Embracing Science in the Classroom: Teaching for the Brain

The phrase “education reform” doesn’t usually conjure positive feelings, however, emerging research can make thinking about the new possibilities exciting. We live in a time of fundamental change with research that should influence the decisions we make on how to move away from the past and move forward into the future. Neurological research is one area that is taking us beyond simply teaching and learning and showing us theÂ howÂ behind teaching and learning to develop the most effective practices.
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The 21st Century Language: Should K12 Schools Teach Coding?

In yesterday’s blog, I quoted stats from the articleÂ “How Corporations Are Helping to Solve the Education Crisis”Â that show 80% of the jobs created over the next decade will require mastery of technology, math, and science. More jobs are welcome in our economy, however, there is worry that there won’t be a skilled enough workforce to takeover these jobs. Students’ mastery of STEM subjects is not as impressive as the growth of STEM jobs, and both educators and corporations have a responsibility to make sure students are receiving the education to benefit from the job creation.
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Funding STEM Education: Corporations Give Big Money But Not Ideas

One-quarter of high school students drop out every year. Of the students who do graduate, two-fifths leave underprepared for college or career and fifty-seven percent leave not having mastered remedial math, according to a recentÂ Fast CompanyÂ article. Â These statistics are tragic, but anymore, they aren’t shocking. Today, there is a fight for better institutions, educators, leaders, technology, funding, parents, and students. The article goes on to share some statistics that show why the fight is more important than ever.
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Responding to the Recession: Public Libraries Increase Community Resources

It’s not news that many people have been required to make financial sacrifices and adjustments to get through the recession. The spike in library usage is a strong reflection of how the new American consumer of goods and information behaves. Even though more people are using the library as a resource, public libraries aren’t safe from funding cuts. However, libraries across the country are doing anything but backing down.
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The Achievement Gap: Students with Devices Lack Internet Access

We have many dreams for today’s students. We want to ensure they get an education that prepares them for a successful career. We want them to have all the latest technology. We want them to use technology to become a new generation of innovators and creative thinkers. We want them to have the best teachers. We want a system that values learning, not memorization.

Many people have many different ideas for how education can be reformed, but they all have one thing in common: they they all require funding.

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Improving the US Graduation Rate: Schools Need Early Intervention and Career Focus

A new report shows aggressive efforts to lower the high school dropout rate between 2001 and 2009, only made a 3.5 percentage increase. The organization America’s Promise Alliance has a goal to raise the high school graduation rate to 90% by 2020. In 2009, 75% of students graduated high school, which translates to one in four, according to the CBS story “Report: US Makes Modest Gains in Graduation Rate.”

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Obsessed with “Successâ€: The Cost of Emphasizing Success at the Expense of Failure

Could failing be the key to success? Can we redefine our limited idea of â€œsuccessâ€?

According to a new study by the American Psychological Association, children may perform better in school and feel more confident if told that failure is a normal part of learning. One researcher said that when students are “obsessed with success” their fear of failure keeps them from taking difficult steps necessary for mastering new material. Â When students donâ€™t have the confidence to explore, take risks, fail, and regroup in a healthy way, they arenâ€™t preparing themselves for lifeâ€™s more difficult and complex challenges.
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Start Planning for a Summer of Learning

Summer vacation will be here before we know it, and while it is an exciting time for students to take a break from academia, it is also where students experience the largest learning losses. No student is safe from summer learning losses if their brains aren’t kept active throughout the summer months. However, students in lower-income families are generally at a much higher risk to suffer from learning losses which continues to increase the achievement gap between lower and higher income youth.
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Today’s College Students Have New Demands from Institutions

What made your no. 1 college choice stand out from the rest?

Over the last 45 years, the most popular factor in choosing the right college is still the institution’s academic reputation, according to theÂ Chronicle. However, according to preliminary evidence from a new study by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program, today’s college students have many changing factors and demands than students did 40 years ago.

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New Demands for Job-Seekers in a New Economy

New college graduates have an average annual starting wage of $27,000, an amount that is hard to live off and down $3,000 from 2007. In order for professionals to make a higher wage in the new economy, Â LZ Granderson says “hustlers” will become the norm, in the article “The fastest-growing job in America.”
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