Be your own boss. An enticing dream that is achievable with honed business know-how. It’s a career journey that can actually start in school through programs that prepare learners for future entrepreneurial roles in a continually evolving workforce. In EVERFI’s edWebinar, “A Shark Tank State of Mind: Empowering an Entrepreneurial Mindset,” educators shared strategies for developing the capabilities and mindset students should embrace to become entrepreneurs.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across the country struggle to move their brick-and-mortar classrooms to remote online learning environments. While empowering students to take the lead in their education is the vision and mission of school districts, the abrupt move to distance learning has put a heavy burden of responsibility on our students. “What is being asked of our children today in terms of executive functioning is way more complicated than it used to be, and their brains are not more ready,” said Courtney Wittner, M.Ed., Director at Hayutin & Associates, during a recent edLeader Panel. Wittner, along with Renaud Boisjoly, CEO of Studyo, identified and provided valuable strategies for supporting students as they navigate these unprecedented and challenging times with executive functioning skills.
Every two or three years, state and federal laws regarding accessibility in education change. However, the goal is always the same: making sure that every student, at every level (classroom, building, district), has access to the resources they need to meet their learning goals. During ClassLink and CoSN’s edWebinar, “Accessibility for All: Creating an Equitable Learning Ecosystem,” the presenters discussed the lessons they’ve learned, especially regarding technology as an instrument for accessibility.
While printed books aren’t going away, today’s kids are wired to think digital first. Combined with increasing ways for teachers, students, and authors to interact online, digital reading is allowing students to connect with content on a deeper level. In their presentation, sponsored by Mackin Educational Resources, “The Transformative Power of Digital Reading,” Michelle Luhtala, Library Department Chair, New Canaan High School (CT), and Jane Lofton, Teacher Librarian “In the Wild,” offered tools and strategies for effective engagement with digital sources.
Discussing and developing equity strategies can lead to significant improvements in student performance, and as Dr. Tyrone Howard of UCLA explained during a recent edWebinar sponsored International Center for Leadership in Education, starting the process by looking at data on both students and teachers is a crucial first step toward mutual understanding and effective solutions.
The situation was bleak: There were just a few plants. The mule deer were hungry. There were no pollinators. Other animals were reproducing. The ecosystem was on the verge of collapse. Those in charge would need to figure out what went wrong. And then make quick decisions to save it. Good thing this was a simulated game designed to engage students in complex science concepts. They probably won’t feed mule deer in the future, but through a thoughtfully constructed interactive video game, learners can build their science proficiency in engaging and meaningful ways.
With the Common Core Standards came an increased focus on reading informational texts, starting with kindergarten. But integrating informational texts isn’t as simple as having students read a couple of biographies every marking period. In PBS TeacherLine’s edWebinar, “Strategies to Engage Young Learners with Informational Text,” Nell Duke, Professor of Literacy, Language, and Culture at the University of Michigan School of Education, offered her advice for understanding and incorporating informational texts in the classroom.
edWeb.net is delighted to announce that it was named a 2020 SIIA CODiE Award finalist in two categories: Best Collaborative Community Solution for Educators and Best Professional Learning Solution for Faculty & Administrative Staff.
As a new principal at the Dunwoody Springs Elementary School, Fulton County Schools, GA, Ivy Goggins faced pockets of success in the building, a climate of teachers working in silos, and the lack of true collaboration. These are common challenges for many instructional leaders, teachers, and coaches, and Goggins sought to find a way to create a culture of mutual respect, cooperation, and equitable learning opportunities for her teachers and students. In CT3’s recent edWebinar, Goggins, her principal coach Joy Treadwell, Ph.D. from CT3, and Jim McVety, Managing Partner of First Step Advisors, delved into solutions to these challenges through the essential leadership skills that have the potential to impact the entire school community.
Students miss a school day now and then. They get sick, have a doctor’s appointment, or get caught up in a family emergency. These are among common excused absences that don’t usually affect a student’s academic standing. But chronic absenteeism—missing 10% or more of school—is an equity epidemic with short- and long-term impacts on student performance. Each year, almost eight million students are chronically absent for complex reasons.