New education doctorate focused on social-emotional learning is one of the first of its kind as experts call for better teacher training on the whole child
(The 74)
The program also fills a need in the social-emotional learning space: teacher training. A recent Aspen Institute report from researchers, educators, parents and students called for redesigned teacher preparation programs that focus on understanding trauma and teaching social, emotional and cognitive development skills. A 2017 study of teacher colleges found that few programs are instructing educators in how to support students’ social-emotional learning.
Guest post: Learning styles and differentiated instruction
(Learning Scientists)
In sum, to design instruction effective for all learners, it is advisable to keep in mind that students’ prior knowledge determines what they can learn, and low-performing students often have issues with working memory and do not use effective study strategies.
Recall or recognition questions when retrieving?
(Effortful Educator)
Recently, though, I’ve been considering what type of review should take place. What kinds of questions should I ask my students? When should I provide recognition questions (multiple-choice, matching, et cetera) that only ask my students to wade through the distractors to recognize the correct answer? When should I provide recall questions (essay, short-answer, et cetera) that provide no assistance by supplying possible correct/incorrect answers?
Survey: 84 percent of people feel schools don’t do enough about bullying
(Yahoo! News – video with closed captions)
A local mother is trying to get the word out to encourage schools to take bullying seriously; KDKA’s Kristine Sorenson reports.
New therapy for depressed and anxious teens: start doing more on social media
(Let Grow)
Social media gets a bad rap for making kids (and everyone else) anxious and depressed: Is everyone else having more fun? Going cooler places? Happier with their lives — and way more attractive? But this article in the Wall Street Journal points out that there is also a flip side: Sometimes very anxious teens avoid.
By imaging the brain, scientists can predict a person’s aptitude for cognitive training
(Science Dialy)
People with specific brain attributes are more likely than others to benefit from targeted cognitive interventions designed to enhance fluid intelligence, scientists report in a new study. Fluid intelligence is a measure of one’s ability to adapt to new situations and solve never-before-seen problems.
Psychology professor pens article about virtual characters in child education
(The Hoya)
Children learn math concepts better when interacting with intelligent virtual characters, according to a new study co-authored by Georgetown University psychology professor Sandra Calvert.
Using distinct lessons to screen all students for giftedness
(Education Week – subscription required, Free trial)
To find talented children who historically have been overlooked in gifted education, Wheeler Elementary educators are learning to see their students in a new way.
The most popular reading programs aren’t backed by science
(Education Week – subscription required, Free trial)
Observational studies show that poor readers do use different sources of information to predict what words might say. But studies also suggest that skilled readers don’t read this way. Neuroscience research has shown that skilled readers process all of the letters in words when they read them, and that they read connected text very quickly.
Bullying won’t be curbed until we figure out what fuels it
(The Conversation)
In October 2019, a 14-year-old and an 18-year-old were charged with first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of Devan Bracci-Selvey, who died in his mother’s arms outside his southern Ontario high school.
Creating new connections and conversations in the classroom
(Inside Higher Education)
Andrew Joseph Pegoda recommends that instructors schedule regular times for student wellness lessons.
Health care giant funds mental health therapists in East Bay schools
(San Francisco Business Times)
Oakland-based Blue Shield is bankrolling a $10 million program to put more mental health counselors in nine East Bay schools, stepping up its philanthropic efforts in the area after moving its headquarters there.
U.S. education “utterly flat” in global assessment
(CBS News – Video with subtitles)
Every three years, 15-year-olds in nearly 80 countries take an international student assessment that tests math, reading and science. American teenagers scored worse than students in countries like China, Canada, Finland, and Poland in all 3 subjects, and they ranked below average in math. CBS News contributor and psychologist Lisa Damour joins “CBS This Morning” to break down the findings.
A dreaded part of teachers’ jobs: restraining and secluding students
(NPR)
Restraint and seclusion in schools can mean anything from holding or using restraints on a student to isolating them in a separate room or space. According to federal guidance, these methods are meant to be a last resort, when students are believed to be a danger to themselves or others. These practices are most often used on students with disabilities or special needs.
Trauma-informed classroom strategies
(Edutopia)
One teacher uses student survey responses to shape the trauma-informed strategies in her classroom.
What we’re getting wrong about gifted education
(Ed Week)
Hardly a week goes by without another news item about a school district’s attempt to deal with the problem of the underrepresentation of low-income students and children of color in gifted education programs.
