The Dangers of E-Shaming
As a high school counselor, I witness countless student crises each year. Still, every now and then a particular student’s story really stays with me. Recently, one such story involved a student who I will call ‘Sarah’. In middle school, a boyfriend convinced her to send him a shirtless photo. This led to E-Shaming, blackmail,...Students Get on the Fast-Track to Space Exploration
On July 6, students watched as NASA Astronaut Dr. Kate Rubins launched to the International Space Station. During her coming months on the ISS, she’ll be the first person to sequence DNA in space and will conduct other important biological experiments. These students, though, had a special reason to cheer for Rubins as she lifted off...Veritasium and the Puzzle of YouTube Education
In Good Will Hunting, there’s a scene where our eponymous working class character confronts a Harvard snob with the hard truth of his pricey education: “You dropped 150 grand on an education you could’ve gotten for a $1.50 in late charges at the public library.” The populist notes of the film ring out. There’s a swell of...Digital Natives Can't Evaluate Web Credibility
Digital natives have a much easier time sharing a Facebook video or retweeting a funny meme than evaluating the bias and credibility of the original content, according researchers from the Stanford Graduate School of Education. The Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) released the report, which shows that students struggled to...An Academic Robin Hood
A Russian researcher recently pulled off one of the largest ever heists. But she wasn’t stealing diamonds or priceless art; rather she stole academic knowledge and gave it away free to every person in the world. Those outside of the university world may be surprised to learn that accessing academic papers is a very costly...
Demystifying the Code World for Women
I was mainly drawn to coding because it scared me. It seemed like an insurmountable task, only possible for the select few genius “techies.” And that group, I assumed, did not include me. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do something I originally believed I couldn’t. If we begin to shatter some of our former beliefs about...
Interview: Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson on Politics and AI
Neil deGrasse Tyson is the most popular astrophysicist in the world. The three-time Emmy-nominated Astrophysicist and Ph.D. has nearly countless awards and honors (including ‘100 Most Influential People of the Year’ by Time in 2007 and ‘Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive’ by People in 2000), as well as honorary degrees from CUNY,...
Innovative Women: The Middle East Tech Zone
It is a popular train of thought to believe that women in the Middle East have been in a losing battle against inequality. However, anti-sexist attitudes have gained positive momentum in certain regions in the Middle East. Women, like Lara Noujaim and Eve Tamraz, are now becoming leaders in the tech sector in countries like...
Digital Badging: The Answer to “Why Try?”
Digital badging is a phenomenon taking education by storm. For those unfamiliar with the practice, digital badging is a system by which students earn meritorious badges (akin to Boy and Girl Scouts) for mastering various educational and professional skills, including critical thinking, invention, and collaboration, among others....
Dr. Chris Emdin on Leading the STEM Education Revolution
Dr. Chris Emdin’s work is transcendent. A TED Talk alum, X-STEM Speaker, author, professor at Columbia, and community education and outreach guru, Emdin’s all about building bridges to create more effective and inclusive STEM (or, more accurately, STEAM) education. Attacking the problems from multiple fronts, Emdin teaches his magic...
Global Teacher Prize Finalist and Chief Eternal Optimist - Stephen Ritz
Stephen Ritz is making waves by engaging students through urban farming — from his classroom in the South Bronx. With his contagious, positive outlook and keeping the work practical and relatable, he’s brought some of his students from “Crack to Cucumbers.” It’s impossible not to smile while speaking with this celebrated...
Risk in Innovation & Education: “Come Fly With Us”
Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides shares his experiences on hurdles and the fun of space. George Whitesides and Virgin Galactic have made a lot of headlines lately. While working hard to completely change the face of space travel by privatizing it, Galactic launched a test in October 2014. The pilot tragically died....
Dr. Joanna Barnett – CEO of the Pennsylvania Charter School
I&TT: How do your students interact with each other and their teachers? Do students work together on assignments and projects? JB: Students interact in a variety of methods, webcam, Blackboard Collaborate, the Online School; so they interact in real-time and receive direct instruction. They interact with teachers in individual...
'TED Talks' with June Cohen: Changing The Face Of Education
If you love to learn from experts atop their fields for free (and why wouldn’t you?), you’ve likely seen a TED (Technology, Engineering, Design) Talk or two. They’re available on a variety of platforms, including Netflix. With over 2.5 billion views and over 1,900 talks posted, it’s clear the face of education and lifelong...
Girls, Science, and Nerdy Talk Conversation with Cara Santa Maria
By Peter Gietl Cara Santa Maria is a rock star in the scientific community and has dedicated her life to advancing scientific knowledge for the public. She holds an M.S. in neurobiology from the University of Texas, and has published research on topics ranging from the neuropsychology of blindness to computational neurophysiology. She...
