Today, Apple unveiled the latest apps for iPads that hope to revolutionize the textbook. One app, iBook Author, will allow authors to create and publish textbooks on an iPad, the other app, iBooks 2, will allow students to access their textbook on their iPad, as well as take notes, view 3D models, videos, and images, make flashcards, and look up words in the dictionary, according to The Huffington Post.
The economy has done more than take away jobs. It’s forced families from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds to be homeless, hungry, and lose the comfort of  having other basic needs. Nearly three-quarters of all U.S. households with income below the federal poverty line spend over 50 percent of monthly household income on rent (Endhomelessness.org.)
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Many parents and educators equate a student’s high self-esteem with high achievement. However, according in the article “In schools, self-esteem boosting is losing favor to rigor, finer-tuned praise,” empty praise is out, and a new vocabulary that supports challenge is in. So, how can we work with students to hold them accountable to high expectations while helping them to believe in themselves to risk, to try, to grow, and to deliver quality work?
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Collaboration. Teamwork. Brainstorm.
Anyone whose been in school or the workforce in the last few years knows these words are often attached to positive outcomes for companies and institutions, like increased productivity, creativity, and achievement. However, research shows that these group practices may be overlooking the value of solitude, according to The New York Times opinion piece, “The Rise of the New Groupthink.“
If you’ve ever been in an argument with a teen, it might have felt like anything but productive. However, researchers found that if parents turn the argument from heated to healthy they are providing their kids with critical training they need for handling peer pressure, engaging in respectful confrontation, and offering solutions in reassuring ways, according to the NPR story “Why a Teen Who Talks Back May Have a Bright Future.”
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In yesterday’s blog, I shared the three learning trends for 2012 from the Mind/Shift article “Three Trends That Define the Future of Teaching and Learning.” Experts predict 2011 paved the way for learning to continue to be collaborative, tech-powered, and blended. Another recent article, “The Year in Education: Seven Innovations Changing the Way the World Learns,” highlights the learning tools and advancements we saw in 2011 that are predicted to influence education in 2012, and beyond. The following are a few we will be watching in the next year:
Educators, parents, and the business world have watched as technology, the economy, and new policies change how, where, and what students learn. Even in the last year, we’ve seen many changes to the evolving classroom. Education Week recently looked back over the last year and compiled The 10 Most Memorable Stories of 2011: Ed Tech, which included stories on cyberbullying, flip model classes, and the use of e-readers in classrooms and home.
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For many, the turning of a new year is symbolic of new beginnings. A time when we can assess what we have and haven’t accomplished and set new intentions on a fresh calendar. For those who are setting resolutions, they may find that setting a resolution is easier said than done. These resolutions, or long-term goals, can fail for a number of reasons: the goal wasn’t in manageable pieces, it was the wrong goal, there were unforeseen obstacles, or the effort wasn’t there.
33.9% of adults in America are obese and 34.4% of adults are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Knowing these stats, it might not be a surprise to learn getting healthy will be the number one New Year’s resolution for Americans. Yesterday, I wrote a blog on the benefits walking can have on your health if you do it for just 30 minutes every day. Today, I’m going to focus on some healthy habits you can adopt in the new year, and keep going for the rest of your healthy life.
Is your high school using your counselors to their full potential? Do they work as support for underperforming students? Do they have the time to discuss career and college paths with successful students?
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