Reading Emphasis Helps States Exceed Pre-Pandemic Performance
In 2019, Westcliffe Elementary in Greenville, South Carolina, received troubling news: It was one of 265 schools in the state where more than a third of third graders failed to meet literacy standards, according to an article in The 74 newsletter. Teachers in those schools received two years of training in what’s known as the…
Nature Helps Social Emotional Learning
Observing the natural world in school open spaces shapes students’ skills like patience and self-regulation, according to K-12 Dive. Regular time spent outdoors helps elementary school students develop social-emotional learning (SEL) skills such as patience and self-regulation — and lead to an understanding that learning is a process that doesn’t always bring immediate results, according to the…
Detroit Schools’ Multilayered Effort to Reduce Absenteeism
After missing four days of classes last fall at Gompers Elementary-Middle School, Jay’Sean Hull was called into the cafeteria with 100 other students with similar attendance records, according to a report in Chalkbeat Detroit. The group was introduced to attendance agent Effie Harris, a key figure in the school’s efforts to improve on a dismal statistic….
Teacher Shortage Revives “Zoom-in-a-Room”
Online instruction in school has for years linked students to subjects they otherwise couldn’t take, such as A.P. Calculus or Latin. But districts are increasingly using online technology platforms to teach core subjects – a consequence of the ongoing shortage of teachers, according to a report posted by The 74. More than 40 percent of the…
Want to Fix Bad Behavior? Stop Punishing Students
Bad student behavior “continues to escalate,” said Matt Cretsinger, director of special services for the Marshalltown Community School District, in an article in Education Next. “There are more behavioral needs than we’ve ever seen… it’s a shock to teachers.” The numbers tell the story. “We’re suspending kids like there’s no tomorrow; we’re giving detentions even more…
ChatGPT Is Omnipresent In One District – Here’s What It Looks Like
ChatGPT has found a home in the Wichita district in Kansas, according to an article in Education Week. The district has integrated artificial intelligence technology into almost every aspect of daily life. The 50,000-student district embraced the new technology soon after it was introduced last year. And the district has no plans on stopping. Rob Dickson,…
Classroom Creativity Reduces Burnout; Improves Teacher and Student Well-Being
At least 15 years ago it was a question of when – not if – teachers would flame out toward the end of the year, writes teacher Brian Johnsrud, Ph.D., in an Adobe blog post. With ideal conditions, some teachers could make it until April. Others showed signs of burnout by mid-year. A survey of…
Robots Programmed by Students Ease Staff Shortage Strain
Grapevine-Colleyville (Texas) independent school district students are learning practical technology skills to ease staffing shortages in its facilities and maintenance department, according to an article in EdTech magazine. The district’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Kyle Berger is using robots programmed by students in the district to automate tasks such as cutting the grass and cleaning the floors…
Learning through Unguided Play
Unguided play (remember those long ago days after school?) within time limits can give students the ability to explore, discover and invent on their own, according to an article in K-12 Dive. Teachers can observe and offer mild suggestions, then step back if they see a point where a lesson can be scaffolded in, says…
How Extroverted Teachers Can Engage Introverted Students
Middle school English teacher Brett Vogelsinger, working at Central Bucks School District outside Philadelphia for more than 20 years, has seen the concepts of introversion and extroversion become more widely understood, according to a report by KQED. An extrovert by nature, Vogelsinger said it took him “a while to realize that someone can engage rigorously…
