Oct 28, 2020
The Huffington Post – Caroline Bologna
“Children tend to pick up on the big things happening around them, so it’s only natural they’d know the U.S. is in the midst of a major political moment, even if they haven’t had explicit conversations about it. From overheard discussions to classroom lessons to TV commercials to yard signs, there are many indications that it’s election season, but what kids may not know is what, exactly, it all means. Fortunately, parents can help with that.” (more)
Oct 28, 2020
The Conversation – Thea van de Mortel
“According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the main way SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) spreads is by droplet transmission. Droplets containing virus particles are released from the mouth or nose when someone who is infectious coughs, sneezes, laughs, talks or even breathes. The more vigorous the activity, the greater the volume of droplets and spread (so, for example, laughing releases more droplets than breathing).” (more)
Oct 28, 2020
Ed Tech Magazine – Micah Castelo
“The global pandemic accelerated K–12 education’s digital transformation. With remote and hybrid learning turning mainstream, today’s teachers and students are increasingly reliant on mobile devices and digital tools. Efforts to close the homework gap are more urgent than ever, and cyberthreats — particularly ransomware attacks — are only intensifying.” (more)
Oct 28, 2020
E-School News – Chelsea Waite
“Across the country, redefining the status quo has become the status quo for K–12 schools. Wide-scale remote and hybrid learning, mask-wearing culture, and “pods” all fall outside the bounds of what most of us imagined as mainstream schooling before this year. But despite how schools all face a similar set of challenges, innovation towards new solutions—especially student-centered ones—can be a surprisingly lonely endeavor. Many of the leaders and educators responsible for designing and implementing new approaches are left asking: hasn’t anyone done this before? And how do I find out?” (more)
Oct 28, 2020
E-School News – Eileen Belastock
“According to an Education Week survey, classroom teachers spent the first six weeks after school closures troubleshooting connectivity and software issues, resulting in a 75 percent drop in instruction. Even as late as into the spring, classroom instruction was still less than 50 percent of pre-COVID numbers with district staff and educators challenged to reengage students with sound instructional practices from a distance.” (more)
Oct 28, 2020
Forbes – Michael T. Nietzel
“Americans are about equally divided in their opinions about whether colleges that reopened their campuses this fall for in-person attendance did the right thing. Half of those surveyed said those campuses made the right decision, and 48% indicated they didn’t, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.” (more)
Oct 27, 2020
Education Dive – Staff Writer
“There’s a palpable digital divide in the United States. A report from the Pew Research Center found that there are currently two camps when it comes to digital competency. According to the study, 52% of U.S. adults are relatively hesitant when using digital tools to access information. These findings signal both a substantial problem and a significant opportunity: As more people are prepared to use technology productively upon entering adulthood, they will be better equipped to solve problems, think critically and enter new virtual spaces.” (more)
Oct 27, 2020
Ed Surge – Katie Boody Adorno
“The first time my mom interacted with an iPad was this August, when her 5-year-old grandson—my nephew—brought it home from school. Gus is a kindergartener, and his parents don’t have the luxury of being able to work from home, so my recently retired mother has become his education supervisor. She didn’t have a Gmail account, let alone familiarity with Google Classroom. Our family has become an ad hoc over-the-phone IT support unit. A spare bedroom—our family’s “teacher’s lounge”—has a wall covered with Post-it notes with login credentials, a mobile whiteboard schedule and a count-to-100 handmade poster. The dining room table has been repurposed as the classroom.” (more)
Oct 27, 2020
Ed Surge – Emily Tate
“Technology is enabling learning like never before, with millions of students attending school remotely for some or all of their regular instruction this fall. With this skyrocketing growth in technology use, however, comes greater concerns around student privacy. Which technologies are collecting student data? How is that data being used? Who has access to it? And how long is it kept?” (more)
Oct 27, 2020
Edutopia – Ashley Taplin
“Cooperative learning has been highlighted by educational researchers John Hattie and Robert Marzano as a high-yield strategy that “adds value to whole-class instruction and to individual work” by boosting both engagement and collaboration. Last year, I leveraged Hattie and Marzano’s research to partner with high school math teacher Kathleen Janysek in creating a cooperative learning strategy we called Try It, Talk It, Color It, Check It.” (more)
