Taking Risks in the Classroom, Emerging Technologies, Social Change, & More

Busy week? We’re here to help. Here’s our roundup of top educational stories from the past seven days:

• “I can’t sit back and repeat the same stale lessons year after year because it’s tradition. My students deserve more.” AJ Bianco describes why taking risks in the classroom pays off for both students and teachers.

• Some educators feel meager budgets will prevent them from preparing students for a labor market that could be radically reshaped by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

• “Under the current system, administrators create the structures and administrators come up with the ideas about what might work. Teachers are then assessed on the results. We need to think about how to shift risks back to where they belong, which is with those who make the decisions.” Mark Dynarski asks why accountability is always about the teachers.

• “I came to teaching after a 19-year career in community organizing, so I’m very interested in trying to influence social change. As I became more familiar with how I could connect with educators online, I began to think about how I can use that to influence folks on education policy issues. My teaching style is a combination of both practical teaching and bringing a political perspective to the work.” Dr. Rod Berger speaks with Larry Ferlazzo about being a proactively positive influence in education.

• The Washington Post asks: “Are states really trying to overcome the harmful legacy of No Child Left Behind?”