggest that it’s OK to make a vocal recording instead. But students should always be invited to create and use another format than those you are suggesting. It may also be helpful to brainstorm and display a list of the year’s events, which makes it easier for students to remember specific things that have happened during the present school year.

Tips for teaching music to upper elementary students

Aileen Miracle Education

Upper elementary can be a tough level to teach in the music room. They are sometimes "too cool for school" and self-conscious of their singing voices. Academically they are advanced, yet musically they may need the basics. A little background about my situation: I’ve had most of the fifth graders I teach since kindergarten. However, I have been in other situations where they needed a lot of help with the musical basics, where behavior was an issue, and where students didn't want to sing.

Report: Underinvestment in higher education harms California’s economy

Seth Sandronsky Education

Underfunding of higher education harms the Golden State’s economy, according to a new report from the California Budget & Policy Center (CPBC). Though a direct state budget-economy link involving higher education across the U.S. is unclear, California’s case is instructive. First, we look at the numbers. "Per student spending at the CSU and UC are well below pre-recession levels and are significantly below the funding request from each institution," according to Amy Rose of the CBPC.

Shootings propel new look at an old objective: Preparing youth for the…

Bill Becken Education

The decades-long rise of gun-related violence in U.S. schools reached a zenith of sorts with the shooting at the high school in Parkland, Florida. Seemingly, they have also led to a new interest in educating students about death as a part of life. And why shouldn’t death be proactively prepared for? After all, it comes for everyone, including for one’s friends and loved ones; for great leaders and scholars; for everyone and anyone, all of the time.

Surveillance technologies key to increasing student safety

Bambi Majumdar Education

Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that 75 percent of public schools use security cameras to monitor their buildings. With school shootings dominating headlines, it is not a surprise to see a rise in safety measures. As a result, many districts are investing in high-tech digital surveillance systems to keep students and staff safe from harm. These new surveillance technologies will complement teacher and student training programs.

A danger sign for parents and schools: Poor sleepers

Howard Margolis Education

In his 2017 book, "Why We Sleep," Dr. Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, clearly summarized much of the neuroscience of sleep, including the dramatically different effects of quality sleep and poor sleep. Among other consequences, he explained how quality may lessen emotional distress and strengthen cognition, learning and memory, and problem-solving. Meanwhile, the consequences of poor sleep aren’t neutral; they’re destructive.

Counselors’ role likely to evolve to help stop further violence on…

Bill Becken Mental Healthcare

Earlier this year, a disaffected former high school student returned to his alma mater in Parkland, Florida, and randomly massacred 17 students and teachers with gunfire, injuring 17 others. In subsequent weeks, protesters filled the streets in cities and towns nationally, pressing for legislative change. Their demands at first did not exactly gain traction in the U.S. Congress. Instead, there were multiple reform-minded responses from other government, public and nonprofit quarters — including one from the American Counseling Association.

Classical music builds bridges for Gifford, Florida, youth orchestra members

Sheilamary Koch Education

"More Violins — Brighter Futures." This motto has become a reality for nearly 200 children who have been members of the Gifford Youth Orchestra (GYO) since it was launched in 2003. To give some history, the eastern Florida community of Gifford became home to black Dodgers players during the days of segregation when neighboring Vero Beach was the team’s spring training site. After that, many of the services once found in Gifford dwindled, including music — in all of the schools.

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