Over the last few days we’ve honored World Food Day and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Last month, alongside International Literacy Day, the UN released statistics that showed how difficult it is to fight poverty and sickness in nations around the world where illiteracy is rampant.
Some notable numbers that show the magnitude of illiteracy on a worldwide scale are:
Last year, 116 of KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) Empower School kindergarteners were part of an experiment that set out to see if “blended learning,” a teaching method that divides class time between a teacher and computers, could be effective for young learners, according to the article “Kindergarteners at the Keyboard.”
A new app is available on Apple devices today that aims to teach kids in the 11-14 year-old bracket about cyber safety. The app, BeSeen, was developed by Carnegie Mellon University’s Information Networking Institute (INI) and the national nonprofit Web Wise Kids who worked side-by-side to bring their missions together and create a social media simulation video game, according the article, “App Promotes Savvy Web Use Among Kids.”
“Hanging out,” “messing around,” and “geeking out.” Those are the three levels of information consumption and creation that Chicago’s main library used to develop it’s newest space for teens called “YOUmedia — a Digital Library Space for Teens,” according to the article, “Digital library aims to expand kids’ media literacy.”
Research shows social and emotional learning improves attitudes students have about themselves and others, increases positive classroom behavior, and raises standardized test scores, while lowering conduct problems, aggressive behavior, and emotional distress, according to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL).
The “flipped classroom” — that’s what educators are calling a new model for learning that has students taking online lessons at home  and coming to class for higher level applications. The Khan Academy has been highly profiled in education news and continues to grow and create more appealing hooks for the modern learner.
October has been named National Bullying Prevention Month in effort to raise awareness of the negative effects bullying has on students’ social, emotional, and academic well being. Almost 32 percent of students report being bullied at school, according to the Edutopia article, “Bullying Prevention: Tips for Teachers, Principals, and Parents.” Students who are victims of bullying are more likely to be armed with a weapon at school, get in physical fights, and suffer from anxiety, depression, and mental health problems.
“Why are some people so much more effective at learning from their mistakes?” That’s the question researchers are asking to understand why some people respond better to learning by trial and error, according to the article “Why Do Some People Learn Faster,” by Jonah Lehrer.
Did you have a teacher who made learning science, technology, engineering, and math interesting? Were you encouraged by a teacher’s enthusiasm for your proficiency in STEM subjects? Did you tell yourself or were you told that you weren’t good at STEM subjects?
It’s Bullying Prevention Month and Bitstrips for Schools and Cartoon Network are partnering to get students involved this October. The Stop Bullying: Speak Up Comic Challenge is asking students and educators to get involved in the movement to prevent bullying by creating comic strips that show common bullying challenges and how best to solve them.