SALT LAKE CITY – The Cook Center for Human Connection, a nonprofit dedicated to mental health and suicide prevention, has partnered with Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) to provide ParentGuidance.org to LCPS’ schools and families. Members of the LCPS community now have free access to a range of online mental health resources that empower families to help children thrive, including:
One-on-one parent coaching individualized for families;
Online on-demand lessons taught by licensed therapists; and
Live, interactive family mental health series webinars hosted by trained professionals – available in the fall of 2024;
“Talking about mental health and other concerns is the key to understanding,” says Jennifer Evans, M. Ed., LPC, Director of Student Mental Health Services at LCPS. “Through ParentGuidance.org’s parent coaching and webinars, we are aiming to help parents address important mental health and developmental topics to support their children. Parents will gain tools and strategies that will enable them to talk with their children, engage in, and normalize important conversations about mental health.”
The Cook Center’s model focuses on the protective factors for youth mental health and suicide prevention in which schools and parents play a critical role. Though only two years old, ParentGuidance.org has already been adopted by 229 districts and 3,617 schools, offering more than 2.4 million families access to services across 37 states.
“ParentGuidance.org is a powerful tool to help families be the first line of support for their children,” said Anne Brown, president and CEO of Cook Center for Human Connection. “By providing education, resources, and direct support to families, we are helping the people who love and care for their children most: the parents. We are extremely proud to be partnering with a school district of distinction like Loudoun County Public Schools, who are showing they truly care about the role of parents in their children’s well-being.”
In 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other national medical partners declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health, noting that healthcare professionals are “caring for young people with soaring rates of depression, anxiety, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality that will have lasting impacts on them, their families, and their communities.” Mental health factors have become especially formidable barriers to learning following the pandemic, intensifying a national imperative for innovation in student mental health and wellness. Research has established that school-based mental health and suicide programs that engage parents can increase the effectiveness of all interventions.
The mission of the Cook Center is to bring together the best organizations, programs, and products to prevent suicide, provide mental health support, and enhance the human connections vital for people to thrive. The foundation’s current focus is on supporting children, families, and schools with youth mental health resources and on the goal of eradicating suicide. This work is accomplished through various grants to schools, programs for parents, and global resources to bring greater awareness to the support needed for those affected by mental health needs and suicide. Its free resources created to support child mental health and suicide prevention include My Life Is Worth Living™, the first animated series about teen mental health and suicide prevention, and ParentGuidance.org, a mental health resource giving parents the tools to have important conversations at home. The content includes free on-demand courses taught by licensed therapists and family mental health nights hosted by trained professionals. Learn more at CookCenterforHumanConnection.org.
eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.
The journey to writing an exceptional term paper is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a process that tests your research, analytical, and writing skills, all rolled into one challenging assignment.
But fear not! With the right approach and guidance, crafting a term paper can become not just a means to score high grades but also an opportunity to deepen your understanding of your subject matter and enhance your academic skills.
1. Truly Knowing What the Assignment Is Asking of You
The first step in navigating the term paper sea is to thoroughly understand the assignment. It may seem straightforward, but many students falter by diving into the research and writing without a clear understanding of what is expected. Read the instructions carefully.
If anything is unclear, don’t hesitate to ask your professor for clarification or find here a site that may be able to help. Knowing the scope, topic, length, format, and deadline from the outset will set a strong foundation for your work.
2. Choosing a Topic
Selecting the right topic is crucial. It’s the seed from which your term paper will grow. Aim for a topic that is not only interesting to you but also appropriate for the scope of the assignment and your academic level.
It should be specific enough to be manageable but broad enough to allow for comprehensive research.
If you find yourself stuck at this stage, consult your professor or peers for suggestions. They can offer perspectives that might not have occurred to you.
Criteria
Description
Interest Level
Select a topic that personally interests you to stay motivated throughout the research and writing process.
Appropriateness for Assignment
Ensure the topic fits the guidelines and scope of the assignment provided by your instructor.
Academic Level Suitability
Choose a topic that matches your current academic standing and knowledge level, challenging yet manageable.
Specificity
The topic should be narrow enough to be thoroughly covered in the term paper but not so narrow that resources become scarce.
Research Feasibility
Consider the availability of resources, data, and literature to support your research on the topic.
3. Conducting Thorough Research
Research is the backbone of your term paper. Begin by consulting a variety of sources, including books, academic journals, and reputable websites. Libraries, both physical and digital, are treasure troves of information.
Utilize databases such as JSTOR or Google Scholar to find relevant academic papers. As you research, keep meticulous records of your sources. This will make citing your references easier and ensure your paper is grounded in credible information.
4. Crafting an Outline
An outline is your roadmap, guiding you through the writing process. It helps organize your thoughts and structure your paper logically. Start with a broad overview, then break down the main sections into more detailed subsections.
This will help you identify areas that need more research or sections that are too complex and need simplification. An effective outline ensures that every part of your paper serves the overall argument or thesis statement.
5. Writing the Draft
With your outline in hand, it’s time to start writing. The introduction should hook the reader, present your thesis statement, and outline the structure of your paper. Each body paragraph should focus on a single idea or piece of evidence, supporting your thesis.
Use transitions to smoothly navigate from one idea to the next, maintaining a coherent flow throughout. The conclusion should tie everything together, reinforcing your thesis and highlighting the significance of your findings.
The writing process is iterative. Don’t aim for perfection on the first draft. Focus on getting your ideas down on paper; refinement comes later.
6. Revising and Editing
The difference between a good term paper and a great one often lies in the revision stage. Start by reviewing your paper for content and structure.
Ensure each paragraph contributes to your thesis and that your argument flows logically. Then, move on to editing for clarity, coherence, and conciseness. Pay attention to grammar, punctuation, and style.
Tools like Grammarly or the Hemingway Editor can be invaluable but don’t rely on them completely. A manual review is irreplaceable.
Finally, check your citations and references. They should adhere to the required format, whether it’s APA, MLA, or Chicago. This not only lends credibility to your paper but also avoids the pitfalls of plagiarism.
7. Handling Feedback
If possible, seek feedback from your professor or peers before the final submission. They can offer insights you might have missed and suggest improvements. Be open to criticism; it’s an opportunity for growth, not a personal attack. Use the feedback to refine your paper further.
8. Final Touches and Submission
Before submitting your paper, give it one last review. Check for any errors you might have missed and ensure that it meets all the assignment requirements. Submit your paper with confidence, knowing you’ve put in your best effort.
FAQs
How Can I Narrow Down a Broad Topic for My Term Paper?
Narrowing down a broad topic requires a bit of brainstorming and preliminary research. Start by reading general sources about your topic to identify specific themes, trends, or issues that interest you.
Then, consider how these specific angles relate to the broader topic. It can also be helpful to discuss your ideas with your professor or classmates to gain different perspectives. Finally, formulate a research question or thesis statement that reflects the narrowed focus. This approach ensures your topic is manageable and tailored to the assignment’s scope.
What Strategies Can I Use if I’m Struggling to Find Sources for My Topic?
If you’re struggling to find sources, try altering your search terms or using synonyms to expand your search. Consult with a librarian, who can offer expert guidance on searching databases and may suggest resources you hadn’t considered.
How Do I Balance My Own Ideas with Research Findings in My Term Paper?
To balance your own ideas with research findings, start by clearly stating your thesis or main argument. Use research findings to support your ideas, citing evidence that backs up your points. However, don’t just present the research; analyze it.
Discuss how the evidence supports your thesis, what it means in the context of your argument, and any limitations or counterarguments. Your own analysis and synthesis of the research are what will make your term paper unique and insightful.
Can I Include Visuals in My Term Paper, and How Should I Do So?
Yes, visuals such as graphs, charts, and images can be included in your term paper to support your arguments or illustrate complex ideas. Ensure that each visual is clearly labeled (e.g., Figure 1, Table 1) and accompanied by a caption explaining what it shows.
Refer to the visuals in your text to guide the reader’s attention to them at relevant points in your argument. Always cite the source of the visual in accordance with the citation style you are using.
How Do I Handle Contradictory Evidence in My Term Paper?
Handling contradictory evidence is a crucial part of demonstrating critical thinking. Present the contradictory evidence fairly and objectively, then provide an analysis that explains why it does not undermine your thesis.
You can argue that the evidence is flawed, outdated, or limited in scope. Alternatively, you can acknowledge the complexity of the issue and refine your thesis to accommodate the nuanced view that emerges from considering all evidence. This approach shows that you have engaged deeply with the material and strengthens your argument.
How Long Should I Spend on Each Stage of Writing My Term Paper?
The time spent on each stage of writing a term paper can vary based on the length of the paper, the complexity of the topic, and your own working style. A balanced approach might involve spending 20% of your time on choosing a topic and conducting initial research, 30% on in-depth research and organizing your findings, 25% on writing the first draft, and 25% on revising, editing, and finalizing the paper.
Adjust these percentages based on your specific needs and deadlines. Remember, starting early and allocating time for each stage can help reduce stress and improve the quality of your work.
Final Words
Writing a term paper is a substantial academic endeavor, but it’s also a deeply rewarding one. It challenges you to think critically, research deeply, and express your thoughts clearly and coherently. By following these steps, you equip yourself with a structured approach to tackle this challenge head-on.
Remember, academic writing is a skill honed over time. Each term paper is an opportunity to improve, learn, and grow as a scholar. Embrace the process, and you’ll find yourself not just surviving but thriving in the academic world.
The federal government introduced the RESP nearly 50 years ago to help families save for their kids’ post-secondary education. The big draw for parents: Investment growth inside an RESP was (and still is) tax-sheltered. You can contribute up to $50,000 per child into an RESP, and the account can stay open for up to 35 years.
In the years since the RESP was launched, the government has added grant programs to further encourage families to save.
RESP grants
Canada Education Savings Grant: The CESG is a matching grant. For the “Basic CESG,” the government will match 20% of your contributions, up to $500 per year. To get the full $500, you would need to contribute $2,500 in a year. If your family’s adjusted income is below a certain amount, you can also receive the “Additional CESG,” which is an extra 10% or 20% on your first $500 per year. The CESG’s lifetime maximum, including any Additional CESG, is $7,200 per child.
Canada Learning Bond (CLB): Kids born in 2004 or later whose family’s adjusted income is below a certain threshold could get $500 the first year they’re eligible, plus another $100 each year until they reach age 15, if they continue to qualify (based on income). To apply for the CLB, you don’t need to make a personal contribution. The CLB’s lifetime limit is $2,000 per child. This grant is retroactive and kids can still be eligible up to the day before they turn 21.
British Columbia Training and Education Savings Grant (BCTESG): For B.C. residents only, this grant adds $1,200 to an RESP. You must apply between a child’s sixth and ninth birthdays.
Quebec Education Savings Incentive (QESI): For Quebec residents only, this grant matches 10% of your annual RESP contribution, up to $250. The QESI’s lifetime maximum is $3,600.
Use an RESP calculator
The RESP is a powerful savings tool because of the CESG and other government grants. To see how they can boost the growth of your savings, try out different scenarios using an RESP calculator. You can change the variables—including the child’s age, initial deposit, monthly contributions and projected rate of return—and see how your savings might stack up against the cost of post-secondary school.
How to open an RESP account
To start saving for your child’s college or university expenses and take advantage of government grants, you can open a plan with an “RESP promoter”—the government’s term for a financial institution that offers RESPs. You can open an individual plan or a family RESP, for multiple kids.
Embark, a Canadian fintech focused on education savings and planning, helps families maximize their savings and government RESP grants. It also manages RESP investments, using a “glide path” approach tailored to your child’s age. So, the closer they get to starting college or university, the more conservative the approach for managing the investments.
More about RESPs:
This article is sponsored.
This is a paid post that is informative but also may feature a client’s product or service. These posts are written, edited and produced by MoneySense with assigned freelancers and approved by the client.
Jaclyn Law is MoneySense’s managing editor. She has worked in Canadian media for over 20 years, including editor roles at Chatelaine and Abilities. Jaclyn completed the Canadian Securities Course in 2022.
A Massachusetts middle school sent a letter to parents on Monday asking them for help as dozens of students have been terrorizing a local grocery store on days when they are dismissed from class early, building forts out of paper towels and toppling displays, educators said.
“Over the weekend, I was contacted by the director of Shaw’s Market, who shared alarming information regarding a troubling trend involving our middle school students who visit Shaw’s on half days,” Medway Middle School Principal Amanda Luizzi wrote in an email to parents.
Educators said about 100 students have been visiting Shaw’s at 65 Main Street on half days, wreaking havoc inside the store as customers try to shop.
“It was reported that a growing number of students are engaging in disruptive behavior while visiting the store. This includes building ‘forts’ out of paper towels, riding in carriages and electric carts, knocking over displays, and even stealing merchandise,” Luizzi wrote. “These actions pose a risk to the students involved and customers of Shaw’s. They also reflect poorly on our school community.”
In a statement shared with Boston 25 News, a spokesperson for the West Bridgewater-based grocery chain also said that the disruptive behaviors have been “negatively impacting” the customer shopping experience.
“Shaw’s strives to provide all of our customers a safe and welcoming shopping experience. Because of the close proximity of our Medway store to the local school, large groups of students have been visiting the store,” the spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, a group of these students engaged in disruptive behaviors that negatively impacted other customers’ shopping experiences.”
Luizzi stressed in the letter to parents that it’s important that students act respectfully when in public and asked them to speak with their children.
“I am asking all families to partner with the school and have a conversation with their children about the importance of respectful behavior – in Shaw’s, in any business in the Plaza, and school,” Luizzi added. “Please also speak with students about the potential consequences of their actions should this behavior continue.”
As of Tuesday, Shaw’s said it had not implemented a ban on students entering its Medway store.
In 2024, career and technical education (CTE) is not simply an alternative for students whose future plans don’t include college. It’s a fundamental part of the K-12 experience and a viable career pathway for many students.
CTE lets students understand the relevance of what they’re learning in school. It exposes them to career pathways they might not have known about otherwise. It prepares them for rich and rewarding careers in high-paying, high-demand jobs, whether they go on to attend college or not.
For K-12 leaders to succeed in creating high-quality CTE programming, here are five key trends and challenges I believe will affect this important field in 2024 and beyond.
Administrators (and parents) need to understand that CTE career pathways are highly attractive.
A generation ago, CTE career pathways (aka vocational schools) were widely considered to be appropriate only for students with few other options. This created a vacuum over time and a huge shortage of workers for lucrative, life-long careers. Take manufacturing, for instance: Many jobs were moving overseas, the workplace environment was noisy and dirty, and the opportunities for advancement were seen as very limited.
But that’s all changing now. Aided by advancements in technology, manufacturing has made a huge comeback in the United States, and skilled workers are now in high demand. Today’s manufacturing facilities are clean, modern workplaces that offer many exciting opportunities for students to work with cutting-edge technologies, such as cloud computing, robotics, programmable logic controllers, or PLCs and simulation software
CTE training gives students a head start in preparing for high-growth, high-wage jobs, even those students whose plans after high school include a college education. It’s no longer a dumping ground for students, but an opportunity for everyone to thrive.
Students are benefiting from learning about careers at an earlier age.
High schools often hold career days to help students understand various career options, but waiting until high school is too late: Many students have already eliminated entire career paths from their minds by then.
By exposing children to possible career pathways at an earlier age, we can open up many more worlds of possibilities for them. This is why a growing number of school systems are introducing students to career pathways at younger ages. That is why STEM education is so important in elementary and middle school.
Giving students early exposure to career options is a critical strategy for closing economic gaps and putting them on a path toward college or directly to ahigh-paying career, the nonprofit Center for American Progress (CAP) argues—especially those from low-income communities.
Connecting what students are learning to possible career pathways not only helps them make more informed choices about their future, but it also deepens their engagement in school, as many educators have found. When students can see how the skills they’re learning in the classroom apply to various careers, this helps them answer the all-important question: “Why do I have to learn this?” It also helps them become more confident in their abilities, because every child learns in a different way. For example, think about learning about X, Y, and Z in math classes. If students have the opportunity to learn about robotics, they will be able to directly apply the math learning with a real-world robotic application.
Schools need to find alternative paths for recruiting CTE instructors.
Recruiting and retaining CTE instructors was already challenging for many districts—and the pandemic has only exacerbated the situation. According to the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), 28 states and territories have reported CTE teaching shortages to the U.S. Department of Education for the 2023-24 school year.
With school systems competing with industry employers for talent, many schools already struggled to hire enough CTE teachers to meet their needs. Somebody who can teach about PLCs and robotics can easily make six figures applying those skills within a manufacturing facility, instead of making $50,000 a year teaching those skills to students.
After the pandemic, the shortage of qualified CTE instructors has only grown. COVID placed enormous stress on educators, and especially CTE teachers who were trying to teach historically hands-on courses in a completely new way, using technologies they weren’t comfortable with. In the wake of COVID, many teachers have taken early retirement or left the classroom for the private sector.
School systems need to be creative in finding new ways to recruit CTE instructors. For instance, they might consider establishing programs for pulling future CTE teachers from their current student pool. K-12 leaders also must work with policy makers to establish flexible credentialing options for CTE instructors. It’s bad enough that districts face a pay gap when competing with the private sector for talent—but if employees also have to go back to school to earn a master’s degree and a teaching certificate if they’re leaving an industry position to become a CTE instructor, that’s just not realistic.
Virtual tools that can support effective CTE instruction are emerging.
One positive trend to emerge from the pandemic is that tremendous strides have been made in the development of augmented and virtual reality software, simulation tools, and online learning platforms.
These technologies can help bridge the gap between theory and application of career-based skills. They don’t completely replace the need for hands-on learning within CTE programs, but they can give students a solid foundation at an earlier age, while reducing the amount of time that students need in a lab setting to get the kinetic, hands-on experience of actually performing a task for real—such as programming a robot or repairing a motor.
Online simulations can also supplement a teacher’s capability, which can reduce the challenges associated with hiring CTE instructors. For instance, a gamified computer science environment can help good math or science teachers to be confident in teaching coding skills to students even if they aren’t a coding expert for themselves.
Policy makers must understand the need for more CTE funding.
The main source of federal funding for CTE is the Perkins Basic State Program from the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. In the 2023 fiscal year, Perkins grants were funded at $1.44 billion. However, this funding source has remained relatively flat since the 1990s. During that time, the practical impact of Perkins grants has fallen by more than $900 million in inflation-adjusted dollars—amounting to a 45-percent reduction in the program’s purchasing power.
At the same time, technology is evolving rapidly, and schools don’t have the budgets to keep up with these changes. In addition, the gap between the skills that students are graduating with and the skills that employers require is widening.
CTE programs are pivotal in helping to close this skills gap, but that can only happen if lawmakers make the necessary investments in CTE instruction. ACTE is calling for a $400 million increase in Perkins grants to address this funding deficit.
To summarize these thoughts: Despite millions of job openings around the country, nearly three out of four employers in this ACTE report note a persistent mismatch between the skills they require and the skills their workers possess. CTE in schools can help prepare students more effectively for the jobs of the future, provided that administrators, parents, and students see the value of CTE pathways and students are exposed to career options earlier in their education. Schools must find creative ways to increase the pipeline of CTE instructors and integrate new technology tools into CTE courses, and policymakers must invest more in CTE programs.
Tony Oran
Tony Oran is the CEO of CoderZ and Intelitek, which offers scalable and equitable learning experiences to support schools implementing STEM and CTE education programs from Kindergarten to Career.
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A quiet crowd held a vigil Thursday evening along the narrow street at the spot where Senn High School student Daveon Gibson was shot and killed the day before. Gibson, 16, was walking with two other Senn students, who were shot and wounded.
Bouquets of white, pink and yellow flowers lay on a pink heart drawn on the sidewalk with chalk. “You Matter to Us” was chalked next to the heart.
More than 50 people gathered to remember Gibson of Humboldt Park, starting the night with a prayer. Edgewater neighbors and friends joined to tell stories and advocate for safer streets for students walking to and from the high school in the Edgewater neighborhood on the North Side.
Peg Dublin did not witness the shooting Wednesday, but she told the crowd how her daughter-in-law, who lives nearby, held Daveon in her arms after he was shot, as he was dying. Her daughter-in-law was “not doing well” and was still shaken by the tragedy, Dublin said.
“She held him in her arms until he died, and she will never be the same again, as will the family never be the same again,” Dublin said.
The three victims were walking in the 1200 block of West Thorndale Avenue, just east of Senn High School, when gunmen inside a vehicle got out and opened fire on the teens around 4 p.m. Wednesday. The shooting has been ruled a homicide, according to the Chicago Police Department. But by Thursday evening, there were no suspects in custody as detectives were still investigating.
During the vigil, Dublin called on the community to help protect students walking in the neighborhood, particularly the stretch of Thorndale Avenue between Senn High School and the Thorndale CTA “L” stop, which many students take after school.
“I feel like if we can create a safe passage, we can show these kids that we care,” Dublin said.
In the hours leading up to the 30-minute vigil, there was a strong police presence along that stretch of Thorndale Avenue, with several Chicago police cars and uniformed officers standing on the sidewalk.
Matt Sweetman, pastor of Trinity Church and a father of two boys,14 and 16, called on fathers to step up to protect young boys from gun violence on the streets of the city.
“Men need to take a strong interest in the lives of young boys and young boys that come from broken situations,” he said. “That is one thing that maybe some of us can do.”
The shooting occurred in front of the doorsteps of Trinity Church, and Sweetman’s two sons were five minutes down the block when they heard shots. His 16-year-old son played basketball with Daveon but did not know the student closely, he said.
Sweetman encouraged the crowd of Edgewater residents to come forward with details to the police.
He then led them in singing “Amazing Grace” as they held candles.
Several participants said they went to Senn High School and described a school community filled with good kids.
“The light will never go out in this community,” said Andrea Raila, who lives in the area and attended summer school at Senn.
After the service wrapped up, people milled around, hugging each other and stopping to sign a cardboard stand with “Daveon” before walking home.
The shooting came nearly a week after two teens were fatally shot after leaving high school in the Loop. There was no evidence the shootings were related, according to CPD
Boston – Although reports reveal that U.S. students’ general academic performance still trails behind pre-pandemic rates, students taking VHS Learning’s high-quality, teacher-led online classes have maintained a consistent high level of achievement before, during, and after the pandemic. During the 2022-23 academic year, 91% of students who completed their VHS Learning’s online course did so with a passing grade. This is the fourth consecutive year that VHS Learning students have attained an average pass rate of 91%.
Students who took VHS Learning courses in the summer for credit recovery surpassed last year’s performance. In 2023, those students who previously failed a course and retook it in the summer with VHS Learning had an average pass rate of 80%, up from 75% in 2022. Students must achieve a final grade of 60 or higher to pass their courses.
In the 27 years that VHS Learning has been providing supplemental online high school classes, it has earned a reputation for its high standard of educational quality that keeps schools and students coming back. In the 2022-2023 academic year, VHS Learning had 16,927 course enrollments by students from more than 520 partner schools. Last year, 92% of schools previously utilizing the program continued their participation into the 2022-2023 school year. Further,90% of administrators and 90% of site coordinators who manage the VHS Learning program at their schoolsaid they were satisfied or very satisfied with their school’s VHS Learning experience.
“Our pass rates and retention and satisfaction rates reflect the quality of our program and our high standards for teaching. All VHS Learning teachers must successfully complete our graduate-level Online Teaching Methodologies (OTM) training program prior to teaching a VHS Learning online course. This comprehensive training helps teachers learn the best practices for online teaching and learning,” said Carol DeFuria, President & CEO of VHS Learning. “Our teachers are also high school certified in their subject areas, with 81% possessing a master’s degree or higher. Our teachers and staff are dedicated to helping students succeed and have opportunities that would otherwise be unable to them.”
VHS Learning partners with schools and districts to help them expand their course offerings, and also works directly with families who want to enroll students in classes individually. With more than 200 unique online courses, including 29 Advanced Placement® (AP) courses, the helps schools give students additional course and scheduling choices.
About VHS Learning
VHS Learning is a nonprofit organization with almost 30 years of experience providing world-class online programs to students and schools everywhere. More than 500 schools around the world take advantage of VHS Learning’s 200+ online high school courses — including 29 AP® courses, credit recovery, and enrichment courses — to expand their programs of study. VHS Learning is accredited by Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) and the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC). Courses are approved for initial eligibility by NCAA. For more information about VHS Learning please visit https://www.vhslearning.org/ and follow on Twitter at @VHSLearning.
eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.
It goes without saying that improving student learning and helping students achieve their learning goals have always been priorities for classroom teachers and educators.
Today, pandemic-related learning loss is still a very real concern for educators, and student learning is one of education’s biggest priorities as the nation strives to move further away from the pandemic’s impact on education.
Let’s take a look at some important resources to help classroom strategies support student learning goals:
Why is it important to involve students in learning?
Learner-centered education collaborates with learners to design learning experiences and pathways tailored to their interests and needs. Learner-centered education and its teaching methods can play a critical role in reshaping education systems, offering a more holistic approach to meeting learners’ needs and helping students find fulfillment in their academic accomplishments. K-12 Value Networks: The Hidden Forces That Help or Hinder Learner-Centered Education, a report from the Clayton Christensen Institute, offers insight into understanding why schools struggle to change their instructional models, along with 5 models that prioritize learner-centered education.
What is the most effective method of teaching?
Can learning centers that put student motivation at the heart of learning reliably lead children to successful careers and life opportunities regardless of their family background and home circumstances? Probably not. But these centers don’t purport to be one-size-fits-all models of education. Their aim is to provide learning experiences that can and do work exceptionally well for many kids but aren’t available in most schools. Rather than viewing models like these with skepticism until they prove that they can guarantee post-secondary success for all learners, maybe it’s time to expand our concept of education. Education doesn’t have to mean students do all of their important learning in classrooms. Education could be an ecosystem of interwoven teaching practices and experiences that occur in various settings and contexts. It’s worth exploring how student motivation can reframe education.
How do you ensure student learning in your classroom?
Student engagement is critical in ensuring–and boosting–student achievement. At its heart, student engagement is about tapping into students’ innate curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking skills. A lesson with student engagement at its core can make for the best learning experience as a student. Every teacher hopes to ignite, empower, and engage the students who walk through their classroom door. Ample research has shown that student engagement is crucial to overall learning and long-term success. Still, implementing this is easier said than done. To better ignite student curiosity and interest, teachers should consider trying one of these five strategies that help make student engagement second nature.
What does student learning look like?
In education, a big challenge is how to teach students what do to do when they don’t know what to do. What systems are needed for productive struggle to take place in classrooms and schools? How do students learn to struggle so they can eventually problem solve for themselves? Research in neuroscience tells us our brains grow new neuro-pathways when we are at the edge of challenge. It’s often called “The Goldilocks Principle” of learning – it can’t be too easy or too hard, learning activities and strategies must be just right. The term “productive struggle” is used a lot in education, but what does that really mean for teaching and learning? Educators can explore key ways to help build positive relationships while supporting productive struggle in classrooms and across schools.
What are positive learning experiences?
Learning should be positive for students, and often, students equate a positive experience with having fun. Here’s where purposeful play comes in. Many teachers feel they can’t easily incorporate purposeful play into the classroom–but doing so is surprisingly easy. A new survey of K-8 teachers and students from LEGO Education found that nearly all (98 percent) of students say purposeful play helps them learn and the majority (96 percent) of teachers believe it’s more effective than traditional methods like lectures or textbooks. Fun activities for students in the classroom are important. On top of that, almost 80 percent of students want more playful learning experiences in the classroom. Learn more about purposeful play’s rightful place in the classroom–and how to incorporate it into your own teaching.
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
MINNEAPOLIS–EmpowerU, a leading national provider of mental health skills and support for schools, recently recognized five school districts for their longstanding commitment to improving student resilience and mental health. The districts, based in Minnesota where EmpowerU was founded in 2018, each worked with EmpowerU for more than five years to deliver vital support to students, leading to a marked improvement in student well-being.
“EmpowerU was launched as an effective way to deliver mental health services to young people,” said Katie Dorn, co-founder of EmpowerU. “I am beyond proud of the work we are accomplishing with our district partners who leverage their Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to positively impact students who are struggling with non-academic barriers to their success. We congratulate these five districts that are shining hometown examples of the potential of what we do.”
The recognized districts were:
Independent School District 196: 1,760 students impacted; 97% of students rated[1]EmpowerU courses helpful to their well-being and confidence
Independent School District 728: 2,616 students impacted; 95% of students made significant goal progress[2]
Minnesota Virtual Academy: 102 students impacted; 100% of students made significant goal progress and reported the program was helpful to their well-being and confidence
Minnetonka Public Schools: 316 students impacted; 97% of students made significant goal progress
Orono Public School District: 253 students impacted; 95% of students made significant goal progress
“We’re honored to be recognized for our commitment to the holistic well-being of our students,” said Mary Kreger, superintendent of Independent School District 196, one of EmpowerU’s longest standing partners. “Through our partnership with EmpowerU, we’ve successfully fostered a supportive environment that recognizes the importance of mental health for student success.”
Both public and private school districts nationwide utilize EmpowerU programming to make a difference in the lives of students. The company engages students of all ages through digital skill-building lessons that feature evidence-based reflection, support and the coaching needed to drive behavior change so students can reach their goals. EmpowerU data over the previous three years shows that more than 93% of students who complete its online program make a dramatic shift from discouragement and stress to improved well-being, motivation, and hope.
“For more than five years, these school communities have demonstrated an ability to prioritize the importance of student resilience,” said Dorn. “We are honored to walk alongside them in partnership to deliver measurable, improved student well-being.”
EmpowerU, part of the FullBloom family, is a leading provider of evidence-based programs that support students facing non-academic barriers to success. Through its comprehensive approach, EmpowerU equips schools with the necessary tools and strategies to deliver targeted interventions that empower students to overcome challenges and achieve their full potential. With a commitment to data-driven decision-making and a focus on delivering care alongside evidence-based practices, EmpowerU is dedicated to transforming student outcomes. Learn more at EmpowerU.education.
[1] Statistics collected via an end-of-course survey completed by students.
[2] Statistics collected based on students’ pre-assessment self-ratings on various prompts in four categories – personal, emotional, social and academic compared to post-growth skills achievement.
eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.
As we all struggle down the path toward true educational inclusion, we are confronted with four pillars of equity as described by Rochelle Guiterize: Access, Success, Power and Identity.
Educators with a mind towards equity typically excel at access. Opening doors to all students is an obvious move. However, we must continually push systems so that all students are able to be successful in spaces where they have ownership and feel a sense of belonging (identity). Otherwise, equity and inclusion are still just a dream.
While we recognize that some of these elements require large systems change, we also want to challenge all computer science educators to be the example.Taking computer science, with its long history of exclusion, towards an inclusive future will cause ripple effects across all content areas. Utilizing the AiiCE tenets, which recommend taking approaches that are responsive to student identities (Alliance for Identity-Inclusive Computing Education, 2023) we will suggest steps towards inclusive education pedagogy with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and generative AI thought partners.
A first step towards inclusive education can be done through the adoption of UDL. According to the CSTA: Inclusive Teaching Pedagogies, “UDL is an instructional planning approach designed to give all students an equal opportunity to learn by removing barriers that prevent students from fully engaging in their classroom communities” (White, 2023). However, this is a time-consuming (though worthwhile) task for already taxed teachers.
In the frame of working smarter, not harder, we will describe a way to start integrating UDL principles into lessons, moving toward greater equity and inclusion through the use of Generative AI (GenAI) tools. The generative model being used is ChatGPT 3.5 (for optimum use we recommend ChatGPT 4).
Teaching to the average student has never been effective. Our students possess a wide range of different brains, with different sensory and processing abilities. Good teachers are finding ways to meet the learning needs of all of these diverse brains within the same classroom.
UDL uses fundamentals from neuroscience to give educators a framework to empower all learners (CAST, 2018). UDL is a process, not a product, and requires that teachers rethink their planning and delivery of instruction. Though this is not necessarily asking for teachers to do more, it is absolutely asking them to do something different. As teachers wrestle with transforming their teaching practice, generative AI offers robust opportunities. When we pair a tested, research-based framework like UDL with AI, it brings us a step closer to the goal of true inclusion of all learners in CS classes.
Implementation of UDL requires rethinking the development and planning of lessons. Ralabate (2016) gives us five fundamental questions that allow teachers to begin to transform their practice. As teachers embrace this transformation, generative AI can be a thought partner in utilizing the five fundamental questions efficiently. These questions are around the accessibility, flexibility, lack of bias, validity, and reliability of our learning activities.
We address the first four of these questions below, along with generative AI prompts that can be used to increase the velocity of implementing each of these questions.
Question
Description
Generative AI Prompt
Accessible
Who can participate in the lesson and who can not?
Please examine this lesson plan and tell me what type of student would be unable to fully participate in this lesson.
Flexible
Student choice in how they learn and how they demonstrate learning.
Please provide multiple methods for students to demonstrate [learning target/objective].
Free of Bias
What in my learning activity is inadvertently disadvantageous to students?
What components of this lesson assume similar prior knowledge to me, the instructor, or what components are…..
Valid
Does my assessment evaluate the specific learning objective I am attempting to assess?
Please change the reading level of this question to a 7th grade level (choose a level that is accessible to all students)
The final question is around reliability. Reliability measures the ability for a learning activity to meet its goals. Is the variability in my student’s performance due entirely to their performance, or is there variance that is due to the design of the activity (Ralabate, 2016). It is impossible to truly eliminate variance due to design, but it will be minimized if the first four questions are carefully considered and implemented into the design process. As a final check for reliability, GenAI can be used for triangulating grading – ask it to evaluate student data against a rubric. By comparing multiple GenAI responses with results from the teacher, we can minimize implicit bias, and ensure that the grades we are giving are authentic measures of student learning.
Systems produce what they are designed to produce. Our education system was constructed to produce inequitable outcomes, and that is what it produces. We believe that computer science educators can rise to the challenge of the day and remake their instruction in a way that effectively educates every brain–brains that come with extremely diverse needs. We know the why (equity), we know the how (UDL), and with generative AI, we now have the means to accomplish what is demanded of the moment.
References
Alliance for Identity-Inclusive Computing Education (2023). AIICE IIC Tenets. https://identityincs.org/resources/aiice-iic-tenets/
CAST (2018). UDL and the learning brain. Wakefield, MA. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2018/udl-learning-brain-neuroscience
Gutiérrez, R. (2011). Context matters: How Should We Conceptualize Equity in Mathematics Education?. In Equity in Discourse for Mathematics Education: Theories, Practices, and Policies (pp. 17-33). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
Ralabate P. (2016). Your UDL Lesson Planner: the Step-By-Step Guide for Teaching All Learners. Brookes Publishing.
White, S. V., et al. (2023, June 5). Inclusive Teaching Pedagogies. Computer Science Teachers Association. https://csteachers.org/inclusive-teaching-pedagogies/
Bios:
Rowen Elsmore, Digital Learning Specialist, Jefferson High School & Dr. Alexandra Holter, Computer Science Coordinator for K-12, Bloomington Public Schools
Rowen Elsmore, with a rich background in IT, transitioned to education, earning a BA in Biology and a Master of Arts in Teaching, and now serves as a Digital Learning Specialist at Jefferson High School in Bloomington Minnesota. She is deeply dedicated to equity, demonstrated through her role as a GSA advisor and her efforts in developing professional development programs for teaching LGBTQ+ students.
Dr. Alexandra Holter, the Computer Science Coordinator for K-12 at Bloomington Public Schools in Minnesota, has a background in Mathematics and Science Education with a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. In her current role, she is dedicated to expanding computer science education and capacity at all school levels and actively contributes to educational policy through her involvement with the CSTA Policy Committee and SciMathMN Board.
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Rowen Elsmore, Digital Learning Specialist, Jefferson High School & Dr. Alexandra Holter, Computer Science Coordinator for K-12, Bloomington Public Schools
All classrooms are different and require different teaching strategies to address various concerns, goals, and learning trends. Plus, it takes a dedicated teacher to employ the right teaching strategies for desired outcomes.
What teaching strategy is the best?
Various types of learning strategies are needed to boost student engagement and bring it to its highest levels.
According to the Van Andel Institute for Education, every teacher hopes to ignite, empower, and engage the students who walk through their classroom door. Ample research has shown that student engagement is crucial to overall learning and long-term success. However, implementing this is easier said than done. To better ignite student curiosity and interest, teachers should consider trying at least one of these five strategies that help make student engagement second nature.
What is the most effective method of teaching?
Effective teaching strategies for gamification are possible–when implemented correctly and when learning goals are prioritized.
Students don’t have to be video game fanatics to appreciate a gamified classroom lesson. When teachers turn a lesson or tough-to-teach concept into a motivational gamed or use a fun competition to teach new concepts, students become immersed in their learning and are often more engaged–meaning they’re more likely to retain information. Still, there’s an art to gamifying a lesson and ensuring that students are actually learning instead of just playing a game for points.
A deeper look into teaching methods and strategies driving high academic growth has revealed 10 instructional strategies that use small changes to teaching practices leading toward growth outcomes for students.
The findings come from a new study from K-12 assessment and research organizationNWEA. The strategies fall into three main categories: optimizing instructional time, exposing students to more content, and empowering students.
The forced disruption was also the catalyst for students and teachers to quickly acquire digital skills that are ripe to be amplified, taking them from consuming skills to creating skills. As teachers integrate technology into their lesson plans, they’re discovering various teaching methods and classroom tools effective in reaching and enriching the minds of all types of students—from visual and auditory to kinesthetic learners.
Which teaching strategy would be most helpful?
When it comes to special education classrooms, effective teaching methods can make all the difference. Two-thirds of schools with staffing shortages said special education is the hardest area to staff, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The demands on special education teachers are unlike any other position in schools, and because of shortages, you may be asked to tackle a bigger role than expected when you start.
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
Microschools have become a hot topic over the last few years. Their big appeal is that they promise to do a better job catering to students’ and families’ individual needs and interests. But right now, they only serve about 2 percent to 4 percent of U.S. students. So, could microschools eventually become the new normal in schooling?
Well, let’s see what innovation theory has to say about this question. To start, we first need to take a quick dive into the history of the steel industry (and yes, and I promise it relates).
From the mid 1800s until the 1960s, steel came from massive integrated mills. These large mills did everything from reacting iron ore, coke, and limestone in blast furnaces to rolling finished products at the other end. It would cost over $12 billion to build a huge, new integrated mill today.
Then in the 1960s, a new type of steel mill called the minimill entered the scene. Unlike their giant predecessors that needed large blast furnaces to process raw ore, minimills made new steel products by melting scrap steel using a new technology called the electric arc furnace.
These minimills transformed the economics of steel production. Whereas an integrated mill today might cover two to four square miles and would cost around $12 billion to build, minimills are less than a tenth the size of an integrated mill and only cost around $800 million.
But early minimills had a problem. Because the scrap steel they recycled varied in its chemical makeup, they could only make certain steel products like rebar.
But from the 1960s to the 1990s, as the technology improved, minimills were gradually able to produce more and more of the products made in larger and more expensive integrated mills. First angle iron, then structural steel for buildings, then finally sheet steel for things like soup cans and cars
What does this have to do with microschools?
Microschools are small, independent schooling programs. They often have students of mixed age groups and one or two educators who facilitate the learning experiences.
Just as minimills operate at a smaller scale compared to integrated mills, microschools are much smaller than conventional schools. They typically only serve around 15 to 40 students—much smaller than the typical school with hundreds to thousands of students.
As with minimills, the physical facilities of most microschools are also small and lean. Whereas most conventional schools have large, expensive campuses with multiple buildings, playgrounds, and athletic fields, microschools often operate out of homes, churches, retail space, or office buildings, and use nearby public parks for their outdoor facilities.
Also, just as minimills keep their costs down by recycling scrap steel, microschools take advantage of community and online resources to keep their costs lean.
Whether microschools become mainstream alternatives to conventional schooling remains to be seen.
Just like minimills had to improve their technology over time to offer a wider array of steel products, microschools will have to evolve if they hope to serve a wider array of students and families.
Today’s microschools aren’t for everyone. They’re limited in their ability to provide diverse social interactions, extracurricular activities, and specialized support for unique educational needs, making them an unproven and un-enticing option for many families.
So what’s the takeaway? Microschools may someday disrupt conventional schooling just like minimills disrupted integrated mills. They definitely have some of the key ingredients. But we’ll have to wait and see whether they can evolve to become compelling alternatives to conventional schooling.
Thomas Arnett, Senior Research Fellow, Clayton Christensen Institute
Thomas Arnett is a senior research fellow for the Clayton Christensen Institute. His work focuses on using the Theory of Disruptive Innovation to study innovative instructional models and their potential to scale student-centered learning in K–12 education. He also studies demand for innovative resources and practices across the K–12 education system using the Jobs to Be Done Theory.
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Thomas Arnett, Senior Research Fellow, Clayton Christensen Institute
With that in mind, here’s a key date to circle on your calendar: Dec. 31. That’s the deadline for making RESP contributions to maximize government RESP grants each year. The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) matches 20% of what you put in, up to a limit of $500 annually. To receive the full $500, your contributions must total at least $2,500 by the end of December. The lifetime CESG maximum per beneficiary (child) is $7,200, and you can only catch up one year at a time—so, you can see why that annual deadline merits attention. That’s especially true if you only have a few years to save before your child heads off to school.
Now is a great time to plan your contributions for this year. Here are some things to consider.
Despite its name, an RESP is much more than just a cash savings account. In fact, just holding cash in an RESP may not always be the best strategy, as inflation can erode its value over time. It’s worth looking into different ways to grow that money.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for the best RESP investment options. The right mix for your family will depend on several factors, including your financial circumstances, how much time you have, and how comfortable you are with risk. To help you make the most of your RESP, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) provides a list of “qualified investments” for this account, including the following:
Bonds: These can be either government-issued or corporate-issued. Bonds are generally seen as a safer investment compared to stocks, offering fixed interest payments over time.
Guaranteed investment certificates:GICs are issued by financial institutions, and you can choose terms such as one, two, three or five years. At the end of the term, you’ll receive a guaranteed amount of interest. Generally, you must wait until then to access your money.
Stocks: Investing in individual stocks can offer high returns, but they generally come with higher volatility than bonds and GICs. It’s essential to thoroughly research the companies you’re thinking about investing in—and remember, picking stocks can be risky!
Mutual funds: These funds can hold a mix of stocks, bonds and other assets. They offer diversification and are managed by financial professionals. Investors pay a percentage of the value of their investment towards annual management fees.
Exchange-traded funds: ETFs aresimilar to mutual funds in that they can hold a mix of assets like stocks and bonds. However, ETF shares trade on stock exchanges, just like individual stocks. Most ETFs are passively managed, but more active ETFs are coming onto the market.
ETFs are a fast-growing asset class in Canada. They offer investors numerous benefits, including:
Built-in diversification: ETFs may bundle various assets, providing wide exposure across different sectors, asset classes and geographies, which helps in reducing investment risk.
Professional management: With ETFs, a fund manager oversees the selection and rebalancing of holdings, often trying to replicate specific stock market indices (such as the S&P 500), thus reducing the complexity of managing individual stocks and bonds.
Flexible asset allocation: ETFs offer a spectrum of asset allocation options, so they may be suitable for investors with different risk tolerances and investment timelines.
Choosing the best ETF for your RESP largely depends on two variables: your time horizon (how long until your child needs the funds) and your risk tolerance (how much market fluctuation and potential losses you can comfortably handle).
To simplify this decision-making process, one option to consider is an all-in-one ETF, such as those offered by Fidelity. These ETFs offer different asset allocations and risk classifications. Fidelity’s All-in-One ETFs have the following target asset allocations and risk classifications (as at Oct. 31, 2023):
Fidelity All-in-One ETFs
Conservative
Balanced
Growth
Equity
Risk classification
Low to medium
Low to medium
Medium
Medium
Ticker
FCNS
FBAL
FGRO
FEQT
Equity
40%
59%
82%
97%
Fixed income
59%
39%
15%
0%
Crypto
1%
2%
3%
3%
Source: Fidelity Investments Canada ULC
Fidelity’s suite of All-in-One ETFs offers strategic diversification, with most of them giving you exposure to global bonds and stocks from all market sectors. Interestingly, they even include a small exposure to cryptocurrency (1% to 3% depending on the fund), adding a modern twist to traditional investment portfolios. (Read more about crypto in Fidelity ETFs.)
Schools across the country have been shifting their reading strategies to incorporate knowledge and best practices they have learned from the science of reading. More than 30 states have written legislation that requires schools to utilize scientifically researched instructional strategies.
The largest change most states will see as a result is a dramatic increase in explicit phonics instruction. As a result, an increasing number of students will be able to access grade-level texts.
I predict this will be reflected in summative and benchmark scores. However, picking words off the page is only a portion of what is measured in benchmark assessments. If we wish to see continued success, we will need to use everything the science of reading has taught us and provide students with a healthy diet of explicit literacy instruction that includes foundational skills like decoding, in addition to building content knowledge and higher-order comprehension strategies.
While I do believe that there will be some adjustment to find the right mix, I don’t think improved literacy results from aligning instruction to the science of reading will be cyclical or short-lived. Schools are on the right track; they just need to find the correct balance between instruction and reading experiences.
Combining phonics and background knowledge
The science of reading is not a program, curriculum, nor something you can purchase. It’s a collection of scientific research from a variety of fields—including cognitive psychology, education, and neuroscience—that helps us understand how we acquire written language.
Instruction aligned to the science of reading is sequential and explicit. Currently, it may seem like the science of reading is focused solely on phonics. Perhaps that is an over-correction in response to several popular reading programs that place too small an emphasis on phonics. However, the science of reading includes a lot of research about the importance of skills like background knowledge, vocabulary, and concepts of print.
In fact, background knowledge can even make phonics instruction more effective. If a student is spending 80 percent of their mental energy trying to figure out what the words on the page mean, they only have 20 percent left to decode. The more background knowledge they have, the more vocabulary they bring to bear on the assignment, and the more they are able to focus on applying their phonics skills.
Background knowledge and vocabulary also allow students to self-check as they read. If a student decodes the word “cake,” but they’ve never encountered it before, they have no way to know if they actually applied their decoding skills correctly. If they were at a birthday party a few days ago and know what cake is, they have immediate confirmation that they got the word correct when they decode it.
The need for authentic texts
To be truly skilled readers, students need diverse experiences and a varied vocabulary. I live in Connecticut, and if a teacher here asked students to read about college football on an assessment, they wouldn’t do as well as students from Texas, where college football is a lot more relevant. Reading a variety of texts on subjects they are already interested in will help students expand their background knowledge and vocabulary naturally over time by adding to what they already know and get excited about.
Instructional material for student reading is often very didactic. Its purpose is to be used by a teacher to give examples of different elements of writing, and it’s usually highly patterned to make those elements, like a main idea or a conclusion, relatively easy to pick out. Text in the real world isn’t structured the same way. It’s messier, and not laid out in the same way every time. To improve their reading and comprehension skills, students need access to authentic texts whose main purpose is to entertain and inform.
Libraries that are designed to be enjoyed—whether they’re traditional libraries, digital libraries, or classroom libraries—motivate students to read. When I was in school, one of my teachers flagged me as a reluctant, struggling reader. Every time the moment came to pick up our copy of Island of the Blue Dolphins, I appeared, at best, distracted, and at worst, like I would much rather be anywhere else. However, when we started the next book, a fantasy novel, I finished it independently that same day. Access to books students enjoy can be the difference between them doing everything in their power to avoid reading and them sitting at their desks during recess because they can’t put their books down.
Ideally, a teacher provides explicit instruction, models the new skill, does it with their students, and then sends students off to practice the new skill in something similar to a real-world context. If students don’t have engaging material to read, they’ll only practice their new reading skills when they’re told to, and that’s not enough.
Reading as a steppingstone to higher literacy skills
A good library will offer students not just texts they’re eager to read, but writing that exposes them to things outside their typical experience. This helps expand background knowledge and generate engagement. These days, digital libraries offer a supportive reading experience by providing features such as the ability to hear a fluent reader reading aloud. Many of them offer a glossary, so students can look up unfamiliar words as they read, growing their vocabulary naturally from in-context examples. Once a student finishes reading an article on axolotls, for example, they can move on to another article about reptiles and see many of the same vocabulary words in slightly different contexts.
Unfortunately, instead of receiving accessible texts with scaffolds to support them, what struggling or disinterested students often receive are watered-down texts at a lower difficulty level. Reading a book for younger children can make an already discouraged student feel even worse, and those simpler texts won’t push them to develop their comprehension skills at the appropriate level, which they need to do if they are going to catch up.
My hope for the future is that educators won’t let the pendulum swing too far in the direction of phonics. Students are finally getting the kind of explicit instruction in reading that they need and deserve, but they also need lots of opportunity—and motivation!—to practice this foundational academic skill along the way. Whether you graduated from teacher prep in 1950 or 2023, one universal truth all teachers know is that students become good readers by reading, and great readers by enjoying authentic, engaging texts.
Joe Burns, Product Marketing Expert, Capstone Publishing
Joe Burns has a decade of teaching experience spanning kindergarten, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and intervention. He has a B.S. in communication disorders, an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction, and a certification in Educational Leadership. Joe is currently a product marketing expert at Capstone Publishing. He can be reached at jburns@capstonepub.com.
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Joe Burns, Product Marketing Expert, Capstone Publishing
A Brookline teen was severely injured after he had “magic mushrooms” and jumped from a sixth-story window, according to police who arrested a drug dealer accused of targeting local kids.
Brookline Police are now warning parents after this incident and the arrest of a 22-year-old man in Brookline Village.
Based on a tip, Brookline detectives began investigating a suspected drug dealer who goes by the name Niko. He was allegedly selling drugs to underage teens.
At this point, we have all heard about the learning gaps in math and reading scores these past few years. Unfortunately, stats are even worse in other subjects. In 2022, only 22% of students scored “proficient” or higher on a nationwide civics assessment. And one in three scored below basic understanding of the subject.
I had a conversation with Chris Sinacola, co-editor of Restoring the City on a Hill to break down some solutions. Chris emphasizes the importance of a strong foundation in the two subjects for long-term student success. The book calls for a bottom-up approach and delves into recommendations for state and community leaders to reform U.S. history and civics standards.
Among the book’s recommendations:
Require students to pass the U.S. citizenship test as a criterion for high school graduation.
Develop a curriculum that incorporates the reading of U.S. history in every grade, with a focus on primary source documents such as the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and The Federalist Papers.
Increase investment in professional development programs for educators.
Establish an open, inclusive process for parent and community input in the curriculum through panels, surveys, and regional meetings.
Kevin is a forward-thinking media executive with more than 25 years of experience building brands and audiences online, in print, and face to face. He is an acclaimed writer, editor, and commentator covering the intersection of society and technology, especially education technology. You can reach Kevin at KevinHogan@eschoolnews.com
In education, we tend to move pretty slowly when it comes to adopting new technology, and that pattern won’t change with artificial intelligence (AI). In the coming year, early adopters will continue to play with new AI tools to see how they can be used in education. They will have some amazing successes—and some failures—as they light the way forward and the rest of us endlessly discuss the potential uses and abuses of AI in our classrooms.
Here is a bit about why we’ll have to wrestle with AI, the barriers we will face in adopting it in the coming year, and a few resources to help educators begin exploring AI.
Why teachers need to catch up with students
Students are already introducing themselves to AI tools, so teachers need to help them discover all the ways these tools can benefit their learning in a safe and supportive manner.
Artificial intelligence tools also have great potential to automate a lot of the grunt work in teaching. I have colleagues who have used AI tools to create rubrics and to offer feedback on rubrics they’d already created. AI can be helpful in creating lesson plans, assessment tools, presentations, seating charts, or letters to your students’ families for back-to-school night. Putting AI to work on administrative tasks will free up their time to focus on supporting students.
Concerns over privacy and cheating
Right now, the biggest barrier to adopting AI tools is the fact that many schools simply can’t download or access them because of privacy concerns. In New York, where I work, Education Law 2-D places restrictions on schools’ ability to use software that takes personally identifiable information.
Here and in other states with similar laws, until AI tools that comply with such laws are more widely available, teachers may have to use their own AI tools on their own computers while they show students what they are doing. Some educational software is beginning to integrate AI tools for student use, like the Canva graphic design suite, and features like that might be another avenue for teachers to safely and legally support student practice with AI.
While it is important to safeguard personally identifiable student information, some bans on AI in the classroom have nothing to do with that and are more focused on AI as a poor academic source or as a means of cutting corners or outright cheating. These bans are similar to earlier bans on tools like Wikipedia, YouTube, or calculators.
Wikipedia may be a poor academic source itself because anyone can edit it, but it’s a great place for a student to go learn the basics about a subject, complete with a list of sources for further reading. YouTube may be the largest collection of how-to videos on the planet and, contrary to the insistence of every teacher in the 1980s, you do in fact carry a calculator in your pocket with you everywhere you go these days. Just as with AI, we’re not really afraid of the tools themselves, but what we imagine students will do with them. The answer, then, is not to ban the tools, but to teach students appropriate ways to use them.
Worries that students will cheat with AI don’t strike me as much different than worries that they would copy from the encyclopedia. Everyone is looking for the AI version of Turnitin, but the best way to prevent students from cheating with a tool is to introduce them to it. As soon as their teacher is using something, it won’t be cool anymore, so you’re already halfway there.
Give your students a short writing assignment and give ChatGPT the same one, then have your students compare them and talk about the differences. Ask if it really seems like an efficient way to get information, given that you have to read it, vet it, and revise anyway. Then talk about more legitimate ways you might use it. AI tools are great for creating a table of contents or an outline to help get ideas flowing. They can also provide helpful feedback and suggestions for revision. There are many different ways to bring AI tools into the writing process, and as long as students have plenty of discussion about the differences between writing something themselves and having the software do it, they are all potential learning opportunities.
Getting the conversation started
The best way for teachers to get started with AI is just to play around with it. I was a little nervous to jump in myself, but you can use it for low-stakes personal stuff at first if it makes you more comfortable. Ask it to give you a trip itinerary for a vacation you’re taking, or to plan a romantic dinner for an upcoming anniversary. If you’re really stumped, just ask an AI tool for a list of fun and useful ways to use AI, then give a couple of your favorites a shot.
I would give administrators the same advice. Just jump in and start playing on your own time, then introduce a tool at a faculty meeting and have some fun. We all need to be on the same page and using the same language, so get some experience with AI tools until you know the meaning of phrases like “machine learning” and “generative model” inside and out before you come up with a plan to introduce these tools to students.
Once teachers do introduce AI tools to the classroom, it’s important to focus on process, not product. AI still gets facts wrong all the time. It hallucinates information that never existed. It can be prone to biases and discrimination, can’t understand emotions, and is incapable of creativity. Students will need digital citizenship skills—along with traditional soft skills like critical thinking—to critique the output of these systems. Rather than focusing on the product AI gives us, assignments related to these tools should focus on the process of vetting them. How do you check facts? How might the output of this tool be affected by the samples it was trained on?
Just getting a conversation about AI started in a professional learning community can go a long way toward getting good ideas out there. Pretty much any edtech organization these days offers resources to help teachers learn about AI as well. ISTE has several resources, including books, pamphlets, and a whole class. I participate in a podcast called AI Café, hosted by BAM Radio, where we’ve talked about a plethora of topics connected to AI in education. Even looking at your own state’s standards to see how AI is incorporated to them could be eye-opening.
If you haven’t already, don’t be afraid to get your toes wet in the new year. Artificial intelligence has the potential to change the world and, if we let it, to improve education. We just have to dive in and get ready to support our students.
Julianne Ross-Kleinmann, Instructional Data Analysis & Technology Specialist, Ulster County BOCES
Julianne Ross-Kleinmann is the instructional data analysis & technology specialist at Ulster County BOCES, as well as a doctoral student at Manhattanville College. She can be reached at jrosskleinmann@ulsterboces.org.
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Julianne Ross-Kleinmann, Instructional Data Analysis & Technology Specialist, Ulster County BOCES
But starting next fall, prospective students from outside the province may face a steep increase in tuition fees at schools like McGill University, Concordia University and Bishop’s University, thanks to new rule imposed by the Quebec provincial government, designed to promote and protect the French language. If implemented, the change could prompt many out-of-province students to reconsider their education plans. Here’s what’s being proposed and what it means for students.
Current tuition fees for out-of-province and international students studying in Quebec
Out-of-province students who study in Quebec already pay a lot more in tuition fees than Quebec residents. The table below shows the tuition fees for undergraduate students enrolled in a business program for the 2023-24 academic year. (Note that fees may vary by program of study, and the numbers listed exclude administrative, compulsory and other fees.)
As you can see, many out-of-province students currently pay more than three times more than Quebec residents. International students pay the highest fees of all. In general, French-language universities seem to charge international students less than English-language universities.
Proposed Quebec tuition fee changes
In October 2023, the Quebec government outlined plans to raise tuition fees for out-of-province undergraduate students from $8,992 to $17,000 per year. The province is now reportedly reconsidering its initial plan, and it may instead only raise tuition for out-of-province students to $12,000 per year. Either way, students who are currently in the system would be exempt from the tuition hikes (except those who change programs), as would PhD students.
While the new rules would apply to all universities, the province’s three English-language universities—Bishop’s University, Concordia University and McGill University—have been in the news because they would be most directly impacted. Most of Quebec’s out-of-province students study in English.
International students may also be affected, though less than out-of-province students. Keeping with the province’s original plan, international students would pay a minimum of $20,000 per year in tuition. Universities would continue to have the right to impose additional discretionary fees.
There’s no doubt that these changes would impact incoming out-of-province and international students. On top of needing to come up with more money for tuition, the changes could influence the quality of education, particularly at Quebec’s English-language universities. McGill University, for example, says it could lose 60% of its out-of-province students. It projects that this would contribute to a drop of around $42 million in annual revenue, which would have a domino effect on staffing and resources available for students.
So, is studying in Quebec still worthwhile?
Canadian students outside of Quebec who want to study in the province could see tuition costs jump by $3,000 to $8,000 more per year starting in 2024. That would be a financial shock for anyone, let alone students, who often don’t have a consistent or reliable source of income. So, how can you decide if studying in Quebec is still worth it? Start by answering the following questions.
Canadians can choose from two types of RESPs: individual and family. Both are registered accounts, meaning that they’re registered with the federal government, and they allow your savings and investments to grow on a tax-sheltered basis.
Here are the key features you should know about for both types of RESPs:
The lifetime RESP contribution limit per beneficiary (child) is $50,000.
A beneficiary can have more than one RESP (for example, if a parent opens one and a grandparent opens one), however, the maximum contribution is still $50,000.
The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) matches 20% of the first $2,500 in RESP contributions per year. That’s $500 in free money per year!
If your family’s adjusted income is below a certain amount (for 2023, it was $106,717), you can also receive the “Additional CESG,” which adds up to $100 more, after you contribute your first $500 per year.
The CESG’s lifetime maximum, including Additional CESG, is $7,200 per child.
Low-income families also receive the Canada Learning Bond (CLB), with no personal contribution required, to a lifetime maximum of $2,000 per child.
Families in British Columbia and Quebec have access to additional grants: $1,200 in British Columbia and up to $3,600 in Quebec. (Read more about these provincial RESP grants.)
You won’t get a tax deduction for contributing to an RESP like you would with a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP), but your contributions won’t be taxed when withdrawn.
Government grants and growth inside an RESP are taxed when withdrawn, but they’ll be taxed at the child’s marginal tax rate—which will likely be very low.
You can turn an individual RESP into a family RESP anytime, as well as add and remove beneficiaries from the plan.
Now that we’ve covered RESP basics, let’s tackle five of the most common questions about family RESPs we get at Embark.
1. How are funds in a family RESP divided among beneficiaries?
Here’s where the flexibility of a family RESP comes into play. Outside of the CLB, government grants and the growth on the investments can be shared among the plan’s beneficiaries—and the amounts don’t have to be equal. So, if one child’s education costs more than another’s, you can divide the funds accordingly. You can also start using RESP funds for one child’s post-secondary education while another is still in grade school and collecting grant money. It’s nice to have that flexibility.
2. What if one or more beneficiaries do not use their RESP funds?
In a family RESP, one child’s unused funds can be allocated to another child’s education. If none of the beneficiaries attend school, you could keep the plan open in case they change their mind.
You could also transfer any unused income in the RESP to your or your partner’s RRSP as an Accumulated Income Payment (AIP). The transfer limit is $50,000, and you would have to return any government grants. Three other requirements to be aware of: You must have enough RRSP contribution room to make the transfer; the RESP must have been open for a minimum of 10 years; and the beneficiaries must be age 21 or older and not pursuing further education.
If you don’t intend to add any more beneficiaries to the plan, and you don’t need the RESP any longer, you could close it. If eligible, your original contributions will be withdrawn tax-free, but you will pay taxes on any investment gains—unless they’re transferred to your RRSP as an AIP.
3. Can you add another generation of beneficiaries to an existing family RESP?
The short answer is no. Within a family RESP, all beneficiaries must be related by blood or adoption, meaning only siblings can be added to a family RESP. This would prohibit a grandparent from adding their grandchildren to a family RESP that was previously opened for their children. Additionally, since an RESP can only be open for 35 years, adding a younger sibling to a plan initially opened for someone close to or at withdrawal age would significantly cut down the time the younger beneficiary has to accumulate savings before the RESP would be closed.
Ideally, your grandchild or grandchildren will have an RESP. Perhaps your own kids have already opened one for them. If not, you can open an RESP—in fact, anyone can become a “subscriber,” including parents, guardians, grandparents, other relatives, and friends. A child can be the “beneficiary” of multiple RESPs, but here’s the key detail to note: the lifetime RESP contribution limit per child is $50,000. Any excess contributions will be taxed, so it’s important for contributors to coordinate their efforts.
An overview of RESPs
If you’re new to RESPs, here are some common questions (and the answers) about these plans:
What is an RESP? RESPs are registered savings and/or investment accounts, meaning they’re registered with the Canadian government and they offer tax advantages.
What can RESPs be used for? Your grandchild(ren) will be able to use their RESP to pay for tuition plus a wide range of other educational expenses: accommodations, textbooks, school supplies, transportation, and more.
Where can I open an RESP? At a bank or an investment firm, including providers that specialize in RESPs, like Embark. You will need your grandchild’s social insurance number (SIN)—another good reason to coordinate with their parents.
Are RESPs taxed? Money and investments held inside an RESP grow tax-sheltered. The grants and growth—including interest, dividends and capital gains—aren’t taxed until withdrawn, and then they’re taxed at the beneficiary’s (child’s) marginal tax rate. (This will likely be very low since they’re in school.)
Do I get a tax deduction for contributing to an RESP? No. But you also don’t pay tax when you withdraw the money you contributed.
Why else should I open an RESP? The biggest incentive for opening an RESP is free government grants. Through the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG), the Canadian government will match 20% of your contributions, up to $500, in a given year, up to a lifetime limit of $7,200. In addition to the CESG, families below a certain income threshold may also qualify for additional government grants, called the Additional Canada Education Saving Grant (ACES) and the Canada Learning Bond (CLB). The CLB grant does not require plan subscribers to make any contributions. Families living in certain provinces (Quebec and British Columbia) can also apply for other grants. Read more about government RESP grants.
What if I have multiple grandchildren? You or the children’s parents can open a family RESP. Keep in mind that all children within the RESP must be related by blood or adoption (siblings). This means that as a grandparent, if you have multiple grandchildren (who are not all siblings), each group will need their own RESP. The grants and growth in a family RESP can be shared among beneficiaries—very helpful if one child’s education costs more than another’s.
How long can an RESP stay open? A very long time: 35 years. But it’s important to pay attention to the annual RESP deadline of Dec. 31, if you want to maximize government grants.
What’s the best way to get the maximum RESP grant?
To get the maximum CESG amount of $7,200, it’s a good idea to plan for RESP contributions. This is helpful both for organizing your own finances and for coordinating between contributors, including your grandchildren’s parents. You could even automate your contributions, to make it easier to stick to a consistent schedule.
First, let’s look at how to get the maximum of $500 in CESG in a given year. The government matches 20% on the first $2,500 annually, so a child’s RESP contributors would need to put in $2,500 to get $500 in CESG each year. Collectively, you can contribute more than $2,500 in any year—there’s no limit to annual RESP contributions (not exceeding the $50,000 lifetime limit)—but the maximum CESG per year is $500.
To get the maximum lifetime CESG amount of $7,200 for the child, the RESP contributors will need to put in $2,500 per year for 14 years, and then another $1,000 when the child is age 15. If you don’t contribute $2,500 in a certain year, you can catch up the following year, but note that the maximum CESG in one year is $1,000—meaning you can only catch up one year at a time.
Call in the experts
If you need guidance on planning RESP contributions, maximizing government grants and adjusting RESP investments over time, talk to the Education Savings Specialist at Embark. Right now, Embark has a special offer for MoneySense readers: Start an account using the promo code MONEYSENSE100 and it will contribute $100 to your grandchild’s education when you save $200. Visit Embark* for details.
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Andrew Lo is the CEO of Embark, Canada’s education savings and planning company. As a fintech leader for over 30 years, he’s focused on making the best financial services available to Canadians.
