Most Clicked ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief Stories
1. Why have schools in Ontario succeeded?
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
Educators, parents and experts tell blogger Larry Ferlazzo why schools in Ontario, Canada, have had success. Ontario repeatedly has been named among top performers in education, says Paul Taillefer, head of the Canadian Teachers' Federation, but he worries that gains could be eliminated by the policies of the provincial government. Education Week Teacher (23 May.) Education Week Teacher (21 May.)
2. UK teachers consider strike
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
The National Union of Teachers and the NASUWT -- which represent the majority of teachers in England and Wales -- are considering a coordinated strike over concerns regarding their working conditions, workload, pensions, jobs and pay. If approved, the strike likely would take place in the fall. Independent (London), The (28 May.)
3. School boards in Ontario, Canada, could merge
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
Officials in Ontario, Canada, are looking to make budget and could consolidate school boards in sparsely populated areas or declining student headcounts. Supporters say the move would help reduce administrative costs and avoid duplication of efforts. Toronto Star, The (22 May.)
4. Canadian students seek out French education
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
Families in British Columbia, Canada, are being encouraged to enroll children in a francophone school system, where students are taught in French. The school system has drawn attention for what some call a overly favorable funding system. Globe and Mail (Toronto), The (21 May.)
5. Primary school in England abandons practice of grouping students by ability
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
Guardian (London), The (29 May.)
6. Are children obsessed with technology?
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
In Australia, parents and experts have observed that children -- and even adults -- increasingly are becoming consumed by technology. Many parents say the use of devices, such as the iPad, is near obsession. "The million-dollar question is whether there are risks in the transfer of real time to online time and the answer is that we just don't know," said Andrew Campbell, a child and adolescent psychologist. Sydney Morning Herald (Australia), The (29 May.)
7. Canadian parents seek to limit Wi-Fi access in schools
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
Citing concerns that Wi-Fi networks could pose health risks to students, some parents in British Columbia, Canada, have voted in favour of resolutions that would limit the use of such technology in schools. However, the votes are not binding, and the local school board still is tasked with considering the wishes of parents. Officials in Canada say that health officials have labeled Wi-Fi as safe. Globe and Mail (Toronto), The (28 May.)
8. New PD Online course: Teaching with Poverty in Mind
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
Rooted in the work of Eric Jensen, co-founder of the United States' first brain-compatible learning programme, ASCD's new Teaching with Poverty in Mind PD Online course delves into current research to help you understand how poverty affects the developing brain. You'll learn about the effects of poverty on students' health and academic performance and connect with strategies for combating the many negative effects of poverty in an academic setting. Learn more.
9. Microsoft eyes opportunity in South Korea's shift to digital textbooks
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
As South Korea begins to phase out paper textbooks in favor of digital resources, software companies -- including Microsoft -- are competing to have their products purchased for the country's classrooms. The country's current plan calls for textbooks to be accessed through tablet computers and other technology by 2015. SeattlePI.com (21 May.)
10. A health iceberg
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
When you break health into its distinct components -- physical, mental, emotional, social -- and organise them into a hierarchy like that of Maslow's, you will find physical health on top, says Whole Child programme director Sean Slade. That makes the physical component of health the tip of the well-being iceberg, but "what lies underneath, is hidden, and is larger and potentially more destructive than what lies atop," he explains. Slade employs this analogy in a recent Whole Child Blog post in which he discusses why we must address all aspects of student health, not just fitness and nutrition. Read on.
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