Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

New ST Math Assignments Feature Makes a Difference While Distance Learning

MIND Research Institute, an award-winning neuroscience and education organization, has added an Assignments feature to its flagship ST Math solution, allowing teachers to differentiate instruction while keeping an entire class learning the same core concepts.

“Together, students and teachers are an amazing team,” said Brett Woudenberg, MIND Research Institute’s CEO. “When we empower-

them each to set their own meaningful goals, then guide and support those goals, each student’s learning path becomes truly personalized and optimized. We’re excited to see how teachers and students will use Assignments to make math instruction more effective and more fun – whether distance learning from home, in the classroom, or in a hybrid model.”…Read More

Book Uses Neuroscience to Reduce Conflict

With COVID-19 changing the way we work and live, combining those spaces in unprecedented ways, and happening concurrently with massive political divisions and economic distress, the potential for destructive conflict is increasing. Jeanine Hull—former corporate lawyer, now author, certified Conflict Transformation mediator, conflict engagement coach and public speaker—shows how to use this challenging time constructively to deepen relationships by changing the way you think about and respond to conflict. Her new book, Making Peace with Conflict: Using Neuroscience to Ease Difficult Relationships, is a scientifically comprehensive guide and is the first book that explicitly ties recent revolutionary trauma research to the way we deal with conflict.

“We all know how miserable conflict is, but very few of us have experienced the benefits conflict can bring, such as deepening trust and strengthening relationships,” said Hull. “Like navigating a labyrinth, the process of harnessing the connective power of conflict lies in trusting the process, putting one foot in front of the other and maintaining progress toward the center—a place of integration, peace and ease. Using clear and easy-to-understand language, my book uses neuroscience to educate you how to engage with and move through the unpleasantness of conflict to better your professional and personal lives.”

Notably, Hull helps organizations and families create an environment that values diversity of opinions (which can often lead to conflict—or worse, silence) with Rules of Conflict Engagement to normalize and respect diverging opinions. These Rules of Engagement make it safe for everyone to give their best to their jobs, families, communities and volunteer organizations.…Read More

Arizona implements K-6 language development and literacy intervention for English learners

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is continually seeking effective ways to support educators as they work to help English language learners (ELLs) develop academic English fluency. Toward that end, the ADE, in cooperation with the Arizona State Board of Education, has embarked on an innovative, two-year pilot program to bring a technology-based language development and literacy intervention to ELLs in grades K-6.

Following a competitive bidding and review process, the State Board of Education has chosen to partner with Scientific Learning Corp. to implement the neuroscience-designed Build English Fast™ solution for this project to help ELLs accelerate their English language acquisition, and make fast and lasting gains in their language and reading skills.

Approximately 70,000 of Arizona’s K-12 students are ELLs. On the 2015 AzMERIT statewide benchmark exam, only 2 percent of ELLs passed the language arts section, and 6 percent passed the math section of the exam.…Read More

Science says: Here’s how to reach every student brain

Expert gives educators tips on how to get every student brain to learn

brain-learning By now, most educators know that classroom practices such as differentiating instruction, critical thinking, and making the environment less stressful for students are critical to a 21st-century education. But…why does it work? One education and brain expert says it all comes down to chemicals and neurons.

Dr. Sarah Armstrong, the senior director for statewide K-12 professional development at the University of Virginia and a former elementary school principal and assistant superintendent of curriculum, said she became a “brain junkie” in the 1980s and never looked back.

Armstrong, author of Teaching Smarter With the Brain in Focus: Practical Ways to Apply the Latest Brain Research to Deepen Comprehension, Improve Memory, and Motivate Students to Achieve, discussed with educators how students learn at the chemical level, and why certain classroom practices succeed when others fail.…Read More