As daunting as learning a second language may feel—after all, you have to learn grammar, pronunciation, and even some culture among other things to really effectively communicate—the struggle of doing so pays off eventually. Forget bragging about being bilingual or multilingual! Learning a second language comes with a variety of benefits, ranging from having a higher paying job to improving cognitive skills. Acquiring [...]
Why is the Crisis Happening? As evident through the extensive lack of teachers and/or people wanting to become educators, the teacher shortage of K-12 classrooms has been steadily rising. Schools, communities, and present teachers are attempting to create solutions to the various problems associated. But, why exactly is there a shortage, and what factors have been influencing this decline in recent years? Experts [...]
With every new admissions cycle, colleges continue to receive record breaking numbers of applications. This is no surprise, as the need for a college education becomes essential in landing a job in the current market. But with this growing demand, colleges and universities are accepting more students than they have room for, putting a new kind of strain on already stressed freshmans and [...]
Children across all age groups are struggling with reading—be it fourth graders who can barely sound out words, or incoming college freshmen who can’t finish their assigned readings. Reports have indicated that literacy rates have dropped significantly. Various factors have contributed to the crisis, with the pandemic exacerbating some of its effects. Let’s take a closer look at what data shows, what’s happening [...]
What is a Student Literary Magazine? Firstly, it is crucial to establish what exactly a student-run literary magazine is and what role it can play in students’ lives. In participating in creative writing through a literary magazine, students can learn the value in expressing their authentic voice and build a community as a result.[1] Additionally, there are specific guidelines within these magazines that [...]
Shakespeare’s Importance in Learning There are many elements of traditional learning that can be fostered in the engagement with Shakespeare’s works, such as reinforcing student responsibility, encouraging discussions presented by students, and reflecting tasks in real-world scenarios.[1] These foundational aspects are demonstrated across all subjects of academic environments, including English classrooms and their implementation of classics such as Shakespeare into students’ curricula. These [...]
What Does It Mean to Integrate Arts Education? Does It Benefit Students? Arts education refers to the activities outside of a student’s regular curriculum, including visual arts, music, instrumental music, theatre, etc. Specifically, studies are showing the positive outcomes in arts integration and intentionally aligning learning in arts within all other subjects.[1] In support of this integration, fine arts programs are stressing the [...]
What is Differentiation? Differentiation is an important aspect of a classroom environment, where its purpose serves to convey the individual needs of students, then giving educators the opportunity to cater learning based upon each student’s unique strengths and reflect on areas that are more challenging. This element is an important aspect of the classroom as it requires teachers to get to know their [...]
What is ESD and Why is it Valuable Education? The idea of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) surrounds the emphasis of environmental and sustainability learning within classrooms. In placing importance on these subjects, students are able to better advocate for their environment and be driving forces in the push towards future sustainable development. There are key components to ESD that serve as the [...]
What Factors Influence This Decline? Schools are seeing a continuous decrease in positive mental health attributes in their K-12 students, an issue that affects their well-being in the classroom and negatively impacts their personal and academic growth. As detailed within the American Psychological Association digital magazine - Monitor on Psychology, author Zara Abrams explains the various difficulties faced by students currently that contribute [...]