Vanderbilt University Peabody College Elementary Education Program

Interesting new study which could help increase potential for early-intervention for young children with autism.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/12/health/autism-faces-genes-brain-development.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

Study of How We Look at Faces May Offer Insight Into Autism The research suggests that genetics underlie how children seek out formative social experiences like making eye contact or observing facial expressions.

Too often educators look at engagement as a “yes or no” question: students are either engaged or they’re not. “That is absolutely not an appropriate way to view it,” said John Almarode, associate professor at James Madison University and co-director of the school’s Center for STEM Education and Outreach. “It is not a one-dimensional concept.”

https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/12/09/how-to-ensure-students-are-actively-engaged-and-not-just-compliant/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2038

How To Ensure Students Are Actively Engaged and Not Just Compliant When teachers employ three characteristics of engagement in lessons students are much more likely to retain their learning.

End of semester understandings and reflections on literacy, teaching and learning, and celebrating our students' diversity

End of the semester Practicum reflections from our graduate student teacher candidates

Important information to consider about our students who receive education in both Mexico and the United States.

"The fact that most of these students can't read or write in Spanish is just one hurdle. Their parents don't know how to navigate Mexico's education system. Mexican schools often don't accept transcripts from U.S. schools."

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/11/13/498271392/invisible-children-raised-in-the-u-s-now-struggling-in-mexico?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2040

'Invisible' Children: Raised In The U.S., Now Struggling In Mexico A growing number of U.S.-born children are returning to Mexico with their parents and struggling in school because they don't read or write in Spanish. Reseachers say the problem is growing.

In case anyone has been wondering...
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/11/donald-trump-on-education/507167/

Donald Trump and the Future of Education The president-elect supports school vouchers and scaling back the government’s role in student lending.

"A study published in the Review of Educational Research today suggests that school climate is something educators and communities should prioritize — especially as a way to bridge the elusive achievement gap. The authors analyzed more than 15 years of research on schools worldwide, and found that positive school climate had a significant impact on academics.

And here's the biggest takeaway: There's no link between school climate and socioeconomic status. In other words, there are plenty of happy schools in low-income neighborhoods, too."

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/11/01/500060004/how-a-happy-school-can-help-students-succeed?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=202701

How A Happy School Can Help Students Succeed Research shows that the way a school "feels" can help kids learn. But school climate remains a hard concept to define and measure.

A couple of M.Ed. students celebrating Halloween while measuring the angular growth of their Wisconsin Fast Plants!

"It’s something probably we all didn’t want to hear, but we needed to know." -Linda K. Smith, Head Start Coordinator for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2016/09/27/yale-study-suggests-racial-bias-among-preschool-teachers/

Yale study suggests racial bias among preschool teachers Teachers are more likely to expect young black children -- especially young black boys -- to misbehave, according to a new Yale study: "Implicit biases do not begin with black men and police. They begin with black preschoolers and their teachers."

"Taking a more visual approach to math instruction at the K-12 and higher-ed levels could dramatically change brain development as it relates to future math success, according to a new paper from Stanford researchers."

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/04/13/resarchers-math-needs-a-more-visual-approach/

Researchers: Math needs a more visual approach Taking a more visual approach to math instruction at the K-12 and higher-ed levels could dramatically change brain development as it relates to future math success, according to a new paper from St…