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Rethinking failure in the classroom
Brian Stack EducationEarlier this month, The Washington Post's Moriah Balingit and Donna St. George opened up a large debate by asking a simple question: Is it becoming too hard to fail? Their article discussed how schools are shifting toward no-zero grading policies as a way to focus a student's grade on what they know and are able to do rather than to use grades as a means to motivate or punish students for their academic behavior.
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Starting the school year with English learners
Erick Herrmann EducationIn just a few short weeks, schools will begin to fill up again with students ready for another year of learning. Of the approximately 50.1 million students in public K-12 schools in the United States, 9.3 percent will be English learners. For these students, school can be especially daunting as they will be learning new information in a new language.
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Report sheds light on disturbing trends in education
Bambi Majumdar EducationA recent report by Child Trends shows a rather disturbing trend in K-12 education. Data garnered from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) indicates only 18 percent of African-American and 21 percent of Hispanic fourth-grade students can be deemed "proficient" in reading. Experts think the shortcomings in our education system have disproportionately impacted them, and as a result so many of our young people are failing to achieve their potential.
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Don’t cry over spilled milk
Steve Spillane EducationYears ago, a family was enjoying a moment of peace in their new addition to their house. They sat together in the family room eating sandwiches and watching a movie. The father, though relatively at ease, was hypervigilant to avoid escalations of his complex, wonderful son that would lead to a highly stressful, potentially traumatic episode. Fortunately, he had enough free attention to observe and seize an opportunity to nurture his son's self-awareness, self-esteem and self-direction.
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For children to be independent thinkers, we must teach autonomy
Sheilamary Koch EducationWhen I asked junior high students to look back on their school career and describe the assignment that stood out most for them, most named activities where they were in the driver's seat. They claimed having the opportunity to take responsibility for their learning motivated them to achieve their best.
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Contrastive grammar for ESL teachers: Part 2
Douglas Magrath EducationESL and FL instructors need to be aware of some of the fundamental differences between the home language and the language that is taught. In Part 1 of this article, we looked at phrase structure grammar and language contrast, as well as deep and surface structure. Here in Part 2, we will examine more similarities and differences in grammar structure among languages.
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Distributed leadership meets the needs of diverse learners
Christopher F. Herman EducationBehind the walls of AIM Academy, a Philadelphia independent school for bright children with learning differences, a unique leadership model is taking shape. The leadership flows from the top down, the bottom up, and from side to side.
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Contrastive grammar for ESL teachers: Part 1
Douglas Magrath EducationESL and FL instructors need to be aware of some of the fundamental differences between the home language and the language that is taught.
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Researchers find brain circuit that spurs bullying in mice
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareBullying — whether physical, emotional or social — should not be considered a normal rite of passage or "kids just being kids." The effects of bullying can be serious, including depression, low self-esteem, health problems and even suicide.
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The key to counseling in urban schools
Pierre LaRocco EducationOne thing counselors must do in urban environments is build relationships with students. There are many reasons why this is more important in urban areas, but the main reason is students in urban areas learn not to trust people from outside the neighborhood.
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