Today: September 20, 2024
Today: September 20, 2024

Education

Education

Hip-hop and health – why so many rap artists die young

Hip hop artists, from top left, clockwise, DMX, Lexii Alijai, Prince Markie Dee and Trugoy the Dove have all passed away within the past decade. Getty Images The song “Be Healthy” from the 2000 album by hip-hop duo dead prez, “Let’s Get Free,” is a rare rap anthem dedicated to diet, exercise and temperance: “They say you are what you eat, so I strive to eat healthy / My goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy / ‘Cause true wealth come from good health and wise ways / We got to start taking better care of ourselves”

July 19, 2023
Hip-hop and health – why so many rap artists die young
Education

Bluey teaches children and parents alike about how play supports creativity – and other life lessons

The playful Heeler family has amassed fans of all ages. Ian Kitt/BBC Studios Adults and kids love Bluey. This Australian animated show – hugely popular in the U.S. as well – focuses on a family of blue heeler dogs living in Brisbane. The seven-minute episodes feature 6-year-old Bluey; her 4-year-old sister, Bingo; her mom, Chilli; and her dad, Bandit. They depict the beauty of childhood and portray the realities of being a parent in our current age. As developmental scientists who study children and how they interact with the world, we sort of adore Bluey too. The show exemplifies what

July 21, 2023
Bluey teaches children and parents alike about how play supports creativity – and other life lessons
Education

How after-school clubs became a new battleground in the Satanic Temple's push to preserve separation of church and state

Lucien Greaves, spokesman for the Satanic Temple, which has pushed to establish after-school clubs. Josh Reynolds for The Washington Post via Getty Images As the start of the school year rapidly approaches, controversy can’t be far behind. But not all hot-button topics in education are about what goes on in class. Over the past few years, conflict has trailed attempts to establish After School Satan Clubs sponsored by the Satanic Temple, which the U.S. government recognizes as a religious group. Organizers have tried to form clubs in California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Organizers in Broome County,

July 21, 2023
How after-school clubs became a new battleground in the Satanic Temple's push to preserve separation of church and state
Education

Massachusetts is updating its sex education guidelines for the first time in 24 years

A dozen U.S. states still do not mandate sex education in schools. Xavier Lorenzo/Moment via Getty Images In June 2023, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shared with the public a draft of a new framework that will guide how elementary, middle and high schools in the state approach sex education. The last time Massachusetts issued guidelines that specify expectations for what Massachusetts students learn about sex in schools was 24 years ago, when most U.S. homes were not yet internet-connected. The new guidelines are part of a larger framework that addresses many aspects of health, including physical education, nutrition and hygiene.

July 24, 2023
Massachusetts is updating its sex education guidelines for the first time in 24 years
Education

40 years ago, the US started sending more and more kids to prison without hope of release, but today, it's far more rare – what happened?

Panic over supposed ‘super-predator’ teens ended years ago, but its consequences did not. jabejon/iStock via Getty Images Plus A South Carolina judge heard arguments in late May 2023 to reconsider the sentence for Jesse Osborne, who carried out a school shooting in 2016. Fourteen years old at the time, Osborne killed his father, then opened fire at Townsville Elementary School, killing a 6-year-old child and injuring others. He was sentenced to life without parole, but his attorneys have asked that a judge “give Jesse some hope” of leaving prison decades down the line. The judge ordered the defense to submit

July 24, 2023
40 years ago, the US started sending more and more kids to prison without hope of release, but today, it's far more rare – what happened?
Education

DeSantis' 'war on woke' looks a lot like attempts by other countries to deny and rewrite history

SB 266 aims to stop college professors from teaching about systemic racism. Spencer Platt/Getty Images A Florida law that took effect on July 1, 2023, restricts how educators in the state’s public colleges and universities can teach about the racial oppression that African Americans have faced in the United States. Specifically, SB 266 forbids professors to teach that systemic racism is “inherent in the institutions of the United States.” Similarly, they cannot teach that it was designed “to maintain social, political and economic inequities.” We are professors who teach the modern history of the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and

July 24, 2023
DeSantis' 'war on woke' looks a lot like attempts by other countries to deny and rewrite history
Education

Urban planning is often overlooked as a career -- here are some ways to change that

Research shows there is a lack of awareness among young people of the urban planning profession. Tim Robberts via Getty Images When students at Hughes STEM High School in Cincinnati were asked back in 2016 what part of their school they’d like to improve, they identified Coy Field – an athletic field they use for baseball, softball, track and football. Students said they felt uncomfortable and unsafe using the field because of its unkempt conditions. The field was covered in trash. Some sections were muddy. Students also had to walk the 10 minutes it takes to get to the field

July 25, 2023
Urban planning is often overlooked as a career -- here are some ways to change that
Education

Do smartphones belong in classrooms? Four scholars weigh in

Academic performance improves when schools ban smartphones, research shows. Westend61 via Getty Images _Should smartphones be allowed in classrooms? _ A new report from UNESCO, the education arm of the United Nations, raises questions about the practice. Though smartphones can be used for educational purposes, the report says the devices also disrupt classroom learning, expose students to cyberbullying and can compromise students’ privacy. About 1 in 7 countries globally, such as the Netherlands and France, have banned the use of smartphones in school – and academic performance improved as a result, particularly for low-performing students, the report notes. As school

July 26, 2023
Do smartphones belong in classrooms? Four scholars weigh in
Education

I've taught in prisons for 15 years – here's what schools need to know as government funding expands

In the U.S., almost 2 million people are in prison. Rizky Panuntun/Moment via Getty Images In spring of 2023, I taught a class on memoir at the California Institution for Women, a medium-security facility, in Chino. The course focused on autobiographical writing. Each week, students were asked to draft narratives focused on their life story and its larger social context. In addition to writers-in-custody at the prison, the class enrolled University of Southern California students. Every week, my colleague and I drove 12 USC undergraduates out to the prison to join their incarcerated peers in class. Both populations received college

July 27, 2023
I've taught in prisons for 15 years – here's what schools need to know as government funding expands
Education

To get rid of hazing, clarify what people really think is acceptable behavior and redefine what it means to be loyal

Students often have the wrong idea about what their peers think is acceptable. Anastasiia Korotkova/iStock via Getty Images My husband and I spent a late August day several years ago settling in our oldest child, Andrew, for the start of his first year at college. We went to Walmart to buy a mini fridge and rug. We hung posters above his bed. We attended the obligatory goodbye family lunch before heading to our car to return to a slightly quieter house. Two weeks later, Andrew called me, his voice breaking. A student in his dorm had just died as a

July 27, 2023
To get rid of hazing, clarify what people really think is acceptable behavior and redefine what it means to be loyal
Education

X marks the unknown in algebra – but X's origins are a math mystery

The use of the letter x as a mathematical unknown is a relatively modern convention. Algebra has been around for a lot longer. Daryl Benson/Stockbyte via Getty Images Even though x is one of the least-used letters in the English alphabet, it appears throughout American culture – from Stan Lee’s X-Men superheroes to “The X-Files” TV series. The letter x often symbolizes something unknown, with an air of mystery that can be appealing – just look at Elon Musk with SpaceX, Tesla’s Model X, and now X as a new name for Twitter. You might be most familiar with x

August 02, 2023
X marks the unknown in algebra – but X's origins are a math mystery
Education

Ending affirmative action does nothing to end discrimination against Asian Americans

In their lawsuits against affirmative action, Students For Fair Admission claimed to want to protect Asian Americans. A law professor explains why the Supreme Court ruling doesn’t achieve that goal.

August 03, 2023
Ending affirmative action does nothing to end discrimination against Asian Americans
Education

Ending affirmative action does nothing to end discrimination against Asian Americans

Participants at Harvard marching at a rally protesting the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action on July 1, 2023. Ziyu Julian Zhu/Xinhua via Getty Images In two cases challenging the use of race in college admissions, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the educational benefit of racial diversity is no longer what it once called a “compelling interest.” These decisions effectively end race-conscious college admissions. In my view, as a legal scholar of implicit bias and critical race studies, they do not end discrimination against Asian Americans, which was the advertised goal of the lawsuits. The cases against Harvard and

August 03, 2023
Ending affirmative action does nothing to end discrimination against Asian Americans
Education

College students with loans more likely to report bad health and skip medicine and care, study finds

A new study found that those with student loans are more likely to delay medical, dental and mental health care. PeopleImages/iStock via Getty Images The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Students who took out loans to pay for college rated their overall health and mental health as being worse than those who didn’t take out student loans. They also reported more major medical problems and were more likely to report delaying medical, dental and mental health care and using less medication than the amount prescribed to save money. We reported these findings

August 04, 2023
College students with loans more likely to report bad health and skip medicine and care, study finds
Education

'Knowledge of self': How a key phrase from Islam became a pillar of hip-hop

The popular phrase ‘knowledge of self’ — invoked by numerous rappers who adhere to Islam — is nearly a millennium old. Paul Hawthorne for Getty Images I was 9 years old when Eric B. and Rakim’s “Paid in Full” dropped. I have vivid memories of the bass-laden track booming out of car stereos and hearing it on Black radio, like Kiss FM’s top eight at 8 p.m. countdown. On the track “Move the Crowd,” Rakim – also known as “the God MC” – rhymes “All praise is due to Allah and that’s a blessing.” Growing up as a Black Muslim

August 04, 2023
'Knowledge of self': How a key phrase from Islam became a pillar of hip-hop
Education

Rhyme and reason – why a university professor uses poetry to teach math

Math problems take on new meaning in this class that combines rhymes and verse with math instruction. ra2studio via Getty Images Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching. Title of course: The Ways Math and Poetry Can Open Your Eyes to the World What prompted the idea for the course? I have always enjoyed writing poetry. As a high school mathematics teacher, I recall telling my students that everything is and can be connected to math, even creative writing. Then, as a graduate student, I read about people using “I am” poem

August 08, 2023
Rhyme and reason – why a university professor uses poetry to teach math
Education

Despite giving students chances to cheat, unsupervised online exams gauge student learning comparably to in-person exams

Research shows that unsupervised online exams can accurately assess student learning. Geber86/iStock via Getty Images The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Students don’t have to be supervised during online exams. That’s because unsupervised online exams can accurately assess student learning, according to our study published in July 2023 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Our data set comprised nearly 2,000 students from a public university in the Midwest. We analyzed exam scores from the first half of the spring semester of 2020, when tests were administered in person, and

August 09, 2023
Despite giving students chances to cheat, unsupervised online exams gauge student learning comparably to in-person exams
Education

Heritage algorithms combine the rigors of science with the infinite possibilities of art and design

Artist AbdulAlim U-K (Aikin Karr) combines the fractal structure of traditional African architecture with emerging technologies in computer graphics. AbdulAlim U-K, CC BY-ND The model of democracy in the 1920s is sometimes called “the melting pot” – the dissolution of different cultures into an American soup. An update for the 2020s might be “open source,” where cultural mixing, sharing and collaborating can build bridges between people rather than create divides. Our research on heritage algorithms aims to build such a bridge. We develop digital tools to teach students about the complex mathematical sequences and patterns present in different cultures’ artistic,

August 10, 2023
Heritage algorithms combine the rigors of science with the infinite possibilities of art and design
Education

Building relationships is key for first-year college students – here are 5 easy ways to meet new friends and mentors

Research shows that campus employment and relationships with peers help college students succeed. Ariel Skelley/DigitalVision via Getty Images What’s the best advice you can give to a new college student? Connections are everything. Research for decades has shown that the relationships students cultivate in college – with professors, staff and fellow students – are key to success. Simply put, human connections matter for learning and well-being in college – they also set students up for professional and personal fulfillment after they graduate. College students confirmed the importance of connections when we interviewed more than 250 students at three dozen colleges

August 11, 2023
Building relationships is key for first-year college students – here are 5 easy ways to meet new friends and mentors
Education

Florida's academic standards distort the contributions that enslaved Africans made to American society

While a Florida curriculum implies that enslaved Africans ‘benefited’ from skills acquired through slavery, history shows they brought knowledge and skills to the US that predate their captivity.

August 14, 2023
Florida's academic standards distort the contributions that enslaved Africans made to American society
Education

Discrimination took a heavy toll on Asian American students during the pandemic

One study has found that only 20% of Asian college students diagnosed with a mental health disorder receive treatment. Ishii Koji/DigitalVision via Getty Images The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Experiencing discrimination significantly harmed the well-being of Asian and Asian American college students in the U.S. during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s the key finding of our study, which compared over 6,000 survey responses from Asian and Asian American students who took the National College Health Assessment – an annual survey of student health behaviors – in the fall

August 14, 2023
Discrimination took a heavy toll on Asian American students during the pandemic
Education

Florida's academic standards distort the contributions that enslaved Africans made to American society

Enslaved Africans built landmarks like the White House, the U.S. Capitol and New York’s Wall Street. Bettmann via Getty Images The state of Florida ignited a controversy when it released a set of 2023 academic standards that require fifth graders to be taught that enslaved Black people in the U.S. “developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their benefit.” As a researcher specializing in the history of race and racism in the U.S., I – like a growing chorus of critics – see that education standard as flawed and misleading. Whereas Florida would have students believe that

August 14, 2023
Florida's academic standards distort the contributions that enslaved Africans made to American society
Education

New Study Shows Children with ADHD May Experience Fewer Interruptions If They Receive Daily Report Cards

Students with ADHD who get a daily report card had 4.5 fewer rule violations per 30-minute class than those without one, one study found. Hispanolistic/E+ Collection/Getty Images As another school year approaches, some caregivers, students and teachers may be feeling something new needs to happen to promote success in the classroom. Daily report cards can be a great starting point. As a clinical psychologist who studies how schools can help students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, I know traditional report cards distributed three or four times per year don’t do enough to make a difference for children who are prone to outbursts

August 15, 2023
New Study Shows Children with ADHD May Experience Fewer Interruptions If They Receive Daily Report Cards
Education

Potentially faulty data spotted in surveys of drug use and other behaviors among LGBQ youth

Potential inaccuracies in CDC high school surveys may have created an exaggerated perception that LGBQ youth engage in risky behaviors, new research shows.

August 17, 2023
Potentially faulty data spotted in surveys of drug use and other behaviors among LGBQ youth
Education

3 Reasons Why Graphic Novels Are the Ultimate Tool for Teaching Math and Physics

Graphic novels can help make math and physics more accessible for students, parents or teachers in training. Metamorworks/iStock via Getty Images Post-pandemic, some educators are trying to reengage students with technology – like videos, computer gaming or artificial intelligence, just to name a few. But integrating these approaches in the classroom can be an uphill battle. Teachers using these tools often struggle to retain students’ attention, competing with the latest social media phenomenon, and can feel limited by using short video clips to get concepts across. Graphic novels – offering visual information married with text – provide a means to

August 17, 2023
3 Reasons Why Graphic Novels Are the Ultimate Tool for Teaching Math and Physics

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