Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

TES | February 04, 2019

Students in England already learn about mathematics, science and history, but hundreds of schools are preparing to expand the traditional curriculum with a new subject: mindfulness.In up to 370 English schools, students will start to practice mindfulness as part of a study to improve youth mental health, the British government said on Monday.They will work with mental health experts to learn relaxation techniques, breathing exercises and other methods to “help them regulate their emotions,” the government said in a news release announcing the program.The goal of the program is to study which approaches work best for young people in a world of rapid change. The government said the study, which will run until 2021, is one of the largest of its kind in the world. “As a society, we are much more open about our mental health than ever before, but the modern world has brought new pressures for children,” Damian Hinds, the British education secretary, said in a statement.“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added. The initiative comes months after a survey commissioned by the National Health Service found that one in eight children in England between the ages of 5 and 19 suffered from at least one mental disorder at the time of their assessment in 2017.The survey, which was published in November, also indicated a slight increase in mental disorders in five to 15-year-olds, which rose to 11.2 percent in 2017 from 9.7 percent in 1999. Disorders like anxiety and depression were the most common, affecting one in 12 children and early adolescents in 2017, and appeared more often in girls.

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Career Ready  What qualities do employers look for in candidates? Of course, the first thing they look for is the ability to do the work required. They also look for "soft skills" or qualities. Being able to demonstrate that you have these skills could be the difference in getting the job or not.

Spotlight

Career Ready  What qualities do employers look for in candidates? Of course, the first thing they look for is the ability to do the work required. They also look for "soft skills" or qualities. Being able to demonstrate that you have these skills could be the difference in getting the job or not.

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TALENT DEVELOPMENT

Melmark Starts Its New England School Facility in Stoughton

Melmark | March 10, 2023

On March 09, 2023, Melmark, a non-profit human service organization, started a new school facility for special education and recreational environment in Stoughton, Massachusetts. It selected Maggiore Construction Corporation with Roth and Seelen, Inc. to design and build this facility. It conducted the groundbreaking ceremony on January 24, 2023. This facility will offer a state-of-the-art and accessible special education learning and recreational surrounding, opening in May. Its New England division presently enrolled about 132 students at its Andover school, and this new facility will educate up to 84 students. It will provide new opportunities for school districts, students, and families deprived of clinically sophisticated educational services. In addition, it would also offer job opportunities with skilled special education leaders. This facility has a license from DESE and helps students aged 3 to 22 with an intensive individualized education approach. This approach and a behavioral framework create the learning environment needed for education. Its students are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual and developmental disabilities, having secondary to complex behavioral profiles. Melmark New England is also the Massachusetts Association of 766 Approved Private Schools (MAAPS) member. President and CEO of Melmark, Rita M. Gardner said, "This is a poignant time in the history of Melmark, this is a project that was slated to start during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are thrilled to stay focused on the needs of families in our communities. We are collaborating with school professionals, families, and other stakeholders to share information about the opportunities our new school will make available, as we are keenly aware of the critical, growing need for the evidence-based services we offer. The new school building will support spacious, intentionally designed classroom environments with innovative tools for learning and skills building. This growth in MA reflects our mission and strategic goal to serve children in diverse and inclusive communities who need and deserve Melmark's specialized special education services to reach their best outcomes." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) About Melmark Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Melmark, an individual and family services provider, specializes in applied behavior analysis, special needs, intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, autism, education, healthcare, approved private school autism and intellectual disabilities, charity and non-profit, and volunteers. It is a multi-state human service provider with special education schools, training, research centers and professional development. It has transformed the lives of individuals with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities and supporting their families since 1966. It provides evidence-based and behavior-analytic services to them daily.

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ONLINE EDUCATION

Alteryx Launches Upskilling Initiative for Data Literacy

Alteryx | March 02, 2023

On March 01, 2023, Alteryx, an analytics automation platform, launched the Alteryx SparkED Datathon series, designed for data literacy and upskilling in partnership with McLaren Racing. Disney, RSM US LLP and McLaren Racing hosted two days SparkED Datathon at The University of Texas, Dallas (UT Dallas). Alteryx SparkED is its free analytics education program, helping about 977 institutions worldwide, with approximately 87% increase annually in 2022, and over 140,000 learners in different countries benefited. This upskilling initiative would help learners gain knowledge and experience in data and analytics operations and understand the importance of these operations for decision intelligence in the business outcomes of data-driven organizations. In addition, it empowers individual learners and career changers with growth opportunities and enhanced career outcomes even in the present economic crisis. McLaren Racing's Executive Director, Partnerships and Accelerator, Matt Dennington said, "Promoting STEM education pathways to help prepare today's students to become tomorrow's data leaders' forms part of McLaren Racing's commitment to making STEM careers more accessible to all." He added, "Teaming up with our partner Alteryx to host a SparkED Datathon at the McLaren Technology Centre is an exciting opportunity for data-curious students. They will need to solve challenges using real-world McLaren data on the same innovative analytics platform our team uses to power our performance-enhancing insights." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) UT Dallas' Director of MS Business Analytics and Assistant Professor of Instruction, Gaurav Shekhar said, "It's important for us to build a robust data analytics program and give our students strong networking opportunities to improve their career outcomes." He added, "Alteryx SparkED has been a key partner for upskilling our students and helping them develop highly demanded data analytics skills that every employer across every industry needs." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) About Alteryx Headquartered in Irvine, California, Alteryx, a software development company, provides services for self-service data analytics, predictive analytics, spatial analytics, business intelligence, statistical analytics, strategic analytics, data analytics, data blending, data prep, and data science. It offers end-to-end automation of data engineering, analytics, reporting, machine learning, and data science processes. It empowers businesses with data analytics which is helpful for them in many business processes. Customers trust its insights for impactful business outcomes worldwide. With its software data, enterprises solve complex problems, saving their mundane data preparation work, distribution, and time.

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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY

Learning A-Z Announce the Launch of Complete K-5 Writing Solution

Learning A-Z | January 12, 2023

Learning A-Z, a subsidiary of the Cambium Learning Group, has announced the addition of its totally redesigned Writing A-Z® product to its superior range of learning solutions. Writing A-Z is a new and improved curriculum option for K–5 students that draw on the Learning A-Z principles of valuing the teacher at the center of the classroom. In addition, the platform provides teachers with customizable, user-friendly tools that foster excellent student results. In addition, Learning A-Z has, for the first time, made a Teacher Grant Program available to K–5 educators interested in discovering new and innovative ways to improve student writing achievement. The winners of the grants will receive a one-year subscription to Writing A-Z. The application deadline for awards is January 31, 2023, and grants will be distributed on February 10, 2023. Lisa O'Masta, President of Learning A-Z, said, "Writing is an essential part of K–5 education and deeply connected to the instruction of literacy." She further added, "The most recent NAEP writing scores show that nearly ¾ of students in grades 8-12 are not writing at a proficient level. Because students write daily and the practice is a foundation of their educational experience, we've recognized the need for new writing tools that are even more innovative and easy to use and are committed to delivering these tools into the hands of teachers." Using Writing A-Z, teachers assist students in the development of their writing abilities through research-based education. Writing A-Z combines best practices for teachers with guided practice for students to facilitate writing achievement in the classroom. Lesson plans that are simple to apply, digital writing and grammar practice, and continuous professional learning are some of the elements that make Writing A-Z a comprehensive and user-friendly writing solution for K–5 education. About Learning A-Z Learning A-Z is an emerging provider of literacy-focused PreK–6 education technology solutions. The company's products combine traditional teacher-led instruction with technology-enabled resources to make teaching more efficient and effective, practice more personalized and accessible, assessment more automated and strategic, and learning more proactive and informed. Its award-winning digital products, such as Raz-Kids and Reading A-Z, are used by more than 12 million students in over 170 countries.

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