Arming students with book smarts is only part of the education they will need to succeed. Students need to learn social and emotional skills to not only give them the tools they need to interact with teachers, peers, future employers, and family, but so they can quiet the environmental factors that can be so distracting and focus on their academics.
Were you shocked when you watched Steve Jobs’ Standford commencement speech and learned he was adopted by  working-class parents, dropped out of college, and still became one of the most successful and influential men of today? In the article “When Will We Learn” by Fareed Zakaria in this month’s Time magazine, Zakaria notes that although Jobs’ accomplishments are outstanding, the times were different when Jobs graduated in 1972 and dropping out then isn’t what it is today.
Most people might expect to be praised and to praise others for a job well done. Reinforcing that something was done well shows the person they are appreciated and should continue their behavior in the future, right?
If you’ve been involved in the college process, two of the biggest moments might have been getting your acceptance letter and receiving your diploma on graduation day. College might have been exciting the first year. You took classes that taught you basic skills you would need for higher level classes and you were also encouraged to register for classes just because they sounded interesting. You lived away from home, met new and diverse people, and had more independence than ever before.
Do you know a student who loves writing, has a unique perspective, and wants to beef up their resume before heading into the workforce? In college, the majority of students have to exercise their writing skills on academic papers and assignments but don’t always get to put it to real-world practice. They could be the perfect candidate for starting their own blog or contributing to an established blog.
With an increase in technology, kids are being introduced to the art of multitasking at younger and younger ages. When older kids and adults sit down to work we get an email, a notification that something’s been posted on our wall, a text, or a phone call. There are those educators and parents who fully embrace technology and the constant attention it demands and those that recoil at the idea of giving rambunctious kids any tool that could tear their attention away from the task at hand.
LifeBound Academic Coaches Training, December 2010
In forty states, millions of students in K-12 public schools are taking at least one course online, according to a new report. Due to budget cuts and busy schedules, administrators are also turning to the Internet for professional development training. Online professional development not only cuts back on travel time and cost, it also expands the administrator’s network from the confinement of a district or state to districts and states in the entire nation.
A new report shows children under 8 are exposed to more screen time than ever before. Another trend that became apparent from the same study is what researchers are calling the “app gap,” which refers to the gap between what technology is available to affluent and low-income children. Affluent kids are more likely to spend their screen time playing interactive games and low-income kids are more likely to spend their screen time in front of the television, according to the article “Screen Time Higher Than Ever for Children.”
Some other eye-opening statistics about childhood media exposure the study revealed are:
If you are a recent college grad, odds are you can relate to stories about your new student debt impacting your personal and professional life.
According to a new study by NCES, dropout rates have declined since 1972, but there are still 3 million students between 16 and 24, a large amount who are minority or poor, who haven’t earned high school diplomas.