Do cell phones help or hinder education (k-12)? Do cell phones help or hurt social skills? Do cell phones cause distraction and loss of focus? Today we bring you an article published in The Harvard Gazzette by Anna Lamb Bans may help protect classroom focus, but districts need to stay mindful of students’ sense of connection, experts say Students around the world are being separated from their phones. In 2020, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that 77 percent of U.S. schools had moved to prohibit cellphones for nonacademic purposes. In September 2018, French lawmakers outlawed cellphone use for schoolchildren under the age of 15. In China, phones were … [Read more...]
Why homeschooling is on the rise
Today we share an article written by Dr. Ben Carson as published in the Washington Examiner. Homeschooling is our country's fastest-growing form of education , according to the Washington Post. An estimated 1.9 million to 2.7 million students are homeschooled nationwide. There are quite a few reasons for the shift away from our public school system. Foremost is the shocking mismanagement of our education system during the COVID-19 pandemic. From stifling mask mandates to the shift to "remote learning," the quality of education fell precipitously on the tails of the pandemic. As a former neurosurgeon who worked on children's brains, I can tell you this for a fact: Children cannot … [Read more...]
California School District Starts Three-Year, Six-Figure Plan To Turn Students Into Critical Race Theory Activists
From The Daily Wire written by Spencer Lindquist. The original article can be read at: California School District Starts Three-Year, Six-Figure Plan To Turn Students Into Critical Race Theory Activists | The Daily Wire Do you want this training in your school district? A school district in California’s Bay Area is launching an initiative to train over a hundred students to become Critical Race Theory activists in a plan that could last three years and cost more than $100,000. Martinez Unified School District (MUSD), located just inland from Berkeley, California, is preparing to train students to become leftwing activists with the help of Lori Watson, the CEO of Oakland-based … [Read more...]
Portland Public Schools considers move to ‘equitable’ grade system
So grades are under attack as being unfair? Teachers would determine the grade based on their assessment of the student and various factors? Opinions will matter more than results? Your thoughts? What's your school district planning? Do you know? By Paulina Aguilar Published: Aug. 31, 2023 at 8:52 PM PDT Link to original story PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Portland Public Schools is considering moving to an “equitable grading system,” in which teachers assess students’ work while considering their diverse background needs to promote fairness in the classroom. PPS currently runs on a traditional grading system. “Maybe there some like linguistic inaccuracies … [Read more...]
Simple, Fun Ways to Get More Involved in Your Child’s Education
Today we bring you a guest writer. Emily Graham runs a blog site called: mightymoms.net She offers some thoughts on how busy parents can get and stay involved in your child's education. Give it a read and stop by her site and perhaps drop her a note and tell her what you think. Your child's education doesn't end when they leave the classroom. As a parent, you can help them reach their fullest potential with a few fun activities. Brought to you by Southwest Washington Education, here are some simple ideas on how to get started. Further Your Education If you want to be better equipped to shape your child's learning, it's a good idea to further your education. Increasing your own … [Read more...]
Deepfake teachers & technology: the future of K-12 public education?
Ready to glimpse the future of K-12 public education? Put your walking shoes on and check your skepticism at the door and enter the looking glass with me... The future of K-12 public education is...Deepfake teachers. First what the heck is "deepfake"? Definition: "an image or recording that has been convincingly altered and manipulated to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that was not actually done or said" "Deepfake (a portmanteau of "deep learning" and "fake") is a technique for human image synthesis based on artificial intelligence(A.I). It is used to combine and superimpose (Photoshop/Edit) existing images and videos onto source images or videos using a … [Read more...]
Covid – Teachers Unions – Returning children to school in Washington State
In March 2020 schools were closed in Washington State. Many thought it would be temporary. The impact on children was unknown but there was a large concern that they could be a "disease vector" and spread the virus. School districts scrambled madly to institute online learning programs...but it was a disaster. Going into June/July districts expected to be able to either restart school as normal in September or, at worst, move to a "hybrid model" where students were physically in class 2 or 3 days a week and "remote" 2 days. The districts planned for that and felt they were prepared. But, like all good plans, it was for naught. The governor decided there would be no "in person" school and … [Read more...]
After a Week of Not Having Their Phones, Students are Much Happier Says Study
We've shared story after story showing that the more tech enters student lives and the classroom the more problems. Anti-social behavior problems rise...bullying rises..friendships fade. This article comes from Red State and Brandon Morse. It's short...give it a read and then consider placing controls at home AND ask your local school district to do the same. Cell phones in cubby holes when students enter a classroom and picked up as they exit. We’re all more addicted to our mobile devices than we think we are, and the younger you are the worse it is. Study after study has revealed that cell phones are a stress increaser, and when you mix that with the dopamine addictiveness of social … [Read more...]
More screen time = lower IQ?
We've been sharing our concerns about the growth in screen time. We've pointed out that as screen time increases social problems increase; suicide risk increases and we lose personal interactions. Today we add to that list of concerns...dropping IQ. The following article from Intellectual Takeout walks us through a new study covering 700,000+ men from Norway over 29 years. Schools continue to push more and more screen time on top of what happens outside school. Perhaps schools should focus on handwritten and reading basics? Some of our articles on-screen time: https://swweducation.org?cat=947&paged=2 Jeff Minik shares his thoughts with us today... Are we getting … [Read more...]
Will U.S. public schools follow Chinese schools?
Bullying; physical safety; truancy; inattentive students...we hear these discussed about public schools routinely. Increasing efforts to quell those behaviors include S.E.L. (Social Emotional Learning) and PBIS and other "training" to keep students focused, in school and more engaged. Gamification to make learning like playing games. So China has been trying various techniques to deal with some of the same issues. What are they doing and will US schools move to adopt any of these "tools"? You be the judge. In the remainder of this article we'll share some of the efforts being made in China so you are aware....beware... Chinese schools make pupils wear micro-chipped uniforms to thwart … [Read more...]