Posted on

Access to equity in education is more critical than ever for the next administration

Six ways to level the playing field This article was written by JESSIE WOOLLEY-WILSON Equity in education is more important than ever. Although the divide between the haves and the have-nots in this country has been widening for years, the 2016 presidential race and, in particular, the surprising victory by Donald Trump underscored the growing discontent caused by unequal access to the American Dream. The outcry we heard on both sides of the political spectrum should make clear the extraordinary burden and risk created by income inequality, which is now at its highest level since the Great Depression. While the …

Continue reading “Access to equity in education is more critical than ever for the next administration”

Posted on

Have You Hacked These Cognitive Tools?

Modern technology offers a plethora of cognitive tools for implementation in your classroom. You’re likely familiar with pedagogical tools and teaching resources, but you may also be wondering what exactly a “cognitive tool” is. Cognitive tools are tools that, when used outside of the classroom, play a role in productivity. They include word-processing programs, spreadsheets, and e-mail programs. Applied to the classroom, these become cognitive tools, because they improve the learning process, enhancing thinking and understanding. Let’s look at some examples: Spreadsheets Spreadsheets are screens that are divided into rows and columns, and are supplied in programs that have mathematical …

Continue reading “Have You Hacked These Cognitive Tools?”

Posted on

Are Teachers Playing a Rigged Game?

Teachers in America have a high workload, are expected to transform their students’ lives, and have to navigate a larger—often broken—ecosystem at the same time. In other words, teachers are expected to be superheroes. But is this expectation realistic, or is it setting teachers up for failure? What’s a superstar teacher? Calculus is such a hard subject for students to learn, and it’s not one that many are enthusiastic about. But that obstacle didn’t stop Jaime Escalante, whom the movie Stand and Deliver is based on. In this Edward James Olmos classic, he takes control of a class of dropout-prone …

Continue reading “Are Teachers Playing a Rigged Game?”

Posted on

Here’s why kids fall behind in science

Paul Morgan, Pennsylvania State University Globally, the U.S. is at risk of declining economic competitiveness due to its continuing lower levels of educational attainment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The U.S. currently ranks 44th according to the quality of its mathematics and science education. A “leaky STEM pipeline” – in which factors such as lower expectations, discrimination, and a lack of interest make it less likely that racial or ethnic minorities, women or those from low-income families will pursue STEM careers – makes many adults less likely to be employed in these types of positions. Yet STEM positions …

Continue reading “Here’s why kids fall behind in science”

Posted on

Three Handy Rubrics for Assessment Creation

When it comes to creating classroom assessments, educators have a lot of leeway as to form, content, and length. Sometimes, the breadth available can be a little overwhelming. If you’re stalling when it comes time to draw up evaluations for your students – don’t fear! We’ve got a set of handy guides to help you get your assessment-brain inspired! Rubric 1 – Seven Forms of Assessment: 1. Forced Choice Multiple choice, matching, true/false, fill-in-the-blank Can be scored objectively Most common form of assessment Choose from among alternatives given 2. Essay Good for assessing thinking, reasoning, and expression skills Opportunity to …

Continue reading “Three Handy Rubrics for Assessment Creation”

Posted on

When do children develop their gender identity?

Vanessa LoBue, Rutgers University Newark Gender is generally thought of as a stable trait: we are born male or female and we stay that way as we grow from small children to adults. It turns out that for young children, initial concepts about gender are quite flexible. In my own research, I’ve found that children don’t begin to notice and adopt gender-stereotyped behaviors (e.g., preferring colors like pink or blue) until the age of two or three. A few years later, their concept of gender becomes quite rigid, and although it becomes more relaxed by middle childhood, even adults have …

Continue reading “When do children develop their gender identity?”

Posted on

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 …

Continue reading “Understanding Three Key Classroom Management Theories”

Posted on

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 …

Continue reading “Public vs. Private: What Education Is Right for Your Kids?”

Posted on

Here’s how witnessing violence harms children’s mental health

Daniel J. Flannery, Case Western Reserve University and Mark I. Singer, Case Western Reserve University Caroline was having a hard time getting her daughter to go to school. The night before, her daughter saw the news about a terrorist bombing that had occurred that day where several children and adults were killed and schools were immediately closed. Her daughter had a difficult time sleeping and was refusing to eat her breakfast. When Caroline asked her daughter what was wrong, she replied in a hushed tone, I’m scared mommy. If I go to school, will somebody come in and shoot me? …

Continue reading “Here’s how witnessing violence harms children’s mental health”

Posted on

Explainer: What do child prodigies have in common with kids with autism?

Joanne Ruthsatz, The Ohio State University As a toddler growing up in the 1950s, Richard Wawro threw violent tantrums. Often, he would tap the same piano key for long stretches of time. When he was three, his parents took him for testing at a nearby hospital. They were told that he was moderately to severely retarded. His family, however, never believed that his IQ was as low as the experts claimed. A special education teacher began working with Richard when he was six. She introduced him to drawing with crayons, which he took to quickly. He began filling sketchbooks (and …

Continue reading “Explainer: What do child prodigies have in common with kids with autism?”