Bloomberg Commits $375 Million to Improve Education in the U.S.

21^st Century Global Academy strives to support student achievement, academic success, and advocate college admission starting from the earliest elementary years. Not only will this provide students with the strongest foundation to enable them to graduate from high school fully prepared academically but, it will also give them the knowledge and tools to continue their formal education.

Our mission aligns with that of Michael R. Bloomberg of Bloomberg Philanthropies. In an article release on June 4, 2018, Bloomberg Philanthropies is committing $375 million over five years to support efforts that improve the U.S. education system.

In remarks made at the New York Times Higher Ed Leaders Forum, Bloomberg said the foundation's education strategy is premised on three main ideas — education is primarily a local issue, so investments should be made in cities and states; education is a political issue, so investing in advocacy and electoral campaigns is important; and education is a polarizing issue, so people need to move past ideological arguments and false choices and focus on what works instead. One of those false choices, according to Bloomberg, is between the proposition that every student should attend a four-year college and the argument that a college education is overrated and schools should focus on preparing students for well-paid careers that don't require a four-year degree.

"The truth is: This is not an either/or situation," said Bloomberg. "We need to do both: Put more focus on college and careers, so that students have a real choice. Yet right now, we're not doing either one very well....So on the one hand, as evidenced by the low college graduation rate, we are not preparing high school graduates for success in college, and on the other, we effectively treat non-college bound students as second-class citizens, giving them no preparation for their next steps in life."

To address the need to improve college-readiness, Bloomberg Philanthropies supports leaders who are open to new approaches that strengthen both college and career tracks. That requires improving academic achievement in the lower grades by boosting teacher quality, accountability, and salaries, and by expanding school choice, as Bloomberg sought to do during his tenure as New York City mayor. In addition, high-achieving students from low-income families who are college-ready — half of whom don't even apply to selective colleges today — must be better supported. "If we want to stop intergenerational poverty, we have to start by helping more of those deserving kids go to good colleges," said Bloomberg.

For the entire article, click here: Bloomberg Commits $375 Million to Improve Education in the U.S.

Ineffective Teachers’ Devastating Ripple Effect

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Education Opens Doors, Creativity Opens Windows

An Editorial...

Education opens doors, creativity opens windows. Both are needed to be successful in the 21st century.

Education, however, doesn't necessarily mean you must have an advanced degree. Education means you graduate from high school fully prepared and qualified to attend an institution of higher learning. The doors are open for that choice. Though, moving on to higher education also means there are potentially more doors that open.

In light of the ramification of education, it is of the utmost importance that the knowledge and skills learned in high school prepare students to thrive in the real world by knowing how to write well, speak articulately, solve problems both individually and in groups, and analyze and critically interact with situations encountered daily.

But, that's only part of the equation to success in the 21st century...

Pair that knowledge with creativity. Not necessarily the ability to draw well or play an instrument delightfully, but the ability to think outside of the box. The ability to make connects between things that no one has thought of before. The ability to zig when everyone else is zagging. Creativity creates opportunities and opens windows.

For our most needy students, education these days falls short in both of these areas. One can look at data from colleges and universities and see that many minority students who do manage to graduate, and not drop out like many Latinos tend to do, need to take remedial writing courses in college. Many college students are also not very proficient in giving presentations or using their analytic and critical thinking skills. Why should they be good at these skills when most of their schooling has revolved around the memorization of facts and learning test taking strategies?

In terms of creativity, in most cases, it's pretty much eradicated beginning the first day of kindergarten. Students are taught to conform. Furthermore, students are labeled as difficult or challenging if they don't fit into neat scholar "boxes" and follow expectations right away.

It almost seems as though some teachers are trying to create drones in schools. But in their defense, that's how they were taught in school and if it worked for them, why shouldn't it work for their students?

Well, we could go on and on about that last question, but here's another question to ponder...

What can WE do to help prepare students to be successful in the 21st century?

How can we help them turn their dreams into successful tomorrows?

Here's an idea...how about we start by implementing this 21st century way of thinking ourselves and use both our education and creativity to come up with some solutions...

In other words, Be the change you want to see...
Si se puede...

According to neurologists, knowing multiple languages helps create more connections in the brain. People who know multiple languages have an easier time with several key brain functions including developing strong thinking skills, increasing reading comprehension, and using logic.

One of the languages that is gaining momentum is American Sign Language or ASL. According to an article by Andrea Simpson, MS, CCC-A/SLP, a communications specialist for the Special Education District of McHenry County (SEDOM), ASL is being used not only as a means of communication, but as a tool for engagement. Teachers are finding that ASL has several practical applications in the classroom.

You can find her entire article by clicking here: ASL Article. It is also included below:

Benefits of Using Sign Language in Your Classroom

General education classrooms are becoming more diverse. Children with a variety of disabilities and from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds are mainstreamed into the general education environment. This makes it difficult for one teacher to reach all the students using one single type of learning style.

Teachers are constantly searching for new ways to engage their students in the learning process. Using sign language within the classroom is one solution to reach all learners. Sign language can enhance the learning process by bringing visual, auditory and kinesthetic feedback to help reach all students.

Teachers are using sign language to:

1. Manage students behavior
2. Keep students actively engaged
3. Assist students in literacy development of phonics, reading, and spelling
4. Assist students in speech development
5. Assist students in language development
6. Promote positive peer to peer communication and interactions

Research has shown that pairing signs with English help learners formulate mental pictures. This multi-modal experience can help create new pathways in the brain for storage and retrieval. This helps students remember and recall sight words and spelling words (Daniels, 2001). Studies have also shown that students who learn sign language for specific sight words learn to read at a faster rate (Goode et al 1993/94).

Today’s students are diverse learners and using sign language promotes faster academic achievement within the classroom. All teachers should explore the possibility of using sign language within their room to:

1. Enhance calendar and circle time
2. Pair with phonics for alphabet and letter/sound learning
3. Pair with sight words with printed text for faster reading development
4. Use finger spelling with printed spelling words
5. Enhance vocabulary acquisition for new words
6. Enhance speech and language development with students with disabilities
7. Enhance speech and language development with students who are Second Language Learners (ELL)

Children learn faster when they can hear, see and feel the words they are learning. All teachers should consider using sign language as a positive multi-modal teaching solution.