Whether you support the Occupy movement or not, it’s probably caught your attention long enough to make you think about how you feel about social and economic inequality, or if you believe it’s an existing problem in our society at all. Protests and news on the state of our economy pulls on different emotions and prods at different financial worries for different people. Maybe it’s student loans, mortgages, unemployment, or unstable stocks.
In an Edutopia blog from earlier this week, “The Emerging Age Bias,” fifth-grade teacherĂ‚Â Pernille Ripp sees a trend growing that veteran teachers are now being thought of as being “old” instead of “experienced.” Ripp argues that these veteran teachers are the ones who bring “knowledge, expertise, methods that work, and a deep-seated passion” to incoming teachers who lack experience and desire a seasoned mentor. Arguably, veteran teachers also have something to learn from new blood. New and seasoned teachers can mentor each other in areas where they need development. For instance, a veteran teacher can help an incoming teacher with balancing lessons, effective teaching practices, and enhancing the classroom with items that create an environment conducive to learning. An in coming teacher can share their expertise with a veteran teacher, whether it’s a new methodology, recent technology, or fresh energy.
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.
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.
College is a big commitment and might be more so today than ever before. Incoming college freshmen have heard the stories of recent college graduates searching for working opportunities, seen the Occupy Wall Street protestors marching against their student loan debt, and grown into legal working age in a recession.
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.
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.