By Peggy Ashbrook
Posted on 2017-03-26
Nature play and exploration varies in early childhood (broadly: infant to grade 3) programs and are subject to the local and state licensing regulations, a program’s choice of curriculum, the local environment and weather, and the support of the administration. A conference is an effective way to get a lot of science content knowledge about that local environment and the living organisms that reside there, and to learn developmentally appropriate ways to share that information with young children as you give them experiences that will invite them to continue to explore nature over their lifetimes.
The “Getting Kids Outdoors in Nature” conference, organized by the early childhood committee of NoVA Outside, brought together educators in varied roles from the usual mix of early childhood programs, all interested in learning more about nature education.
In her keynote address, Outdoor Education and Nature Connection Specialist Amy Beam encouraged us to let children take risks that help develop their gross motor skills and their confidence in their own problem-solving abilities. She spoke about those “tender conversations” when children are confronted with a robin eating a ‘friend’ worm and begin to understand the needs of living organisms. The examples she brought of the many different materials she and the children take with them on their long walks through natural areas helped us plan for our own programs. Beam works as an outdoor educator with Montessori schools in the Washington, D.C. area, and she appeared in the film Mother Nature’s Child.
Nature play and exploration varies in early childhood (broadly: infant to grade 3) programs and are subject to the local and state licensing regulations, a program’s choice of curriculum, the local environment and weather, and the support of the administration.
By Kate Falk
Posted on 2017-03-24
This week in education news, education programs could still be vulnerable in President Trump’s budget; most U.S. public school students are taught by qualified teachers; and utility-value intervention with parents increases students’ STEM preparation and career pursuit.
One Reason Young People Don’t Go Into Science? We Don’t Fail Well
Learning resilience is fundamental to a successful career as a scientist. The experiments we try will fail many times before they work, whether as an undergraduate, a PhD student, or a postdoc gunning for a faculty position. I’m dealing with this right now in my third laboratory rotation: In trying to study a protein in zebrafish, I made a mistake and all my embryos died. So, I’m troubleshooting and doing the experiment again. Click here to read the article featured in STAT magazine.
What Education Programs Could Still Be Vulnerable in Trump’s Budget?
President Trump’s budget plan for education has singled out several programs to be slimmed down or eliminated. But all we know right know is based on a mere “skinny” federal budget the administration released last week. It doesn’t detail all of the cuts and additions Trump’s team wants to make. In the interim, we talked with Tom Corwin and Michele McLaughlin and they discussed which programs might be particularly vulnerable to proposed cuts, elimination, or some kind of lack of love from Trump. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.
How Many U.S. Students Are Taught By Qualified Teachers?
It turns out, most U.S. public school students are taught by certified and experienced teachers, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics. Still, the numbers vary as you look across states, school districts, and by different school and student characteristics. The report uses data from the Schools and Staffing Survey and the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.
Getting Girls Into STEM: The Power Of Blended (And All-Female) Instruction
Jackie, the team captain of St. Mary’s all-girls robotics team, knows a thing or two about breaking the mold. During a panel on the importance of STEM education for women, she explained what it’s like to be a female student competing in a male-dominated program: “Not only were we the only all-girls robotics team,” she explained of a recent competition, “we were the only team that actually allowed girls to touch the robots.” Click here to read the article featured on EdSurge.com.
Utility-Value Intervention With Parents Increases Students’ STEM Preparation and Career Pursuit
When parents of high school students are given guidance on how to talk about the importance of science and math, their children are more likely to score well on a STEM standardized test and, years later, pursue a STEM career, finds a study from the University of Virginia and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.
Stay tuned for next week’s top education news stories.
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This week in education news, education programs could still be vulnerable in President Trump’s budget; most U.S. public school students are taught by qualified teachers; and utility-value intervention with parents increases students’ STEM preparation and career pursuit.