“Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists tie improved learning processes to reduced symptoms of depression”
September 29, 2021
Originally posted in our September 2021 Top of Mind Newsletter. Researchers at Virginia Tech have recently found a link between neural learning processes and symptoms of depression. They have also found that there is a marked improvement in their depressive symptoms as one works to improve their learning processes. The researchers found that “the symptom improvements that followed cognitive behavioral therapy were related to improvements in reinforcement learning components that were disrupted prior to therapy.” So…
Read more“Collected Maxims and Other Reflections”
Originally posted in our September 2021 Top of Mind Newsletter. No events are ever so unlucky that clever people cannot draw some advantage from them; nor are any so lucky that imprudent people cannot turn them to their own detriment. —Francois de La Rochefoucauld, “Collected Maxims and Other Reflections” We chose this maxim to highlight not only the importance of our interpretation of events but also because it shows the importance of being a learner. And…
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Erie Public Schools Case Study
September 21, 2021
Location: Erie, Pennsylvania District size: 11,000 students at 16 schools Year of implementation: 2017 Number of middle schoolers who have completed the program: 3,000 OVERVIEW: In early August of 2021, the school board of Erie’s Public Schools approved a new social studies curriculum for the district’s seventh-graders—and officially gave its blessing for the Ice House Middle School Edition to be taught for an entire quarter. It’s a confirmation of the innovative program’s success over the…
Read more“Does the future of schooling look like Candy Land?”
August 26, 2021
Originally posted in our August 2021 Top of Mind Newsletter. As the pandemic continues to complicate education at all levels, many schools are rising to the challenge. They are innovating, getting creative, and in some cases, are actually improving upon issues that have impacted education long before the outbreak of COVID-19. One big way schools have adapted to meet the needs of students, virtually or otherwise, is through a concept called competency-based education (CBE). Advocates of…
Read more“The $5 Challenge”
Originally posted in our August 2021 Top of Mind Newsletter. When we think about giving students autonomy, many different things come to mind. One influential model that educators at Stanford have been using seems to spark some of the most creative opportunities you could imagine in the classroom. Tina Seelig, Ph.D., offers her students $5 and two hours to make as much money as the team can. With as much time to plan as they needed,…
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