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Effectively using news in ESL classrooms
Sheilamary Koch EducationThe number of sites featuring news in levels and news for kids attest to its growing popularity as a learning tool — especially in the ESL classroom. Current world affairs make for compelling conversation starters, and news reports provide authentic examples of how the English language is used in broadcasting this information. For the language learner, the ability to comprehend the facts in a real news story — whether written or spoken — is a big step in employing their second language in everyday life.
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Poor sleep: A powerful — but often ignored — culprit in learning
Howard Margolis EducationIt blocks learning, causes memory difficulties, depletes energy, incites anxiety, evokes arguments and lays the groundwork for serious behavior and health problems. But when students struggle with reading, writing, math and other problems, it's usually ignored, immeasurably adding to the students' struggles.
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More schools adopting Cambridge Assessment standards
Bambi Majumdar EducationThe need to improve college readiness for high school students is an important agenda for educators. Despite years of efforts and debates, U.S. students are still lagging in this aspect. While others are awaiting government and administrative inputs, some schools have gone ahead and applied the Cambridge Assessment standards to their curriculum. The results speak for themselves.
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Grief counseling plays major role in school shooting recoveries
Michelle R. Matisons EducationOn Feb. 14, a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, murdered at least 17 people allegedly using an AR-15 assault weapon. He was also armed with smoke grenades and countless magazines.
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Using affixes, roots and base words to improve English learners’…
Erick Herrmann EducationWords. They are powerful and useful, and a key aspect of learning any new language. When it comes to learning a new language, students must absorb individual words and vocabulary — and quite a lot of them — and then figure out how to put those words together into meaningful chunks to create sentences, paragraphs and more.
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A grading debate: Pros and cons of reassessments
Brian Stack EducationIt is a typical day at my New Hampshire high school, and I am observing a biology class. The teacher is returning a recent assessment to her students that they completed on ecosystems. Students are reviewing the teacher's feedback and their grades on the assessment, as noted on the rubric they had been given in advance.
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Identifying life purpose helps teens in career path exploration
Sheilamary Koch EducationBy the time most children reach their teenage years, they've heard the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" more times than they care to remember. How can educators support students explore this question at a time when the future holds little certainty?
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A tale of 2 twice-exceptional learners, 30 years apart
Susan Winebrenner EducationSome years ago, my husband, Dr. Neil Winebrenner, was a superintendent of a school district in suburban Chicago. He knew of all my work in gifted education, and he was prepared to meet a very unusual family. A mom and dad made an appointment to ask for his help in creating a custom school program for their very gifted son, Kurt, who was in 4th grade. They described a child who was extremely capable in almost all subject areas, but was significantly disorganized.
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Teaching practical interactive grammar
Douglas Magrath EducationGrammar instruction is vital, but the methodology is continuing to shift to a more student-centered approach that actively involves the learners.
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A guide to observing your child’s instruction
Howard Margolis EducationAs your child begins the second part of his (or her) academic year, you shudder with anxiety and anger as you learn that his motivation has plummeted as his learning difficulties have intensified. You wonder if his teacher is competent, if she's even following his Individualized Education Program (IEP).
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