As we head rapidly towards back-to-school time, schools and districts are facing rapidly changing circumstances as a result of the coronavirus. MCH Strategic Data has released a map to help everyone involved in education to keep up with the latest information and data. View the map here. Here is more information on this new resource.
Regardless of one’s political views, there seems to be consensus on one political reality: America is dangerously polarized. According to Michelle Luhtala, Library Department Chair at New Canaan High School in Connecticut, in an edWebinar sponsored by Mackin Educational Resources, “The future of democracy presents a case for the critical need for school librarians in every school.” They are valuable for students to ensure equitable access to quality inquiry instructional experiences for all learners, not just for the future of education but also for the future of democracy.
In-person, online, or a hybrid classroom for the 2020-21 school year, there’s no one right way to teach science. But for all methods, safety should be the first priority along with helping students engage in the scientific process and relate the lessons to the real world. In the edLeader Panel, “Teaching Science and STEM in a COVID World Fully and Safely—Whatever the Learning Approach,” Dr. Mike Marvel, Chief Scientist at Flinn Scientific, and James Palcik, Director of Education, Safety, and Compliance at Flinn Scientific, helped teachers prepare for the fall by answering the key questions they’ve received about science in a COVID world.
Now that a global pandemic and its multiple impacts on education have coincided with a renewed focus on equity, there’s a lot to be mindful about. And with the new school year about to present even more challenges and uncertainties, staying mindful and staying focused on providing an equitable education are likely to prove more difficult and important than ever.
Preparing learners for academic success is essential. But students must be able to carry what they learn from school to the real world where they will ultimately live and work. In a recent edLeader Panel, educators and entrepreneurs—committed to developing students’ academic and lifelong skills—shared strategies and tools designed to propel student engagement, strengthen academic proficiency, and build young people’s capacity for gainful employment and financial well-being.
Lexia Learning’s Chief Learning Officer Dr. Liz Brooke’s steadfast determination to ensure students of all abilities can become successful readers and confident learners continues to be the driving force behind all of her work. According to Brooke in a recent edWebinar, during this time of remote and distance learning, “There have been various levels of implementation, fidelity, and various levels of learning happening.”
In a recent edWebinar sponsored by NWEA, “Articulating a Plan for Addressing Interrupted Learning: Best Teacher Practices for Back-to-School 2020,” NWEA Strategic Content Design Coordinator Brooke Mabry highlighted instructional approaches that can fill COVID-driven academic gaps and put every student on a fast track to grade level. However it shapes out, the school day has been redefined. These few months of interrupted education call for a rethinking of how students learn.
One of the many challenges with distance learning is finding ways for students to engage in active and interpersonal learning experiences that increase their understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). These types of activities are especially important because they can make abstract scientific concepts more accessible, and engage diverse learners in using engineering processes that are helpful for 21st century careers.
In a recent edWebinar sponsored by Kaplan Early Learning Company, “Embracing Anti-Bias Classrooms: A Response to Racism in America,” four recognized early childhood education specialists, and lead authors of the newly released book Don’t Look Away, Embracing Anti-Bias Classrooms, emphasized that to challenge bias, educators have to recognize the role implicit bias, microaggression, and white privilege hold in undermining the learning experiences of marginalized Black and brown children.
The Spencerport School District (NY) was looking for a professional learning solution for some of their teachers who can’t stay after hours for face-to-face PD because of family responsibilities. New York State requires that teachers earn 100 hours of professional learning in five years for their license renewal, and teachers were struggling to earn those hours. Spencerport wanted to find a solution that could help with the issue of equal… read more →