How to teach and parent better in the age of big data

At the parent-teacher conference, I sat across the table from my first grader’s teacher in a chair made for a 6-year-old. The teacher pointed to percentages scrawled in red ink. I looked and listened.

"This number," she said, "is his Lexile score." She went on, moving her index finger across a table created by MetaMetrics. "Here’s the range of normal for his age. So, you want to have him reading books at this level."

Her report of his math performance proceeded in much the same way: more percentages, ranges and "levels," sometimes calculated from different copyrighted measures.

By this point, I was having difficulty following. I silently wondered: I have a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning, and I don’t understand what these data say about my kid. What are other parents getting out of these meetings?

When the teacher paused for a breath, I leaned as far back as the tiny chair would allow. She looked up from the cascade of worksheets, catching my gaze. I seized the moment. "Do you ever get to talk to Mac?" I asked. "I mean, do you know what he likes, what he’s interested in? That’s a good way to select books for him, based on his interests." MetaMetrics doesn't know what gets Mac (not his real name) excited about learning. She smiled and relaxed back into her chair, too.

It is not enough to collect data about a student. I believe that data are no substitute for building rapport with young people. And yet, elementary to high school teachers who work well with data, the ones who know how to measure and speak from percentages, are doing the job right. This is teaching in the age of "big data."

Data-rich schools

Recent accountability pressures on schools, due to No Child Left Behind, mean teachers increasingly use student data to inform both classroom instruction and schoolwide improvement.

Just read the first paragraph of a 2009 Executive Summary from the Department of Education for a sense of the importance of data in schools:

The collection, analysis, and use of educational data are central to the improvement of student outcomes envisioned by No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The use of data in educational decision making is expected to span all layers of the education system —- from the federal to the state, district, school and classroom levels.

In a 2007 survey of 1,039 school districts across the country, the Department of Education found that 100% maintained a student information system with data points like test scores on statewide assessments, demographics, attendance and behavior.

With programs like PowerSchool, Infinite Campus and Skyward – each charging more than US$5 per child per month -— these student information systems promise a one-stop shop for tracking all aspects of a district's student and school data.

Ideally, these systems help teachers to look at student data in teams, with other teachers and school leaders. But how teachers across various districts typically interpret, use or ignore data is still an open question.

In some districts, teachers have required data literacy trainings that show them how to interpret student data and adjust their instruction accordingly. In other districts without trainings, teachers have no cohesive plan for what to do with all this data, making the big data endeavor seem pointless.

Some districts train teachers to assess student data. AVAVA/shutterstock.com

Capturing a student's needs

As Toni Morrison once said, "Wisdom without data is just a hunch." Just having data about children is not equivalent to them living well, or having hopeful futures.

Often, the very opposite is true. Students get excluded from opportunities because they are perceived as "low-performing" based on limited data points. The burden is on the student to improve rather than asking how the system is failing the child.

I believe that schools should focus on developing more data wisdom – considering the power of data for building pathways to better futures. Doing so means all educators, be they parents or teachers, use data wisely: considering what it does and does not show, considering that data in the larger social context, and looking at past experiences and trends in a child's life to thoughtfully plan for the future.

Increasingly, education research encourages teachers to expand their definitions of data to include sources beyond mandated assessments: classroom observation data, recorded one-on-one conversations with a student, and videos of how students talk and gesture while working through a math problem.

Used together, these forms of data paint a more nuanced picture of a child, capturing aspects that aren't measured by a state-mandated test.

Parents and teachers could think of even more data points that start pointing at larger social, cultural and economic dynamics at play in a child's day.

Is the student physically and emotionally ready to succeed in class? Sharomka/shutterstock.com
Mac's Lexile score doesn't account for his disinterest in reading about dogs in the Arctic for two weeks. But data on what Mac likes to do at home would provide complementary information on potential book topics. MetaMetrics didn't know that Mom forgot to send his lunch to school and he refuses to eat in the cafeteria; Mac was famished when he did those math worksheets. A quick assessment on Mac's socioemotional state before tackling math work could explain his running out of steam halfway through the test.

And Mac is a privileged white male not shouldering any stressors of racism, sexism or economic instability, daily realities for many students that are completely erased by a single metric. Quick assessments on bullying and anxiety, for instance, could meaningfully elaborate a MetaMetrics table for teachers and parents.

From there, adults, hopefully with students, could think through these complementary data points to create a plan, addressing the various reasons why reading and math aren't going as well as everyone hopes.

Using data wisdom as a guiding principle is what serious education is about.

>

Here's What Homeschooling Really Looks Like

I always thought homeschooling was a crazy concept. I was sure it was only practiced by overprotective families who lived on a farm and partook in some extreme version of religion. But as we get closer to kindergarten, I'm surprised to learn that many families in our suburban area — which has top-rated schools — are choosing to homeschool.

The U.S. Department of Education estimated that there were 49.6 million homeschooled students in the fall of 2012 and 50.6 million in the fall of 2016. Data also showed that homeschooling grew by an average of about 25 percent in 16 states from all four major regions of the nation.

More important, I'm seeing a few homeschoolers in my area hanging out at parks and libraries, looking tired but happy. I always joked that if my kid was homeschooled by me, he would undoubtedly be a C- student because I couldn't teach him a thing. He won't even put his shoes on with me around!

Then again, I'm discovering that homeschooling is less about grades and testing and more about giving your kids the tools and the freedom to learn in their own way. It sounds like I might have learned a lot more growing up that way. Instead, I felt restricted in a classroom, so I focused my attention on boys instead of what the teacher was saying!

Jenni Manhaz, who homeschools a 2-year-old and 4-year-old as well as a fostered teenager and is an homeschooling/unschooling consultant, says, "Not everyone homeschools for the same reasons, but the common thread amongst homeschooling families is that they are all trying to give their children something they believe the conventional system is lacking — autonomy, respect, access to the 'real' world," safety, the ability to truly go at their own pace, challenge, time to develop intrinsic motivation, patience and physical play."

Then again, I'm discovering that homeschooling is less about grades and testing and more about giving your kids the tools and the freedom to learn in their own way. It sounds like I might have learned a lot more growing up that way. Instead, I felt restricted in a classroom, so I focused my attention on boys instead of what the teacher was saying!

Jenni Manhaz, who homeschools a 2-year-old and 4-year-old as well as a fostered teenager and is an homeschooling/unschooling consultant, says, "Not everyone homeschools for the same reasons, but the common thread amongst homeschooling families is that they are all trying to give their children something they believe the conventional system is lacking — autonomy, respect, access to the 'real' world," safety, the ability to truly go at their own pace, challenge, time to develop intrinsic motivation, patience and physical play."

Every Day Is Different

Stephanie explains that her son's days vary.

"Right now, he takes French twice a week from a Haitian man named Stevenson who we adore, and he just started Spanish once a week from a woman in Mexico named Ilse," she says. "He also works on math every day, attends forest school twice a week and is in enrolled in a science class at our zoo. I work from home each day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., so he completes his work during that time and is sometimes at classes."

Stephanie added that they often visit aquariums, museums, and travel frequently, both domestically and internationally.

Child Lead Learning

Manhaz sends her kids to an Agile Learning Center a few days a week, where the program allows kids to direct their own learning. On those days, her kids eat their lunch by 9 a.m. and eat whenever they want throughout the day.

"They navigate taking turns on pedal bikes, climb trees, paint, play in the mud kitchen, and do whatever else moves them," she says.

Their home days are like most people's weekend days. She adds, "And thrown in there on both days is digging for bugs, reading, dancing, pretend play, yoga, relationship building. Our days are full, but relaxed."

Activities, Classes And Groups

A dad in our area and his wife homeschool their three children, and they both say that aside from working on lesson plans with their kids every day, they also go to museums and classes. They have even connected with other homeschoolers in the area and meet at least once a week for play dates.

This all sounds very interesting, but I can't say homeschooling is for me yet. However, I don't think it's an outrageous idea anymore. In fact, it actually makes a lot of sense, especially for those free-spirits and self-directed types. This might be an option to further explore, as long as I can schedule in those much-needed mommy breaks too. Stay tuned!

> https://patch.com/new-york/rivertowns/heres-what-homeschooling-really-looks

RealApp Disclaimer

The information and other material available from this web site comes from a number of sources including staff at the organisation, third parties who have given permission for use of their material, and material copied under statutory and other licences. Accordingly that information and material (i.e. all of the content on the page from which you navigated to this notice, and other pages containing a link to this notice) is protected by copyright.

Except as permitted by the Copyright Act 1987 or specific licensing regimes such as Creative Commons, no part of it may in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or any other means be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be broadcast or transmitted without the prior permission of the publisher, RealApp.

If you are a copyright owner (which can be an exclusive licensee), or their agent, and if you believe that a work is available on this web site or network in such a way that constitutes an infringement of copyright, or a breach of an agreed licence or contract, you can notify us using the Takedown Notice, or in writing.

Your notification must include:

- information reasonably sufficient to enable us to identify the copyrighted work that is the subject of the claimed infringement or, if multiple copyrighted works are involved, a representative list of such works;
- information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate and access such material;
- information reasonably sufficient to permit us to contact you, such as your name, address, telephone number, and email address;
- an indication of whether you are the owner of the content, or if you are acting on their behalf (details of all parties must be supplied including the relationship between them);
- an indication of the law, licence, or contract that you claim is being transgressed.

6 Deadly Mistakes Most Teachers Make On Their First Day Of Class

FOR NEW TEACHERS, OR FOR EXPERIENCED TEACHERS ENTERING NEW CLASSROOMS, FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.

Students will be testing us, trying to discern where the boundaries lie, what they can get away with and what the expectations are. While it may be overstating the case to say that the first few classes can make or break your school year, failure to make a solid impression on your students (and your co-teachers, if applicable) can certainly make your life much more difficult for the next several months.

Elsewhere on this site you can find information on what you should do on the first day of classes, so I will not address that here. Instead, here are 6 things you should NOT do in those early days.

AVOID THE FOLLOWING DEADLY MISTAKES ON YOUR FIRST DAY

1. DON’T: MONOPOLIZE THE TALK TIME

Students tend to be shy and nervous during the first few classes, making them reluctant to speak up. To counter this, teachers often make their first classes about them (the teachers) talking. We explain the class rules, expectations, perhaps do a bit of review, etc. However, as ESL teachers, speaking (in English) will be a key part of our classes and we should try to encourage students to engage and participate from the very beginning of the year.

2. DON’T: BE A TALKING POST AT THE FRONT OF THE CLASS

It can be very tempting to remain at the front of the class, that place where the authority of being the teacher seems strongest and where we often have things to point at on the screen/board. But this sets a precedent that you will not interact with your students and creates an imbalance in the class. Those in the front receive most of your attention and those at the back are much more difficult to engage (and control). Traditionally, troublemakers will attempt to sit in the back of the class where they are comparatively free from the teacher’s scrutiny. By moving around the classroom, you spread
your attention throughout the students and include even those who have tried to
avoid that inclusion. Note that, depending on your teaching style, this may require that you buy a remote to advance your presentation from anywhere in the classroom.

3. DON’T: CALL ONLY ON STUDENTS WHO VOLUNTEER

This is very much linked to the above point. It is easier to call only on students
who raise their hands than it is to force all students to engage in the class. However,
you will eventually want all your students to participate, so setting that precedent
early will help you down the road.

Unfortunately, this is not quite as simple as just forcing everyone to participate. To begin with, you may not have time to get all students to speak. Further, if it is the beginning of the year, this will be a new class and the students may not be entirely comfortable with one another. Some students are particularly shy and forcing them to answer overly difficult questions can only cause them to withdraw. Ideally, call on groups or have every student complete the same basic speaking tasks.


4. DON’T: IGNORE YOUR OWN CLASS RULES

Class rules are there for a reason. Most literature emphasises the importance of presenting the classroom rules in the first class. The follow up to this is that teachers need to start enforcing them right from the start. Of course, this requires coming to class with a concrete set of rules and consequences already in mind. Not enforcing them will result in an uphill struggle of trying to break established bad behaviours among your students in subsequent classes.

5. DON’T: JUST PLAY GAMES

Teachers may feel pressure to make students like them, like their class, and like learning English. This can lead to simply playing a series of English games, often considered review games, for the entirety of the first class or two.

While there is value in getting the students speaking in a fun, relaxed environment, not all of your classes are going to be games based. So, play games if that is what you prefer, but also include some partner dialogue practice or easy worksheets so the students are aware that they will be expected to do some work during your classes.

6. DON’T: CATEGORIZE YOUR STUDENTS

Teachers tend to class students into two categories: good students, and troublesome students. This can cover a whole range of qualifiers that usually vary based on the teacher but may include behaviour, intelligence, interest, etc.

Having these mental categories can be very helpful when it comes time to create seating charts, groups, or for classroom management, but it is important that teachers don’t form their impression based on the first class or two. Early in the year, students are still finding their own role within their new classroom and their relationship with their teachers. It is not uncommon for a student’s behaviour to change significantly after the first few weeks of class. I am sure that many of us have seen watched a few exemplary students turn into classroom management nightmares over the course of the semester. Keep those assessments flexible until things have settled down a bit. As a side note, there is a plethora of literature out there stating that teachers should never pick favourites. Ever. I agree with this, with a slight twist: teachers should never play favourites in class. We all have favourite students: those who make us laugh, are interested in our subjects, go the extra mile, but, and this can be very difficult, we can’t favour the above their peers.

AI, ethics and classrooms of the future

News that Pearson, the world's largest textbook publisher, is phasing out print publications for higher education to adopt a resolutely digital-first policy may signal an eventual full stop for traditional book learning. But the wealth of technology coming on stream heralds an exciting new chapter for the future classroom.

In the view of Mike Buchanan, executive director of HMC, which represents independent school head teachers, digital education will unlock a less rigid approach to classroom-based learning, as well as enable closer collaboration with pupils' families.

"In a growing number of schools, the use of modern management information and recording systems to harvest details of classroom activities and pupil progress is already allowing parents to access and aggregate their child's attainment records," he says.

"In the future, this will no doubt see the traditional termly report being replaced by daily digital updates."

Mr Buchanan predicts individual academic achievement will be charted by artificial intellegence (AI), rather than by a plethora of exams, and argues that for teachers disenchanted by the current need to "teach to the test", the freedom to pursue a more rounded curriculum will foster a new optimism.

"Technology has both advantages and disadvantages in education, as it does in every field," he says. "The exam boards probably won't like it, but in my view, AI's potential role in automated assessment and reporting will prove to be a game-changer."

The future classroom must be student centred

Professor Rose Luckin, co-founder of the Institute for Ethical Artificial Intelligence in Education, launched last year, helps steer developments in educational technology in a firmly ethical direction. She believes that while individual tools such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) or MOOCs (Massive open online courses) will each play a role in the future classroom, close attention should be paid to the "over-arching intelligence infrastructure" as digital education develops.

"We need to recognise that education for all ages must change to create the skills society will need in the future and this means looking at the possibilities of AI in a more holistic way," she says.

"Cutting-edge technologies must be constructed from an ethical framework, which empowers both learners and teachers, rather than exploiting them for purely commercial gain."

Drawing a parallel with the growth in social media, Professor Luckin says: "We have all witnessed the power of the big digital networking platforms to shape users' behaviour and habits, and there have been negative, as well as positive, impacts from this.

"When we look at the future of classroom AI, we can see that as long as there is an ethical purpose to what we do, individuals and society will benefit from a global education technology infrastructure which deploys a whole range of digital tools."

But Professor Luckin issues a warning to those who believe the future classroom needs to concentrate on computer coding alone.

"As society's educational needs continue to change, we may well decide not to engage with some of the breakthrough things that we know AI can deliver. We need advanced thinking around what we want to deliver in terms of lifelong learning for each individual citizen, rather than an obsession with clever algorithms and coding."

>https://www.raconteur.net/technology/future-classroom-digital-education

What Does the Future Ready Teacher Look Like?

You might be tempted to dismiss the idea of the "future ready teacher" as just the latest bit of shallow jargon or the newest passing fad in education, but before you do, dig a little deeper into the movement and you’ll find a wealth of resources designed to help education stake holders increase the opportunities for digital learning for all students.

One of the key planks of the future ready movement is an emphasis on increased opportunities for blended learning. For the uninitiated, blended learning refers to the act of combining traditional educational approaches with digital tools for instruction. While one might initially think that an all-high-tech approach would have the most appeal, it is important to know the limits of technology as well as its benefits. In fact, some research has shown that high-tech learning does not always deliver on its promise of improving student outcomes.

So the wise teacher will not just automatically opt for the high-tech solution but rather will carefully assess instructional methods in order to select the best ones—whether that be the latest edtech or a good, old-fashioned paper-and-pencil exercise. So, the future ready teacher is one who incorporates edtech only where it has been shown to improve student learning.

Another key aspect of future ready teaching is a focus on personalized instruction. One size certainly does not fit all, and teaching to the "average" student can often mean teaching that meets the needs of literally no one, since no student is perfectly average. Personalization allows the student to maximize their use of instructional time.

Of course, it can be hard to fathom the amount of work required to personalize learning without ample tech tools; fortunately, teachers can today harness a wide variety of edtech tools to assess, track, and instruct students. They can perform finely-grained data analysis in order to target precisely which skills require more practice for each individual student. And, they can deliver that instruction at a one-to-one level where edtech tools are available.

Tools such as online videos make it possible for students to pause, re-view, and seek more information from a presentation—things that would obviously be impossible during a live lecture. So instructional videos micro-targeted to develop specific skills are just one of many tools that teachers can use to personalize learning. The future ready teacher is a teacher who is able to harness the power of technology in order to deliver targeted one-on-one instruction to all students, at precisely the pace at which the student moves best.

Students around the world rally to demand governments act on climate change

BERLIN, Germany — They organized by word of mouth and social media. Around the world, students skipped classes on Friday.

Students protested to draw attention to climate change. They believe governments have not taken enough action to protect the planet.

The March 15 rallies were one of the biggest worldwide climate change actions yet. They involved hundreds of thousands of students. Young people protested in more than 100 countries.

The coordinated "school strikes" were led by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. She began holding demonstrations by herself last year. She protested outside the Swedish government building.

Since then, the weekly protests have grown. They grew from a handful of cities to hundreds. Catchy slogans about the effect of climate change during the students' lifetime motivated young people.

Scientists have backed the protests. Thousands in Great Britain, Finland, Germany and the U.S. have signed petitions supporting the students.

Pointing The Finger At Politicians

Thunberg was named a possible choice for the Nobel Peace Prize. She spoke at a March 15 rally in Stockholm, Sweden. She said the world faces its biggest problem ever, but "it has been ignored for decades."

"And you know who you are, you that have ignored this," she said.

Across the globe, protests were big and small. All of them urged politicians to act on climate change while also highlighting other environmental problems.

In India's capital of New Delhi, schoolchildren protested inaction on climate change. They demanded action from their government. Students there want India's government to tackle rising air pollution levels in the country. Pollution levels there are often far higher than World Health Organization limits.

In Paris, France, teenagers crowded the cobblestoned streets around the domed Pantheon building. Some criticized French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron sees himself as a main supporter of the 2015 Paris climate deal. There, many countries agreed to fight global warming. However, Macron is criticized by activists. They think he's too business-friendly and isn't eager enough to reduce emissions of pollutants.

It was Paris high school student Raphael Devautour's first protest. He compared it to peace protests starting in the late 1960s. "We can feel that something is happening," he said. "When the youths start acting, it gets things moving."

Africa Will Be Hit The Hardest

In South Africa's capital, Pretoria, one protester held a sign reading, "You'll Miss The Rains Down in Africa." It was a reference to the famous song by the band Toto. More than 1 billion people live in Africa. Experts expect African countries to be hardest hit by warming.

Meanwhile, Africa contributes the least to global warming. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), cause heat to stay trapped in Earth's atmosphere. Scientists believe this has caused the temperature rise.

Speakers at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., stood behind a banner saying, "We don't want to die."

In Berlin, Germany, police said as many as 20,000 protesters gathered in a downtown square. They marched through the German capital to Chancellor Angela Merkel's office.

Carla Reemtsma is a 20-year-old student who helped organize that protest. "A lot happens on social media because you can reach a lot of young people very quickly," she said.

Students Organize Rallies

Azalea Danes is a student at the Bronx High School of Science. She wasn't a climate activist until two weeks ago when she read about Thunberg. Danes was inspired by Thunberg and became one of the main organizers of the youth climate strike in New York City, where she organized thousands to rally in three places on March 15.

That shows how these protests are organized from the bottom up, she said.

Volker Quaschning is an engineering professor at Berlin's University of Applied Sciences. Quaschning said politicians often give students little credit.

"That's why they need our support," he said. Quaschning added that if people do nothing, parts of Earth could be unlivable by 2099.

However, some politicians praised the students. Denmark's Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen showed up at the protest in his country's capital of Copenhagen. He tweeted, "We must listen to the youth. Especially when they're right."

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Teach Kindness to Your Kids

Are you too concerned about your child's grades? I was surprised by recent research that found 80 percent of kids think their parents care more about academic and athletic achievements than kindness or other moral attributes. In a study of 10,000 young participants, children were three times as likely to agree with the following statement: "My parents are prouder if I get good grades in my classes than if I'm a caring community member."

Of course grades are important, and we want our children to aim high both in school and in day-to-day life. It's understandable that parents put a lot of focus on those areas to motivate kids. After all, if you don't push her to finish her homework and study for the test, how will it get done?

But this study comes as a good reminder that we need to emphasize the importance of being a kind person too. Your little one shouldn't have to choose just one area to excel at; he can be sweet, smart, and a great athlete all at the same time. Here are some easy ways to encourage your child to be kind:

1. Be a good role model. (Yes, you've heard it before, but it's worth repeating!) Whether it's cleaning trash off the road, collecting cans of food for a local soup kitchen, or simply complimenting a friend, your child will learn nice behavior from your example.
2. Encourage teamwork. From helping out with chores around the house to cleaning up after a play date, encourage your kids to pitch in whenever possible.
3. Practice politeness. Everyone in the family should say please and thank you--and apologize when necessary, too!
4. Talk to your children about your values. Tell them that you hope they'll focus on doing well in school and being a good person. Then you can be certain that they understand what you care about.