What's really important in education; 2020 leadership lessons

Plus: How the pandemic can lead to educational creativity

No. 465 | 01/7/21 | Subscribe to this newsletter This issue is sponsored by On social media yesterday, teachers were at a loss. Those who teach current events and history gathered in groups such as Social Studies Network to discuss how they'd address the chaos at the Capitol that consumed the nation. Nearly everyone was appalled. Yet opinions on how to address it in class were mixed.   Some suggested resources such as CNN10, a daily news explainer widely praised by teachers or this Google doc with relevant resources. Others planned to have students journal their experiences as future primary-source documents. But more than a few educators expressed trepidation at tackling such a fraught topic, especially when they are still processing events themselves.    "Just let your students talk. And try to correct any misinformation," wrote one teacher in a Facebook comment.    "Show them the video, tell them the truth. And let them decide," suggested another. "If they are shocked, like they should be, then it is pretty clear that what happened was bad."   Other teachers disagreed, suggesting there should be no ambiguity. "We are social studies teachers. We are NOT machines. We have an obligation," wrote another teacher. "This is an aberration, an abomination. If we do not tell our students this, we are as bad as the people trying to prevent a peaceful transition of power. Consider showing courage, friends." 🤔 2020 REFLECTIONS   REAR-VIEW MIRROR: Several EdSurge reporters and editors pressed pause for just a few moments last week to reflect on what it's been like to bring you education journalism during the unrelenting news cycle of 2020. Here are their thoughts, and even a few feelings, too. This piece is part of a series of year-end reflections EdSurge is publishing as 2020 concludes.    THINKING BIG: By now, every educator knows the incredible strain that remote and hybrid learning has imposed. Yet those same constraints can lead to the right conditions for creativity and ingenuity, writes blended learning specialist Michele Eaton. In her op-ed, she reflects on educators who are reimagining their craft in challenging circumstances.   FIRST THINGS FIRST: "The gift of a crisis is that it reveals to us what really matters," writes social-emotional development expert Kamilah Drummond-Forrester. Among them are school-family relationships, counselors, mental health services and equitable technology for all students. If remote learning is to succeed, she adds, these are the things education needs to focus on.   PERSONAL BY DESIGN: "Equity was not a founding design principle of our public education system," charges Highline Public Schools Superintendent Susan Enfield, and the pandemic has laid bare the widening inequalities in communities. "We must move from high-quality, personalized learning being something that happens by luck or chance," she writes, "to something that happens by design and with intention."   LEADERSHIP LESSONS: It's been a difficult year for school leadership, writes Maria Armstrong of the Association of Latino Administrators & Superintendents. But it taught valuable lessons about the necessity of equity, reaching out to other districts and taking decisive action. She shares what leaders have learned, including how assessment needs to change.   INSIDE OUT: Forced to adapt when the established way of doing things was not possible, thousands of schools turned to outdoor learning as a means for providing safe, in-person instruction. But as many school leaders have realized, outdoor learning should not be a stopgap solution until the buildings are reopened, write two founders of the COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative. It has health benefits that schools and staff can reap long after the crisis. 📆 GOINGS ON ALMOST UNREAL: Tune in for this discussion on how leveraging interactive learning environments in the classroom can foster rich educational experiences and expand students' imagination and storytelling capacity. Panelists will discuss how immersive learning can serve students now and in the future. Register today. The following is a message from our sponsor The Education Essentials Company™ Cambium Learning® Group is an intentionally curated family of companies providing award-winning education technology and services for K-12 markets. We focus on the elements that are essential to the success of education, delivering simpler, more certain solutions that make a difference right now. 🎧 ON THE PODCAST   TELLING MOMENTS: Listen to Dave Eggers' concerns about what he sees as overuse of tech in education. Hear how one professor created an unusual final exam simulation that involved trained chickens. Learn what it was like to be a first-year teacher during a pandemic. On this week's EdSurge Podcast, we're revisiting some of the most memorable moments from our podcast in 2020. 📚 FROM THE ARCHIVES   JUSTICE FOR ALL: Nearly 244 years after the Declaration of Independence was drafted, "we as a nation, and as a community, have struggled with this idea: that everyone is created equal," writes Ayindé Rudolph, the superintendent of a California school district. In addressing his community about racism, Rudolph offers what his district—and yours—can do to pursue justice for all.   🐝 BUZZ ABOUT TOWN   New York and other cities are experimenting with putting teachers on TV for instruction during the pandemic. (New York Times) Can the science of motivation help prepare students for more remote learning? (CNN) Sponsored by AI Explorations In a world infused with technology and automation, all K-12 students need to know what AI is, how it works and how it impacts society. Download the Hands-On AI Projects for the Classroom guides from ISTE and GM, which provide elementary, secondary, elective and computer science teachers with innovative curricular resources about AI. Sign up here for more information about funded AI PD opportunities. Looking for a job in edtech? You've come to the right place. EdSurge has the leading edtech jobs board in the industry with openings from schools, nonprofits and companies.   Post a job | See all jobs Executive Director The Mission Preparatory School Seeking an experienced leader to continue the school's record of academic excellence & cultivate a deep sense of belonging for all. This individual will work with the board and school to develop/execute against a vision for the next ten years. C-Level Executive Leadership •    School   •    San Francisco, CA     Senior Director of Development Harlem Lacrosse Harlem Lacrosse seeks a Senior Director of Development to increase the organization's overall fundraising capacity and to lead the fundraising and marketing functions for the organization at the national level. Marketing   •    School  •    New York or Remote   Chief Information Officer Mary Institute and Country Day School MICDS seeks a chief information officer, starting July 1, 2021. Applications due January 18.  C-Level Executive Leadership •    School  •    St. Louis, MO   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   Middle School Computer Science Teacher The Blake School The Blake School seeks to hire a full-time, dynamic grade 6-8 computer science teacher for the 2021-22 school year. STEM Teacher  •   School   •    Hopkins, MN   Events Post an event   •   See all events and meetups   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