We're All Ears

 

Ears are one of animals’ most important organ – and they come in different sizes and shapes. ‘Ears hoping you will perk up your ears with these online activities.

 

CONNECT:

• Watch how the ear works at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mptjEoHF2aI
• And how do hearing aids work? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJBjIEUbaeM
• Watch the different kinds of ears that animals have at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAo3gsDptFM
• Guess which animal hears best – and check your guess at https://www.pbs.org/video/hearing-which-animal-hears-best-vnwtlx/

 

CREATE:

• Make your own animal ear headbands by following the directions at https://kidspot.co.nz/activities/make-your-own-animal-ears-headbands/
• What would you hear differently if your ears were shaped differently? Experiment at https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/designer-ears
• Discover how to create your own ear model at https://www.123homeschool4me.com/ear-anatomy-science-project_86/
• Learn some basic sign language signs at http://youtube.com/watch?v=CUy9Dos9264

 

CARE:

• Ears are subjected to lots of conditions: water, sun, even piercing. Here’s some ways to take care of your ears: https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/ear-care.html
• What is hearing loss? And how do you communicate if you can’t hear? Here are some explanations: https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/hearing-impairment.html
• Earwax is healthy – until it builds up too much. Parents can read how to safely clean their children’s ears at https://www.choa.org/parent-resources/everyday-illnesses/ear-cleaning-in-kids
• What are ear infections? What are the symptoms? How do you treat them? Read the answers at https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/ear-infections-children

 

CAREERS:

Are you hearing a call for an ear-related career? You could become an ear doctor (audiologist), veterinarian – as well as a sign interpreter, sound engineer, musician, jewelry maker, or even ear piercer

• http://www.listencarefully.org/5-careers-in-hearing/
• https://www.jewelers.org/ja/careers-education/jewelry-careers-guide
• https://www.planitplus.net/JobProfiles/View/715/62
• https://thebestschools.org/careers/jobs-working-deaf-hard-hearing/
• https://www.disabledperson.com/blog/posts/top-10-jobs-for-people-with-hearing-impairments
• And here are 8 jobs that lead to hearing loss – and how to prevent it: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/8-jobs-that-lead-to-hearing-loss-and-how-to-prevent-it/

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Post-COVID action for public education report

The International Commission on Education Futures developed nine ideas for public action, knowing that the pandemic will forever transform education. These ideas for action are the commission’s attempt to actively shape the future of education and help strengthen and enhance its power for all students, including those in developing nations.

• Commit to strengthen education as a common good.
• Value the teaching profession and teacher collaboration. 
• Promote youth participation and rights.
• Address the importance of connectivity and access to knowledge and information.
• Make free and open-source technologies available to teachers and students. 
• Ensure scientific literacy within the curriculum.
• Protect domestic and international financing of public education.
• Advance global solidarity to end current levels of inequality.
• Protect school's social spaces.

Education in a post-COVID world. (2021). UNESCO. 

https://journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/unescos-nine-ideas-for-education/

Foundations for Learning Through STEM Lessons Early On

Introducing science, technology, engineering and math concepts in early grades helps establish a foundation for learning about these concepts in later grades, according to a report from the Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education. This report draws on research and development supported by the National Science Foundation to highlight important considerations about STEM educational experiences for young children and professional learning for educators who provide those experiences. Findings show that early STEM lessons also can lead to gains in other areas, including reading and writing.

Sarama, J., Clements, D., Nielsen, N., Blanton, M., Romance, N., Hoover, M., Staudt, C., Baroody, A., McWayne, C., & McCulloch, C. (2018). Considerations for STEM education from PreK through grade 3. Waltham, MA: Education Development Center, Inc. http://cadrek12.org/sites/default/files/DRK12-Early-STEM-Learning-Brief.pdf

STEM Field Support Worldwide

A new, multi-country survey by Lenovo of students around the world revealed that students in emerging countries – India, Mexico and Russia—are prioritizing and pursuing science-related careers over students in developed countries, including Canada, Japan, the U.K. The research presents some differences in how students around the world view science as a career aspiration. Some key findings:

-       While 89 percent of students think science is “cool,” only slightly more than half are considering pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM).

-       India ranked highest (82 percent) for those who believe it’s very important for their country to lead the world in science. In contrast, students in the US, UK and Canada and the UK trailed at 73, 60 and 55 percent, respectively.

-        A majority of students (57 percent) would rather travel anywhere on Earth than the Moon if given the chance.

-        The two most common reasons for hesitating to pursue a career in STEM—lack of confidence/ability to do well and too much work.

Lenovo (2011). 2011 Lenovo global student science & technology outlook. Quarry Bay, Hong Kong: Lenovo. http://news.lenovo.com/customer-stories/2011-lenovo-global-student-science-and-technology-outlook.tekdownload

Worldwide Reading, Science, and Math Scores of Adolescents

The Program for International Student Assessment is an international assessment that measures 15-year-old students’ reading, mathematics, and science literacy every three years in industrialized countries. In the mathematics test, out of a total of 1,000 points, the United States average score was 470, below the overall OECD average of 490. The 2015 score continued the downward trend: 12 points lower than it was in 2012 and 18 points lower than in 2009. Average scores in mathematics literacy ranged from 564 in Singapore to 328 in Dominican Republic. The U.S. average was lower than 36 education systems, higher than 28 education systems, and not measurably different than 5 education systems. The U.S. average was lower than the states of Massachusetts (500), not measurably different than North Carolina (471), and higher than Puerto Rico (378).

 Kastberg, D., Cham, J. Y., Murray, G., & Gonzales, P (2016). Performance of U.S. 15-year-old students in science, reading, and mathematics literacy in an international context: First look at PISA 2015. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2017/2017048.pdf