| Education News from Around the World |  |
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- Web-based programme helps students make connections
Students at a British school in Pamplona, Spain, are communicating with elementary-school students in Texas through a Web-based educational programme called ePals Global Community. The students in Texas also are using iPads and MacBooks to talk to students in a French-speaking part of Africa. Students use the technology to send biography videos and information about where they live, such as the weather. Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas)
(17 Feb.)      
 | Star Power at Harvard's GoodWork Project Conference
Youth today are growing up with both new opportunities and new pressures. Pressing questions arise for us as educators and parents: How do we raise balanced, responsible, and caring youth in today's opportunity-rich yet challenging context? Presented in collaboration with CASIE.
Register Now. |
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| Professional Leadership |  |  |
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- Indian state works to improve teacher training
In a part of India, teachers will undergo a new type of training, which is focused more on improving communication and maths skills among students -- primarily through maths, science and English. Following concerns over the quality of education, officials decided to overhaul teacher training, establishing a new schedule and focusing more on assessing teachers, aligning training with requirements and evaluating teachers based on their training, one official said. The Times of India
(17 Feb.)
| Regional Spotlight | | |
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ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief highlights education practices and policies in specific regions to give readers more in-depth insight into that country or region's education system. This edition focuses on Malaysia.
- Malaysia offers choice of Chinese education
In Malaysia, officials are reaffirming their commitment to offering students the option of a Chinese education. "We consider Chinese Education as part of our education system. Therefore, Malaysians can make their choice whether to study at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) or SJKC," said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. "In other countries, there is no choice (in the education system) but in Malaysia, we adopt an open attitude." Borneo Post
(21 Feb.)
- Malaysia seeks to bolster parental involvement in schools
Officials in Malaysia are considering offering courses for parents to teach them how to interact with their children and get involved in their education. Already there is a toolkit available for parents and for schools aimed at engaging parents in education and bolstering community involvement. Officials also plan to begin collecting data on parental involvement this year. Star Publications (Malaysia)
(20 Feb.)
| Reform and Research | | |
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- International study considers effects of online bullying
Young victims of cyberbullying and mobile phone bullying were just as likely to skip school or contemplate suicide as those who experienced traditional bullying, a study of students in Singapore showed. While male victims of cellphone bullying were more prone to suicidal thoughts than females, researchers found no evidence of gender differences associated with skipping school. The findings appear in the International Criminal Justice Review. DoctorsLounge.com/HealthDay News
(19 Feb.)
| ASCD News | | |
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Devote Friday, 15 March, to in-depth professional learning
If you're based in the Chicago area or travelling there for ASCD's 2013 Annual Conference and Exhibit Show next month, don't miss our lineup of one-day Pre-Conference Institutes. Topics include revolutionising staff development and helping struggling students succeed. You also have the option to sign up for a one-day school visit. Visits will be conducted in groups of 20 participants or fewer, and will include a building and facilities tour; observation of classes; and meetings with staff, administration, and students (when possible). Browse all Pre-Conference Institutes.
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The freedom of interpretation: Building creative minds
After a year of visual thinking strategies, students at Tracy McClure, Carol Henderson and Diane P. Zimmerman's school "were not only confident viewers of art and poetry, but they were also increasingly interested in the artists' minds, beginning to apply what they had learned to be more creative." Five years into their school's visual thinking strategies or VTS program, McClure, Henderson and Zimmerman share lessons learned in a co-authored ASCD Express article. Read on.
| SmartQuote | | |
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 | The psychic task which a person can and must set for himself is not to feel secure, but to be able to tolerate insecurity."
--Erich Fromm,
German psychologist
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Education remains a priority for creating a better world, according to a United Nations survey, and the UN should focus on "equitable learning" in its post-2015 development agenda, writes Allison Anderson of The Brookings Institution. Finding high-level champions to tackle this issue is critical to achieving this goal, she argues. 
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