Latest news with #Classroom
The Guardian
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
As the culture wars hit England's schools, we teachers are being thrown into a minefield
Parents' evening. Two words that many parents assume are a source of dread for teachers. But most will tell you this is a misconception. Why? Because the evening tends to offer a rare insight into the children we teach. It is, generally, a positive, purposeful discussion. There are, of course, the dreaded meetings with parents who are convinced you have it all wrong about their child. They will be at pains to point out that an incident with an exercise book, for example, was misunderstood. The book, they will argue, fell accidentally from X's grip. This, despite the fact your own eyes observed it being unceremoniously flung across the classroom. Then there is another trying bunch who, in exasperation, ask if they should take their child's iPad, PS5 or smartphone off them. To which the only answer can ever be that I, as their teacher, am in no place to say since I am not the parent. Meanwhile, their child sits mute, clearly desperate for the ground to open up and swallow them whole. Now, though, there is the possibility of a newer type of encounter. In this fraught exchange, a parent may ask a teacher to apply values of tolerance and inclusivity to views the teacher believes threatens those values. Given the way that the culture wars have a stranglehold on our politics, it is no surprise schools and teachers are seeing them cross the school gates into our classrooms. In a lesson on a Shakespearean text designed to discuss the issues of empire and colonialism at the heart of the play, a student may defend the benefits of empire. And a teacher, worried they could be labelled a member of the 'woke mob' that the rightwing press claim is taking over our public institutions, may leave the view unchallenged. This fear for teachers is real. When staff at a Warwickshire secondary school sent home a 12-year-old student who had come to a 'culture day' clad in a sequined union flag dress, a la Geri Halliwell in her Spice Girls era, the school had to close for the summer holidays a day early following threats to staff from extremists. Like clockwork, the headlines from a particular branch of our tabloid press wrote themselves. The school was undoubtedly overzealous in its approach. The girl, whose presentation on British culture involved a segment on our love of the cuppa, should have been allowed to take part in the day's events. Yet, while the union flag does not carry the same association with far-right nationalism as the St George's Cross, we can perhaps have sympathy for teachers who must have been trying to avoid the very ire and upset they found themselves surrounded by. Schools are told they must champion inclusivity, yet teachers' politics must be left at the door. Nowhere is this balancing act harder to follow than in the immigration debate. Last week, a far-right mob outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Essex could be heard shouting that a seriously hurt security guard should 'go home … fuck off back on your boat and go'. In this febrile climate, it is not beyond the realms of possibility for a geography teacher in any part of the UK to find themselves dealing with the ripple effects. A lesson on migration may end with them fielding questions on whether or not there are 'too many immigrants'. The Department for Education says a teacher must 'take steps to ensure the balanced presentation of opposing views on political issues' whenever such claims arise. Yet the teacher must also protect their pupils from hate. If a comment is dismissed outright, the teacher could be accused of limiting freedom of expression and legitimate debate. If they let it stand, however, they are seen as normalising the type of language that led to preteens lobbing projectiles at police guarding hotels housing asylum seekers in Southport. As teachers with a legal duty to uphold the Prevent strategy, we are required to safeguard pupils from radicalisation and extremism. But what counts as radical or extreme is increasingly debated. Pupils and their parents may claim their 'political speech' is being muted if we intervene. The tightrope is about to get thinner still with the government's announcement that 16-year-olds will be granted the right to vote in the next general election. Classroom discussions on election issues could well be interpreted as examples of voter influence. This is before we have tackled the shortage of specialist citizenship teachers. Or the need for, as Liz Moorse, the head of the Association of Citizenship Teaching, puts it, 'clear content on democracy, voting, rights and media literacy'. I am writing anonymously because the price of doing otherwise is high. After the union-flag debacle at the Warwickshire secondary school, staff received death threats. Students already routinely attempt to hack teachers' social media accounts in a bid to publish their personal data, or worse, and our employment contracts warn against bringing schools into disrepute. It would be splitting hairs to argue whether the disrepute in question is outrage whipped up by the rightwing press. The stakes have never been higher for teachers. We have a duty to get these conversations right for the children we teach. But what was once clear is no longer so. We are expected to be moral without being political, inclusive yet not ideological. We should teach critical thinking, but not too much in case we fall into wokery. The classroom is in danger of becoming a minefield. The writer is a teacher in England
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Floating Classrooms returning, but On the Water seeks rescue
May 25—CLAYTON — Save The River's Floating Classroom is back this summer with more days on the water being added to the schedule. But funding for a related program held during the school year has been cut, resulting in a fund drive to keep it operating. Floating Classroom Camp Days of summer offer students the chance to learn about the St. Lawrence River ecosystem through a variety of lessons and activities, including guest presentations from partners like the Thousand Islands Biological Station, St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management, the Minna Anthony Common Nature Center, the U.S. Coast Guard, local college professors and more. The Floating Classroom is the summer version of Save The River's "On the Water" program, which is in financial jeopardy after 16 years in operation. Both programs take students on boat field trips, but On the Water is organized with teachers during the school year to take their classes out on the St. Lawrence River. Due to federal funding cuts throughout New York State, Save the River announced recently that its On the Water education program is no longer eligible for a grant. Earlier this year, the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation announced new guidelines for their Connect Kids to Parks Field Trip grant. Funding from this program originally covered the cost of boat transportation to and from popular sites along the St. Lawrence, like state parks only accessible by water. The new stipulations no longer cover the cost of boat transportation "Save the River is concerned about the funding cuts because On the Water is our most accessible way to put students on the water," said Emma French, outreach coordinator for Save the River. "Being directly through the schools, parents don't need to worry about extra costs, drop off and pick up, etcetera. Floating Classroom is an independent sign-up for parents in the summer and open to both local and seasonal students." Save The River has launched a fund drive to sponsor the On the Water program, which operates with the help of Clayton Island Tours. Field trip boats are specifically designed to immerse students in the St. Lawrence River. The nonprofit is asking $30 to sponsor a student, which would allow that student from a local school access to experience the ecological importance of the river. For details on making a donation, go to For this summer's Floating Classroom program, mornings will include guided boat tours along different sections of the river thanks to partners like the Antique Boat Museum and Clayton Island Tours. Camp days run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with varying drop-off locations depending on the programming. There is a $10 registration fee per student. For students in grade 1 to 5, Save The River is holding two camp days: July 28th at the Minna Anthony Common Nature Center and Aug. 14 at the Antique Boat Museum. For middle and high school students, a camp day with the Thousand Islands Biological Station is on July 17 and the second is Aug. 4 at the nature center. To register or for more information, go to STR Education Coordinator Dan Bellinger is also available for questions at education@ or (315) 686-2010.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Floating Classrooms returning, but On the Water seeks rescue
May 25—CLAYTON — Save The River's Floating Classroom is back this summer with more days on the water being added to the schedule. But funding for a related program held during the school year has been cut, resulting in a fund drive to keep it operating. Floating Classroom Camp Days of summer offer students the chance to learn about the St. Lawrence River ecosystem through a variety of lessons and activities, including guest presentations from partners like the Thousand Islands Biological Station, St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management, the Minna Anthony Common Nature Center, the U.S. Coast Guard, local college professors and more. The Floating Classroom is the summer version of Save The River's "On the Water" program, which is in financial jeopardy after 16 years in operation. Both programs take students on boat field trips, but On the Water is organized with teachers during the school year to take their classes out on the St. Lawrence River. Due to federal funding cuts throughout New York State, Save the River announced recently that its On the Water education program is no longer eligible for a grant. Earlier this year, the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation announced new guidelines for their Connect Kids to Parks Field Trip grant. Funding from this program originally covered the cost of boat transportation to and from popular sites along the St. Lawrence, like state parks only accessible by water. The new stipulations no longer cover the cost of boat transportation "Save the River is concerned about the funding cuts because On the Water is our most accessible way to put students on the water," said Emma French, outreach coordinator for Save the River. "Being directly through the schools, parents don't need to worry about extra costs, drop off and pick up, etcetera. Floating Classroom is an independent sign-up for parents in the summer and open to both local and seasonal students." Save The River has launched a fund drive to sponsor the On the Water program, which operates with the help of Clayton Island Tours. Field trip boats are specifically designed to immerse students in the St. Lawrence River. The nonprofit is asking $30 to sponsor a student, which would allow that student from a local school access to experience the ecological importance of the river. For details on making a donation, go to For this summer's Floating Classroom program, mornings will include guided boat tours along different sections of the river thanks to partners like the Antique Boat Museum and Clayton Island Tours. Camp days run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with varying drop-off locations depending on the programming. There is a $10 registration fee per student. For students in grade 1 to 5, Save The River is holding two camp days: July 28th at the Minna Anthony Common Nature Center and Aug. 14 at the Antique Boat Museum. For middle and high school students, a camp day with the Thousand Islands Biological Station is on July 17 and the second is Aug. 4 at the nature center. To register or for more information, go to STR Education Coordinator Dan Bellinger is also available for questions at education@ or (315) 686-2010.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Creative Classroom Contest winner shares update on classroom purchase
COLUMBIANA, Ohio (WKBN) – One of WKBN's Creative Classroom winners shared what she is doing with her winnings. Lauren Franken, a first-grade teacher at Heartland Christian School, received $500 from WKBN's Creative Classroom Contest in December. Franken said she used the money to buy supplies for incubating eggs and housing baby chicks in her classroom. She shared photos with WKBN earlier this week. In the past, she has shared an incubator with another teacher while students learn about the life cycle of baby chicks. She said in her contest entry that she believed that having her own incubator would be beneficial for students as they could watch the hatching process live and understand the complexities of life cycles firsthand. 'Thank you so much for offering this grant to all teachers. It was a great experience for us and one that I can continue on for many years to come!' she said in an email to WKBN. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Flipped Classroom Strategic Business Report 2025 - Increasing Implementation in K-12 and Higher Education Institutions Driving the Market to Reach $9.7 Billion by 2030
Gain insights into the U.S. market, which was valued at $1.1 Billion in 2024, and China, forecasted to grow at an impressive 15.7% CAGR to reach $1.5 Billion by 2030. Discover growth trends in other key regions, including Japan, Canada, Germany, and the Asia-Pacific. Flipped Classroom Market Dublin, Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Flipped Classroom - Global Strategic Business Report" has been added to global market for Flipped Classroom was valued at US$3.8 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach US$9.7 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 16.7% from 2024 to 2030. This comprehensive report provides an in-depth analysis of market trends, drivers, and forecasts, helping you make informed business decisions. Several key factors are driving the rapid growth of the flipped classroom model, reflecting broader trends in education and the increasing demand for flexible, personalized learning solutions. One of the primary drivers is the shift toward student-centered learning. Traditional lecture-based teaching methods often do not meet the diverse needs of students, particularly in classrooms with a wide range of learning abilities and styles. The flipped classroom addresses this challenge by allowing students to learn at their own pace outside of class and providing more individualized support during in-class activities. This personalized approach is gaining traction as educators seek to improve student engagement and academic significant factor contributing to the growth of the flipped classroom is the increasing accessibility of digital learning tools. With the rise of online education platforms, video conferencing software, and interactive learning apps, teachers have more resources than ever to deliver high-quality content outside of the classroom. These technologies make it easier for educators to create and share instructional videos, quizzes, and other learning materials that students can access on their own time. As technology continues to advance, the barriers to adopting a flipped classroom approach are decreasing, making it an increasingly popular option in both K-12 and higher demand for critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills in the modern workforce is also driving the adoption of the flipped classroom model. Employers are looking for graduates who can think independently, work effectively in teams, and solve complex problems - skills that are fostered in the active learning environment of a flipped classroom. As educators recognize the importance of preparing students for these real-world demands, the flipped classroom offers a structure that promotes the development of these essential the flexibility of the flipped classroom model is appealing to both teachers and students, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of remote and hybrid learning. The ability to deliver instructional content online while using class time for interactive, hands-on learning has proven to be an effective way to maintain educational continuity during disruptions. Even as schools return to more traditional in-person models, the benefits of the flipped classroom - flexibility, personalization, and active engagement - are likely to drive its continued growth and adoption in education systems ScopeThe report analyzes the Flipped Classroom market, presented in terms of market value (US$ Thousand). The analysis covers the key segments and geographic regions outlined (Software, Services, Hardware); End-Use (Higher Education, K-12).Geographic Regions/CountriesWorld; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific; Rest of Insights: Market Growth: Understand the significant growth trajectory of the Flipped Classroom Software segment, which is expected to reach US$4.2 Billion by 2030 with a CAGR of a 16.7%. The Flipped Classroom Services segment is also set to grow at 18.1% CAGR over the analysis period. Regional Analysis: Gain insights into the U.S. market, valued at $1.1 Billion in 2024, and China, forecasted to grow at an impressive 15.7% CAGR to reach $1.5 Billion by 2030. Discover growth trends in other key regions, including Japan, Canada, Germany, and the Asia-Pacific. Report Features: Comprehensive Market Data: Independent analysis of annual sales and market forecasts in US$ Million from 2024 to 2030. In-Depth Regional Analysis: Detailed insights into key markets, including the U.S., China, Japan, Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. Company Profiles: Coverage of major players such as Cisco Systems, Inc., Crestron Electronics, Inc., Dell Technologies, Echo360, Openeye Scientific Software and more. Complimentary Updates: Receive free report updates for one year to keep you informed of the latest market developments. Key Questions Answered: How is the Global Flipped Classroom Market expected to evolve by 2030? What are the main drivers and restraints affecting the market? Which market segments will grow the most over the forecast period? How will market shares for different regions and segments change by 2030? Who are the leading players in the market, and what are their prospects? Some of the 38 major companies featured in this Flipped Classroom market report include: Cisco Systems, Inc. Crestron Electronics, Inc. Dell Technologies Echo360 Openeye Scientific Software Panopto Qumu Corporation Sonic Foundry, Inc. TechSmith Corporation Telestream LLC VBrick Systems, Inc. Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 271 Forecast Period 2024-2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $3.8 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $9.7 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 16.7% Regions Covered Global MARKET OVERVIEW Influencer Market Insights World Market Trajectories Flipped Classroom - Global Key Competitors Percentage Market Share in 2025 (E) Competitive Market Presence - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial for Players Worldwide in 2025 (E) MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS Increasing Implementation in K-12 and Higher Education Institutions Adoption by Corporate Training Programs for Enhanced Employee Skills Integration into Special Education Programs to Cater to Diverse Learning Needs Growing Acceptance of Digital and Video Content as Primary Learning Tools Advancements in Educational Technology Platforms to Support Flipped Learning Development of Mobile Learning Applications to Facilitate Anytime, Anywhere Learning Use of Artificial Intelligence to Customize Learning Experiences and Assessments Integration of Virtual and Augmented Reality to Enhance Conceptual Understanding For more information about this report visit About is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Flipped Classroom Market CONTACT: CONTACT: Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@ For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900Sign in to access your portfolio
