FutureSoBrite

We were recently asked to participate in a panel discussion on education technology trends for 2017, our specific area of expertise being technology and e-learning for early childhood education and development. Check out the link below to see our posting (scroll down to subject heading "E-Learning for Early Childhood Education"), as well as the 16 other experts' predictions.

To put it simply, not good. Not good at all. And in fact, getting worse.
A recent article in The Economist explains:
 
It is easy to be cynical about school-test results, particularly when you are grading the performance of something as complex as a country's education system. Undaunted, every three years the Programme for International Sudent Assessment (PISA), which is run by the OECD club of mainly rich countries, tests more than half a million 15-year-olds in three subjects- math, readin and science- to giva a snapshot of national school policies. The latest results were published on December 6th and again show stellar achievement in East Asia. Singaporean pupils are roughly three years ahead of American ones in math. Some argure that differences in national scores are a result of parenting and innate culture, and therefore that policy makers can do little to improe pupils' performance.

Culture matters, but it is not as if success in PISA is the preserve of East Asia. Estonia scores highly enough to beat the rest of Europe and achieves similar results to Japan.

PISA teaches what does not work. Spending more money, for example, is associated with higher scores, but only in poorer countries. Among those that already spend more than $50,000 per pupil throughout their time in school, money alone brings no improvement. Private schools are no exception, at least when it comes to PISA.
The exercise also tells you what does work, and its most important insight is that what matters most is what happens in the classroom. The successful children are those who are exposed to good teaching more often. Having pupils turn up is a start. In poor countries this often means expanding access for girls. In richer countries it means cutting dropout rates and truancy; Italian pupils do poorly partly because more than half of them skip school at least once a fortnight. Having teachers turn up also helps. One reason why Buenos Aires saw the biggest rise in PISA scores of any area is because the city curbed teachers’ strikes by offering them a deal: it would treat teachers as professionals if they behaved as such. The city improved training and pay. Teachers agreed that merit, not their unions, would determine promotion. Improving the quality of teaching is harder. Who becomes a teacher makes a difference. Australia’s decline in PISA coincides with a fall in the exam results of teacher-training applicants. And what teachers learn about the job is at least as important. Evidence-based methods of instruction, practice, coaching from experienced teachers and feedback are all part of making good teachers.

Poor students tend to do less well in PISA. But the effects of poverty can be overcome. The influence of family background on test scores fell by more in America than in any other OECD country over the past decade. This partly reflects the growth of excellent autonomous but publicly funded charter schools in big cities. Successive presidents’ efforts to hold schools accountable have had some impact, too. In Estonia nearly half the poorest children achieve results that would place them in the top quarter across the OECD. A reason for this is a lack of selection by ability. Many of the top-performing school systems delay the start of formal education until the age of six or seven, focusing instead on play-based education. But they then make students learn academic subjects until about 16. Even in Singapore, where pupils can opt earlier for a vocational track, schools insist on academic rigour as well as practical work.

​Concentrate there at the back
Like spoilt children who have failed an exam, some policymakers claim the PISA tests are unfair. Certainly, PISA does not capture all of what matters in education. It offers clues rather than guarantees of what works. It is the fair, rigorous and useful work of technocrats. Yet politicians who ignore it are turning their back on powerful truths.

I was recently asked this question by a reporter doing a nationally syndicated story on childhood education standards and practices. Admittedly this is quite a broad question, with many considerations (age/grade of student, achievment level of student, type of school, etc.).

However, really homework should be based upon quality rather than quantity. Too many sub par teachers, following outdated curricula are in a way "outsourcing" the education process directly to the students, and ultimately to the parents as well, since parental involvement is a key factor in a students rate of success. A lot of teachers utilize their only actual face time with students (i.e. class room time) to broadly touch on subject matter, then assign prodigious amounts of home work that is in essence saying, "here is a little bit of information about a lot of things, now go and learn it yourself". This is not always the fault of the teacher. In many states, recently adopted common core curricula dictates the breadth of information to be covered, by subject and by grade, and this does not always allow for teachers to engage students individually, based upon their various needs. Teachers end up teaching to the standards, not to the class.

Ideally, homework should allow students to further explore specific subject matter and expand upon the foundations of in-class lessons and discussions. In addition, an effective homework load should teach them self reliance, organizational skills, critical thinking, preparedness, and the ability to recognize the importance of meeting deadlines. But in reality, too often homework results in the opposite: reliance on parents, siblings or tutors; disorganization and feeling overwhelmed; lack of focused thinking; unpreparedness and anxiety; missed deadlines and falling behind. Whether or not a student's end result of homework is the former or the latter depends heavily upon the passion, skill and effectiveness of the individual teacher that assigns it.

So it is difficult to put an amount of time as being just enough, or too much, when analyzing homework loads. If one goes by historic assumptions, then the rule of thumb is roughly 1/2 hour of homework per subject, per night. However that is not the way any modern educator would answer this question. Effective homework assignments should emphasize and reinforce the classroom teachings and discussions, and encourage (not discourage!) further exploration of the subject matter. When homework fails to do that, no matter how much or how little the amount, then it is too much.

Is learning English grammar important? Absolutely!
Understanding grammar will give you better communication and thinking skills, making you a better listener, speaker, reader, and writer. Understanding grammar will also allow you to develop your own unique personal style of communicating. Knowledge of grammar will enable you to communicate effectively in any situation, allowing you to form more successful and meaningful relationships with your coworkers, friends, and family. Indeed, learning grammar can improve your life and make you a better person in several ways.

Grammar and Logic 
Grammar is a means of organizing words, phrases, and clauses into meaningful communication. This organization depends on logic. Understanding grammar and being able to use it well helps you to think logically. Without logic and organization, your thinking will be disorganized and so will your listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. The more you understand grammar, the more clearly, meaningfully, and freely you will be able to organize and communicate your own ideas as well as comprehend the ideas of others.

Grammar and Style 
Style is the manner you use to communicate. Your style tells a lot about your views of yourself, your subject, your audience, and even your world. If you have a dry, uninteresting style, people will not take your communications seriously. On the other hand, knowledge of grammar, with its flexible and creative syntax, can be used to produce a unique personal style. With a knowledge of grammar, you can have fun with writing, to make jokes, and to create writing that is unique from that of the rest of the worlds. If you can communicate your ideas well, rest assured people will pay attention to you and even seek out what you have to say. 

Grammar and Personal Relationships 
No matter how brilliant your insights, they will count for little if you are unable to communicate them meaningfully. Knowledge of grammar will enable you to express yourself clearly no matter what your profession. Grammar helps define who you are, and you will be more successful in your career if you are able to communicate your ideas to those around you in unique, interesting ways. You will also be able to form more meaningful friendships and intimate relationships with more interesting and stimulating people, something that requires good speaking ability. Conversation is indeed an art, and if you wish to join the ranks of the worlds great communicators, as well as reap the myriad benefits that accrue to great communicators, you must master the fundamental tool for self-expression--grammar.

Grammar And Communication
How well you communicate your ideas and how well you understand the ideas of others, be they spoken or written, is governed by your understanding of grammar. Mastering this critical subject will make you a more logical thinker and allow you to understanding and appreciate all styles of speech and writing. Knowledge of grammar will also give you the ability to communicate your own thoughts more freely, making for better relations with your coworkers, your friends, and your family.

You are going to be listening, speaking, reading, and writing your entire life. Dont limit yourself to being able to comprehend only simple speech or having only one or two simple ways of communicating your thoughts. Master grammar to give yourself the ability to communicate effectively in any situation and the ability to comprehend any communication you will encounter. 

So yes, learning grammar is important.  And even THAT may be an understatement!

​Whenever I get on my soapbox about grammar, people often tell me I put too much emphasis on the importance of grammar — after all, they say, why does it matter what kind of grammar people use; the important thing is whether or not they understand what they are saying and writing to one another. I know that this is a popular position with some people, but let’s look more deeply into the issue of using correct grammar.
 
Grammar, regardless of the country or the language, is the foundation for communication — the better the grammar, the clearer the message, the more likelihood of understanding the message’s intent and meaning. That is what communication is all about. Recent national and international events make it clear that in the United States today we are lacking in the quality of communication that leads to understanding our fellow citizens and the people of other countries — and this at a time when better understanding at home and abroad is so necessary.
 
English is the primary grammatical standard for the world today — in all venues of life: business, government, medicine, education, and so forth. In most countries where English is not the primary language, English is the language of second choice. If you have ever been in a class with international students you probably noticed that, although they may speak with a noticeable accent, their knowledge of English grammar is frequently superior to that of native, U.S. born students.
 
Most in-depth thinkers, regardless of their national identity, realize that correct grammar leads to the kind of power in leadership that comes from superior communication, and they plan accordingly. As the economy of the United States has sputtered and our federal government has continued to put off action until the last minute, our prestige in the world has suffered. Among the leadership of some non-western countries, this has fueled their dreams of becoming the new world leader.
 
Just think what it would be like if the international standard for language was not English. Some of the world's diplomats have already begun to suggest such a change in the United Nations, where English is currently the official language. They comprehend that superior communication is an absolute necessity for world leadership and power, and they know how advantageous it would be for their own language to be the world standard. We in the United States had better pay attention — this is not something to be taken lightly.
 
Our own grammatical standards began their gradual degradation long ago, as people began spending more time watching TV instead of reading. Now, the big enemy is the texting epidemic and it's fascination with emoji communication. Now don't get me wrong, technological developments are not bad; on the contrary, they are not only good but in many cases they are life changing. How they are used and monitored  though is equally, if not more important.

In the United States, we really do need to focus our efforts on strengthening our understanding and use of correct English grammar. Indeed our future may depend on it!

Summer doesn’t have to mean learning loss. It can be a time of powerful learning for children if we ensure that there are many learning activities to engage them in.

Educators know that children being able to read at grade level by third grade is critically important. Summer learning is essential to keep children on track not only for that milestone, but also for others—including high school graduation and college enrollment. 
What can you do to help your child continue to learn over the summer? Here are some ideas:

Read books daily. Research shows that books that are “just right” for children (those that aren’t frustratingly hard or super-easy) make the best learning experiences.
Talk with your child about what he or she experiences each day. Give your child time to draw and caption a picture about their day, or write about it if they are older.
Choose a fun and engaging weekly read-aloud book that you can read as a family. Read a chapter aloud every night with different family members taking turns.

• Encourage your child to use his imagination when reading the story aloud, making mental pictures and then discussing differences between your mental pictures.

• With younger children, point out letters in the book and tell your child the letter names and sounds. For slightly older children, point out sight words.

• Point out rhyming words in the book, or words that begin with the same letter.

• Discuss the book’s characters: their names, what they look like, what they are wearing, and what they do. Describing and categorizing are important skills in both reading and math.

• After reading a story, discuss the setting, the plot, and the main idea.

• Ask questions about what is happening as the story is being read. Comprehension of the text is a very important skill for children to learn.

Use your local public library to help develop a love of reading and learning. There are so many resources at a library: books, technology access, research areas, fun learning activities, and read-alouds.
Take advantage of any free summer programs that fit into your schedule. Many communities have free summer concerts, parks and recreation events, or farmer’s markets. These are all experiences that your children can talk about or write about to develop their language skills.
Make every outing with your child a learning opportunity. Even your grocery store can be a world of wonder filled with colors, shapes, words, and numbers. Provide questions and other opportunities for your child to learn from the world around her. For example, when you’re at a park you can encourage your child to

• Look at and discuss the different colors of flowers, shrubs, trees, or other plants.
• Look for geometric shapes in the park, like the square of a concrete sidewalk, or letters “hidden” in the park, like the letter “U” in a park swing.
• Study the shapes of the leaves and sort them according to similarities. If the children are older, they can research the types of plants at the park and read about them.

Allow your child to use age-appropriate technology and high-quality digital learning content, such as top-rated educational apps, on a computer, smartphone, or tablet. Digital books and games can provide excellent learning opportunities for young children if used properly. But keep in mind that time on a device should be managed based on the child’s age and should not replace the above activities. 

Just imagine—if every book that your child opens provides an exciting field trip, this summer you can take your child to the moon and beyond, below the oceans and through a coral reef, and deep into the past or far into the future.
And remember this: the time and thought that you invest in summer learning will repay itself many times over, not just at the beginning of the next school year, but in all the school years after that.