October 10, 2012
Local News
The News Journal
Evans added to Christina school board after judges order
The Christina School District Board of Education was ordered Tuesday to fill a vacant board seat with the only applicant for the job. George Evans was seated Tuesday at the school board’s regular monthly meeting. The ACLU of Delaware sued last week, arguing that the school board must seat Evans and that city residents were without representation on the board. Delaware Superior Court Judge Fred S. Silverman ruled Tuesday afternoon that Evans must be seated at Tuesday’s meeting.
DFM News
Indian River School District seeks input on Race to the Top grant proposal
Indian River School District is seeking public comment this week on its effort to secure funds in the latest federal Race to the Top competition. Indian River is partnering with Brandywine, Colonial, and New Castle County Vo-Tech school districts in crafting a proposal to obtain between 30 and 40 million dollars as part of the Race to the Top District competition.
National News
Education Week
Studies link students’ boredom to stress
While boredom is a perennial student complaint, emerging research shows it is more than students’ not feeling entertained, but rather a “flavor of stress” that can interfere with their ability to learn and even their health. An international group of researchers argues this month in Perspectives on Psychological Science that the experience of boredom directly connects to a student’s inability to focus attention.
How serious are we about early learning?
Commentary by Barbara O’Brien
State leaders are searching for ways to respond to the urgent need to increase the number of 3rd graders who read at grade level. A quick fix—retention of failing students—has been hotly debated. Barbara O’Brien contends that long before we make the difficult decision of whether to retain a student, we need to ensure that our schools and our communities do everything in their power to give that child a good start in life.
‘Embodied learning’ blends movement, computer interaction
The basic idea behind embodied learning is that students who fully use their bodies to learn are more engaged in the lesson than they would be simply sitting at a desk or computer. The SMALLab, or Situated Multimedia Arts Learning Lab, was developed by Arizona State University professors and aims to incorporate blended learning into traditional classroom lessons with the help of educational technology.
Huffington Post
New statewide Michigan school district, projected to grow to 60 schools
The Educational Achievement Authority of Michigan, a special district composed of low-performing schools, is projected to grow from 15 schools to up to 60 total across the state in the next five years, according to a federal grant application. The U.S. Department of Education awarded a total of $35 million over the next five years to the new district as part of its Teacher Incentive Fund Grant program.
Related Topics: Education Technology, next generation learning