Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

4 ways to enhance critical thinking skills

Critical thinking is plainly in decline.  Everywhere we look, people are uncritically consuming and spreading information that is distorted, misleading, and sometimes intentionally deceptive. Conspiracy thinking is rampant–QAnon, Alex Jones and the Sandy Hook shooting, Pizzagate, and unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud are just a few of the most notorious examples. The very foundations of our democracy are arguably at risk when millions are willing to believe irrational and unfounded claims.

Nobel prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman (Thinking Fast and Slow) demonstrated that we’re generally inclined to draw conclusions based on gut instincts, thereby avoiding the hard work of closely examining evidence.  Psychologists and neuroscientists have shown that we are subject to “confirmation bias,” the tendency to believe whatever reinforces our prior views and to disbelieve what challenges them. We are especially prone to this bias if changing our views would be costly–financially, to our reputation, or to our identity. These natural tendencies, exacerbated by the pervasiveness of social media and the limitless access to information on the internet, leave us vulnerable to being duped by disinformation.

But we are not defenseless.  There are some simple exercises we can use to combat both our natural instincts and the rising tide of digital misinformation.  …Read More

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Treering Announces New Philanthropic Partnership with Sandy Hook Promise

SAN MATEO, CA, — Treering is pleased to announce a new philanthropic partnership with national non-profit organization, Sandy Hook Promise. The yearbook company signed a three-year pledge, which will support Sandy Hook Promise’s ability to bring the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs into more K-12 classrooms nationwide at no cost to schools. Treering’s crowdsourcing features and custom pages foster inclusivity, and the San Mateo-based yearbook company is honored to help advance Sandy Hook Promise’s work to foster inclusion and empathy in the effort to make schools safer and more supportive for students. “We founded Treering in 2009 with the goal of creating a more inclusive yearbook. We’re proud to partner with an organization that not only shares this focus but is driving an entire culture change within the schools of our customers from all across the country,” said Kevin Zerber, co-founder and CEO of Treering Yearbooks. 

Founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy on December 14, 2012, Sandy Hook Promise’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Sandy Hook Promise teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. 

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Treering, and believe that, together, we can empower students to better support and look out for one another to prevent violence, suicide, and self-harm. Collaborating with Treering will allow us to ensure cost is never a barrier to school safety,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise Foundation, and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. …Read More

After unspeakable tragedy, a search for answers

Amid the confusion and sorrow, stories of heroism emerged. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT)

While church leaders and President Barack Obama prepared to comfort a grieving town Dec. 16, federal agents planned to fan out to dozens of gun stores and shooting ranges across Connecticut, chasing leads they hoped would cast light on the life of school shooter Adam Lanza.

Among the questions: Why did his mother, a well-to-do suburban divorcee, keep a cache of high-power weapons in the house? What experience did Lanza have with those guns? And, above all, what set him on a path to shoot and kill 20 children, along with the adults who tried to stop him?…Read More

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How to talk to children about the Sandy Hook shooting

Schonfeld said if children bring it up themselves, you can talk about what’s being done to keep them safe.

The killings at a Connecticut elementary school have left parents and educators struggling to figure out what to tell their children.

The international organization Save the Children, headquartered only 20 miles from where the killings occurred in Newtown, opened up a “child friendly space” in the community to give local children a place to play while their parents seek counseling and support.…Read More

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Could Sandy Hook shooting be a gun-control tipping point?

The massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School stands as a possible tipping point after a decade-long aversion to talking about stricter gun laws.

The question surfaces each time a mass murder unfolds, especially at a school: Will this one change the political calculus in Washington, D.C., against tougher gun control?

The answer, after the Virginia Tech killings, the attempted assassination of Gabby Giffords, the Colorado movie-theater attack, the Wisconsin Sikh temple shootings, and more: No. But now?…Read More

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