| Education News from Around the World |  |
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- British Columbia schools work to implement technology plan
Officials in Nanaimo, British Columbia, are working to outfit the city's schools with wireless Internet by the end of the next school year. The project is part of a larger technology plan that also includes upgrades to infrastructure and improved network security. The technology improvements will allow teachers to use their own devices in the classroom, the district's information systems manager, Steve Sproston, said. Nanaimo News Bulletin (British Columbia)
(21 Jan.)      
- Event invites UK students to count birds on campus
 This blog post offers some tips to engage students in the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' Big Garden Birdwatch, scheduled for this weekend in the United Kingdom. Among the suggestions are to count birds on the school playground for one hour each day through 1 Feb. Those findings then are reported back to the RSPB, which also provides a guide to the birds that may be found on school playgrounds. This blog also lists several birding resources provided by the charity and other groups. The Guardian (London)/Teacher's blog
(21 Jan.)
 | When teachers succeed, students succeed: How to make it happen
Collective teacher efficacy is the key to driving student achievement, according to Kahului Elementary School principal Sue Forbes and academic coach Stacey Hankinson. Join us on April 25 to hear how their teacher support program enabled their students to thrive amid the pandemic, why teachers are at the center of their student growth model, and more. Sign up today! |
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| Professional Leadership | | |
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- Israel announces performance-pay plan for teachers
Israel has unveiled a new merit-pay system for teachers, in which educators are eligible for bonuses based on "achievements in learning," "social achievements," and "achievements in values" by schools. Values achievements are classified as enroling larger numbers of students with special needs or having a "high rate of enlistment for military, national or civil service". Critics, however, say the focus on military enlistment could be problematic. The Christian Science Monitor
(20 Jan.)
| Regional Spotlight | | |
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ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief highlights education practices and policies in specific regions to give readers more in-depth insight into that country or region's education system. This edition focuses on Nigeria.
- Teachers in Nigerian state are trained in science, maths
In Zamfara, Nigeria, officials are seeking to increase the quality of science and maths teachers, in part through additional training. Already 500 primary-school teachers have undergone training through the Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board, and the board has pledged to review teaching methods with educators to ensure quality teachers are in the classroom. Daily Trust (Nigeria)
(17 Jan.)
- Nigeria seeks to improve quality of its teachers
The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria is seeking a greater focus on the professional standards of teachers in the country -- a move officials say will greatly improve student achievement. Registrar of the council, Professor Addison-Mark Wokocha, said such standards have been distributed to schools, along with a code of conduct for teachers. Daily Trust (Nigeria)
(17 Jan.)
| Reform and Research | | |
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- Education in Egypt on the brink of dramatic turnaround
Among the challenges in Egypt's education system is its traditional central authority that often leaves local school leaders turning to national leaders for assistance. However, that soon could change as some, tired by the pace of national education reform, begin to enact change from the bottom up. That change has led more teachers to seek a greater say in what goes on in schools, and students increasingly are learning to think for themselves. The Christian Science Monitor
(16 Jan.)
- Should England deploy army cadet services in schools?
England's Labour education spokesman, Stephen Twigg, suggested recently that schools recruit more former armed-services personnel to mentor students and model schools after army cadet forces to help teach students about character and discipline. There are currently some schools that do have a Combined Cadet Force, which Twigg says he would like to see expanded after hearing about the positive effect it had on one student. The Independent (London)
(17 Jan.)
| ASCD News | | |
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Arts-integration lesson plans that work
The latest issue of ASCD Express covers thoughtful arts integration and ASCD writer Willona Sloan has compiled a roundup of resource links to help you infuse arts into the curriculum. Read on to learn more about what arts integration is and isn't and to access tools from Edutopia, Artful Thinking and a variety of other sources.
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An open letter to ed majors
In a recent ASCD EDge blog post, community member Mindy Keller-Kyriakides shares an open letter to education majors written by future teacher Elizabeth Anderson. Addressing head-on three bad reasons to pursue an education degree, Anderson continues her letter with an explanation of why she wants to join the profession. Among her reasons are that she loves kids and sincerely wants to teach. Read on.
| SmartQuote | | |
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 | A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her."
--David Brinkley,
American newscaster
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