traces&dreams’ Post

Starting with a new three Rs 📚 Six months ago, I was asked by Voice 21 to convene and chair an independent commission on the future of oracy in education in England. Initially hesitant, my many years in the classroom had ingrained in me the vital role that oracy plays in building student confidence through activities like drama, debates, and public speaking. However, there's a common reluctance to fully embrace oracy, mostly due to confusion about what it actually means. Similar to how literacy and numeracy were once met with scepticism, oracy too is often viewed as merely a 'nice-to-have'. Yet, these skills are essential. They empower young people and can be the driving force behind social change. Our commission started with three questions: What is oracy? Why does it matter? And why now? Through conversations, podcasts, expert roundtables, and think-pieces, we discovered that oracy should become as essential as literacy and numeracy. Covid has highlighted the defects in our narrow and mechanistic education system. Oracy offers a pathway to a more optimistic, well-rounded learning experience. Our final report calls for oracy to feature more prominently in the national curriculum and teacher training. This isn't about more exams or Ofsted inspections but about equipping young people with the skills to flourish as fulfilled citizens. Let's recalibrate our education system to include oracy and prepare our children for a future we may not see. What are your thoughts on integrating oracy in our education system? Comment below or visit rikama-education.com. #education #oracy #futureoflearning

Starting with a new three Rs 📚 Six months ago, I was asked by Voice 21 to convene and chair an independent commission on the future of oracy in education in England. Initially hesitant, my many years in the classroom had ingrained in me the vital role that oracy plays in building student confidence through activities like drama, debates, and public speaking. However, there's a common reluctance to fully embrace oracy, mostly due to confusion about what it actually means. Similar to how literacy and numeracy were once met with scepticism, oracy too is often viewed as merely a 'nice-to-have'. Yet, these skills are essential. They empower young people and can be the driving force behind social change. Our commission started with three questions: What is oracy? Why does it matter? And why now? Through conversations, podcasts, expert roundtables, and think-pieces, we discovered that oracy should become as essential as literacy and numeracy. Covid has highlighted the defects in our narrow and mechanistic education system. Oracy offers a pathway to a more optimistic, well-rounded learning experience. Our final report calls for oracy to feature more prominently in the national curriculum and teacher training. This isn't about more exams or Ofsted inspections but about equipping young people with the skills to flourish as fulfilled citizens. Let's recalibrate our education system to include oracy and prepare our children for a future we may not see. What are your thoughts on integrating oracy in our education system? Comment below or visit rikama-education.com. #education #oracy #futureoflearning

Spot learning gaps early and offer the curricular support your health professions students need with Osmosis from Elsevier. Schedule a demo today to learn more: https://lnkd.in/e-jTTgTB The powerful Osmosis platform allows you to build and offer continuous low-stakes quizzes and exam-style questions. Paired with the Osmosis Reporting Dashboard, the assessments help identify at-risk students early on so you can provide any remedial material your class needs. Start a conversation at the link above and find out how Osmosis from Elsevier can support your program's goals. #learnbyosmosis Elsevier Health Education #pedagogy #curriculumdesign #healtheducation

Concerned about the school-to-prison pipeline, social justice, cycles of poverty, homelessness, mental health, combating climate change, or growing STEM careers? Get curious about how we are needlessly perpetuating low literacy and lifelong damage by withholding effective reading instruction in schools. There are more on our resources/media page, but here are faves: 1. The New York Times: Two-Thirds of Kids Struggle to Read, and We Know How to Fix It. https://bit.ly/3YZWadN 2. Reveal (50-minute podcast): How Teaching Kids to Read Went so Wrong. https://bit.ly/3Oi4QHD 3. Sold a Story: How Teaching Reading Went so Wrong (6-part podcast): https://bit.ly/3CFYAXu

Check out the most recent #ProsocialEducation podcast in the news!

A research paper I recently wrote with a few of my fellow Master of Education colleagues from the University of Brandon was published this month! The topic is relevant and important for parents, educators and youth. There’s so much more research that needs to happen. If you have a chance, please have a read! Examining the Negative Impacts of Social Media on Adolescents: A Literature Review https://lnkd.in/g3Ah8iqX 

Early Words Matter The early years are the most critical time for the development of a child’s abilities to master language, to read and to communicate. Our recently launched My First Podcast drew inspiration from the insightful research and impactful advocacy initiatives championed by the National Literacy Trust. With the launch of the podcast just a few weeks behind us, new research by Pro Bono Economics (PBE), which was commissioned by KPMG UK in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust, identified that more than a quarter of five-year-olds in England - 187,000 children – did not meet the expected standard for literacy in 2022/23. Without this firm foundation not only will their learning, confidence and wellbeing suffer in their early school days, but they are much more likely to struggle with their GCSEs and be unemployed by their 30s. There is no ‘silver bullet’ solution but together, we can empower families with more opportunities and early advice to support their child’s development in those crucial first years. Email the National Literacy Trust pledge@literacytrust.org.uk to find out how you and your business can be part of making a difference. Please share this post with your network. Do read the full report which is mentioned in this article. #earlyyears #earlyyearseducation #learninganddevelopment #literacymatters #literacyskills #earlywordsmatter #earlylearning #pledge #podcasts #listeningskills #communicationskills https://lnkd.in/eJuZGCs3

Kids on Earth: The Power & Promise of 5 Billion Minds #children #learning #cognitivescience #memory #relationships From Howard Blumenthal and Dean Robert Pianta: The story begins with media producer Howard Blumenthal interviewing children and teenagers in and near Kampala, Uganda, and in Hong Kong. He asked about their lives, learning, and their plans for the future in the form of video interviews. You can watch some of them on this website. As Howard interviewed more kids, in more places, he began to understand how much they wanted to learn, and how they were disappointed by school. Curious why, Howard connected with Robert Pianta, Dean of The University of Virginia's School of Education & Human Development. They decided to work together, in part to define the issues, but mostly, to devise a better plan for children and teenagers growing up in the first half of the 21st century. The book offers a clear-eyed view of growing up in modern times, then explains learning in contemporary terms -- with an emphasis on cognitive science, memory and relationships. Then, the authors examine the current version of school ("Old School"), offer a more modern framework ("New School") and highlight the importance of all that is learned without school ("Not School"). There are new roles for adults, too. Unlike most authors, we are reaching out to the community to figure out what we've done right, and what we could do better. We hope you will spend time with the new book, and offer your ideas to make it better in our comments section.

It's the end of the first week in September, which means everyone is back to school. I can't think of a better time for humanities teachers of all levels to get some encouragement and support from Everything is a Primary Source. Click the link below to check out the EPS Classroom, where you'll find professional development resources, downloadable materials, and multi-media presentations. I hope Everything is a Primary Source can help start your year off right, and help you all the way to June...and beyond! #socialstudies #teacherresources #humanities #education

🔐 Unlock the power of literacy, one sound at a time! 📚 👉 Dr. Martin Kozloff's insight reminds us of the transformative impact of systematic phonics instruction. 📚By teaching kids the sounds of letters, we equip them with the key to unlock countless words and worlds of knowledge. ❤️ If you find yourself in this situation, don’t be disheartened. Instead, focus on refining the structure of your lessons to foster greater engagement and be open to adapting your approach.⁠ ⁠If you are looking for tools to help your students succeed, we can help!⁠ ⁠👉Click below to shop now!⁠ https://lnkd.in/grDU2X9h #pdxreadingspecialist #anitaarcher #archerisms ⁠#scienceofreading⁠ #education #teachersofinsta #teachers #dyslexia #dyslexiasupport #teaching #teachingtools