Teaching Lab’s Post

A fascinating article from Sky News, that underscores the formative impact 'first-hand' experiences such as 'eating ice lollies, planting vegetables and kneading bread dough' in the primary years can have on children's learning in secondary school - and help to reduce inequalities. Recently published recommendations from the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology and the Association for Science Education suggest reforming the primary school curriculum in order to include what they call 'rich essential experiences' in order to reduce 'inequalities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education'. The authors believe schools should enable all students to access 'genuine scientific experiences'...'we want children to experience the world around them while empowering teachers to bring science into everyday activities' Other recommended activities include playing with shadows, digging in soil, visiting garden centres, recycling and playing musical instruments. https://lnkd.in/eufqsArd Providing covered outdoor space enables teachers to take students outside more often, and makes it easier to put the concept of 'experiencing the world around them' into practice. Find out more on our website: https://lnkd.in/eByNTxkm

Why Phylicia Can’t Learn We are failing large segments of intelligent, dynamic, interesting, and charismatic children due to the use of 18th century methodology and applying it to 21st century minds. Rather than becoming reticent regarding the pedagogy of our children we must double down on the strategies and methodologies that have quantification and statistical models as their platforms. Too much of our current strategy is rooted in intuitive, qualitative evaluations that have been appropriated by children from the empirical evidence of endless generations of students. In short, students are running our educational system. They know the behavior of educators and administrators. These children are 10 steps ahead of their instructors in the social interactions of educators to students. This condition exists because, 1) they are more tech savvy and 2) they are well versed in teacher and administrator behavior. They are well aware that both teachers and administrators are often subjectively driven and biased toward students who are different than they are. This bias cuts across racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, and personality identities. As educators, our response must be to eliminate bias and subjectivity by making all of our decisions based upon data and statistical models and let the chips fall where they may. How can this be done? I marvel that in a setting with so much stimuli flooding the classroom each day, we have failed to capture and analyze that stimuli and create functional models and profiles of successful students and students at risk. Twenty to forty years ago it would have been onerous and burdensome to compile this information. Our failure to do so today, with the digital tools we have at our disposal, borders on malpractice. Phylicia cannot learn because of our insistence to stubbornly adhere to outmoded pedagological practices and classroom management strategies. In some instances educators have actually reverted to pedological concepts not seen since Socrates and other Hellenistic instructional models. I have become convinced that all children can and want to learn. We must prove to them that we deserve their trust to teach them and have the capacity to earn that trust. Next Post: How We Can Help Phylicia to Learn

"Science Experiments and Project Ideas for Kids," an essential resource tailored for school owners seeking to inspire young minds. This comprehensive guide offers a treasure trove of engaging experiments and captivating project ideas designed to spark curiosity and foster a lifelong love for science in children. From explosive chemistry experiments to mesmerizing physics demonstrations, this book provides step-by-step instructions for hands-on activities suitable for various age groups and skill levels. With clear explanations and safety guidelines, educators can confidently incorporate these experiments into their curriculum, enhancing the learning experience and encouraging students to explore the fascinating world of science. Whether it's constructing simple machines, exploring the mysteries of biology, or delving into the realms of environmental science, this book covers a wide range of topics to ignite the imagination of young learners. Each experiment and project is carefully selected to align with educational standards while promoting critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. As school owners, fostering a passion for science among students is not only enriching but also essential for their academic and personal development. "Science Experiments and Project Ideas for Kids" equips educators with the tools they need to cultivate a culture of scientific inquiry and discovery within their school community. With this invaluable resource, educators can empower young minds to explore, experiment, and embrace the wonders of science.

Online professional education works for complex topics https://lnkd.in/dP3NkhEU Online education is effective for teaching complicated topics like quantum information science (QIS) to high school science educators, according to a new article.

Learn how Invention Project inspires both students AND educators! Implementing a program such as Invention Project(R) not only supports students skills and learning, but also gives aspiring teachers and recent teacher pipeline graduates the opportunity to apply teaching practices. Check out this blog to see how a school district in California used invention education as a way of preparing highly effective teachers! https://lnkd.in/gX62ugmt #InventionEducation #SupportStudents 

We feel so honored that Edutopia - George Lucas Educational Foundation considers our work one of the "10 Studies Every Teacher Should Know About" https://lnkd.in/euCwZ99D Embedded in our values is working closely with teachers to ensure our programs are both effective and practical to implement. The article references an older paper, and we have new causal research that shows effects on both math and ELA standardized assessments that persists after the completion of the program. https://lnkd.in/e2DihAKV

Join us at LibLearnX! Presentation designed by: Tiffeni Fontno, Cazembe Kennedy, Ph.D & Erin Geier This conference proposal presents a case study on developing a culturally relevant open-access math literature database, highlighting the critical role of Heard library workers in connecting stakeholders. The discussion will center on the collaboration process between Vanderbilt Libraries' Digital Lab, Peabody Library, the Teaching & Learning Mathematics Department faculty, and a Computer Science faculty member, resulting in the development of a resource that integrates culturally responsive pedagogy into mathematics education. The project brings together diverse stakeholders and resources. It aims to provide a valuable tool for homeschoolers, classroom teachers, and curriculum developers by offering lesson plans that combine mathematical concepts with culturally relevant children's literature. This session underscores libraries' potential to drive innovation in the education creation process by demonstrating the power of collaboration and the librarian’s role in fostering connections. It will conclude by discussing how this product will promote equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in educational resources, ensuring that the database's benefits are available to all educators and students. Learning Objectives: -Identify Effective Strategies for Stakeholder Collaboration: Understand how librarians can serve as key connectors in bringing together diverse stakeholders to develop innovative educational resources. -Implement Culturally Relevant Content in Education: Learn how to curate and digitize resources that enhance youth engagement and inclusivity in educational settings. -Promote Equity and Accessibility in Educational Resources: Explore best practices for developing and utilizing open-access digital databases that ensure equitable access to culturally responsive math education resources, addressing the needs of diverse learners and educators. #liblearnx #oer #openaccess #matheducation #liblearnx2025 #k12 #education #Librarians #Computerscientists #Educators #Vanderbilt #HeardLibraries

Glad to share my recent article exploring how technology tools can facilitate differentiated instruction in science classrooms, published in "Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education". The article is open access. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/d7V2cTK5

"This research offers a novel hauntological perspective to examine the evolving nature of complex learning spaces in higher education. In times of change and disruption, we draw on Derrida's concept of hauntology – which posits that the past and future ‘haunt’ the present – to analyse educational experiences. Our study comprises eighteen focus groups and seven individual interviews with students and educators at a large metropolitan university business school. Collaborative and abductive coding reveals critical insights into participants’ perceptions of absence and presence in their experience of traversing learning spaces. Three key themes emerge: what we bring to, how we traverse, and what we are missing from higher education. The findings advocate for more fluid, adaptive approaches that balance educator and student agency while acknowledging inherent uncertainties. By highlighting the temporal dimensions shaping learning spaces, this research proposes more nuanced and responsive educational design, within and beyond the classroom."

A decade ago, Washington, D.C. was seen as a national model for education reform, with the charter school sector rapidly expanding. Although reading scores have improved, almost three-quarters of fourth-graders and nearly four-fifths of eighth-graders still score below proficient on national reading tests. The gaps between student groups have either stayed the same or even increased. Check out this article to learn more about the current state of education in D.C. and what can be done to improve it. #education #dc #phonics Allister Chang and Natalie Wexler: Pairing effective phonics instruction with in-depth knowledge-building can narrow achievement gaps that haven’t budged since 1998.