What educators need to know about the vaccine

Plus: How to make educators feel valued in the new year

No. 461 | 12/10/20 | Subscribe to this newsletter This issue is sponsored by Educators—like much of the world—have been closely monitoring news of potential safe, effective vaccines, not least because it could help settle thorny questions about teacher safety during a pandemic that impacts adults on a far greater scale than children.    With that in mind, the nonprofit Math for America recently hosted a discussion with Dr. Florian Krammer, a well-known professor of vaccinology at Mount Sinai in New York. After the talk, Krammer fielded questions from educators, including where they fall in line for vaccines (toward the front, after health care workers and older adults), whether those who have COVID-19 antibodies should still get vaccinated soon (only if they're in a high risk group) and what he would say to those who are on the fence about getting the shot at all.    To that last point: "I can take the vaccine, and I can take that little risk that's associated with the vaccine, and get control over my life back," Krammer said. "Or I can not take the vaccine, and at any moment in time I can get infected. And I have no control over what the virus does." More from Krammer and what educators need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine in our recap.     IF HINDSIGHT IS 20/20, what have we learned from this tumultuous year? It's a question posed by three research scientists at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, who say they've heard repeatedly—from thousands of educators—that this year has taken a toll, leading to prolonged stress and burnout. So what can we do to make educators feel valued and supported in the new year? They have a few ideas.   Sponsored by AI Explorations STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: "It was just a great chance to learn more about artificial intelligence and machine learning and how to encourage K-12 teachers to use more AI tools in their classrooms," says Jill Hill, one of five Detroit area educators who enrolled as a group in ISTE's AI Explorations course last year. We spoke with the cohort to learn how the collaborative experience impacted their practice and expanded access to AI learning across their schools.   The following is a message from our sponsor The K-12 Guide to Evaluating a Learning Management Platform Selecting a learning management platform that aligns with district goals and initiatives is no easy assignment. Save yourself time and avoid headaches by downloading this essential guide that presents 13 must-haves when choosing a digital learning management platform. Get the guide. 🎧 ON THE PODCAST   A FRAMEWORK FOR INCLUSIVE TEACHING: How can educators make their teaching more inclusive? José Vilson offers a framework. He's co-founder and executive director of #EduColor, a nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to issues of race and social justice in education and the author of "This Is Not A Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education." EdSurge talked with him last week at the ISTE20 virtual conference. 📚 FROM THE ARCHIVES   IS MATH A TAINTED BRAND? That's a jarring question, especially coming from Conrad Wolfram, the brain behind Wolfram Alpha and Mathematica. Too often, he says, kids "spend almost all their time in education learning how to do computation, and not leaving that to the computers" so that they can focus on solving real-world, higher-level problems. What he's proposing: a new math curriculum that assumes computers exist. 🐝 BUZZ ABOUT TOWN   How lockdowns could impact child development in young kids. (New York Times)   New research finds a "real and troubling" digital divide for Black, Hispanic and low-income students. (UCLA)   CDC: How schools can stay open even as infection rates rise. (UPI) Sponsored by Google Join us for Google Cloud's Public Sector Summit — a free two-day digital event taking place on December 8-9, 2020 will connect academic, edtech, and government communities across the globe. Create your own experience from over 50 sessions, book time to "ask an expert", explore success stories, and more. Register now Looking for a job in edtech? You've come to the right place. EdSurge has the leading edtech jobs board with over 400 openings from schools, nonprofits and companies. Post a job See all edtech jobs Founding Head of Schools Portal Schools The Founding Head of School for Portal Schools' new Los Angeles region. This individual will implement the vision and mission of Portal Schools locally and lead the launch of up to eight microschools in the Los Angeles area over the next five years. K12 School Operations  •    School   •    Los Angeles, CA     Manager, E-Learning Peer Health Exchange PHE is looking for a Manager, E-Learning who will build interactive online modules and digital learning materials for PHE's program. The ideal candidate will have 3-5 yrs exp, including 1-2 years in designing and delivering training interventions. Curriculum Design   •    Non Profit   •    Multiple   Art Director, Language Arts Curriculum Associates Curriculum Associates is seeking a talented and collaborative Art Director to bring engaging and innovative design to our portfolio of language arts curriculum print products. UX / Graphic Design  •    Large Company  •    Remote   Curriculum Designer Next Gen Personal Finance We are looking for a passionate and energetic professional to expand our personal finance curriculum and resources to meet the needs of economics teachers. Curriculum Design  •    Non Profit   •    Palo Alto, CA or Remote   Senior Program Manager - STEM Classes and Camps Empow Studios Empow Studios is looking for an experienced Program Manager to lead a team of program manager(s), site directors, and dozens of instructors to deliver outstanding STEM classes, camps and other programs to thousands of local students. Operations  •   School   •    Lexington, MA   Chief Program Officer - Prepared Parents Summit Public Schools As founding Chief Program Officer, you will develop and implement Prepared Parents' overall program vision and strategy. You are an educational content expert who is seasoned at developing and delivering digital educational programs and products. Customer Implementation / Customer Success  •   School   •    Remote Events Post an event   •   See all events and meetups   The Standards and STEM Working towards effective STEM learning means gaining a deeper understanding of the future we aspire to build, and having the ability to imagine this future. Dec 15   •   Online   •   Free   Pathfinders Winter Institute The Infosys Foundation USA is excited announce the second annual Pathfinders Winter Institute - virtually - from Feb 12-15, 2021! This 3-day event will offer K-12 teachers an engaging professional development experience in CS and maker education. Feb 12   •   Online   •   More than $250 THANKS FOR READING   ➔ Got any feedback? We love hearing from readers. Shoot us a note, critiques, a joke—whatever you've got! ➔ Interested in reaching our readers? Sponsor this newsletter. ➔ Event planners: Feature your in-person or virtual event on our calendar & newsletters. EdSurge covers and connects the people, ideas and technologies that shape the future of learning. We are an independent news and research initiative of the International Society for Technology in Education. International Society for Technology in Education, 621 SW Morrison Street, Suite 800, Portland, Oregon 97205, USA, 800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 503.342.2848 (Int'l) Unsubscribe Manage preferences