Yet More Science Backs Musical Education as a Path to Better Brains

Society ditches music education as its own peril. This is the subtext of a study released yesterday connecting increased activity in the regions of the brain connected to executive functioning, according to functional MRI scans, and the presence of early-childhood musical training. Simply: Learning music at a young age would seem to result in smarter individuals, an effect that persists well beyond childhood, according to the study. Executive functioning is, basically, what could be considered "sharpness." Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child puts it like this: "Being able to focus, hold, and work with information in mind, filter distractions, and switch gears is like having an air traffic control system at a busy airport to manage the arrivals and departures of dozens of planes on multiple runways," where the air traffic control system is EF. The new study's authors, led by Dr. Nadine Gaab of Boston Children's Hospital, note that EF is an even stronger indicator of academic success than IQ, while poor EF is an impairment commonly seen in children with ADHD and in elderly patients suffering from Alzheimer's. (Music could one day be a treatment for both.) EF is also something that can be tracked using scans, as it's linked to increased activity in several distinct regions of the brain: the supplementary motor area, the pre-area, and the right cortex. fMRI scans are hardly definitive or even meaningful on their own, and the subjects were all subject to batteries of other cognitive evaluations, including standard IQ tests. Additionally, the study controlled for such intervening factors as parental education, job status, and family income, all things that have their own demonstrated and potentially distorting correlations to executive functioning. The Boston researchers compared a group of 15 musically-trained children, ages nine to 12, with a control group of 12 untrained children of the same age range. They also compared a group of 15 adult professional musicians to a control group with no musical training. (The trained children played for 5.2 years and practiced 3.7 hours per week, starting at the age of 5.9, on average.) All were tested using a variety of different tasks relating to different sorts of brain activity, while being scanned

Godzilla Speaks to Educators: Five Quotes to Consider - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/godzilla-speaks-to-educators.shtml#sthash.Y2bd2gdT.dpuf

What can a mega-monster flick like Godzilla teach us about K-12 education? You’d be surprised! The lovable lizard, who’s seesawed between chaotic threat and human protector, has been frightening and delighting audiences for 60 years. The characters affected by the nuclear monster’s shenanigans have said some pretty memorable things, too. Education World has collected five favorite quotes and applied them to classroom struggles that can seem as massive as Godzilla himself. “Godzilla and aren’t monsters. It’s the unscrupulous scientists who create them who are monsters.” Don’t unwittingly encourage students to be unscrupulous. Teach about avoiding plagiarism and proper use of online sources. Consider whether the competitive culture of your school condones succeeding at any cost. Use a systemic approach to promote academic integrity and prevent cheating. And most importantly, set a good example for students. “We’re all human. As humans we are responsible for each other. We are related. Refuse us and you abandon your brothers. We must learn to help each other.” Sakai One of the most beneficial professional development strategies is collaboration. When you’ve got the time and energy, help out a fellow educator or seek his/her advice. This will build community within the school and improve everyone’s teaching practices. “Godzilla is inside each one of us.” Sometimes we have to acknowledge when we’re not acting like our usual, rational selves. If you’ve knocked down students’ emotional “buildings,” make sure to apologize. Remember to empathize with young people, and remember that effective discipline teaches positive behaviors, instead of simply punishing negative ones. “If we do not defend ourselves from Godzilla now, what will become of us?” It can be tempting to just grit your teeth and say nothing when you feel unsupported or when you disagree with decisions made by others. But there’s great value in speaking up. Sharing your thoughts and perspectives can actually decrease stress and help prevent burnout. “Frankly, none of us have ever faced a situation quite like this one before. I would not be asking any one of you to take this leap if I did not have complete faith in your ability to succeed. Your courage will never be more needed than it is today.” - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/godzilla-speaks-to-educators.shtml#sthash.Y2bd2gdT.dpuf

'Quick Key' App Reduces Teacher Grading Time

Giving teachers the ability to grade quizzes, tests and other assessments with a simple scanning process, the new app Quick Key is spreading like wildfire in classrooms across the country. The app has been used to scan 300,000 quizzes thus far, according to Tech Crunch, and the numbers keep growing. One teacher, the article said, graded 400 exams in less than an hour. Quick Key lets teachers focus on tasks other than correcting exam after exam, opening up time for projects, professional development and more. The company that owns Quick Key has recently announced its intent to raise $250,000 to expand its reach and improve the app, said Tech Crunch. The company originally raised $100,000 in seed funding on KickStarter, which was led by ARC Capital Development. Former teacher Walter O. Duncan and Isaac Van Wesep founded the company. Tech Crunch said Duncan's background helped greatly. "He's been working as a teacher for 15 years and recently left to maintain this product," said the article. "He also has a keen understanding of what teachers need." While other products allow teachers to assess students, those apps rely on students using tablets and other devices, said Boston Business Journal. "Quick Key is really all about a community of educators working together to make their lives and their students' lives better," Duncan told Tech Crunch. - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/quick-key-grading-app.shtml#sthash.w6ztvKG7.dpuf

Trash By Andy Mulligan

A group of 14-year-old "dump site" boys, who make their living picking up garbage in an unnamed Third World country, find something interesting that gets them into deep trouble. - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/2014-summer-reading-list/grade-8.shtml#sthash.ghQF9A3s.dpuf

NEA Regroups, Refocuses After Losing Members

To counteract a 230,000-member drop in just three years, the National Education Association has launched a Center for Organizing that will provide training and tools for educators. The center will also use membership as an avenue to better teaching and learning conditions, according to Education Week. "I can stand here until you sign a membership form, but the minute I leave, you need to see the value in that engagement," said Jim Testerman, director of the NEA Center for Organizing. The NEA acknowledged they will face challenges such as getting affiliates who have their sights set on the "service" mentality, as well as taking care of greivances and collective bargaining issues, Education Week reported - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_news/nea-works-reform-organization-after-losing-members#sthash.fodjmeGw.dpuf

Faulty $60 Million High School Stadium Sparks Outrage - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_news/faulty-60-million-high-school-stadium-sparks-outrage#sthash.Gon6oL4b.dpuf

In Allen, TX, the new, $60 million football stadium has been a source of considerable pride since it opened less than two years ago. But cracks in the facility, occurring due to structual deficiencies, have forced it to close. Allen's back-to-back Class 5A Division I state championship football team will have to play home games for the upcoming season in neighboring Plano. The community agrees that the stadium issues are embarrassing, but not for the city of Allen or the school district. They blame Pogue Construction, which built the stadium, and PBK Architects, which designed it. The construction of the stadium had been criticized as excessive by some nationally. - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_news/faulty-60-million-high-school-stadium-sparks-outrage#sthash.Gon6oL4b.dpuf

U.S. Schools Have Remained Relatively Safe, Despite Isolated Incidents - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_news/us-schools-becoming-safer-despite-isolate-incidents#sthash.ncECGlsA.dpuf

While acts of violence may seem prevalent in schools across the U.S., the U.S. Department of Education and Justice indicates that violent deaths at school remain statistically rare, reported Education Week. "For parents, school staff, and policymakers to effectively address school crime, they need an accurate understanding of the extent, nature, and context of the problem," said the Indicators of School Crime and Safety report. "However, it is difficult to gauge the scope of crime and violence in schools given the large amount of attention devoted to isolated incidents of extreme school violence." In every school year between 1992-93 and 2010-11, the percentage of youth homicides occurring at school remained at less than two percent of the total number of youth homicides, said Education Week. In addition, rates of nonfatal criminal victimizations at school—such as theft, threats, and physical attacks—have declined in the last decade. - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_news/us-schools-becoming-safer-despite-isolate-incidents#sthash.ncECGlsA.dpuf

Ten-Year-Old High School Graduate Taking College Courses

In Sacramento, a homeschooled 10-year-old prodigy has become one of the youngest students to graduate high school. He not only met state requirements, but also earned a 4.0 GPA. "It wasn't like easy but it was not that hard," said Tanishq Abraham. "The way my brain works is that when you give me something, information about that topic comes to mind. I don't know but that's how it is for me." Abraham, who is already taking college courses, was also the youngest person to join MENSA, ABC News 10 reported. Read the full story. Article by Navindra Persaud, EducationWorld Contributor - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_news/10-year-old-high-school-graduate-currently-taking-college-courses#sthash.jEzkqDuA.dpuf

Stopping the Summer Slide Starts With Parents

Summer learning loss--becoming more of a concern among teachers--could be prevented with more parent involvement, reported Wosu.com, an NPR News affiliate. "Students and teachers work so hard, get to a certain point in June, and too many come back in the fall further behind than when they left," said Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education. "That just simply makes no sense." According to Mike McIntyre, host of Sound of Ideas, "Parents can take advantage of summer reading programs offered by most public libraries during the summer months. Parents should especially encourage their tween and teen children to participate in these programs, [since] this is when reading really drops off." Read the full story. - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_news/stopping-summer-slide-starts-parents#sthash.QPqhie0f.dpuf

The dead hand of central government is weighing down on children and schools

Last month marked another milestone for me. Our last child did her last school exam. It is the end of an era for us and on balance I am glad our children grew up in the last 20 years rather than the next.
The first one started school in 1992. "Choice" was in its infancy. We didn't look at any schools beyond those that were geographically closest to where we lived and have never regretted that. Our children have always walked to school; one has never worn a uniform. They have achieved well, but their education has extended way beyond test and exam results because of the values of their schools, the relationships they made and the children they have been educated alongside.
Despite the public rhetoric of those two decades, choice for most parents has narrowed. One of the greatest myths perpetuated by "reformers" about the English school system is that it has been too weighed down by the dead hand of uniformity.
In fact, the reverse is true. English schools have always been diverse (and unequal), embracing an abundance of private, selective, non-selective, faith, non-denominational, single-sex and co-educational schools with different atmospheres and outlooks.
A few more school types may have been invented, but now it is the dead hand of central government, league tables, and the four or five data sets that determine institutional success that weigh heavily on all children.
Want your children to enjoy an early education dominated by creativity and play? Forget it. A secondary school without a uniform? No chance. Education for education's sake? Dream on.
Soon it won't really matter which school you "choose". The same factory line will follow, as the accountability structure, designed to help schools improve, increasingly constrains their ability to be creative or different.

technical education

We in our daily life take two types of education . They are practical and theoritical . both are equally responsible for a student . they are like as two parts of same coin. we need to take 2 parts equally. if we discriminate any one of them it make a large diffrenses in our life.so if we need a technical education , its necessary to get both theory and practical.. In conclusion we can say that educatoin is more important.

abroad education

Nepal is a developing country. we need a very skilled manpower to get further developed and get challanged with other countries like india ,china ,japan ,USA, russia etc. we need a big project deal and other capital to obtain such dream. Education is the most important ornaments of each and every citizen.But due to lack of well managed university and other institution about 50% of student goo for abroad to obtain their degrees ,and qualification. so we need a huge capital and investment to devlop education. as each and every student is moving abroad our country future is dark.we each and every individual need a active participation for doing these work safely.