Friday News Roundup

Here’s the Friday News Roundup –

What One Record-Setting Teacher Shortage Can Tell Us About the Profession (EducationWeek)

“’It would almost be financially irresponsible for the long term to go teach in Oklahoma,’ [Alexander Fraboulet, and English education major at the University of Oklahoma] said.”

“In a sense, Oklahoma amplified many of the issues now facing the American teaching profession. People are reluctant to go into teaching, in large part because they can make more money in other fields.”

…

“It all leads to a vicious cycle of sorts: Low pay, coupled with the heavy scrutiny of teachers and their teaching practices, causes the teacher pipeline to contract. There’s a scramble to fill vacant positions. Certification standards are lowered to get more bodies into classrooms. As the new teachers come in, many others leave.”

Even though these quotes come from an article appearing this week in EducationWeek online, teacher shortage is not a new issue. But here’s the deal – even though it’s not a new issue, as a country, we haven’t been able to figure out how to make teachers feel “more professional” for some time now. And there is no indication that anything will change in the near future.

How Texas is Preparing Higher Education for AI (The Texas Tribune)

It seems like Texas is expecting its higher education institutions to begin academic programs focused on artificial intelligence. According to The Texas Tribune online this week,

“’It doesn’t matter if you enter the health industry, banking, oil and gas, or national security enterprises like we have here in San Antonio,’ [Taylor] Eighmy, [President of The University of Texas at San Antonio,] told The Texas Tribune. ‘Everybody’s asking for competency around AI.’”

“It’s one of the reasons the public university, which serves 34,000 students, announced earlier this year that it is creating a new college dedicated to AI, cyber security, computing and data science. The new college, which is still in the planning phase, would be one of the first of its kind in the country. UTSA wants to launch the new college by fall 2025.”

AI Literacy is a New Graduation Requirement and Civic Imperative (Getting Smart)

According to Getting Smart online,

“AI literacy can empower students to navigate the complexities of the digital age, make informed decisions, and actively participate in shaping the future. As AI continues to shape our world, it’s crucial for students to develop a foundational understanding of AI concepts, ethics, and implications, which is why AI literacy should be integrated into educational curricula to prepare students for the realities of the 21^st century.

Even though it seems higher education is moving in the right direction when it comes to AI, it remains to be seen if our K-12 system will embrace the importance of AI literacy.

Does anyone recall how media literacy was basically ignored by our traditional school system when it came to incorporating it into its daily curriculum?

On-The-Job Training Prevails as Students’ Disinterest in College Grows (The 74)

According to The 74 online,

“A new study has found more than 80 percent of high schoolers value on-the-job training over other postsecondary options, including a four-year degree – laying bare students’ interest in immediate employment and disdain for a college education.”

“The study, commissioned by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, surveyed more than 1,700 high school juniors and seniors, with 83 percent saying they value professional development leading to a job compared to 72 percent who value a four-year degree.”

Here is what is important when it comes to designing a personalized learning plan for our children – it’s never been an either/or proposition, it’s never been choosing between college or career preparation.

It’s about designing a learning plan for each young person in order to make them smarter, stronger, and successful.

I’ll be away until March 27^th. Til then. SVB