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Kvaal and Soo, RealClearEducation The concern that new technology will undermine learning goes back millennia. It was, after all, Socrates who famously argued that adoption of the written word…

Since January 2025, educators and advocates for English learners and immigrant students have raised concerns about support for these populations, even as schools’ federal obligations to them remain intact.Most recently, the U.S. Department of Education notified key members of Congress about its plans to move all federal English-learner programs and duties to other agencies, thereby dissolving a stand-alone office of English language acquisition, or OELA.While English-learner programs—such as the Title III funding program providing states and districts with supplemental dollars—will continue, advocates worry the transition could weaken oversight and expertise. The new agencies expected to take on these duties may…

Task Analysis For Instructional Designers: Types, Examples, Guides Task analysis is often the missing piece in learning programs that do not lead to real performance improvements. This is because many programs focus on content without fully understanding what people need to do in their jobs. This makes it important to ask, “What is task analysis?” At its core, it breaks down tasks into clear, actionable steps. This makes it easier to create learning materials that support job performance. So, it is more than just a method; it is a key tool used in Instructional Design, User Experience (UX), and workforce…

From the stories and ideas that shaped America’s founding to a turtle’s-eye view of its home, the Shenandoah Center for Immersive Learning (SCiL) at Shenandoah University is using virtual reality to break the traditional boundaries of learning through the recent launch of two educational VR experiences. “1776” is a virtual museum experience that puts users inside the Assembly Room of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where they’re surrounded by the people, ideas and documents – including the Declaration of Independence – that shaped the United States’ founding 250 years ago. Meanwhile, “Blue Ridge Wildlife Center: Wood Turtle Habitats,” which was generously…

A first-of-its-kind study has found that early intervention services — which can include occupational, physical and speech therapies, among others — improve children’s test scores, even years down the road.  The study, conducted jointly by researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the New York City Health Department, showed that children who received the services between birth and age 3 outperformed similar peers on third grade reading and math tests. Early intervention services are intended for children with disabilities, developmental delays or those who are at risk of them, such as children who are born severely…

General education courses have come under criticism recently from those concerned about the cost of college, others who argue they are obsolete in the age of AI and even politicians alleging they promote leftist ideologies. In the latest episode of The Key, Inside Higher Ed’s news and analysis podcast, Andrew Delbanco, the Alexander Hamilton Professor of American Studies at Columbia University and president of the Teagle Foundation, discusses the short- and long-term benefits of a humanities-based core education with IHE editor in chief Sara Custer. Higher education institutions have a responsibility to push back on the “metrics-driven culture” that reduces…

Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Across Pennsylvania, districts are struggling to recruit, prepare and retain Black teachers, who make up just 3.7% of the commonwealth’s educator workforce. This gap reflects an educator pipeline that has not kept pace with a student population that is now approximately 14.5% Black. Too often, this challenge is framed as a shortage, reducing it to a lack of interest in the profession. While that may play a role, this framing obscures the policies and historical decisions that constrained the Black teacher pipeline in the aftermath…

Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter As immigration authorities carry out what President Donald Trump has promised will be the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, several states are passing laws to keep children out of foster care when their detained parents have no family or friends available to take temporary custody of them. The federal government doesn’t track how many children have entered foster care because of immigration enforcement actions, leaving it unclear how often it happens. In Oregon, as of February two children had been placed in foster…

To offer students extra credit—that is the question.In fact, it’s an age-old question, one that some systems, liked standards-based grading, claim to answer by completely eliminating it.Personally, I’ve always found extra credit to be the easiest way to differentiate instruction for more motivated/more proficient students.Other educators have different perspectives, which this post will explore. ‘It’s Growth Disguised as Opportunity’ Rose Hill is a veteran middle school reading and language arts teacher with 10 years of classroom experience. She is also active on social media under the name @PearlsOfPedagogy, where she shares teaching advice for educators and practical tips for parents:When…

A big civil rights deadline that impacts schools and vendors will hit this month. Federal law has required accessibility for people with disabilities for decades, says Glenda Sims, chief information accessibility officer at Deque Systems, a company that specializes in digital accessibility. But two years ago, the federal government finally gave schools a way to measure whether their websites, mobile apps and digital content were accessible under law when it released a “final rule.”In essence, the final rule updated 2024 Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal law concerning equal opportunity, setting out standards for public institutions…