Future of Education by Mediaplanet_USA

A Mediaplanet Guide to Technology and Literacy

Future of Education

Tori Kelly The Grammy-winning singer’s new book is teaching children self-love and acceptance through music

How adaptive learning technology is transforming the future of education What you can do to ensure equitable broadband access in your community

MARCH 2022 | EDUCATIONANDCAREERNEWS.COM

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3 Ways to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read

We want our children to read every day to develop their literacy skills, but we don’t want it to be a chore that they dread doing (and we dread enforcing). Reading should bring our children joy, spark their curiosity, and open their minds to exciting real and imaginary stories. Families play an essential role in inspiring a love of reading and providing children with books that reflect the diversity of the world around them. So, it’s important to show our children that reading is more than spending 20 minutes a day with a book. Try these @MEDIAPLANETUSA

fun ways to encourage your child’s love of reading: 1. Read aloud together Start a family tradition and add a storytime to your evening routine. When you read a book out loud with your child, you are modeling expression, articulation, and emphasis of written language. It’s also a low-stress way to bond as a family and create memories you’ll treasure. You can make it interactive in a way that works for your family — have new readers point out words or read short sentences, while more advanced readers can take turns with you. Have @EDUCATIONANDCAREERNEWS

your child select a book they love or find a popular book series that the whole family can enjoy. Poetry, jokes, and favorite TV/movie character activity books are great options, too. 2. Discover new points of view If you want to raise an informed, inclusive child, look no further than your local library. Books can introduce your child to ethnicities and cultures that are different from their own, and they’re a great way to teach them about the wide variety of people they’ll meet throughout their lives. Reading about other

people’s routines, traditions, and communities exposes your child to new vocabulary words, concepts, and experiences, and grows important character traits like compassion. You can also share written and oral stories about your own family heritage to reinforce your child’s identity and confidence. 3. Encourage reading beyond books Demonstrate the importance of literacy by applying reading to everyday life activities. Point out to your child how often you read as you go about your day — menus at restaurants, food labels in

grocery stores, and signage while shopping. At home, you can read the instructions to a game or toy, follow the directions to a science experiment, or learn a new recipe to cook a meal together. These habits will motivate your child to develop their literacy skills and grow their confidence in their ability to navigate the world. We hope you have fun doing these activities with your children. It will lay the foundation for your child to practice the joy of reading throughout their life. n Anna King, President, National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)

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Publisher Victoria Melland & Claire Hines Business Developer Joelle Hernandez Managing Director Jordan Hernandez Lead Designer Kayla Mendez Designer Tiffany Jackson Lead Editor Jon Adams Copy Editor Taylor Rice Director of Content and Production Jordan Hernandez Cover Photo Stephen Schofield All photos are credited to Getty Images unless otherwise specified. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve USA Today.

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Tube video of a child’s choice is a very different experience than a one-to-one reading lesson, though both can be done with the exact same device. Another thing that educators need to be aware of is the disparity in access to technology despite upcoming trends. While there are many benefits to introducing more ed tech into our education systems, the last thing we want to do is create larger gaps and more inequities in educational opportunities. SS: The students of today have more information at their fingertips than ever before. This presents an incredible opportunity for them to drive their own learning experience, whether it’s checking out supplemental YouTube videos or taking a walk through new geography using Google Maps, or diving deep into completely new subject matter. This is why digital literacy is so important. It’s why we’ve developed programs like Be

Internet Awesome, which helps educators teach students how to be responsible digital citizens and stay safe online. In our Teacher Center, educators can explore a range of free content to foster students’ broader digital knowledge, from CS First, our free computer science curriculum, to digital skills for the future of work. What forms of technology were most helpful during the pandemic, and how have they changed the trajectory of education? CS: I think the most helpful form of technology was undoubtedly access to tutoring for students over the pandemic. The disruptions with school closures combined with the learning curve associated with online learning had a real impact on students, especially those in K-4 who are learning the most fundamental skills for future learning — literacy skills. This has created a real

problem across the board, but especially for students who didn’t have access to extra learning resources over the past two years. The demand for tutoring continues to accelerate, and we’ve seen funds like ESSER emerge specifically to address pandemic-precipitated learning loss. School districts have also created line items in their budgets for online tutoring tools and software, and it is clear there has been a paradigm shift based on evidence that high-dosage micro tutoring can help students recover some of the lost ground. SS: Learning can happen anywhere, at any time. Nowhere was this more obvious than during the pandemic, when students relied on technology to connect with classmates, teachers, and content, whether they were completing coursework on Google Classroom, attending class on Google Meet, or learning something new on YouTube. If the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that the concept of “school” can take many different forms. Even as schools have returned to in-person learning, it’s clear that the role of technology in the classroom has forever changed. My team and I are excited to partner with schools to explore what this means for the future and together build the next generation of teaching and learning tools. n

PHOTO: STEPHEN SCHOFIELD

Beating the Curly Hair Blues: Tori Kelly on Inspiring Diversity in Books

During the pandemic, academic and social losses have been huge, including the opportunity to bond with others who do and don’t look like you. American singer, songwriter, and actress Tori Kelly’s latest venture aims to inspire reading through diversity. Celebrating uniqueness Kelly, who gained fame on season nine of “American Idol” and has two Grammy Awards, recently released a children’s book called “The Curly Girl Blues” for kids who, like she did as a youngster, feel different

from the rest of the crowd. The book centers on a girl named Emma, whose hairstyle differs from her peers’. Throughout the book, and with the help of music, Emma learns to cherish and celebrate her hair. “I wanted to inspire other kids to embrace what makes them unique and to love themselves,” says Kelly, explaining that she had felt like an outsider until sixth grade, when her mom taught her to love her own curly hair. “Growing up, there weren’t a lot of Disney characters that looked like me. Now, I’m in a position where I can contribute and help kids see themselves within popular culture,” Kelly explains.

Music in reading As a kid, reading was a significant part of Kelly’s life. Her parents read to her regularly, flipping through the pages of beloved childhood stories like “The Giving Tree” and “The Hungry Caterpillar.” For Kelly, it was important that her book was similarly lesson-based but that it featured music prominently. When Emma develops those curly-hair blues, she breaks into song. Kelly explains that this provides an opportunity for parents to engage with their kids while reading. “There are a lot of similarities between thinking about how something reads and writing music,” Kelly says. “It’s about how something sounds, so I was focused on that when reading the book aloud, too. I want parents to be able to sing to their kids while reading.” In sharing her own story through the lens of Emma, Kelly ultimately hopes to give kids a hero they can see themselves in, and to inspire self-appreciation. “My hope is that a kid reading it feels a little less alone and a little more loved,” Kelly says. “I would be happy if just one kid feels less alone and realizes that they are seen.” n

Ayana Gray and the Importance of Storytelling

The best-selling young adult novelist explains how she became a writer and what reading and storytelling mean to her. Ayana Gray, the 29-year-old New York Times best-selling author of the young adult novel “Beasts of Prey,” knows a thing or two about storytelling. She knows it may sound a bit cliché to say, but books and stories have been her retreats since before she was even old enough to read. “I think I’ve been a writer my whole life,” Gray says. “I remember distinctly trying to tell stories through illustration before I knew how to write, and I was very frustrated that my family members couldn’t understand what I was trying to say. I realized I needed words.” She explains that her career as an author started when she was about eight years old, writing stories about her friends on the family desktop computer. “I wrote through school, and it was always just something that I retreated to as a fun place to go and let my imagination run wild.” Opening new worlds Books are often described, especially to kids, as a way to open up new worlds — and this was definitely true for Gray. “There was a period of my childhood where my family ended up moving quite a bit, and I was the new kid for five years in a row,” she explains. “School is tough; finding friends is tough. So, for a while, books were the consistent thing in my life.” Now, Gray’s own books are connecting people all over the world. Gray notes that books can foster empathy, which is why diversity in literature and media is so vital. “It’s really important for kids not only to see themselves in a variety of roles and getting to see themselves as heroes, but also getting to see lots of different kinds of people as heroes,” she says. “I think storytelling is how we connect to each other and how we build empathy for each other. The more accessibility we can create the better.” Lynne Daggett

Melinda Carter

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The Connection Between Hearing and Learning Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions among infants at birth and, if left undetected and untreated, can affect the development of language, communication, and social skills. Thanks to newborn hearing screenings required by the majority of states, congenital hearing loss can be detected in infants before they leave the hospital. However, hearing loss can still occur later in life. Among schoolage children (ages 6 to 19), 15% show a hearing loss of at least 16 decibels according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While minimal, a 16-decibel loss — akin to putting your fingers in your ears — can lead to a 10% reduction in speech understanding when the speaker is more than three feet away, and even more in the presence of background noise. Learning difficulties Learning to read depends on the ability to hear and mimic sounds and sound out letters

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and letter combinations. This can be impeded by hearing loss, affecting the child’s pronunciation, syntax, and vocabular y acquisition. Even if a child is too young to understand the meanings of words, when they hear speech, they are making connections based on the context and learning to imitate words and rhythms. Hearing screenings are routine during wellness visits for school-age children with access to healthcare, and most states require screenings at schools. Still, parents and caregivers are often the most attuned to a child’s behavior. If you suspect a hearing loss, such as not getting a response from your child unless they are facing you, tell your doctor. The earlier a hearing loss is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome in school and beyond. n

Timothy Higdon, President & CEO, Hearing Health Foundation

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Time is of the essence Of the $65 billion in broadband investments, $42.45 billion is earmarked to fund a “last-mile broadband development grant program” administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program (BEAD) is intended to connect underserved areas through grants to the states. To qualify for the an initial $100 million, each state must submit its broadband map with a five-year plan “that identifies locations that should be prioritized for support; outlines how to serve unconnected locations; and assesses how long it would take to build out universal broadband.” This is an all-hands-on-deck moment

for STEM education stakeholders in the public, nonprofit, and especially the business sector with sway over state and local decisionmakers. Weighing in on your state’s map design over next six to 12 months will determine if technology on-ramps reach urban, rural, and tribal communities where they are needed most. States with existing broadband offices and maps are in the best position to qualify for grants, so it is imperative to make sure your state is taking steps to qualify before the mid-term elections. Creating a STEM-literate workforce through access to broadband is every bit as critical to our nation’s security and prosperity as the Interstate Highway. This time let’s get it right and make sure everyone benefits from this once-in-a generation opportunity. Weighing in on

your state’s five-year mapping plan will ensure that there is an educated, skilled workforce to fill 2.0 million of the 3.5 million STEM jobs needed by 2025, especially if it is one that undergoing rapid revitalization from new and returning STEM innovation and manufacturing. Local businesses can lead the way Concurrent with advocating broadband equity, American businesses must assume a greater role in eliminating the deficits in STEM education if they want to benefit from the STEM-ready workforce they need. Broadband is just the highway, but the end-users are classrooms, after-school and out-of-school programs, and homes, which also require investment if students are to be career-ready for our STEM-driven economy. Businesses must lean in with crit-

ical capital by sponsoring STEM spaces, equipment or scholarships; promoting employee volunteerism; funding competitions or making internships and apprenticeships available. Broadcom Foundation is doing its part to increase the nation’s STEM workforce through a new initiative called Broadcom Coding with Commitment — it encourages young people to combine their knowledge of science with coding to create projects that improve their community. Their innovations will be shared in regional science fairs and online exhibitions like Raspberry Pi Foundation’s “Coolest Projects Global.” To ensure that the foundation encourages civic engagement in STEM, the program is aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The foun-

dation also partners with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to establish after-school Code Clubs and CoderDojos with access to free coding materials and instruction for students, parents and educators. Broadcom Foundation is a founding member of the STEM Funders Network and the STEM Learning Ecosystems, which gives voice to the national priority of creating equitable access to STEM learning. Approximately 100 STEM Ecosystems have been established through the US to insure that “all of our resources, schools, community settings such as after-school and summer programs, science centers and museums, and informal experiences at home and in a variety of environments together constitute a rich array of STEM learning opportunities for young people.” Embedded into the Five-Year Federal

STEM Education Strategic Plan, the STEM Learning Ecosystems are poised to take full advantage of national broadband in order to “prepare the STEM Workforce… both college-educated STEM practitioners and those working in skilled trades that do not require a four-year degree.” Their goals, like that of Congress, are within our grasp if we all work to ensure that national broadband carries the internet into every community, with on-ramps for ALL. n Paula Golden President, Broadcom Foundation

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Why Early Literacy Is Essential in Modern Society

We live in the Information Age, a time marked by nearinstantaneous access to just about anything you could ever want to know or learn about. With most of that information available as audio or video, some are wondering, “Why even bother with teaching reading or writing to the rising generation?”

Literacy — and specifically reading and writing — will always be the cornerstone of not just education but of our entire society. The reasons for this

are straightforward and unchanging. First, reading uniquely allows us access to other people’s ideas, even if we are separated from them by time or distance. Second, writing allows us to share our own ideas clearly and in ways that are readily understandable. Paired together, reading and writing allow us to become educated about the world around us while also educating that world about us, a necessary condition for any healthy society. Even more fundamentally, literacy allows us to refine and reflect upon our own ideas. Imagine not being able to capture your own thinking on paper — this would limit your

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ability to engage deeply with complex and nuanced ideas. As every English teacher probably told you, if you really want to understand something, try explaining it in writing — because only then will your own thinking become clear to you. We write, in essence, to better understand ourselves. Prioritizing literacy So, while it might seem like modern society is going to rewrite every rule in the book, the more information we need to sort through and the more complex global issues we need to tackle, the more we need to prior-

itize literacy. Indeed, one of the best ways we can help our society is to use emerging technologies to ensure that literacy is a birthright for every child. While it might sound surprising to some that we need to start with children, over the past 25 years that I’ve worked at Waterford.org, that is precisely what the data shows — the path to success in school and in life begins with early literacy, first in the home and then in the classroom. While there are many good things we want for our children, literacy is not just good, it’s essential. n Benjamin Heuston, PhD, CEO, Waterford Institute

How We Can Help Students and Schools Recover Our public schools need additional capacity to help students reengage with their learning, reconnect with their school community, and recover from disruptions caused by COVID-19.

n infusion of p rove n supports delivered by caring, trained adults will not only accelerate pandemic recovery efforts, but it will also help to address long-standing educational inequities that deny opportunities to children of color and children growing up in lower-income households.

Student success coaches How can we provide this additional capacity? Each year, thousands of young adults who are eager to contribute to their communities join the national service program AmeriCorps. Many AmeriCorps members choose to serve full-time as student success coaches (SSCs) with City Year, the nation’s largest provider of K-12 SSCs. Student success coaches become part of

the fabric of schools and provide academic and social-emotional supports to students throughout the school day — additional capacity that helps students feel a sense of belonging, build their confidence, and reach their full potential. Research shows — and teachers can tell you — that to thrive, children need safe and welcoming learning environments; access to positive

and consistent relationships with caring adults; and opportunities to develop their talents, recover from setbacks, and set goals. Academic and social-emotional learning are intertwined, whether that’s mastering fractions or learning how to work in teams. Enabling childhood success Across the country, SSCs are serving students as tutors,

mentors, and role models. Teachers have partners they can count on in the classroom, and schools are able to run afterschool enrichment programs. Evidence demonstrates that the more time students spend with a student success coach, the more likely they are to improve their social, emotional, and academic skills — with students who are furthest behind benefiting the most. Millions of AmeriCorps alums say their service experience has had a positive impact on their lives and shaped them professionally and as civically engaged leaders. We hope young adults across the country will answer President Biden’s recent call to serve students as tutors and mentors and apply to a program such as City Year today. n Tasha Booker, Senior Vice President of External Engagement, City Year

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Coolest Projects Global 2022 is open to creators up to the age of 18, wherever they are on the planet. To register go to www.online.coolestprojects.org. Broadcom Foundation is a sponsor of Coolest Projects Global 2022, a program of the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Coolest Projects Global 2022 is the world’s leading free technology showcase for young people. Projects will be showcased in the online gallery for people all over the world to see! Special Broadcom Coding with Commitment recognition will be given at Coolest Projects Global 2022 to the student whose project combines science with coding to improve the community, whether at home, across a region or around the globe.

Broadcom Foundation champions diversity, equity, inclusion and access to STEM learning for all young people. As a leader in the STEM Learning Ecosystem, Broadcom Foundation promotes science fair and code clubs as important partners in promoting 21st century STEM Skills.

@BroadcomSTEM @BroadcomFoundation @BroadcomFoundation broadcomfoundation.org/codingwithcommitment