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The application of linguistics to ESL: Part 1
Douglas Magrath EducationThe grammatical description of a language is conveniently divided into two complementary sections: morphology and syntax. The relationship between them, as generally stated, is as follows: Morphology accounts for the internal structure of words, and syntax describes how words are combined to form phrases, clauses and sentences.
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Summer reading for special education teachers
Savanna Flakes EducationSchool is winding down for many educators across the country. Summer is a much needed time for teachers to rejuvenate, reflect and rebuild. Contrary to popular belief, educators are not truly off in the summer. What other professions are responsible for 30-150 human beings' emotional, mental and academic needs during 10 out of 12 months, or are constantly thinking about standards, tests and meetings in the shower, and are planning exciting activities during their dinnertime?
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Is summer vacation a relic of the past?
Brian Stack EducationThis is the time of year when Alice Cooper's song "School's Out for Summer" can be heard playing on public address systems in schools from coast to coast. I am reminded of the days of my youth, busting out the front doors of my elementary school and charging into the streets of my Haverhill, Massachusetts, neighborhood filled with mixed emotions of what my life without an academic structure would look like for the next two months.
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Tablets: Tools for learning or distracting toys?
Cait Harrison EducationClassrooms have come a long way since the days of pencils, paper and textbooks. Now many school districts are trading those tools in for new ones — the latest tablets and laptops, to be exact. So what kind of impact is all this technology having on students, for better or for worse?
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Puzzling for learning: Quick brown foxes and lazy dogs
Debra Josephson Abrams EducationIn my previous article, I wrote about the value of Wordsmith.org, a website that offers 22 years (and counting) worth of linguistic goodies in one simple package. Wordsmith.org offers "A Word a Day," a daily email of theme-based words, their definition(s), pronunciation, usage and etymology. A recent theme — "Playing with Words" — inspired me to develop activities based on the words.
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Why the upcoming nursing shortage is so unhealthy
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationGeorgetown University researchers say that a nursing shortage, a constant point of contention for at least the last decade, will see a lack of more than 190,000 nurses in less than four years. They predict that the shortage will be a result of several factors, including an aging population, the number of nurses who are nearing retirement and a shortage of nursing faculty to train new nurses. Here's why this is important.
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Mixed signals in special education are concerning
Bambi Majumdar EducationA recent Education Week article said that the number of students with disabilities from ages 6 to 21 has risen to 5.83 million. This upswing in school-age students covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has brought forward a pressing need to take another look at K-12 special education programs and their allocated budgets. There has been improvement in special-education programs during the last few decades, but when we see this rise in numbers, one is forced to wonder how effective these programs have to be.
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Today’s lesson: Applying for scholarships
Kelly Sharp EducationTeachers want to see their students reach abundant heights. Each completed assignment and passed test is designed to prepare students for the benchmark ahead. With great hope, students will walk out of the classroom one step closer to higher education, also known as college.
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From interaction to discourse: Increase EL academic language proficiency
Erick Herrmann EducationIn classrooms all over the country, teachers have their students answer questions and engage in classroom discussions. Numerous researchers have demonstrated the importance of oral interactions in the classroom, especially for English learners.
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Is progress monitoring a waste of time?
Howard Margolis EducationDo teachers and tutors quickly and accurately know whether their struggling learners are sufficiently benefiting from their academic program? And if the benefit is meager (or far exceeds expectations), do they adjust the ineffective program to meet the needs of struggling learners?
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