Copy
👋 Did someone forward this email to you?

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!

Local Connection, Back to School: Shortage of nurses, gaps in math skills, importance of movement

As classes resumed in Denver's public schools last week, the district was seeing a shortage of nurses about 60% higher than it normally would in pre-pandemic years, the Denver Post reports. With most nurses covering multiple schools — some as many as five — some of them are feeling exhaustion and burnout. The school district's director of nursing services says that students will not be put at risk but that she is eager to hire more nurses. The problem is that there is a nursing shortage across the entire nursing industry because of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Meanwhile, education experts have identified strategies to help students catch up in math after the 2020-2021 year of remote learning, The Hechinger Report writes. During the Covid-19 pandemic, students have fallen behind in math more than any other subject area, according to a recent study by the NWEA research organization. Because math concepts are vital to STEM education and build upon one another, it’s critical to make up lost ground sooner rather than later.

Finally, one of the advantages of having students return to in-person classes is that they will have more opportunities to move their bodies, The Conversation reports. In many remote learning situations, students are encouraged to sit in front of their computers and "stay still." But Katie Headrick Taylor, an associate professor of learning sciences at the University of Washington, says, "To learn most efficiently, our minds depend on the movement of our bodies, working with a variety of tools, being in dynamic places and having our collaborators nearby."

PLUS: A pro tip from David DeWitt, journalist, teacher and former staff editor at The New York Times.

🤗 Making the connection 🤗

Please send us links to your stories that used this info so we can include them in future issues of this newsletter! Send an email to info@centerforcooperativemedia.org.

THE STORY: DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS GRAPPLING WITH NURSING SHORTAGE AS CLASSES RESUME AMID DELTA SURGE

As classes resumed in Denver's public schools last week, the district was seeing a shortage of nurses about 60% higher than it normally would in pre-pandemic years, the Denver Post reports. With most nurses covering multiple schools — some as many as five — some of them are feeling exhaustion and burnout. The school district's director of nursing services says that students will not be put at risk but that she is eager to hire more nurses. The problem is that there is a nursing shortage across the entire nursing industry because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

LOCALIZE IT: Check with your local schools to see what the level of staffing is for school nurses. Is your area facing a shortage? If yes, how is that being addressed?

Here are some questions to ask:

  • Why are the basic responsibilities of school nurses?
  • Do they have additional responsibilities related to the Covid-19 pandemic?
  • How many schools does each nurse cover?
  • Do school nurses work full time or part time?
  • How does pay for school nurses compare with pay for hospital nurses?
  • How many current openings for school nurses does the district have as the school year is starting?
  • How does that compare with previous school years?
  • If there are more this year, what are the reasons for that?
  • If there are openings for nurses, what is the district doing to try to fill them?
  • Are administrators seeing signs of stress in school nurses because of the pandemic?
  • Do school nurses say they are feeling more stress?
  • What, if anything, is the district doing to try to help school nurses cope with stress?
  • What, if anything, is the district doing to make sure a shortage of nurses will not put students at risk?

✍️ PRO TIP:
FOR EDITORS, REPORTERS AND EVERYONE

For you editors, I learned a lot in journalism classes, but most of what I learned was on the job from those more experienced than me. Confuse "robbery" and "burglary" and they'll let you know it. Pay attention to their tips along the way. From them you will build your individual, professional craft. 

For you reporters, don't do "both sides" journalism. If one side says it's raining and another side says it's dry, don't quote both sides; look out the window and see what the weather is.

For all of you, believe in yourself, your idealism and your standards, not only when you're just getting started but also throughout your career. There are no prizes for becoming jaded.

And don't miss a chance to get experience. It's the best teacher.

— David DeWitt, journalist, teacher and former staff editor at The New York Times. Twitter: @daviallidewi

THE STORY: ZEROING IN ON A HANDFUL OF STRATEGIES TO CATCH KIDS UP IN MATH

Experts have identified strategies to help students catch up in math after the 2020-2021 year of remote learning, The Hechinger Report writes. During the Covid-19 pandemic, students have fallen behind in math more than any other subject area, according to a recent study by the NWEA research organization. Because math concepts are vital to STEM education and build upon one another, it’s critical to make up lost ground sooner rather than later.

LOCALIZE IT: Ask local administrators and math teachers about their plans to help students get back on track with math. Do educators see a pandemic gap in math skills? Are they addressing that gap with specific strategies? Will any of the strategies incur additional costs?  

Here are some questions to ask:

  • How important are math skills for today's students?
  • Has there been any evidence that local students have fallen behind in math over the last school year? What is that evidence?
  • As STEM programs gain importance, how critical is it for students to remain on track in math?
  • Are there certain grades where math skills are even more important than in other grades?
  • Is the curriculum being changed to adjust for any gaps that developed last year?
  • Can you give examples of how in-person learning is more effective than remote learning in teaching math?
  • What steps are being taken to address the pandemic gap in math?
  • Will this require the school to spend more more? For example, hire additional math teachers or teacher aides.
  • How will the district measure whether students are recovering their math skills after the pandemic year?
  • Are there things parents can do to help their children rebound in math?

⭐ CHECK OUT #NYTReadalong ⭐
EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION


On August 22, Neil Parekh (@neilparekh) interviewed Tina Kelley (@tinakelley), author, poet and former reporter for The New York Times, The Seattle Times and The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. They talked about her new book, "Breaking Barriers: How P-TECH Schools Create a Pathway From High School to College to Career."   

Click here to watch the New York Times Readalong. 

This Sunday's guest will be Sarah Maslin Nir (@SarahMaslinNir), Metro reporter for The New York Times and author of "Horse Crazy: The Story of a Woman and a World in Love With an Animal." The New York Times Readalong is livestreamed Sundays at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

THE STORY: WHY STUDENTS LEARN BETTER WHEN THEY MOVE THEIR BODIES — INSTEAD OF SITTING STILL AT THEIR DESKS

One of the advantages of having students return to in-person classes is that they will have more opportunities to move their bodies, The Conversation reports. In many remote learning situations, students are encouraged to sit in front of their computers and "stay still." But Katie Headrick Taylor, an associate professor of learning sciences at the University of Washington, says, "To learn most efficiently, our minds depend on the movement of our bodies, working with a variety of tools, being in dynamic places and having our collaborators nearby."

LOCALIZE IT: Talk to administrators and teachers about the importance of movemen while learning. Is this something they embrace? Are there other aspects of remote learning that can be counteracted this year? (NOTE: The Conversation article is available for republication at no cost if you follow these terms and conditions.)

Here are some questions to ask:

  • Are you familiar with the concept that students learn better when their bodies are moving? Do you agree with it?
  • During the 2020-2021 year of remote learning, were you encouraging students to sit still in front of their computers? Why?
  • In the school classroom, do you encourage students to sit still?
  • Are there reasons to allow students to engage in more movement while sitting in their desks or chairs this year?
  • Are there reasons to include more movement into the school day and into specific class assignments? For example, projects that require students to cut paper and assemble displays. Or projects that require small groups to collaborate.
  • Are there other aspects of remote learning that you'll be trying to compensate for this year? For example, working on eye contact and active listening.
  • Will you be more patient with students "squirming in their seats" this year?

New Jersey Diverse Sources Database

New resource aims to help New Jersey reporters expand their story sourcing to include more people of color

Last week the Center for Cooperative Media and NJ Advance Media, which produces content for NJ.com, launched The New Jersey Diverse Sources Database: an online resource that reporters and editors can search to find experts by specialty or county on a wide variety of topics across the Garden State.

New Jersey is one of the nation’s most diverse states, and newsrooms need to do a better job of representing that diversity in the stories they write and the sources they call. Despite their knowledge and credentials, experts who identify as persons of color and individuals who hail from marginalized communities are not cited in the news as often as their white peers. The goal of this initiative is to amplify those voices and help news outlets make their coverage more reflective of the diverse communities across our state.

This crowdsourced database will continue to grow over time, and we ask that you help us. To nominate an expert, fill out this form and they will receive an invitation to complete a profile for the site.

YOUR LOCAL CONNECTOR:
Carla Baranauckas (@cabara)

Carla is a journalist with experience at The New York Times, HuffPost, NorthJersey.com, NextAvenue.org, TheStreet.com, 24/7 Wall St., AOL, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Grand Forks Herald, the Edwardsville Intelligencer, the Texarkana Gazette and the Pampa News. She has a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and taught there for 15 years.
Facebook
Twitter
Link
Website
Copyright © 2021 NJ News Commons, All rights reserved.




Our mailing address is:
Center for Cooperative Media
Montclair State University
School of Communication and Media, Suite #2109
Montclair, NJ 07043

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can
update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.