This month, after Climate Week and United Nations discussions about climate change, we focus on just that: the environment and sustainability as it relates to education. We also take a look at the invisibility of whiteness in the social studies curriculum.
Iconic real estate developer Rusty Lyon Jr. wanted to help future generations pursue their educational and professional dreams. One way he did that is through what he knew best — real estate.
Lyon was a real estate visionary who started his career at his father's brokerage, Russ Lyon Realty, after serving as an Air Force pilot in the Korean War. He founded Westcor Companies in 1964 and developed more than 12 Valley malls in his career. Lyon branched into hospitality development and is credited with designing and building the Boulders Resort and Spa and others.
For the first time, U.S. News & World Report is ranking the nation’s elementary and middle schools to go along with its annual ranking of high schools and colleges. But unlike the high school and college rankings, which are national, the new K–8 rankings are categorized at the state, district, charter and magnet levels. This means these rankings are based, almost entirely, on standardized tests.
Young people in Sri Lanka are confronted with a dual challenge: 20 percent of them are unemployed, and 300,000 students leave secondary school each year without a degree or the ability to enter a university. Sri Lankan youth would benefit from more and better technical and vocational education and training and better English language skills, but meeting that need is beyond the current capacity of the Ministry for Skills Development and Vocational Training.
A recent nationwide survey of schools documented a 42-percent growth in school gardens from 2013–15. Garden-based science teaching is increasingly popular because it integrates formal and informal learning, allows for teaching a range of science topics — soil science, ecology, botany — and creates opportunities to make those topics culturally relevant. Yet while the number of students encountering GBST is increasing, most of the research surrounding it addresses the implementation of school gardens in the context of health and nutrition interventions rather than science instruction.
Unlike roles in nearly every other profession, the job of teacher is undifferentiated — their first day in the classroom looks remarkably similar to day 5,000. Throughout those days, teachers are expected to be experts in too many areas. This makes the job untenable, and many talented individuals choose to leave the profession. This high rate of attrition means the U.S. education system does not reliably deliver quality learning outcomes nor the experiences needed to prepare young people for a future of constant change and challenge.
How do we improve effectiveness of ASU’s STEM courses using evidence-based instructional methods and materials?