The machines are learning, and so are the students
(News York Times)
Still more transformational applications are being developed that could revolutionize education altogether. Acuitus, a Silicon Valley start-up, has drawn on lessons learned over the past 50 years in education — cognitive psychology, social psychology, computer science, linguistics and artificial intelligence — to create a digital tutor that it claims can train experts in months rather than years.
Should you be lying to your kids about Santa?
(TIME)
Unlike belief in Santa—which is something children grow out of—dishonesty is something children grow into, says Robert Feldman, a University of Massachusetts psychology professor who has studied lying for many years. In having children and adolescents purposely tell lies to mislead, he found that first graders were unconvincing liars, seventh graders were pretty decent, but college students were experts.
How iPads might actually help kids learn to read
(MIT Technology Review)
A study out today in the journal Developmental Psychology suggests that animated text could make e-books superior to physical books. The study: Thirty-five children between three and five years old participated in a series of three experiments using two popular kids’ books: Cat’s Pajamas and Zoom City, both by author Thacher Hurd.
‘Lockdown anxiety’: how early is too early to train kids on school shootings?
(Education Week – subscription required, free trial)
School psychologists say lockdowns can save lives, but in some cases might produce anxiety, stress and traumatic symptoms. “I think there are many, many parents who are questioning what is necessary and appropriate for kids in terms of active shooter drills,” said Katherine Cowan, a spokeswoman for the National Association of School Psychologists.
What students are saying about how to improve American education
(New York Times)
An international exam shows that American 15-year-olds are stagnant in reading and math. Teenagers told us what’s working and what’s not in the American education system.
What do teachers need to know about cognitive load theory?
(David Didau’s Learning Spy)
What do teachers need to know about Cognitive Load Theory? The short answer is, not that much.
Mentoring project deepened student learning, commitment
(Science Daily)
Pairing graduate students with professionals working in their field resulted in deeper learning and inspired passion for the work, according to new research.
Anxiety can make kids avoid math. Here’s how they can talk through the fear
(Education Week)
New research suggests anxiety can make students avoid engaging in math, even when they could gain big rewards from doing so. But a separate study also offers one simple way teachers can help math-anxious students build their confidence with the subject.
It’s not just teachers who need a lesson in the science of reading
(Education Week)
Why aren’t administrators required to know more about reading development?
1 in 7 students report having seriously considered suicide, survey finds
(Education Week’s Rules for Engagement)
One in seven students between the ages of 10 and 18 report they had seriously considered attempting suicide in the 12 months prior to taking an online survey, a new analysis shows.
Why inclusion matters on the playground
(Edutopia – video with closed captions)
When general education students and students with special needs play together, it breaks down unconscious biases about disability and fosters relationships.
Six thinking scaffolds that can move students toward deeper levels of understanding
(KQED – Mind/Shift)
In the field of instructional design, experts have debated whether student-led, problem-based approaches — what researchers call “constructivist” approaches — work. In a new study, cognitive scientist Tina Grotzer and her research partners found further evidence of the effectiveness of structured problem-based learning, in which educators can support students in moving from novice toward expert-level understanding.
Reanalysis confirms findings of the famous marshmallow test
(Medical Xpress)
Very few experiments in psychology have had such a broad impact as the marshmallow test developed by Walter Mischel at Stanford University in the 1960s.
After fatal school shootings, antidepressant use spikes among student survivors
(MSN News US)
The children who experience a school shooting but live to see their parents and friends again are often called survivors. But by at least one measure of mental health, they too are among a gunman’s victims, new research finds.
Encouraging kids to talk to themselves could help their math scores
(CNN)
“Parents and teachers are often advised to encourage children to repeat positive self-statements at stressful times, such as when they’re taking academic tests,” said Sander Thomaes, professor of psychology at Utrecht University, who led the study. “But until now, we didn’t have a good idea of whether this helped children’s achievement.
Creative thinking
(RichardbBrunner)
When asked to solve problems with a single answer, however, the walkers fell slightly behind those who responded while sitting, according to the study published in APA’s Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition. While previous research has shown that regular aerobic exercise may protect cognitive abilities, these researchers examined whether simply walking could temporarily improve some types of thinking, such as free-flowing thought compared to focused concentration.
How to handle homesickness in college
(US News and World Report)
“When we’re feeling bad, our inclination is to retreat,” Chansky says. Instead, students should open themselves up to new experiences, she says. “It’s important to create new rituals, find the place where everyone knows your name.”
Mental health help expanding at D.C. Schools
(US News and World Report)
Officials in the nation’s capital are partnering to provide more students with the holistic help they need to succeed.
Incivility, bullying and academic dysfunction
(Inside Higher Ed)
How can departments foster an environment that encourages productive discourse, even in the face of vigorous disagreement? Nicholas C. Burbules, Ashley Albrecht Weaver, Elizabeth A. Luckman and C. K. Gunsalus provide some recommendations.
