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Surveillance technologies key to increasing student safety
Bambi Majumdar EducationData 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.
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A danger sign for parents and schools: Poor sleepers
Howard Margolis EducationIn 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.
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Counselors’ role likely to evolve to help stop further violence on…
Bill Becken Mental HealthcareEarlier 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.
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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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Solving the opioid crisis by empowering students
Brian Stack EducationIn 2016, New Hampshire had one of the highest national opioid death due to overdose rates, a whopping 39 per 100,000 people. For a state with roughly 1.3 million residents and fewer than 100 high schools, this means that virtually every school community has, in some way, been impacted by this epidemic. As a principal in a small suburban New Hampshire community, I am starting to lose count of the number of funeral services that I have attended for students and former students from my high school community.
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The importance of gestures in ESL teaching
Douglas Magrath EducationESL teachers need to see the importance of gestures in the overall communication process, as gestures and speech coexist in time, meaning and function to such a degree that they can be reasonably regarded as different sides of a single underlying mental process. Instructors should be aware of common gestures and be able to incorporate them into teaching, particularly at the basic levels. Gestures and body language are also a part of culture. Sociolinguistic competence has been added to communicative competence as a key element in successful language learning.
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Students with disabilities suffer the most from K-12 funding cuts
Bambi Majumdar EducationRecent years have been tumultuous for K-12 schools as proposed federal budget cuts targeted Education Department funding to the tune of $9.2 billion in fiscal 2018 and $3.6 billion in fiscal 2019. As a result, teachers, administrators, districts, and parents are not only fighting possible cuts but pushing for increased public money. Significant cuts to Medicaid not only affect public schools and poorer students, but special-needs students as well. Budget cuts could take away about $4 billion in Medicaid reimbursements per year for those with special needs.
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Using instructionally-relevant questions to develop evaluations and IEPs
Howard Margolis EducationMany schools have traditionally limited their special education evaluations to brief observations, informal measures, rating forms, and norm-referenced tests. These are tests that compare the student to large groups of students but offer incomplete and superficial glimpses of what the student knows and can successfully do. For students with mild-to-moderate difficulties, such as struggling learners with learning disabilities, they often dismiss or quickly wink at instructionally-relevant questions that influence academics, communication, and social, emotional and physical functioning.
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Assessment in the music room
Aileen Miracle EducationAssessment in the music classroom can be tricky. Many music teachers only see their students once a week — sometimes even less — so fitting in quality curriculum, engaging songs and dances, games, books and more needs to be balanced with assessing students' musical growth. Here are several things to consider when assessing in the music classroom.
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Make math class awesome for all students
Savanna Flakes EducationIf we make math relevant (connected to everyday concepts and the real world), differentiate rigorous instruction (inquiry, project, problem-based vs. route memorization and process checklist) and engage learners with various learning modalities (using manipulatives and interactive games), we can make math fun for all students.
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