A 29-year-old pregnant special education teacher, Courtney Fannon, was found unresponsive in her classroom at Kendall Elementary School in New York, and both she and her unborn baby were declared dead. Fannon was described as a loving and dedicated teacher who always put her students first. The school announced that counselors would be available for students, and a GoFundMe page has raised over $70,000 to support her family.
Teachers on TikTok are explaining the trend of "mewing" among tweens and teens, which originally started as a viral jawline-strengthening technique on TikTok. The gesture, involving pursing lips and pointing to the jawline, is now being used by students to signal that they are adults and to avoid participating in class or discussions, leading to concerns about disrespect in the classroom. While some take a light-hearted approach, others, like music teacher Teresa Kaye Newman, express frustration and see it as a disrespectful and dismissive behavior that undermines the learning environment.
After a teacher strike in Portland Public Schools, students returned to school with a mix of excitement and apprehension. In one third-grade classroom at Woodlawn Elementary, students eagerly resumed their lessons on sea creatures, while their teacher listened in on their conversations.
The Youngstown City School District and Youngstown Education Association have reached a tentative agreement, ending the teachers' strike that began on August 23. The agreement, which is for one year, removes the academic distress language and retains provisions regarding vacancies and assignments. Teachers will return to the classroom on Monday, and certain schools will open on Sunday to allow for preparation. The union will vote on the agreement, and the school board will ratify it.
Teachers reflect on how the memory of 9/11 is honored in classrooms over 22 years later. While some educators emphasize the personal experiences and individual stories to help students understand the magnitude of the tragedy, others note that the emotions associated with the event may be fading over time, especially for students and teachers who are farther away from the crash sites. Despite this, teachers continue to navigate the fine line between their own emotions and educating students about a historical event that shaped the nation.
The US Department of Education has released a report on "Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning," warning that AI systems could be used to surveil teachers once introduced into the classroom, making their jobs "nearly impossible." The report argues that AI should never replace human teachers and that policymakers should work to ensure "adequate" protections against teacher surveillance. The Biden administration's push for AI systems that avoid teacher surveillance has the potential to reignite the political fight over how much authority teachers have over students and what rights parents have to know what is being taught.
Khan Academy is integrating GPT-4, a general AI, into its platform to provide personalized tutoring and interactive activities for students. The AI can help teachers develop lesson plans, monitor student progress, and facilitate classroom debates. The goal is to democratize high-level thinking skills and make education more accessible. The AI is also trained to be better at math and can connect concepts across subjects. The company hopes to have a million users within a year and plans to add speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities.
