Current Issues in Education

Having a student who is struggling in school can be frustrating, but the prospect of "holding back" your child, or having them repeat a grade, is just as defeating. While you want your child to succeed, it's hard to see them take a step backward and not progressing through their academics with their friends.

Video: Richard Whitmire talks with Education Next Podcast: Audio excerpt from Richard Whitmire's "Why Boys Fail" Debates about gender and schooling have taken a surprising turn in the past decade. After years of concern that girls were being shortchanged in male-dominated schools, especially in math and science, there has grown a rising chorus of voices worrying about whether boys are the ones in peril.

Many factors contribute to weight problems in children. A tendency to be overweight runs in families. However, this does not mean that any child is sure to be overweight. Heredity is just one part of the picture. Family patterns such as eating and activity habits may have a much stronger influence on weight than heredity.

How are our children supposed to learn when their school lunches fill them with junk? In 2009, the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study, published in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association, evaluated the school meal program based on nearly 400 public schools.

Tips to make sure your kid stays fit If anyone had asked our moms if their children were getting enough physical activity, they would've laughed. "Of course!" But today's increasingly sedentary lifestyle leaves many kids short on the exercise and play time they need to protect their health.

A group of researchers found that exercise -- when it is vigorous enough -- can help improve students academic performance. While not all kids break a sweat every day, even some activity during the school day can help students focus, one of the authors said. Included: Information about physical activity and learning.

Students who attend afterschool programs regularly are likely to show improvements in academic achievement and are less likely to drop out of school. Art, music, theatre and dance contribute to student learning and achievement. Increasingly, afterschool programs are one of the few places that offer these opportunities, due to dwindling resources and time in the traditional school day.

In This Article If you're a teacher, you know these kids: The one who stares out the window, substituting the arc of a bird in flight for her math lesson. The one who wouldn't be able to keep his rear end in the chair if you used Krazy Glue.

By Linda Star. Reprinted with permission. Part of Bulletin #4424, Bullying and Teasing . Find more of our publications and books at extensionpubs.umext.maine.edu In 1982, three Norwegian boys, ages 10 through 14, committed suicide, apparently as a result of severe bullying by their classmates.

Worried about the shrinking presence of empathy in our schools? I know how you feel. With classrooms operating more like grade factories, it's hard to make the case for school-driven empathy. Faced with an endless cycle of memorize, drill, spit back and test, teachers have become the wardens of a new educational reality that pits the head against the heart.

A 1999 ABC News survey revealed that 73 percent of Americans feel our manners are worse today than they were 20 or 30 years ago. Although character education is a hot topic in schools across the nation, education in manners often receives scant attention. With growing demands on teaching time, etiquette is rarely a priority.

The Atlanta cheating scandal was a black mark on education - and then, similar scandals emerged in other major cities. How do we prevent this in the future? We convened several experts to discuss. You may also be interested in our report for PBS NewsHour on the topic, embedded above.

In this post I discuss how class sizes are one of the biggest, yet most overlooked problems in the current education system - both when it comes to facilitating students academic achievement as well as nurturing their overall wellbeing and development on a personal level.

In last month's post, I mentioned that there are two skills that separate great teachers from good ones. I explained that the first skill is the ability to reframe student behavior, to see it in new ways. Today I want to discuss the second skill: knowing how to treat students fairly by not treating them the same.

Why bother teaching current events? The research indicates that a regular dose of current events has a multitude of benefits! Included: Activity ideas and Internet resources for teaching current events!

A growing number of families are choosing to homeschool their children. Education World examines the pros and cons of this trend.

In the world of education, a gifted and talented child is defined as someone who has exceptional aptitude or talent in one or more areas. While some gifted children are separated from their peers and educated in special gifted and talented classrooms, others are served by getting involved in special enrichment classes and activities, either during or after school.

Research continues to confirm that we can teach students with learning disabilities to "learn how to learn." We can put them into a position to compete and hold their own. direct instruction; learning strategy instruction; and using a sequential, simultaneous structured multi-sensory approach.

Administrators, teachers, parents, and other public figures have voiced their opinions about multicultural education. Now a survey by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company asks students what they think about multiculturalism in their schools. Students of many races, cultures, ethnic backgrounds, and economic situations fill today's schools.

As educational institutions continue to mature in their use of technologies, there is a growing use of advanced synchronous and asynchronous methods of communication for online learning. Technology advancements and changing perceptions toward virtual classrooms have resulted in a significant uptake in online education. Online education has seen exponential growth in recent years.

Breathe the outdoors! Nature can provide the perfect classroom for authentic learning, and we've chosen some of the best resources to show you how :) | See more about outdoor education, environmental education and outdoor classroom.

New Trends Stresses Fitness and Fun Past Physical Education Many adults still dislike PE Some thrived in competition Some stil shudder at the word dodgeball Traditional PE Little activity to few students no guidence to lifelong skills and health Students feel unadqueate, turns them off New Generation stress lifelong skills and activities walking, biking, tennis, in-line skating educate about healthy diets Teach how to monitor themselves Change in Equipement Paula Kun, spokesperson for the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, a nonprofit professional organization for phys-ed teachers and professors, agrees that PE curriculums have to change.

Our digital world is transforming the way we learn, and today's teachers are tasked with the challenging job of sifting through the deluge of educational technologies and creating a meaningful learning experience for students. In my 15 years in education, I've seen firsthand how opportunities and a little guidance can positively impact a person's future and change the life path they're following.

Some say too much praise can hurt kids -- plus praise pointers!