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Why has Japan’s massacre of disabled gone unnoticed? For answers, look to the past

Rachel Adams, Columbia University On July 26, 2016 a man wielding a knife broke into Tsukui Yamayuriena, a home for the disabled outside of Tokyo and brutally murdered 19 people as they slept, while injuring another 26. Afterwards, he turned himself in to a local police station, with the explanation: “It is better that the disabled disappear.” Disability advocates have expressed dismay that the massacre – Japan’s deadliest mass killing since World War II – has received so little attention relative to mass killings in Paris, Nice, Orlando, Kabul and Baghdad. Australian disability activist Carly Findlay wrote, “There was no …

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The HBCU Advantage, Part II: Or How to Win When the Competition is Tough

HBCUs came into existence in vastly different times, when they were necessary for black students to attend college. Today, they have to be savvy if they want to stick around. Let’s take a look at the shift HBCUs are making to become prominent in today’s integrated culture. There are many different business models out there, but in general, some serve the mass market and some appeal to niches. When it comes to today’s colleges, it’s easy to see PWIs (or predominantly white institutions) as “mass market” and HBCUs as “niche” schools. HBCUs have also had long histories, were created to …

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Understanding Three Key Classroom Management Theories

By Tricia Hussung How teachers manage their classrooms is an important part of achieving an effective learning environment. Educators know that all students learn differently, and choosing the right instructional style can mitigate behavioral issues and make good instruction possible. According to the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, a significant body of research also demonstrates that classroom organization and the ability to effectively manage student behavior “significantly influence the persistence of new teachers in teaching careers.” Within this context, it is clear that instructional theory and classroom management strategies are among the most important aspects of teacher education. While …

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Public vs. Private: What Education Is Right for Your Kids?

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.** A guest post by Anica Oaks While there is a current push toward private education in many circles in today’s society, the reality is that there are many happy, well-rounded, and well-educated children from both private and public institutions. It really does come down to choosing what’s best for your child. However, that choice isn’t …

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10 Ways to Incorporate Music into Your Classroom

A teacher librarian shares her best practices for tuneful teaching By Shannon McClintock Miller “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ~Plato One of the most important gifts we can give to our young children is a healthy foundation for lifelong learning. We want to capture their excitement, bottle their enthusiasm, and give life to their imagination. As educators, we look for resources that support and enhance these magical learning experiences. As shown in the Learning With Music infographic above, music stimulates and connects the different areas of …

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Educators: These Two Principles Are Your Universal Code of Ethics

The sphere of ethical responsibilities and moral dilemmas is not just limited to teachers. Professionals from all fields—including doctors, architects, engineers, or psychologists—face ethical issues during their professional duties and find themselves grappling with right and wrong. That’s why most professions have generated a universal code of ethics that every professional belonging to the group is supposed to follow. Doctors abide by the Hippocratic oath, for example. But as mentioned, the teaching profession unfortunately has no universally accepted code of ethics. The InTASC Standards come close. A number of organizations have formulated useful codes of ethics. The National Education Association …

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NEO Learning Management System: The World’s First Comprehensive LMS

By John Cork When it comes to Learning Management Systems (LMS) educators and learning institutions, have many choices available to them. With many years as both an Educational Technology Coordinator and educator, I’ve worked with learning management systems like Moodle, Blackboard, Canvas and Google Classroom.  I’ve found that it’s extremely difficult to find and implement an LMS that excels and satisfies the diverse needs of educators, students, and information technology staff.  NEO from CYPHER LEARNING is the answer as it excels on all levels. When I evaluate a Learning Management Systems, I look carefully at design, usability options, assessment capabilities, …

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14 Signs of Cyberbullying in the Classroom

By Gabe Duverge One of the biggest trends affecting education across the country is the migration of bullying to digital media, which is commonly referred to as cyberbullying. About 7 percent of students in grades 6-12 experience cyberbullying each year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying is much harder for educators to detect and address. The perpetrators are often able to maintain anonymity, and much of the cyberbullying activity occurs outside of school. Like traditional bullying, there are warning signs for teachers to watch for in their students. These signs can help you identify …

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How to help students be effective leaders

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.** A guest column by Anita Ginsburg Effective leadership is a combination of personality, skills and attitude. Although personality and people skills are important, leadership is primarily about attitude, values and experience. Students who develop strong personal values and positive attitudes become natural leaders because other people are moved by them. Teaching Leadership Values It is …

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Should schools provide free breakfast in classrooms?

Sean Corcoran, New York University; Amy Ellen Schwartz, New York University, and Michele Leardo, New York University Child hunger is a serious problem: 48 million Americans, including more than 15 million children, live in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis. In large cities, about 25 percent of households with children do not have sufficient food. The federally funded National School Breakfast Program has long sought to improve these numbers, by providing a free or low-cost breakfast for students in participating schools. In addition to reducing food insecurity, the program has been found …

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