1. Pennsylvania public libraries and high schoolers in 750 schools have been sent copies of 1/6: A Graphic Novel that asks: “What would have happened if the January 6, 2021 insurrection had been successful?” The stated goal: “To convey the risks facing American democracy and what people can do about it.”
  2. According to a recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey, about 62% of students felt close to those in their school communities in 2012, dropping to 55% in 2023. Writes Education Week’s Caitlynn Peetz, “… Relationships with peers and adults give students a reason to attend school, engage in class, and participate in extracurricular activities…”
  3. Pearson Publishing predicts that AI will help save teachers 3 million hours each week by 2026 and offers 5 ways it can do that by…
  • Inputting grades, taking attendance, generating homework and quizzes, tracking student performance and “identifying potential gaps or areas for growth.”
  • Rapidly researching databases and suggesting interactive lesson plans.
  • Offering professional development materials and “collaborative insights.”
  • Personalizing instruction by analyzing assessment data to determine students’ strengths and weaknesses, thereby providing differentiated instruction.
  • Optimizing teaching strategies by analyzing teaching patterns and student outcomes.
  1. A recent foundry10.org report found that 50% of surveyed teachers use AI to write their letters of recommendation, 33% of them say AI improves the quality of their letters. Those who don’t rely on AI-generated letters worry about losing the personal touch and/or believe taking credit for the writing is unethical.
  2. Since a National Center for Education Statistics report found that just 48% of public schools say they can effectively meet students’ mental health needs, 3 mental health organizations have created the K-12 Mental Health Tech Navigator, “a step-by-step guide on how to choose the right intervention, from assessing students’ needs to developing a funding strategy to implementing the solutions.” All that concerns some psychologists who warn that said advice might not be based on proven research.
  3. A group of New York City parents of public school students has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York “alleging that schools are not properly identifying and supporting students who are school-avoidant due to social and emotional disabilities, such as anxiety and depression…”

~ With my thanks and well wishes, Carol