16:1 - Education, Teaching, & Learning

Collaborative Teaching for Stronger School Community"I truly feel that if I did not have these people supporting me as a teacher, I couldn't keep moving." - Katie, on her coworkersIn school, collaboration is key. This week, we're discussing the importance of carving out time for teachers to work together to solve tough problems and share inspiration. (We'll also talk about why staff meetings don't always count as collaborative time!) From veteran teachers and those who are just starting their careers, we've gathered reflections on how collegiality bolsters student achievement, reduces turnover in the profession, and fosters strong community. We'll also bring you the latest headlines in education news from around the country: S.B. 83 looms over higher education institutions in Ohio, sex ed. faces a setback in Gwinnett County, GA, and MOOSE are on the loose in Maine. (You'll just have to listen.) Don't forget to sign up for our email newsletter, launching soon! Stay up to date on the latest education news headlines, teacher resources, professional development opportunities, and more! Visit our website for more info.Sources & Resources:Wikipedia - List of inventors killed by their own inventionVox - Men have fewer friends than ever, and it’s harming their health By Aubrey HirschThe Columbus Dispatch - Ohio Senate passes SB 83, controversial higher education bill. What would it do? by Anna StaverOhio Bill - SB 83The Ohio Legislature - Senate Bill 83Edutopia - Keeping the Door Open to Collaboration By Emelina MineroDistrict Administration - The benefits of teacher collaboration By Carla Thomas McClureNews Center Maine - Online Holocaust modules available for students for free By Hannah YechiviMaine - MOOSE History of Genocide & the Holocaust Learning Progression 

Teacher Stress and Burnout: Causes and Coping StrategiesIf you're a classroom educator, you know firsthand how challenging and demanding your job can be. Between juggling lesson planning, student assessments, grading, parent communications, administrative duties, and extracurricular demands, it's unsurprising that teacher burnout is a prevalent issue in today's education system. Consider this: in a recent survey conducted by the National Education Association, more than half of members said they were planning to retire or leave teaching sooner than planned. Stress and burnout are key factors driving an exodus from the profession and contributing to an ongoing and global teacher shortage (and a global pandemic only made these issues more acute). In this episode, we'll be discussing some of the causes of burnout and the signs and symptoms that teachers might experience as a result of workplace stress. We'll also be diving into a variety of strategies that can be used to combat burnout, cultivate resilience, and prioritize your mental health.A key takeaway from our conversation is the importance of your relationships with colleagues and trusted administrators in reducing teacher stress and burnout. Building relationships and getting involved (to the extent possible) in leadership positions within your school or district might be one way to make a big difference. Your voice is crucial! By becoming an advocate for change and having a say in important decisions, educators can begin to shift attitudes that lead to a culture of stress and burnout.From mindfulness and self-care practices to boundary-setting and time-management strategies, we'll be sharing a wide range of tools and techniques that can help educators to reduce stress and cultivate a more sustainable work-life balance. Whether you're a seasoned educator or an aspiring teacher just starting out, this episode is packed with valuable insights and practical advice that can help you to minimize the risk and effects of burnout in your own career. Tune in and join the conversation!Sources and Resources:Teach.com - 50 Resources to Support the Mental Health of Teachers and School StaffEdutopia - How Burned Out Are You? A Scale For Teachers By Kevin LeichtmanThe New York Times - Teachers, Facing Increasing Levels of Stress, Are Burned Out By Sejla RizvicPositive Psychology - Teacher Burnout: 4 Warning Signs & How to Prevent It by Tiffany Sauber Millacci, Ph.D.NEA - Poll Results: Stress And Burnout Pose Threat Of Educator ShortagesIFRC - Emblems and LogosAmerican Red Cross - The red crescent and red crystalMindset: The New Psychology of Success By Carol S. - The Book Loft - German Village- Columbus, Ohio. Podcast - You're Wrong About  

Afghanistan and Women's Rights: A Recent HistoryIn the early 20th century, Afghanistan might have been described as one of the most progressive countries in Central Asia in terms of women's rights. Afghan women first became eligible to vote in 1919 - a year before the United States enshrined a woman's right to vote with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. Afghan women were able to attend school, hold jobs, and participate in public life after a series of progressive reforms introduced by King Amanullah Khan, who ruled the country from 1919 to 1929.Amanullah's wife, Soraya Tarzi, was also a strong advocate for women's rights; she founded the first women's magazine in Afghanistan and worked to improve the lives of women in the country. However, the reforms of Amanullah Khan and Soraya Tarzi were met with resistance from many traditional Afghans. In 1929, a rebellion broke out against Khan, and he was forced to abdicate. He and Soraya fled to Italy, where they lived in exile until their deaths.The new government reversed many of Amanullah's reforms, including the abolition of purdah (the practice of female seclusion prevalent among some Muslim and Hindu communities) and the right of women to vote and hold office. Women were once again forced to stay in seclusion and were denied access to education, employment, and social opportunity. Rights and progress for women and girls in Afghanistan continued to deteriorate with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and subsequent rise of various Mujahideen groups that plunged the country into economic chaos and civil war. The Education of Women and Girls in AfghanistanThe Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in 1996 and imposed harsh restrictions on women and girls, including banning them from attending school. The US-led invasion of 2001 in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks resulted in the adoption of some progressive reforms, and in the years following the invasion, the number of girls enrolled in school in the country stabilized at about 3.5 million. However, the Taliban again seized power in Afghanistan after US-led forces withdrew from the region in 2021, which destroyed much of the progress that had been made for women's rights in the country. Secondary schools and universities are presently closed to women in Afghanistan, and girls and women currently pursuing education in Afghanistan do so at great risk to themselves and their families.Join us as we discuss the increasingly dire situation for women and girls in Afghanistan, the pressures being applied by the international community, and the ways in which Afghan women are fighting back against the dissolution of their rights and freedoms.Sources & Resources:BBC News - The secret schools teaching girls in AfghanistanTED Talk - Shabana Basij-Rasikh: The dream of educating Afghan girls lives onBritannica - Afghan WarU.S. Withdrawal from AfghanistanJSTOR - CHAPTER TWO Historical Overview: 20th-Century Security Aid to Afghanistan Before the Soviet InvasionAljazeera - Taliban says women banned from universities in AfghanistanThe Guardian - Taliban ban girls from secondary education in Afghanistan by Emma Graham-HarrisonThe Economic Times - Taliban claims closure of girl's school "temporary", says not a "permanent ban"United Nations - Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s press conference upon her return from AfghanistanThe White House - FACT SHEET: Let Girls Learn – A Comprehensive Investment in Adolescent Girls EducationEditorials - Boosting Let Girls Learn in AfghanistanWikipedia - FCC Fairness DoctrineWikipedia - Ed GodfreyBuried Beneath the Baobab Tree By Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, Viviana Mazza The Guardian - Trump administration may scrap Michelle Obama's health and education programs by Tom McCarthyCounter Terrorism Guide - Boko HaramWikipedia - Boko HaramEarth Day History

School Strategies for Encouraging Civic Engagement & VolunteerismYouth civic engagement and volunteerism are critical components of building and sustaining strong and vibrant communities. Participating in these activities helps us feel a sense of ownership, responsibility, and pride in the places where we live and work. Engaging today's students in volunteerism and civic action can be a significant challenge, particularly given the numerous distractions and pressures that exist in their daily lives.As we look at the challenges of engaging younger demographics, some of the most significant obstacles we face are structural— but not insurmountable! To address issues of access, inclusion, resource limitations, and awareness that keep youth voting participation low and national rates of volunteerism falling, we must guarantee that the support structures we build around civic activity are designed to help students tackle real problems in their communities and experience the impact of their efforts.Sources & Resources:Key ClubScienceDirect - Promoting civic and political engagement among marginalized urban youth in three cities: Strategies and challenges by Brady, Chaskin, and McGregorUniversity of Maryland - School of Public Policy - Where Are America's Volunteers by Dietz and GrimmEducation Week - Volunteerism Declined Among Young People by Sarah D. SparksUnited States Census Bureau - At Height of Pandemic, More Than Half of People Age 16 and Over Helped Neighbors, 23% Formally Volunteered by Erin Schneider and Tim J. MarshallEducation Commission of the States - 50 State ComparisonBloomberg - Why Americans Stopped Volunteering by Linda PoonThe Chronicle of Philanthropy - Americans Are Volunteering Less. What Can Nonprofits Do to Bring Them Back? By Leslie LenkowskyA Less Charitable Nation: The Decline of Volunteering and Giving in the United States by Dietz and GrimmTufts - Tisch College - Half of Youth Voted in 2020, An 11-Point Increase from 2016Tufts - Tisch College - Growing Voters: Engaging Youth Before they Reach Voting Age to Strengthen Democracyyouth.gov - Service LearningWe Are Teachers - What Is Service Learning?Center for Public Research and Leadership - Education for Change - Student-Led Civic Engagement Resource ListTwitter - Aretha Franklin singing Nessun dorma

Collaborating in Community: Philanthropy’s Role in Cultivating Equitable K-12 Learning EnvironmentsIn this special guest episode of 16:1, Katie and Chelsea are joined by Dr. Gisele C. Shorter, the Director of National Education Strategy at the Raikes Foundation, an organization with a mission to "[invest] in youth-serving institutions and systems to make them more effective in supporting and empowering all young people, especially those who have been most marginalized."Dr. Shorter discusses her work at the intersection of philanthropy and building equitable learning environments in K-12 schools, a role through which she empowers educators, policymakers, grantmakers, schools, support orgs, and communities to center the student experience. The discussion ranges from topics of classroom instruction, funding, and the science of learning and development to the educational policy initiatives that bolster community engagement and drive student success. Gisele and the hosts also explore the processes of defining goals and outcomes and measuring success with partner schools and educators, undertakings that can be difficult against a challenging cultural and political backdrop.The show concludes with a discussion of the ideal role of philanthropic partners in transforming educational experiences, a few questions about how Dr. Shorter sees her work evolving over the next decade, and a list of resources that she recommends for educators who are striving to build more equitable learning communities. Stick around for "What We Learned" if you're into trivia on transistors, maple syrup bottles, and a parting thought about doing the hard work of naming what's happening in our schools.Meet Dr. Shorter:Dr. Gisele C. Shorter provides strategy, policy, impact scaling and fundraising consulting services to non-profits, coalitions and advocacy groups to help them expand their reach and strengthen their impact.Gisele’s career is rooted in a deep belief that an equitable society starts with an equitable education system. For 20 years, she has led large-scale community-based programs, research and policy initiatives to advance justice and equity, close health disparities, and ensure access and opportunities for Black and Brown youth and communities to flourish.Dr. Shorter has led youth development, education and community-based organizations through programmatic resets, large-scale culture change initiatives and strategic re-engineering. In 2018 she was recruited to the Raikes Foundation to lead the K-12 School & System Redesign portfolio focused on a commitment to grow the foundation’s impact and to advance justice and equity in the redesign of our national public education system by leveraging the science of learning and development.The heartbeat of the K-12 portfolio is the Building Equitable Learning Environments (BELE) Network. Today she is responsible for impact and strategy coherence across the K-12, postsecondary, education fieldbuilding, and policy portfolios, as the Director of the National Education Strategy. She ensures grantmaking investments advance education policies and practices that support students furthest from educational justice, including those experiencing homelessness, foster care, and the justice system.Gisele began her career in the private sector with leadership experiences including Volume.com, an AOL Time Warner company, where she was Head of Research and ESPN, Inc. where she was a Program Management Associate. She has successfully leveraged her private sector experience, community connections, and academic training to drive positive change on behalf of the most vulnerable youth and communities.She is an adjunct professor and founding faculty member of the EdD in Leadership and Innovation degree program at NYU Steinhardt Department of Administration, Leadership, and Technology. She advises doctoral students on a wide range of complex problems of practice, from the role of philanthropy in China’s evolving socio-political context to the role of district superintendents as agents for change.Dr. Shorter earned her Ed.D. from Columbia University Teachers College. She holds an M.P.A. from Long Island University and a B.A. from Amherst College. She is a Pahara Aspen Fellow and member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.Sources + Resources:Raikes Foundation - Introducing Gisele C. ShorterBuilding Equitable Learning Environments NetworkThe BELE Resource LibraryNYU Steinhardt FacultyCenters for Disease Control and Prevention - Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)Search Institute - The Developmental Relationships FrameworkNational Assessment of Educational ProgressCommunities for Just Schools FundKingmakers of OaklandCouncil of Chief State School OfficersWestEDCollaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)The BARR CenterThe School Superintendents AssociationResource Equity Funders CollaborativeIpsos

Learning to Manage Middle SchoolMiddle school is a period of intense growth and change for students in K-12 schools in America. In this episode, Katie and Chelsea return to their developmental psychology 101 days to discuss the academic, social, and behavioral challenges and changes faced by middle schoolers and their families.As 11-15 year olds develop their identities, uncover new insecurities and anxieties, and prepare for the increasing responsibilities of middle school academics, it's important to keep a pulse on their mental health. Middle school is the world of emergent cliques and social hierarchies, and the pressure to fit in is keenly felt. Social media also plays a role in the social dynamics of middle school, and the cyberbulling epidemic doesn't look to be abating any time soon. Despite these challenges, middle school is also a time of tremendous growth and discovery. Adolescents are developing critical thinking skills, empathy, and social awareness. Middle school is a chance for students to explore new interests, join clubs or sports teams, and form friendships that may end up lasting for decades.If you're a middle school teacher, we'd love to hear from you. Tell us about the challenges and rewards of making a difference in the lives of young students!Sources & Links:American Psychological Association - Middle school malaiseCDC - Young Teens (12-14 years of age)A Comparison of Program Development at Elementary, Middle, and High Schools in the National Network of Partnership Schools Mavis G. Sanders and Beth S. SimonHarvard Ed. Magazine - Do Middle Schools Make Sense? by Mary TamerHow the Junior High School Came To BeNew York State School Boards Association - What the research says about K-8 schools vs. separate elementary and middle schools By Paul HeiserScience Direct - How does grade configuration impact student achievement in elementary and middle school grades? by Kai Hong, Ron Zimmer, John Engberg

This week, we're tackling big questions about how technology is evolving classroom learning. From the unsolved problem of search (just Google it!) to 1:1 device programs, from the possibilities of virtual reality to the intricacies of ChatGPT and its competitors: we're analyzing current trends, platforms popular with students in 2023, and what might come in the future as we brace for a digital dystopia potentially populated with deep fakes.Correction: During the show, the number of circulations of digital titles commonly used by publishers to "expire" eBooks in circulation was underestimated; rather than 10 circulations, the accepted standard seems to be closer to a whopping 26.Sources:EdTech Magazine: Tech-Savvy School Librarians Provide Value to Modern Learners by Amy BurroughsJacobs Media Strategies: Getting Schooled By A Bunch Of High School Students by Paul JacobsInside Higher ED: Pandemic Boost for Digital Course Materials by Doug LedermanStudy Finds: Libraries are more popular than ever — even as people borrow fewer books by Chris MeloreUNICEF - Accessible Digital TextbooksScience Direct - Understanding the role of digital technologies in education: A review by Abid Haleem, Mohd Javaid, Mohd Asim Qadri, Rajiv SumanWordsRated: Educational Publishing StatisticsScientific American - The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screen by Ferris Jabrjaltcalljournal - Virtual reality in education: The promise, progress, and challenge by Ryan Lege and Euan Bonnerstream - 36 EdTech Statistics & Facts: The State of Technology in Education by Sarah F. TechCrunch - US teens have abandoned Facebook, Pew study says by Amanda SilberlingeLending Position PaperThe Surprisingly Big Business of Library E-books

Graduation RequirementsIn this episode, we'll be going in-depth covering graduation requirements for high school students in the United States. Graduation requirements vary by state, district, and school, but we’ll cover credits and courses, standardized tests, and several alternative pathways to graduation for students pursuing career readiness or military enlistment.Sources:Fordham Institute - Ohio Education by the NumbersOhio Department of Education - Ohio Graduation RequirementsPublic Policy Institute of California - Does Raising High School Graduation Requirements Improve Student Outcomes? by Niu GaoNational Center for Education Statistics - Graduation RateHigh School Graduation Requirements - CalEdFactsDemonstrating Readiness | Graduation Seals - Ohio Department of EducationU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - 61.8 percent of recent high school graduates enrolled in college in October 2021 

Foreign exchange student programs offer students the opportunity to study abroad and immerse themselves in a new culture. These programs provide a unique opportunity to broaden a student's perspectives and to learn a new language through immersion. They also give young learners a chance for personal growth and development, as students must navigate unfamiliar social, political, economic, and cultural landscapes during the course of their programs. Learn about the exchange student experience on this week's episode of 16:1!Exchange Visitor Visa - U.S. Department of StateStudy in Europe with Student Visas and ETIASAbout International Student Exchange (ISE)Twitter - New York Metro WeatherWikipedia - Emo of FrieslandIMDB - Abbott ElementaryWikipedia - Schengen AreaGizmodo - Dungeons & Dragons Scraps Plans to Update Its Open Game License By Linda Codega

Special EducationSpecial education encompasses policies, classroom practices, and legislative approaches to advancing the learning of exceptional students. These students may require specialized instruction, resources, or other support services. Special education programs may include individualized education plans (IEPs), 504s, or other accommodations to meet the unique needs of each student. The goal of special education is to provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to reach their full potentials and to participate as fully as possible in their communities. This week on 16:1, we're diving into the details and analyzing the work of intervention specialists, administrators, and policy makers who advance the goals of special education for students across the country.Sources:The Ohio State University - Special EducationOhio Department of Education - Special EducationOhio Department of Education - Ohio Positive Behavioral Interventions & SupportsEncyclopaedia Britannica - Special EducationUS Department of Education - The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)U.S. Department of Education’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) - DataThe American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) - Overview of Funding for Pre-K–12 EducationUnderstood - The difference between IEPs and 504 plansB.I.G Solutions - 13 Categories of Disability Under IDEA Law