by Laura Maniglia | Jan 11, 2024 | academic standing, Admissions, enrollment, grading system, parents, public schools, testing
My previous blog regarding the resumption of required admissions testing for MIT ended with a speculation: Now that MIT has recognized that standardized tests are a valid part of the admissions process, it may be only a matter of time before other selective colleges...
by Laura Maniglia | Dec 31, 2023 | active learning, attention & focus, brain development, cognitive skills, learning, metacognition, parents, reading, students, study skills
The choice to read on print or screen has been the subject of interest for several years. The benefits of one delivery system over the other appears negligible for pleasure reading. The selection of one reading mode over the other “is inconsequential when interest is...
by Laura Maniglia | Dec 9, 2023 | Tutorial
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently released the PISA scores. Once again, the results indicate that the US education system is failing to provide students with the skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century. “Some 25% of...
by Laura Maniglia | Nov 21, 2023 | academic standing, instruction, NAEP, teachers, testing, writing
NAEP, the “Nation’s Report Card,” has experienced several iterations since its inception in 1969, including changes in its calendar and format. Several months ago, the governing board voted to delay the 2026 test for a year. “The ostensible reason for the delay is to...
by Laura Maniglia | Nov 14, 2023 | active learning, attention & focus, cognitive skills, instruction, interpersonal relations, learning, parents, public schools, student engagement, teacher effectiveness, teachers
As stated in a previous blog, “One of the main challenges (if not the biggest challenge) of conducting virtual lessons is their impersonal nature.” Engaging students when they participate in a virtual classroom can be daunting. The non-contingent interactions that...
by Laura Maniglia | Nov 3, 2023 | active learning, attention & focus, brain development, cognitive skills, instruction, learning, memory, student engagement, whole brain learning
Supporting and enhancing students’ cognitive abilities continues to be a major objective of these blog entries. Thus, the focus of this article is to explain two different methods for assisting memory: the Production and the Von Restorff effects. However, each...
by Laura Maniglia | Oct 19, 2023 | academic standing, Admissions, enrollment, learning, public schools, testing
The ACT recently reported that last year’s test scores continued the downward trend for the sixth consecutive year: The average composite score on the exam was 19.5 out of 36, the lowest in more than thirty years. “A record proportion of test takers did not reach any...
by Laura Maniglia | Oct 10, 2023 | academic standing, active learning, attention & focus, cognitive skills, homework, instruction, learning, non-cognitive skills, parents, public schools, student engagement, study skills, teachers
The fall school term brings with it different practices regarding homework. In fact, the homework debate has been raging for more than 100 years. “The attitudes about homework undergo changes every few decades, depending on the current trends in society....
by Laura Maniglia | Sep 17, 2023 | academic standing, cognitive skills, instruction, language, learning, math, NAEP, public schools, student engagement
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has announced that the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) “will continue to examine transitions to online assessments and using devices that students are most familiar with.” The assessment will...
by Laura Maniglia | Sep 6, 2023 | active learning, attention & focus, cognitive skills, exercise, instruction, intelligence, learning, retrieval practice, student engagement, study skills, teachers
School is back in session, so now is the perfect time to review and practice active learning strategies. Simply reading or re-reading material is a passive pursuit and therefore ineffective for learning. The key components of active learning engage the learner,...
