[YL] YouthLearn Newsletter, Issue 161

[Rivenburgh, Wendy]

YouthLearn
Newsletter, Issue 161 - August 18, 2009

The YouthLearn Newsletter compiles the latest entries to the YouthLearn News Blog. This innovative service to the YouthLearn community highlights youth, education, and technology news, tools, and resources. We hope this assists you in your important work. Please feel free to share this resource with friends and colleagues, and visit the News Blog often! http://news.youthlearn.org



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News



Momentum building on STEM education
"As part of the Obama administration's emphasis on bringing education into the 21st century, it comes as no surprise that policy makers have trained their focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education as a way to give more students, especially girls and minorities, stronger global skills. And with this increased focus, some education experts say momentum is building for more recognition of the 'T' and 'E' in STEM--technology and engineering, two subjects often overlooked. In fact, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), part of the National Research Council, recently completed a report that surveys the extent and nature of efforts to teach engineering to K-12 students in the United States. The report is set to be released Sept. 8.... 'One of the findings is that discussions of STEM tend to be focused on science, sometimes math, rarely both together--usually they're siloed, and the T and especially the E are really just left out of the discussion in policy, education, and classroom practice,' Pearson said."
URL: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=60180



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Resources



Having a Say: Youth and Educational Activism
"Ever since school was made compulsory for American children in the early 20th century, efforts at reform rarely included input from youth. But that is changing, as U.S. institutions are beginning to value the opinions of youth, and as youth themselves have realized their collective power through new networking media. 'Ten years ago, it was hard for young people, or adults even, to know whom to lobby, to find which elected officials, let alone to figure out how to contact them. And with all that information readily available online, I think the bar is lowering on how difficult it is to do lobbying at the same time that interest is rising among young people to do lobbying,' said Thaddeus Ferber, manager of the Youth Policy Action Center an online youth empowerment site organized by a collection of youth and advocacy organizations around the country. Youth activism on educational issues takes many forms. It includes volunteering within the school to help staff or students. It also includes fundraising for various school projects and programs and lobbying administration officials for changes in policy or curriculum. Other forms of activism happen outside of school. Youth write letters or launch rallies to press elected officials and administrators for changes they believe in. They also attend board meetings and city council meetings to present their cases for reform."
URL: http://wkcd.org/featurestories/2009/07_having_a_say/index.html



Film series profiles visionaries in 21st-century education
"The nonprofit Pearson Foundation hopes to start conversations and get people thinking about educational innovation with a new film series that profiles remarkable people and their accomplishments in school reform.... The film series, called 'A 21st Century Education,' highlights a dozen innovative and compelling school-reform leaders from around the world. The series was produced by the Mobile Learning Institute (MLI), a co-funded effort by Nokia and the Pearson Foundation. MLI helps students in the United States and internationally use computers and digital-arts technologies to tell stories about themselves and their communities. The initiative also conducts professional development workshops and hosts leadership summits for school administrators."
URL: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=60232



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Activities



Back-to-school Activities and Crafts
>From Enchanted Learning, "These back-to-school activities and crafts are simple to do and are great as ice-breakers for the beginning of the school year. They help the students and teacher get to know one another. Also, it may help students find those people in the class who share similar interests, helping them make friends."
URL: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/backtoschool





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