There is mounting evidence that so-called AI is bad for children and learning, and exactly zero evidence that it is beneficial. This is the only line educators need when AI is being pushed by admin or others: “Show me the evidence base.”

Exclusive: Doctors and education experts who studied AI’s impact on the young call for a 5-year moratorium in schools “If a local children’s hospital told parents, ‘We’ve got this new drug, it has potential, just trust us,’ people would be horrified.”

“AI doesn’t just distract children: it actively interferes with the developmental work they need to do.”

www.yahoo.com/news/article...

Updated location* for the Rally to Protect Free Speech & Safety
City Hall (near west side gates)
April 16, 12 PM

Speaking as a teacher, it's hard not to feel trapped. We want to do right by our students, yet we are expected to produce results with programs that function as obstacles rather than aids.

And though we can't accurately assess the efficacy of these programs (due to variables such as shifting proficiency standards, increase in phonics instruction, inconsistent test designs, and more) any bump in test scores can and will be attributed to curriculum and used to justify its continuance

Students are missing out on an appropriate education, full stop. Curriculum mandates have replaced play in the early childhood. Kindergartners are now expected to perform literacy. Upper graders read passages instead of books. Reading is a task. The joy is gone.

Administrators are stuck between following the orders of a superintendent & protecting the learning in their schools. They're given programs that are neither aligned to NYS standards nor rigorous enough to prepare students for a test, yet pressured to produce improved test scores.

Teachers have reported on the draconian working conditions in the era of mandates. They've been disciplined for being on the wrong lesson or using outside materials. They're forced to fidelity to a program even if it's not in the best interests of children, for fear of reprimand.

Despite overwhelming opposition from educators, students, and parents, it's looking like curriculum mandates in NYC are not going anywhere.

This is disappointing for a number of reasons.

The number of people who don’t know the difference between culture and religion is concerning

one hundred percent

"If students’ use of digital devices is degrading their ability to deploy attention effectively—and teachers are veritably screaming that it is—that phenomenon should be near the top of our priority list for education research and policy."

The. Rise. Of. Cognitive. Surrender.

Study finds that people who use GenAI chatbots rely on them 80% of the time, and develop almost no capacity to recognize when a chatbot is feeding them faulty information.

papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

NYC Schools @nycschools.bsky.social offers access to a collection of materials for teachers for grades 3k - 12

t.co/D0VMbPQu63

Books about Arab American Heritage for Children

The NY Public Library has curated a list of children's picture books celebrating Arab American culture & traditions www.nypl.org/blog/2024/03...

Arab American Heritage Month | Smithsonian Institution

The @smithsonianmag.bsky.social offers a collection of oral histories, archival materials, and artifacts of Arab-American immigrants from Syria & Lebanon www.si.edu/spotlight/ar...

National Arab American Heritage Month - Arab America Foundation %

The Arab American Foundation offers a school toolkit and a library toolkit among other materials

arabamericafoundation.org/national-ara...

Videos and lesson plans about Arab American history from @pbs.org
ny.pbslearningmedia.org/search/?q=ar...

The Arab American National Museum

The Arab American Museum in Dearborn, MI offers virtual tours for students and professional development for teachers arabamericanmuseum.org/learn/for-ed...

Arab American Heritage Facts Learn about Arab American Heritage. There are many misconceptions about Arab Americans to debunk — and accomplishments to celebrate.

A brief intro to Arab American Heritage month
nbcuacademy.com/arab-america...

Despite that, Arab American communities are strong, resilient, and proud. They deserve the same treatment, honor, and respect as any other immigrant group.

Hope these resources help teacher inform, educate and dispel myths about Arab in the US iA

Please feel free to add on 🙏

Yet, ignorance and fear of Arabs has fostered discrimination, curtailing of civil & human rights, religious persecution, and irreversible harm here and abroad. American foreign policy has wrought real life consequences for Arab-Americans, their families, and their homelands.

Arab-American identity spans ethnicity, culture, race, religion, language, and nationality.

According to the Arab American Institute, "The majority of Arab Americans [which counts three to four million people] are native-born, and 85 percent of Arabs in the US are citizens."

Dome of the Rock/ Al-Aqsa

April is Arab American American Heritage Month- an opportunity to learn about and honor Arab culture & traditions.

Though diverse & multifaceted, Arab-Americans share stories & perspectives that define their collective experience.

Sharing some resources for teachers below.

(PDF) Play-Based Learning in Early Childhood Education: A Scoping Review PDF | Play-based learning (PBL) has become an acclaimed pedagogical approach in early childhood education worldwide. Considerable theoretical and... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ...

Studies employing quantitative and mixed-methods research designs emphasised the cognitive, academic, and socio-emotional benefits of PBL…qualitative findings highlighted its positive impact on children’s independence and problem-solving skills ❤️❤️❤️

www.researchgate.net/publication/...

😅

i-Ready: 13 Million Students, Zero Meaningful Evidence The Data Gap Behind One of America’s Largest EdTech Tools

“Across grades, students using i-Ready improved by 7.8%, while students not using it improved by 7.0% — a difference of less than one percentage point.”

open.substack.com/pub/thedigit...