# data[].attributes.body
Of the 20 resources I have presented, I believe the two most important  are the framework for future ready schools and the business insider article of the UN resolution, "internet access is a basic human right".  The two articles presses the issue that a new season of learning and growth is upon every human being.  There is no reason to leave anyone ignorant or lacking when there are is so many resources to carry everyone into the next millenia.
My school could use ideas regarding wifi access to close the homework gap.  I also believe technology supporting SEL would be essential in my school due to the diversity of behaviors we encounter that are social emotional.
I believe wifi access can be attained through educating our parents about opportunities business like Comcast have on discounted internet access. Also, the district and city could impose on the business to create opportunities of free access for students through hotspots around the city.

# data[].attributes.body
Becoming a future ready school can be achieved following a specific framework.The framework is sound and based on research which proves that any district can embark on change to ready its students for the future.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Framework for 21st Century Learning – Future Ready

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
1425 K Street, NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005

# data[].attributes.body
Adding technology to instruction changes the roles of the teacher and the student. Approaches to learning is unlimited and defined by the growth of the learner.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Blending Teaching and Technology: Simple Strategies for Improved Student Learning - Future Ready Schools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An essential component to becoming Future Ready, is making a digital learning plan before purchasing technology. The Interactive Planning Dashboard offers districts a five-step collaborative planning process. Upon completion, districts have a complete digital learning implementation plan, full of research-based strategies, including stakeholder input, local context, and district team leadership responsibilities.

# data[].attributes.body
The article stated a test which proved Google to be the best search engine to use. In the video below Google suite is the easiest and most affordable for districts to use.

# data[].attributes.body
The Homework Gap is a serious issue within 21st Century learning. Low income households can't afford the wifi needed for students to do their homework. One district has come up with the solution of a mobile hotspot.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Technology Solutions That Drive Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The village of Watkins Glen, N.Y., may be small but it is a tourism and digital powerhouse. Boasting a NASCAR racetrack and an impressive collection of wineries, festivals and natural attractions, the village has the kind of robust broadband connectivity necessary to accommodate the tens of thousands of tourists who come here each year - not to mention the digital education needs of the 1,150 students who attend the local Watkins Glen Elementary and Watkins Glen High schools.

Unfortunately, though, " you go three miles outside of town, and all of that is gone," says Tom Phillips, superintendent of Watkins Glen Central School District. "Then you are in rural, upstate New York, and there's not much in the way of Internet infrastructure."

About 15 percent of the district's students live in these areas. And as the district began ramping up its own technology capabilities several years ago, the gap between the Internet "haves" and "have-nots" within the student body became painfully visible.

Expanded Access

The district's two campuses already are outfitted with a Cisco wireless network and learning management system, and high school students are allowed to bring their own devices to school to access Office 365 and other cloud-based applications. Teachers post their class notes, assignments and recorded lectures online and consult with students via email. Increasingly, students need access to these resources to complete homework assignments.

So district officials took steps to bring the school network just a little closer to home: They outfitted the school's fleet of 18 buses with Wi-Fi.

The solution is enabled by Cisco 829 industrial integrated-services routers positioned on each bus, a cellular connection and a virtual private network tunnel that feeds back into the school's centralized Cisco Wireless Services Module 2 controllers and through its Cisco ASA 5545-X firewall. It is "literally an extension of our own wireless network," explains Melanie A. Chandler, the school district's director of technology.

"It's completely seamless, so students just stay on the BYOD network when they get on the bus, and then they can do their homework during their ride home from school," she explains. "They're already authenticated, and everything they do is tracked and filtered, so they don't have to learn anything new or do anything differently, and we secure and monitor it just like we do the rest of the network."

There are some technical issues that need to be worked out, admits Michelle Clark, the district's transportation director.

"The IT department will need to figure out how far the signal strength will extend beyond the bus and if there's any way to boost that to reach more households," she says. "So there are some technical concerns that need to be resolved, but we're really excited about the possibility."

Phillips notes that putting Wi-Fi on the school bus, whether moving or parked, isn't just about ensuring that students get tonight's homework done on time. The long-term picture produces a bright end goal.

" Equitable access is a huge issue that affects not just school success but college and career readiness," he says. "As we solve this inequity issue, we'll be able to say that students who leave here will all have the digital skills and curriculum they need to be truly ready - not just the ones who were fortunate enough to have Internet access in the home."

Broadband in Hand

"The civil rights issue of today is really around broadband access away from school," says Keith Krueger, CEO of the Consortium for School Networking. "Education in the classroom is going digital, and teachers expect that kids outside of school can do their homework on a broadband connection. And that is the equity issue."

Schools are slowly beginning to tackle this issue, he states. The solutions are varied: keeping libraries open longer, subsidizing Internet access costs for low-income families, even building out their own wide-area broadband networks.

While 80 percent of U.S. households with school-age children have Internet access, according to the Pew Research Center, a substantial number still don't, largely because they can't afford it or they live in areas that don't offer economical options. "In some schools, the need may not be as big, but that doesn't diminish the need to address the gap for those who don't have access," says Krueger.

Addressing the Gap

For the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District in West Bend County, 30 minutes southwest of Houston, the digital homework gap is daunting. The district, one of the fastest growing in the country, already has 30,000 students and is adding, on average, a new campus every year. Nearly half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

"The truth is, we don't know the number that don't have Internet access, though we are in the process of trying to find out," says Chad Jones, the district's director of technology development.

Still, they've started addressing the gap. For three years, Jones and his team have been providing a few hundred qualifying families with a notebook computer and a Kajeet SmartSpot, a MiFi mobile hotspot device that accesses the Internet over cell towers.

"My staff is stretched pretty thin, so we were looking for an all-in-one solution that was also compliant with the Children's Internet Protection Act," Jones says. The Kajeet SmartSpot not only provides the necessary filtering needed for students but also has an administration portal that allows the IT department to keep tabs on users. Jones also has a full-time staff member who routinely monitors and mentors middle and high school students with the devices.

"We can log in and see per device which web pages they've been visiting, how much bandwidth they're using," Jones says. "It lets us really partner with the students and help students be successful."

This coming school year, Lamar CISD will provide Kajeet SmartSpots to 100 middle school students and 200 high school students enrolled in AP classes. During the summer, the IT team also provides notebooks and devices to 200 incoming kindergarteners and first-graders so they can participate for 15 minutes a day in online literacy and learn-to-read programs in an effort to avoid the "summer slide."

So far, the devices have been a huge hit. "The campuses that we've been working with have fallen in love with this idea, and they're helping us expand the program by purchasing their own SmartSpots," Jones says, noting that the IT department will continue to expand SmartSpot availability to other schools, while investigating other potential solutions to digital inequity.

Worthington Schools, which educates about 10,000 students who live in the suburbs outside of Columbus, Ohio, also has chosen to provide Kajeet Education Broadband to students - with a twist.

After a school survey determined that about 500 students didn't have home Internet connectivity, Chief Technology Officer Keith Schlarb negotiated with Kajeet to get Verizon SIM cards built directly into the 512 Chromebooks that his department was acquiring for the initiative. The reason? Easier manageability.

"Our students don't have to plug the device in or keep track of multiple items," he says. "They have their Chromebook and their power cord and then they just open the machine and connect to the Internet. It's simple and easy to use, which is what we wanted."

Connecting Every Student

Achieving true digital equity is the end game for officials at Albemarle County Public Schools, which has approximately 14,000 students and 26 schools in and around Charlottesville, Va.

"Just as we wouldn't tell a child whether or not they can have a textbook based on their address, we don't think that that should be the case with their ability to access digital resources either," says CIO Vincent Scheivert. "Our superintendent has a little wood carving on her desk that says, 'All means all,' and we take that to heart."

So the IT team set about building the ultimate solution to the homework gap: enabling universal broadband coverage throughout all 726 square miles of the school district.

How are they doing it? Some of it is just good luck. As Scheivert discovered, Albemarle County Public Schools actually owned a long-dormant educational broadcast system and its associated spectrum rights. The IT team convinced school officials to repurpose it to enable seamless broadband access throughout the district's entire coverage area.

The solution will leverage LTE technology. The school district's IT team opted to partner with local public safety agencies to gain use of existing macro-cell towers that are used for the county's LTE radio network, but they will need to build out additional coverage by physically installing smaller micro-cell towers on school buildings.

"In terms of overall cost, this is not that expensive because we already own the most important aspects, which are the school sites, and we have fiber connectivity between the campuses," Scheivert says. "The biggest challenge is that it's extremely time-intensive, and it stretches my staff pretty thin because we're getting this done on top of our other duties."

By 2019, when the three-year project is expected to be completed, the extra effort will be well worth it. "We won't have any gaps between school and home," Scheivert says. "Students will essentially never leave our network. They'll be able to get on and do work and access digital resources just like they do when they are sitting in school - whether they're in downtown Charlottesville or in a rural community at the most southern edge of the county. When we're done with this project, all will truly mean all."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Districts Work to Close the Homework Gap

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The village of Watkins Glen, N.Y., may be small but it is a tourism and digital powerhouse. Boasting a NASCAR racetrack and an impressive collection of wineries, festivals and natural attractions, the village has the kind of robust broadband connectivity necessary to accommodate the tens of thousands of tourists who come here each year - not to mention the digital education needs of the 1,150 students who attend the local Watkins Glen Elementary and Watkins Glen High schools.

# data[].attributes.body
In 2016, the UN issued a statement that internet access was a human right and any nation forcing citizens to pay for access was violating its citizens human rights.  "The U.N. issued a declaration, cementing this view. The resolution indicates the importance of "applying a comprehensive human rights-based approach when providing and expanding access to the internet and for the internet to be open, accessible and nurtured"."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Shutterstock
Is the Internet so embedded in the lives of so many people, acting as the main way for information exchange, that to deny access to everyone in the world is a breach of human rights? The United Nations thinks so.

In formal terms, the Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP.) This enables billions of devices to be connected worldwide.

Through this network, the Internet delivers a range of services, including inter-linked hypertext documents; the World Wide Web; electronic mail; telephony; and file sharing networks. The origins of the Internet can be traced back to the 1960s, although its popularity as a social network arguably began with British scientist Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, when the foundations of the web were laid down.

Over the past three decades the global use of the Internet has risen exponentially, with billions connected and sharing images, posts, mails and stories (with Digital Journal being a prime example of the rapid dissemination of key news stories.)

Despite the billions of people accessing the Internet there remain pockets of the world that do not have access, including many people in the developing world; and there are several countries that attempt to restrict or control the content that users have access to - such as in China.

The number of Internet users at any one time can be seen via the website Internet Live Stats (a phenomenal 3,417, 209, 810 at the time this article was penned.) Despite such a number, it is estimated, according to Digital Trends, that 60 percent of the world's population does not have access to the Internet. This equates to around 7.2 billion people. In the Least Developed Countries only one in every 10 individuals has regular access to the Internet - there is also more access achieved by men than women, and by the wealthier members of society.

Due to the lack of access and suppressive tactics by certain governments, the United Nations (U.N.) has declared that "online freedom" is a "human right," and one that must be protected. This was in the form of resolution A/HRC/32/L.20.

In July 2016 the U.N. issued a declaration, cementing this view. The resolution indicates the importance of "applying a comprehensive human rights-based approach when providing and expanding access to the internet and for the internet to be open, accessible and nurtured".

The resolution did not receive universal backing, with several countries rejecting the resolution. Notably these were Russia, China and South Africa.

Speaking with Wired, Thomas Hughes, Executive Director of civil liberties group Article 19 said of the U.N. resolution: "The resolution is a much-needed response to increased pressure on freedom of expression online in all parts of the world."

He further added: "From impunity for the killings of bloggers to laws criminalizing legitimate dissent on social media, basic human rights principles are being disregarded to impose greater controls over the information we see and share online."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
UN thinks internet access is a human right

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Is the Internet so embedded in the lives of so many people, acting as the main way for information exchange, that to deny access to everyone in the world is a breach of human rights? The United Nations thinks so. In formal terms, the Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP.)

# data[].attributes.body
In 2013 the FCC, Google and Microsoft proposed a Universal WiFi access. Corporations hated the idea because it would affect its profits.

# data[].attributes.body
The article above describes the types of technologies disricts may use to engage parents. Parents no longer feel the need for face to face contact with school leaders. To keep parents as a stakeholders apps like Class Dojo keeps parents abreast of student progress and behavior and school schedules

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ClassDojo helps teachers, parents, and students build amazing classroom communities.

# data[].attributes.body
Teaching SEL does not require using technology less. In fact there are many tech tools teachers can use to engage students in Social Emotional Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Resources to strengthen communication in every classroom, every day.

Building SEL (social and emotional learning) skills such as communication requires face-to-face interactions, meaningful discussion, and reflection. Edtech is no complete substitute for that, but there are tools that can supplement the development of character in the classroom and at home. Communication isn't just about using good grammar and spelling; it's also about listening attentively and appreciatively, expressing yourself clearly and sensitively, and honoring differences.

While some tools focus specifically on communication, the websites and apps that you use daily (in all subjects) can be used to promote clear self-expression. You don't have to stop using the tools you love or toss out your lesson or curricular plans to start developing SEL. Below we have included some tips, tools, and actionable ideas for seamlessly integrating communication and life-skill-building into your content classroom.

Why Communication?

Healthy communication is vital to thriving workplace communities; it is essential for effective collaborative classrooms as well. Knowing when and how to express yourself, recognizing nonverbal cues, and being able to discern what's important when someone speaks can be key factors in building interpersonal relationships. Communication is also essential in keeping our communities safe: Read what happened when four students failed to report a gun in school. In the absence of understanding how to communicate issues -- both big and small -- our classrooms fail to function in a safe and open manner. By practicing communication skills, students will get better at asking for help and expressing what they need, and over time they will develop the skills and confidence to tell you more clearly what they've learned in class. As students begin to express ideas in a persuasive way and respond gracefully to others' reactions to their opinions, social change is possible. By fully engaging with and tackling community problems, they can work toward a more equitable world. You may not be able to see the outcomes of bolstering students' communication right away, but the transfer to real-world situations will one day be undeniable.

Take Action

Vary the speed and tone of your voice, pause during transitions, and maintain eye contact to model positive speaking.

Brainstorm goals with students about what effective communication looks and sounds like; visibly post in the room.

Actively listen to students, giving them your full attention even when you're tempted to multitask.

Make sure the technology you use doesn't take the place of, but instead supplements, face-to-face interaction.

Using our Digital Citizenship Curriculum? Both our student interactives and lessons already foster key SEL skills.

Visit some other excellent SEL resources, including CASEL, Character Lab, Edutopia, and Ashoka.

Think about the digital tools you're already using in the classroom. Can you find a creative way to use them to model good communication? Check out our suggestions below!

Directly Target Communication

See our list Best Games and Websites for Teaching Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, and Collaboration for more tools focused on communication.

Proloquo2Go - Symbol-based AAC
This app is designed to help students who have limited or no speech with alternate ways to communicate. Students choose from images and words combined into buttons to make detailed sentences that express their wants, needs, and emotions.

Foster communication in all subjects

For ELA classrooms

For math classrooms

Flocabulary: Math
Introduce new math concepts or help students memorize facts by discussing and singing songs. As a class or in groups, have students create a song of their own, learning how to communicate their knowledge of math in a different way.

For science classrooms

Science Journal
Measure sound, light, and more using sensors in Android phones. As students collect data, they can record audio observations of their analyses. Have other students listen to the audio and see if they can interpret the results effectively.

For social studies classrooms

ePals
Collaborate with a class from around the world on various projects, or follow guided Experiences. As students video-chat with a partner class, practice nonverbal expressions and discuss what they may communicate to other cultures.

Youth Radio
Young journalists create media on topics such as graffiti or the economy. As kids listen to the clips, they can practice good posture and visualize the words. Use the toolkits to show kids how to listen critically and speak with a dynamic voice.

For all classrooms

Engage families

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
We All Teach SEL: Communication Activities and Tools for Students | Common Sense Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Building SEL (social and emotional learning) skills such as communication requires face-to-face interactions, meaningful discussion, and reflection. Edtech is no complete substitute for that, but there are tools that can supplement the development of character in the classroom and at home.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/what-is-coppa
Teachers and students should be careful of the information shared online. Teachers need to research a site before subjecting students to possible violation of their rights.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Students learn the difference between what personal things they can safely share online and private information that should not be shared.

(To view subtitles, click on the white box at the bottom right of the video.)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Private and Personal Information | Common Sense Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Private and Personal Information is a video from Common Sense Education. Use this video to help your students learn and thrive in our connected world.

# data[].attributes.body
NJDOE went out to various communities to gleen feedback on the upcoming NJSLA. The NJSLA is significantly more effective than the PARCC because it was designed around the feedback of NJ stakeholders.

# data[].attributes.headline
CoSN’s  2018-2019 ANNUAL INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT

# data[].attributes.subject
CoSN’s  2018-2019 ANNUAL INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.cosn.org/sites/default/files/CoSNs%202018%202019%20Annual%20Infrastructure%20Survey%20Report%20final_0.pdf
Throughout the country school districts are improving in digital infrastructure. The demand for the ability to meet the prerequisites of online assessment is driving districts to find ways to fund infrastructure that will support specific digital need.

# data[].attributes.headline
6 Things Schools Need to Know About Interoperability

# data[].attributes.subject
6 Things Schools Need to Know About Interoperability

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/technology/2018/10/31/6-things-schools-need-to-know-about.html
Interoperability is a fine line between data collection and data manipulation.  Strong leadership requires a keen sense a purpose and vision that will make interoperability a specific aid to achieving a district's vision.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In the world of education technology, it serves as a sort of Rorschach test: If you want to know how people feel about data use, privacy, security, and the role of tech in schools, ask them how they feel about interoperability.

Interoperability, unlike many technical terms, tends to provoke strong reactions from those who understand the nuances of the issue and what's at stake. But as many school district leaders surely know, the topic is barely understood by the public at large. Experience has taught techies that the best way to talk about interoperability and be understood is to avoid using the term entirely-and focus instead on what they want it to accomplish.

Here are six things district leaders need to consider when thinking about their interoperability, what to expect from ed-tech vendors, and how to communicate their goals with the school district and the community.

1. Interoperability has had different definitions and standards. Figure out what yours is.

Conversations about interoperability can go off the rails from the start, as district officials try to settle on a definition of what it means. We can cut through the miscommunication by differentiating between interoperability standards (the various rules and definitions used to move different types of information) and plain old interoperability (the ability to move information easily to where we need it).

We need to remember that not all interoperability standards are equal. Some interoperability standards (for example, oEmbed) are narrowly scoped to do a single thing very well. Other interoperability standards (for example, LTI and LTI Advantage) are sprawling, and offer multiple ways to do multiple things. Comparing different interoperability standards often devolves to an apples-to-oranges discussion.

2. Accept that when interoperability works, it goes unnoticed.

Most of us use and benefit from interoperability every day without thinking about it. This is when interoperability works. Most of us check our email on our phone and on our laptops; messages we read on one device show as read on any other device. Most people haven't experienced email any other way-because of improvements in internet protocol that allow these exchanges. Email didn't change, but the means of interacting with email that was supported by interoperability across all devices did.

But few people know or understand the tech advances that played out in the dark ages before smartphones. This is what happens when interoperability works: It fades into the background, boring and forgotten.

3. Interoperability is not about collecting data.

Interoperability is also often conflated with data collection. This false equivalence impairs our ability to understand the benefits and risks related to interoperability. Interoperability doesn't make data collection easier or harder. If every company on the planet promised to never use any interoperability standards again, data collection could continue indefinitely. Stopping data interoperability doesn't affect data collection, and stopping interoperability wouldn't stop data use.

Stopping interoperability would, however, ensure that it remained easier for vendors to collect and handle data in ways that fall short of best practice and remain opaque.

4. Bad commercial ed-tech products can stand in the way of interoperability-and good design has big upsides.

Interoperability advocates often claim that adopting interoperability standards improves the quality of educational software. This argument has merit. When a company makes an informed decision to use an interoperability standard, that product benefits from a solid data architecture as the foundation of its work. Good data architecture is invisible to most people until they know where to look. Most data standards represent thousands of hours of hard-won experience solving problems; when companies buy into one, it provides them with the equivalent of free consulting on their product.

The elephant in the room, however, is that a lot of K-12 educational software suffers from poor design and shortsighted technical choices. When we read about a data breach, we are often reading about the visible effects of poor technical decisions. And we shouldn't kid ourselves: Large companies with ample resources are just as likely to fall short as small startups.

Interoperability standards won't solve the problem of bad software, but intelligent adoption of an interoperability standard can reduce a school district's exposure. One question from district officials can help uncover whether a vendor has used an interoperability standard effectively: "What problem did you solve by adopting an interoperability standard?"

A good answer can often be conveyed in one or two sentences. Obviously, the full answer won't be as concise, but if the technical decisions have been made for the right reasons, the explanations behind them should be straightforward.

5. Data-privacy questions about interoperability are more complicated than either side that debates those questions acknowledges.

A lot of privacy advocates rail about interoperability, and a lot of interoperability advocates talk up how interoperability has privacy benefits. In many cases, both sides only get half the story. The misunderstandings often arise from confusion around how ownership, access, consent, and control of data affect student-data privacy.

With digital information, access to data can eliminate any need to own the data. To use a non-digital example: If your friend owns a car, yet you can use the car whenever you need it, you can effectively get all the benefits of the car without actually owning it.

The same is true of data. If a company says that you own your data, yet also claims that it can allow affiliates to access your data, the actual ownership doesn't mean much. When a company uses an interoperability standard with its product, three things can generally be said to be true: 1) The product will have a clear sense of the data it collects; 2) the product will potentially have access to a larger amount of data; and 3) the data collected and stored by a product will be easier to move.

Point 1 makes it easier for a vendor to be transparent. This is a net win for privacy and a huge advantage when assessing risk. Point 2 won't always be true, but when it is, a larger store of data is theoretically of greater value and at greater risk. Point 3 creates privacy concerns but allows people greater control over their information.

Supporting interoperability means that a vendor has made at least some steps to help people use a process to get their information out of that system. This is a critical first step to supporting data portability-the ability for people to take their information out of one system and use it someplace else. Most consumer systems make this incredibly difficult to do, if they support it at all. From a business perspective, the rationale behind this is clear: If a company makes it easy for a person to leave a platform, then some companies are worried that people will do just that.

6. Interoperability creates the potential for better ed-tech vendor practices, but it doesn't guarantee it.

This is where the lines between interoperability and privacy get very blurry. Ed-tech companies that support interoperability show a level of respect for people using their services. By supporting interoperability, they have taken a critical first step toward ensuring that people not only own, but have unbroken access to the information they create in a system. Those vendors are also taking steps to improve transparency, which is essential to understanding what ownership of and access to data means in practical terms. Informed consent around data use is not possible without transparent practices, and interoperability simplifies the conditions that lead to informed consent.

But supporting an interoperability standard only creates the potential for better practice. As always, good practice must come from education companies doing the right thing-and from schools, students, and parents demanding meaningful rights and ownership over the data that quantifies the learning experience.

Web Only

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Back to Top

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Things Schools Need to Know About Interoperability

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the world of education technology, it serves as a sort of Rorschach test: If you want to know how people feel about data use, privacy, security, and the role of tech in schools, ask them how they feel about interoperability.

# data[].attributes.body
This video gives me a new perspective on edconnect. As a data management system I can see its effectiveness. I am reminded that I use technology, it doesn't manipulate me. Its how we upload test, roll out assessments, and manage the data that makes edconnect effective.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Transforming Education with edConnect NJ

# data[].attributes.headline
How can I aid children having difficulty with executive functioning?

# data[].attributes.subject
How can I aid children having difficulty with executive functioning?

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.teachthought.com/learning/8-strategies-to-improve-executive-functions-of-the-brain/Within the video you can glean instructional strategies for strengthening executive function.  In one portion a teacher is showing cue cards that prompts students to use their flexible thinking in the midst of distraction.  I use cue cards for children who have difficulty logging on or navigating through  a particular site.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
8 Strategies To Improve Executive Functions Of The Brain
by TeachThought Staff

What are the executive functions of the brain, and what can you do as an educator to support their development in students?

That's what the graphic below from understood.org seeks to answer. According to Harvard, "Executive function and self-regulation skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully. Just as an air traffic control system at a busy airport safely manages the arrivals and departures of many aircraft on multiple runways, the brain needs this skill set to filter distractions, prioritize tasks, set and achieve goals, and control impulses."

Put simply, these are "high order" thinking patterns and skills that allow students to live.

So what can be done to promote their development-and in a way that doesn't require you to turn from teacher to lab-coated neuroscientist? Below are some ideas to get started.
8 Strategies To Improve Executive Functions Of The Brain 1. Impulse Control
What it means: Impulse control helps a student think before acting.

How it looks: Students with weak impulse control might blurt out inappropriate things. They're also more likely to engage in risky behavior.

Strategy to improve: Provide student with a "Wait 5" strategy-counting to five before verbally responding to an input in the classroom, and a "Wait 3" in personal conversations to think before speaking in pairs or groups.
2. Emotional Control
What it means: Emotional control helps students keep their feelings in check.

How it looks: Students with weak emotional control often overreact. They can have trouble dealing with criticism and regrouping when things go wrong.

Strategy to improve: Help students see the relationship between thoughts and feelings. As they are able to control and reframe their thinking, their emotions can benefit in parallel.
3. Flexible Thinking
What it means: Flexible thinking allows students to adjust to the unexpected.

How it looks: Students with "rigid"thinking don't "roll with the punches." They might get frustrated if asked to think about something from a different angle.

Strategy to improve: Create weekly journal prompts that require students to do exactly that-see things from multiple perspectives. A child drops an ice cream cone in front of their friends. A coach screams at a player. A shy student wins an award-describe these situations from the multiple perspectives of different participants.
4. Work Memory
What it means: Working memory helps students keep key information in mind.

How it looks: Students with weak working memory have trouble remembering directions-even if they've taken notes or you've repeated them several times.

Strategy to improve: Use memory games or apps like Fit Brains Trainer or Lumosity, or use memory-based team-building games that require students to remember something as part of a classroom activity-names, colors, favorite things, etc., and then celebrate their success.
5. Self-Monitoring
What it means: Self-monitoring allows students to evaluate how they're doing.

How it looks: Students with weak self-monitoring skills may be surprised by a bad grade or negative feedback.

Strategy to improve: "Stop & look"-periodically call out to the class "Stop and look" so that they can intentionally pause at any given moment and assess what they're doing, how they're feeling, what their engagement level is, and how they are or aren't making progress towards a personal goal.
6. Planning & Prioritizing
What it means: Planning and prioritizing help your child decide on a goal and a plan to meet it.

How it looks: Students with weak planning and prioritizing skills may not know which parts of a project are most important.

Strategy to improve: Have students crate mock projects-video games, music albums, books, businesses, apps, etc.-and then map out how they could accomplish that goal, then pair-share that map to open for feedback from partners in the classroom (which also helps with Emotional Control and Flexible Thinking as well).
7. Task Initiation
What it means: Task initiation helps students take action and get started.

How it looks: Students who have weak task initiation skills may freeze up because they have no idea where to begin.

Strategy to improve: Create daily prompts of various tasks to complete, and have students brainstorm different "starting points," then share out.
8. Organization
What it means: Organization helps your child keep track of things physically and mentally.

How it looks: Students with weak organization skills can lose their train of thought-as well as their cell phone and homework.

Strategy to improve: Organizational apps. Checklists. Planners. Different things work for different students. Experiment, persist, and find what works to help students organize themselves.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
8 Strategies To Improve Executive Functions Of The Brain -

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
8 Strategies To Improve Executive Functions Of The Brain by TeachThought Staff What are the executive functions of the brain, and what can you do as an educator to support their development in students? That's what the graphic below from understood.org seeks to answer. According to Harvard, "Executive function and self-regulation skills are the mental ...

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/executive-functioning-issues/understanding-executive-functioning-issues Executive functioning is a mindset of process.  A person learns how to go through a process to achieve goals or a particular goal.  I've learned that the multi-tasking of teachers (I included ) confuse students who are developing this mindset. I have included the videos as an aid of how including executive functioning in our instruction; especially instruction using technology.

# data[].attributes.headline
Neuroscience for Teachers: All About Brain Structure (Part II)/IV Applying the research

# data[].attributes.subject
Neuroscience for Teachers: All About Brain Structure (Part II)/IV Applying the research

# data[].attributes.body
https://blog.gonoodle.com/2014/11/neuroscience-for-teachers-all-about-brain-structure-part-ii/
http://blog.gonoodle.com/2014/12/neuroscience-for-teachers-applying-the-research/

# data[].attributes.headline
Movement And Breathing Breaks Help Students Stay Focused On Learning

# data[].attributes.subject
Movement And Breathing Breaks Help Students Stay Focused On Learning

# data[].attributes.body
https://blog.gonoodle.com/2014/11/neuroscience-for-teachers-intro-definitions-part-i/
This is one of 4 part blog supporting Mindfulness and SEL research. I believe it is an essential strategy in urban education.

# data[].attributes.body
Students need brain breaks to develop self regulation and self control skills. Allowing students an outlet to de-stress from chaotic moments encourages mental focus.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For many kids, sitting still all day in school is a big challenge, which is why movement breaks are good practice, whether it's in elementary school or high school. Additionally, learning science shows us that movement activates the brain and improves cognition.

"This idea of children sitting for long periods of time, they aren't naturally wired to do that," said Dr. Pamela Cantor, Founder and Chief Science Advisor of Turnaround for Children in an Edutopia video series on the science of learning. "So rather than put them in a position where they have to act out to demonstrate that they need to be able to move, building in movement breaks means that they will get some of the stress relief, some of the energy release that they need in order to be able to get calm again and pay attention to learning."

And for students who come to school having experienced some form of trauma, movement is even more important.

"If we do have a certain percentage of kids with toxic stress, they have high amounts of cortisol and the way to release that is through physical movement," said Cynthia Robinson-Rivers, head of school at Van Ness Elementary school in Washington, D.C.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Movement And Breathing Breaks Help Students Stay Focused On Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For many kids, sitting still all day in school is a big challenge, which is why movement breaks are good practice, whether it's in elementary school or high school. Additionally, learning science shows us that movement activates the brain and improves cognition.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Brain Circuits Underlying Motivation: An Interactive Graphic

# data[].attributes.subject
The Brain Circuits Underlying Motivation: An Interactive Graphic

# data[].attributes.body
https://46y5eh11fhgw3ve3ytpwxt9r-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/wp14_reward_motivation_121118_FINAL.pdf
This research paper explains the science behind human motivation. The implications are teachers, and stakeholders can promote vision by understanding the motivation of those they are trying to affect.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is motivation? The brain systems that govern motivation are built over time, starting in the earliest years of development. These intricate neural circuits and structures are shaped by interactions between the experiences we have and the genes we are born with, which together influence both how our motivation systems develop and how they function later in life.

In the interactive graphic above, hover over or click the labels on the brain regions to learn more about how each region affects motivation, and hover over or click the highlighted text to the left of the brain image to see how those regions interact.

This graphic is from " Understanding Motivation: Building the Brain Architecture That Supports Learning, Health, and Community Participation," Working Paper No. 14 from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child.
Brain illustration by Betsy Hayes

Amygdala
"Emotion Trigger"-rapidly assesses incoming information from the environment and activates either approach or avoidance behaviors. This structure is critical for threat detection and learned fear.

Dopamine Pathways
A key factor in "wanting," dopamine modulates neural activity when a rewarding event has occurred. Increases in dopamine reinforce the behaviors that elicited the reward and lead individuals to seek out and learn from new experiences in anticipation of a positive outcome.

Hippocampus
"Memory Center"-lays down detailed memories of events and triggers retrieval of these memories when presented with a relevant cue. This structure also is involved in regulating the duration of stress responses to environmental stimuli.

Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)
"Behavior Tracker"-monitors the environment as well as one's own behavior and others' (such as social exclusion). This region sounds the alarm when behavior needs to be modified, mobilizing regions in the prefrontal cortex involved in selfregulation and decision-making.

Prefrontal Cortex
"Air Traffic Control"-manages executive functions, selfregulation, behavioral control, planning, and complex decision-making.

Nucleus Accumbens
"Reward Anticipator"-evaluates stimuli that produce wanting or liking responses. This structure also plays an important role in learning from feedback and in reward-based decision-making.

Substantia Nigra/Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
"Dopamine Distributors"-produce the brain chemical dopamine and deliver it to other regions of the brain that are involved in motor function and in motivating and rewarding behaviors.

Raphe Nuclei
"Serotonin Distributors"-produce the neurotransmitter serotonin and deliver it to a wide network of circuits across the brain, including structures related to motivation, reward,
and threat detection.

Serotonin Pathways
A key factor in "liking," serotonin combines with other neurochemicals to convey euphoria and has the widest distribution in the brain. Serotonin modulates a wide array of behaviors, including as a major influence on emotional states, sleep cycles, eating, and other rewarding behaviors.

1. Experiences trigger neurons (brain cells) in certain regions of the brain, including the Prefrontal Cortex, the Anterior Cingulate Cortex, and the Hippocampus, to send chemicals such as Dopamine and Serotonin to other neurons in different regions.

2. Repeated experiences create different pathways, such as those for Dopamine and Serotonin, in the brain that link those experiences to thoughts, memories (in the Hippocampus), and behaviors.

3. These linked pathways create powerful associations between what we do and the memories of how that made us feel physically and emotionally (processed by the Amygdala, the emotion trigger), and that drives our behavior (managed by the Prefrontal Cortex and Anterior Cingulate Cortex).

4. We are motivated to repeat those experiences that made us feel good, and to avoid those that made us feel bad (as evaluated by the Nucleus Accumbens, the "reward anticipator.")

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Brain Circuits Underlying Motivation: An Interactive Graphic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What is motivation? The brain systems that govern motivation are built over time, starting in the earliest years of development. These intricate neural circuits and structures are shaped by interactions between the experiences we have and the genes we are born with, which together influence both how our motivation systems develop and how they function [...]