We are halfway through Term 4 and are inching ever closer to the summer holidays. It’s been a helluva year and we’re all looking forward to winding down and taking a break. In the meantime, school is in full swing and education news waits for no one. It can be hard to keep up with everything going on, so this week on School Stream we have collated news and resources from around the web, so you don’t miss a thing. From some great online experiences and resources to a one-stop-shop for educators, let’s see what’s making the news in education circles this week.
Let’s get innovative. See how School Stream supports reliable, real-time communication between schools and families – It’s easier than you think. Watch our short video or keep reading to see our round-up of education news.
1. Find innovative teachers and real-time education news on Twitter
What are educators talking about today? If Twitter is anything to go by, the hot topics for educators right now are report writing and assessments. On Twitter, you can find teachers and researchers discussing every aspect of education across a range of disciplines in real-time. It’s something of a one-stop-shop for educators who want to keep their finger on the pulse. Unsurprisingly, STEM and ICT teachers are particularly active on the platform. Research shows teachers turn to Twitter for a variety of reasons, including professional development, resource sharing and a positive, collegiate environment. To quote Steven W Anderson of @web20classroom:
“Alone we are smart but together we are brilliant. We can use the collective wisdom to do great things when we are connected.”
#AUSSIEed, #edchat and #WomenED are great starting points and from there you can dive into your area of interest to connect with like-minded colleagues. If you’re new to Twitter and aren’t sure where to start, there is a great guide to show you the ropes on Guardian Teach.
2. Student and teacher wellbeing
The relationship between learning and wellbeing, alongside resilience, is getting a lot of airtime across education-focused media recently. Educational Ethicist, Daniella J Foster, was part of a global study on educational ethics during the pandemic, and has published findings and testimonials in a fantastic article in The Conversation this week. “Is learning more important than well-being? Teachers told us how COVID highlighted ethical dilemmas at school” is a very readable and succinct article that articulately highlights the tensions faced by teachers in managing competing ethical concerns. Meanwhile, over on Teacher Magazine, resilience and wellbeing are also at the forefront as schools continue to be at the frontline of support for young people. Head to their website to read pragmatic articles backed by solid research on Adaptive and maladaptive traits of resilience and Implementing evidence-based strategies to improve student wellbeing. If a podcast is more your speed, the most popular podcast on the site today is Identifying and Managing Student Anxiety.
3. Visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art and more – from the comfort of your classroom
The entire school curriculum wasn’t the only thing to migrate online during the pandemic this year. Many of the world’s most revered cultural institutions have also had to move online while patrons are unable to visit in person. The Met in New York has created a pretty impressive virtual offering called The Met 360° Project. It uses spherical 360° technology to create an immersive experience of The Met’s art and architecture. The series of videos has been viewed 11 million times so far and is free as the birds. The Met is not the only gallery to move proceedings online. The Guardian published an article earlier this year listing ten of the best virtual gallery experiences from around the globe, so if you’ve ever dreamed of visiting the Natural History Museum in London or the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, now is the time to log on.
4. Get creative with a competition for students of all ages
ABC Education is running a competition until 16 December called My Local Landmark. It’s a project that sits at the sweet spot of language and literacy, creativity, history and science. Students can enter individually or in groups – head over to their website for all the details.
We hope you enjoyed our round-up of what’s making news in education this week.
Are you ready to give your school communication strategy an upgrade? Let’s talk
