Jun 23, 2017
The Fiji Times – Bhawna Kundra
“Multilingual students are able to communicate and interact with people from different communities. A potential employer values this asset so it opens up employment opportunities. Doors are around the world can also be opened by developing language-oriented skills. In the competitive modern world, multilingualism is progressively becoming a necessary and demanding skill in order to get a decent job in growing global market. The ones who speak one language will begin to be left behind the in interconnected global economy. Employers also believe the ability to speak a second language shows the aspiring employee is motivated and driven to learn new skills.”(more)
Jun 23, 2017
USA Today – Carolyn McAtee Cerbin
“Need a cybersecurity expert? Never fear, qualified Girl Scouts are here. Or at least they will be. Girl Scouts of the USA and Palo Alto Networks has announced a collaboration to introduce a series of 18 cybersecurity badges for girls K-12. The badges, which will help Scouts explore opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) while building leadership skills, will be available to earn beginning in September 2018. Badges, of course, are the insignia Girl Scouts — now 1.8 million strong — display on their tunics, vests and sashes.”(more)
Jun 23, 2017
KQED News Mind/Shift – Leah Shaffer
“Teachers are increasingly being asked to embrace new ideas and styles of teaching, but schools don’t always give their educators time or the mental space to absorb and apply those concepts. That’s why the idea of “unlearning” was worth exploring for Beaver Country Day School, a private 6-12 school in Massachusetts, which serves as something of a lab for unlearning in practice.”(more)
Jun 23, 2017
E-School News – Laura Ascione
“States are progressing toward a number of goals that aim to make computer science education a priority, but there is still more to do–especially when it comes to adopting K-12 computer science standards, according to a new report. State of the States Landscape Report: State-Level Policies Supporting Equitable K–12 Computer Science Education also highlights key strategies and issues state leaders must address regarding computer science education. That point was evident at the recent Portfolio Network meeting hosted by CRPE in Camden, New Jersey.”(more)
Jun 23, 2017
Education Next – Michael DeArmond
“The portents of market failure—things like inadequate information and a lack of competition—are everywhere in public education. So, when it comes to school choice, government has an important role to play: reducing information asymmetries, bolstering accountability, and ensuring fairness. But the market for schooling also needs bottom-up, community action if it’s going to work for families in the real world. That point was evident at the recent Portfolio Network meeting hosted by CRPE in Camden, New Jersey.”(more)
Jun 22, 2017
Forbes – Katie Elizabeth
“I always knew I wanted to build a company. As a child, my fantasies of the “future me” involved me sitting at the head of a table in a suit as the founder and CEO of a major, global company. That vision, however, never included connections to engineering, technology, math or science. Math was one of my hardest subjects, and anything technology/engineering seemed like a foreign language from a far off galaxy. I never thought STEM was important until I decided to launch my own company. Suddenly, science, technology, engineering and math really seemed to matter. Unfortunately for many women of my generation and those that came before me the sciences seemed like a foreign and intimidating place. However, today there are some pretty serious initiatives to alter this narrative and change how women, particularly girls and young women, feel about STEM subjects. From books such as Rosie Revere, Engineer to women like Dr. Anna Powers, founder of Powers Education, serious efforts to attract and retain women in STEM careers are on the rise.”(more)
Jun 22, 2017
Medical X-Press – Staff Writer
“Authored by the University’s Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) England team, the report, published on Thursday, highlights that supportive teacher-student relationships are associated with a lower risk of cyberbullying in children. It follows earlier findings by HBSC England researchers, published in the journal Youth and Society, that young people who do not feel supported by their teachers are more than twice as likely to be a victim of cyberbullying as those who do. The cyberbullying report also says fathers can play an important protective role. HBSC England research has suggested young people who find it difficult to communicate with their father are 50 per cent more likely to be cyberbullied compared with those who say they can talk easily.”(more)
Jun 22, 2017
E-School News – Laura Ascione
“Interest around social and emotional learning continues to expand, due in part to recognition that positive social and emotional skills can help improve students’ behavioral and academic outcomes in school. Now, educators can take a look at 25 evidence-based social and emotional learning programs to learn about curricular content and other features that they can use to help student develop key social and emotional skills such as self-control, empathy, flexible mindsets, and conflict resolution.”(more)
Jun 22, 2017
E-School News – Emily M.
“Thinking about ways to avoid the “summer slide” over the next few months? Keeping up on skills over the summer isn’t just for students. The summer break is a great time for teachers to take advantage of those professional development opportunities that are hard to fit in during the school year. Teacher communities are a nice blend of social interaction and knowledge-sharing among peers. We put together a list of our favorite online PLNs for you to check out over the break.”(more)
Jun 22, 2017
The Hechinger Report – Chris Berdick
“Traci Chun, a teacher-librarian at Skyview High School in Vancouver, Washington, is all done with shushing. “When my library is quiet, that’s a red flag,” said Chun. In fact, the busier it is, the better—whether it’s kids experimenting with the Makey Makey circuitry or uploading designs to a 3D printer, or a class learning media literacy or a student seeking advice on a video she’s editing at one of the computer workstations. Chun’s district is at the forefront of a national movement to turn K-12 librarians into indispensable digital mavens who can help classroom teachers craft tech-savvy lesson plans, teach kids to think critically about online research, and remake libraries into lively, high-tech hubs of collaborative learning — while still helping kids get books.”(more)
