Last week, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a new resource, Avoiding the Discriminatory Use of Artificial Intelligence, aimed at helping schools understand how AI technologies can enhance educational opportunities and contribute to discrimination if improperly designed or implemented. The guidance responds to Executive Order 14110, which calls for the […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines
Oklahoma State Department of Education Purchases Bibles for AP Government Classrooms
The Oklahoma State Department of Education announced Thursday that it has purchased more than 500 Bibles for use in Advanced Placement government classrooms. According to spokesperson Dan Isett, the purchase cost the agency $25,000. The acquisition is part of a broader plan to provide resources such as the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
What the First 180 Days of a Donald J. Trump Presidency Could Mean for Education
A focus on disrupting, eliminating, and restricting programs that have historically been in public schools. Donald J. Trump is set to serve a second presidential term, and with both chambers of Congress likely under Republican leadership—pending the final decision on the House—the future of U.S. education may undergo significant changes. Throughout the campaign trail, Trump […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Thinking Classrooms: A Book, An Idea, A Call To Action in Math Classrooms!
The phrase thinking classrooms has stormed the field of math education in the past year or so. From networking events to classrooms, book talks to conferences, that phrase keeps surfacing! So, what’s all the buzz? Institutional Norms Versus Classroom Norms The book Building Thinking Classrooms by Peter Liljedahl quietly hit the market in Fall 2020. […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Seminole County Teacher Placed on Leave After Controversial Classroom Comments on Election Results
A Seminole County high school teacher has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation after making politically charged comments in class following the recent election results. The teacher, who works at Lake Brantley High School, reportedly warned her students, “If you are not white, you are going to be in trouble over the next […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Classic Literature, Blockbusters, and Higher Reader Engagement – The Magic Lasso!
By R. S. Hill As a high school English teacher in Tucson, Arizona, I work at one of the most diverse schools in the state. Most days, I stand before an apathetic, though inquisitive, audience and try to convince—no, sell—15 to 18-year-olds on the radical idea that reading old texts like the Iliad, Beowulf, and […]
Posted inLiteracy
The Decoding Threshold: Measuring the roots of older students’ reading difficulties
Despite the expectation that students master basic reading skills by third grade, many continue to face challenges with reading well into upper elementary school and beyond. A recent study, commissioned by the Advanced Education Research and Development Fund (AERDF), has revealed a troubling trend: 44% of grade 3–8 teachers report that their students frequently have […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
The Day America’s Educational System Dies
…With only days left until Americans determine the next leader of the free world, it is incumbent upon educators to have serious talks with the people in their communities to ensure they understand the importance of the Department of Education and what the country stands to lose in its absence. As we continue to hear […]