What teens really want to know about sex
On the first day of the high school Sexuality and Society class that I teach, I don’t pass around anatomy drawings or hand out pamphlets about safer sex — although those are stacked on a table near the door. Instead, the first thing I do is establish ground rules in the classroom: People should speak for themselves, laughter is OK, we won’t ask “personal history” questions, and we’ll work to create a community of peers who care about and respect one another. Then, I introduce the Question Box — a safe place where students can drop any question they have about human sexuality.
Why fascism is so tempting— and how your data could power it
Watch these recommended TED-Ed Lessons and TED Talks: How did Hitler rise to power?Decades after the fall of the Third Reich, it feels impossible to understand how Adolf Hitler, the tyrant who orchestrated one of the largest genocides in human history, could ever have risen to power in a democratic country.
Humans aren't inherently selfish – we're actually hardwired to work together
There has long been a general assumption that human beings are essentially selfish. We’re apparently ruthless, with strong impulses to compete against each other for resources and to accumulate power and possessions. If we are kind to one another, it’s usually because we have ulterior motives. If we are good, it’s only because we have managed to control and transcend our innate selfishness and brutality. This bleak view of human nature is closely associated with the science writer Richard Dawkins, whose book The Selfish Gene became popular because it fitted so well with (and helped to justify) the competitive and individualistic ethos of late 20th-century societies.
Sweden officially the 'goodest' country in the world, study says
Sweden has topped a poll as the best ‒ or “goodest” ‒ country when it comes to serving the interests of its people while avoiding damaging impacts to other nations and the environment. The country has outranked 162 others to take pole position in the Good Country Index, a league table based on 35 separate indicators from sources including the United Nations and the World Bank. Sweden scores highest for positive lifestyle contributions including prosperity, equality, health and wellbeing, while also performing well culturally. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.
The Impact of Cell Phones on Student Attention in the Classroom
Many studies have investigated the so-called “downstream” effect of cell phone presence on learning. Students who split their attention between a learning task and texting on their cell phones or accessing Facebook, for example, perform poorly when compared to students who are not dividing their attention. But recent research from the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research suggests that cell phones might have a negative “upstream” impact on learning, too.
edutopia
“Why did you cheat in high school?” I posed the question to a dozen former students. “I wanted good grades and I didn’t want to work,” said Sonya, who graduates from college in June. [The students’ names in this article have been changed to protect their privacy.]
Welcoming Students With a Smile
A widely cited 2007 study claimed that teachers greeting students at the classroom door led to a 27 percentage point increase in academic engagement. The problem? It included just three students. Now a new, much larger and more credible study—comprising 203 students in 10 classrooms—validates that claim: Greeting students at the door sets a positive tone and can increase engagement and reduce disruptive behavior. Spending a few moments welcoming students promotes a sense of belonging, giving them social and emotional support that helps them feel invested in their learning.
This school scans classrooms every 30 seconds through facial recognition technology
A high school in China has made a facial recognition technology system that scans the student’s behavior in the classroom. The facial recognition technology introduced in the school is recording facial expressions of all students while they are in their classrooms. The system scans the classroom every 30 seconds and recognizes seven different expressions such as neutral, happy, sad, disappointed, scared, angry and surprised. The system is called as“Intelligent Classroom Behavior Management System” and it is being used at Hangzhou No. 11 High School. With scanning facial expressions the system has the ability to even analysis six types of behaviors by the students such as standing up, reading, writing, hand raising, listening to the teacher, and leaning on the desk.
4 Common Classroom Management Mistakes New Teachers Make—and How to Avoid Them
I’ll never forget the moment my parent volunteer said to me, “Your students never listen to you, do they?” I was a new second-grade teacher, and in my heart, I knew she was right. I felt the color drain from my face. I was horrified. I can’t tell you how many times it felt like none of my students listened whenever I asked for their attention.
The age of the tragic selfie
Image copyright AP When daily life resumes at a scene of death and destruction it's usually a hopeful sign. At the Erawan shrine in Bangkok, the site of Thailand's most deadly bomb attack, it didn't take long for Hindu worshippers to return - and with them came other people taking selfies. Is this now a natural response to tragedy? Sometimes it's the smallest detail which makes the deepest impression. Fourteen years after 9/11, I remember the silence of the New York bar I went to in the evening after the attacks more than the events of the day itself.
7 Classroom Management Mistakes—and the Research on How to Fix Them
Misbehavior may also be a healthy part of a child’s social and emotional development. When children reach adolescence, their allegiances shift from adults to peers, and their abstract thinking skills sharpen dramatically, leading them to question—and even challenge—long-accepted authority structures. What may look like rule-breaking is really a way for children to test boundaries and assert their independence. While this may be obvious for veteran teachers, research shows that teacher training programs still tend to be focused on establishing strict rules while imposing consequences for misbehavior. That may work in the short-term, but it’s unlikely to produce long-term change. Whether our emotions get the best of us, or we fall into familiar but unproductive habits, here are 7 common classroom management mistakes, and what the research suggests you should do instead.
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez Explains Why He's Fighting Climate Change
In this op-ed, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, a Colorado-based 17-year-old youth director of Earth Guardians, explains why protecting the earth is the responsibility of young people. Xiuhtezcatl is of indigenous descent and has sued the government, including a recent lawsuit in Colorado arguing that the state should require state oil and gas regulators to consider public health and the environment, and is one of many young people involved in an ongoing lawsuit against the government for failing to protect people from the effects of climate change. In addition, Xiuhtezcatl is a hip-hop artist and has toured the nation and other countries around the world to perform his music. My dad taught me that protecting the earth is a responsibility, the same way our ancestors had the responsibility to do so. Those were the teachings I grew up with.
Addressing Persistent Defiance
We all have students who test our limits. Most kids can be uncooperative at times, especially if they’re tired, hungry, or feeling overwhelmed. For certain age groups, like 2- to 3-year-olds and teenagers, noncooperative behavior is a normal part of development.
5 Inspiring TED Talks To Transform Your English Class - The Teaching Cove
It’s no secret that TED talks are all the rage in the English classroom. So, why write a teaching tips post about them if everyone uses them anyway? Well, I really believe that it’s not just about turning on Youtube or TED and letting your students listen. It’s the activities they do that make or break the lesson. I LOVE speaking activities. No surprise there – that’s what my PhD research is on!
