[Weekly EdNews Round Up] Are You Teaching the Next George Lucas?

No one knows better than educators about the importance of staying up-to-date. In Edmentum’s Weekly News Round Up, you’ll find the latest and most interesting education news, all in one place.

Your former student has just won an Academy Award. You watch on TV at home as they give their acceptance speech, thanking their family, friends…and YOU! Think it will never happen? You might be suprised! In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, take a look at what celebrities, famous athletes and prominent figures have to say about the educators who inspired them in this week’s EdNews Round Up!

George Lucas, Venus Williams, Stephen Colbert—and the Teachers Who Inspired Them
EdWeek
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, Education Week has collected quotes from celebrities and other prominent figures about the impact teachers have made on their lives. Take a look at some of the amazing things people have to say about the educators who helped them on their path to success.

More Than Just A Job: Stories Of 3 Teachers Who Go to Great Lengths to Help Students Succeed
npr
For many teachers, working with students is more than a full-time job. Here are three educators coming up with innovative solutions to the classroom challenges they face.

The Journey: Two Early Career Educators and Those Who Helped Their Practice
neaToday
Ashley Kincannon and Arun Puracken are two educators who took different paths into the profession. Along the way, they each received help in becoming the great teacher/advocates they are today. Here are their stories.

Can a Few Simple Letters Home Reduce Chronic Absenteeism? New Research Shows They Can
The 74
When parents are given accurate information about their children’s absences, they can become valuable players in making sure their kids show up at school. One study found that sending parents mail multiple times over a school year informing them how many times their child had missed class reduced chronic absenteeism by 10 percent.

We Shouldn't Call Teacher Salary Hikes 'Raises'
EdWeek
The pay increases educators are fighting for should not be called raises. They are not pats on the back for a job well done, cost-of-living adjustments, or estimates of teachers’ market value. Instead, they are closer to compensatory damages.

A Conspiracy Video Teaches Kids A Lesson About Fake News
MindShift
Since 2016, an investigative journalist in France has been on a mission to show students how they're duped, teaching them how to tell true from false online. Find out how they’re fighting fake news in this piece.

Proximity to Books Enhances Children’s Learning
U.S. News
Close physical proximity to books and greater adult support for reading enhances children's learning opportunities, according to a new study that also concludes that limited access to books is a barrier to reading for children living in low-income neighborhoods found to be "book deserts."

Digital Tools can Transform, Not Just Replicate, the Teaching and Learning Experience
edscoop
As a growing number of school districts are turning toward digital tools to support teaching, it’s important to ensure that these tools are adding value by transforming learning experiences. The SAMR and TPACK models of technology implementation can help schools as they transition to using more digital tools.