| June 3 , 2005
I.
Teachers and Teaching
1. C.A.R.E.
Strategies for Closing Achievement Gaps
A new guide from
the National Education Association provides a multi-themed approach
to closing achievement gaps -- focusing on Culture, Abilities, Resilience,
and Effort (C.A.R.E.).
2. AFT
Embarks on Civil War in Puerto Rico
The American Federation
of Teachers plans to establish an administration over its affiliate
(the Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico, or FMPR) in Puerto Rico,
but the union president says he will fight the effort.
The island has been
a hotbed of union conflict for both the NEA and the AFT for many
years (see the July 15, 2004 EIA Communiqué for a summary).
3. GE
Donation for “Teacher Training Program for Project Hope”
China Youth Development
Foundation received 800,000 US dollars from the GE Foundation to
support the "Teacher Training Program for Project Hope."
Project Hope began in the 1990's and aims to help school dropouts
in poor, remote regions of China return to school and complete at
least an elementary education.
4. More
Male Teachers Needed for Children in China
In recent years, schools in China's coastal cities have recruited
a number of male teachers to teach kindergarten classes, a traditionally
female-dominated position. However, in the mid-region of the nation,
there is still a shortage in male teachers.
II.
Learners and Learning
1. Learner-tailored
Teaching to the Tests
A school district in Horry County, South Carolina
tailors instruction to what each student knows and what each still
needs to learn. This approach to instruction aims to increase annual
student progress on standardized test..
2. Annual
Report on American Schools Shows Growth, Diversity
Fueled by rising
immigration and the baby boom echo, U.S. public school enrollment
has increased steadily through the early 2000s and is expected to
peak at an all-time high of 50 million in 2014, according to a report
released on June 1st by the U.S. Department of Education's National
Center for Education Statistics. The Condition of Education 2005
found that in 2003, 42% of public school students were racial or
ethnic minorities, a marked increase from 22% in 1972.
3. Chinese
Children Celebrate Children’s Day on June 1st
June 1st is Children's
Day in China. Look at these pictures! Children all over China had
the day off from school and many attended various activities to
celebrate their own holiday.
4. College
Entrance Examination is Coming Next Week
A total of 8.67 million Chinese students will attend the upcoming
college entrance exams, according to Chinese Ministry of Education.
About 4.75 million students will be recruited into universities
nationwide this year, among which 2.3 million are undergraduates,
the ministry said. The remaining 2.45 million will receive vocational
education. People characterize the fierce competition as "millions
of troops and horses crossing a single-log bridge."
III.
Leaders and Leadership
1. Bush
Chooses Mississippi Chief for K-12 Assistant Secretary
President Bush intends
to nominate Mississippi State Schools Chief Henry L. Johnson to
become the U.S. Department of Education's Assistant Secretary for
Elementary and Secondary Education, the White House announced. The
job is one of the federal government's highest-profile positions
for working with pre-collegiate schools and state leaders.
2. Ministry
of Education in China focuses on Educational Equity
The Ministry of Education
has required that all students enroll in schools according to their
residence. These efforts intend to strengthen equity between district
and between urban and rural areas.
3. New
Rules Set for Online Game Content
Under new rules drawn up by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry
of Information Industry to be released soon, game manufacturers
are required to revise game content that might lead to addiction
to playing online games. The two Ministries will also recommend
a number of healthy "premium games" endorsed by the government.
IV.
Curriculum
1.
Study:
These Factors Retard Digital Teaching
What's holding back the digital curriculum? A lot of things:
too few classroom computers, poorly conceived professional development,
and a lack of time to research and plan--to name three big factors,
according to a new report from the nonprofit Education Development
Center (EDC). The study, "Effective Access: Teachers' Use of
Digital Resources in STEM Teaching," examines how high school
teachers use digital libraries and other electronic resources to
support "science, technology, engineering, and mathematics"
(STEM) exploration and instruction.
2. Calligraphy
will be Added to the Curriculum in Beijing Schools
In recent years, children in Beijing have used computers for writing
instead of writing by hand. Officials are concerned that with the
number of children who cannot accurately print Chinese characters
and that children are ignoring the traditional art of Chinese calligraphy.
As a result, some primary schools in Beijing have decided to add
calligraphy to the curriculum.
V.
Family and Community
1. Early
Intervention Vital in Education Process
If you're a parent,
you've probably seen your child fall behind in school at least once.
Most likely, you knew it was going to be up to you, along with your
child's teacher, to get things back on track before your child fell
even further behind. Early intervention activities can have long-term
educational benefits.
2. Study:
Kids Can Be Trained to Eat Better
Simple kid-friendly
training in good nutrition got 8 to 10-year-olds to eat healthier
for three years, although snacks, desserts and pizza still make
up an astonishing third of the youngsters' diets, researchers reported.
3. Better
Books for Children
Chinese children should be given easy access to more informative and well-written
books, says an article in Workers' Daily. Books are a regular choice
for Children's Day gifts. However, more and more Chinese parents are
complaining about the lack of quality books for children. |
