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Learning Research by Doing Research - @JayantiOwens is teaching Methods of Social Research this semester, designed to teach concentrators in sociology and in business, entrepreneurship, and organizations (BEO) how to carry out social science research. https://t.co/1Z8NZJgyaN pic.twitter.com/PdqkMz1gmH

— Watson Institute (@WatsonInstitute) April 2, 2020

Virtual learning offers the potential for many students to access education in a way that wouldn’t have been widely available several years ago.

“In-person school is better than virtual school, but of course we don’t have the option for in-person right now,” said Susanna Loeb, director of the Annenberg Institute at Brown University. “Really what you want to know is whether virtual school is better than nothing. And I think in many cases, it is.”

But not everyone is on equal footing.

The times have dictated school closings and the rapid expansion of online education. Can online lessons replace in-school time?

Clearly online time cannot provide many of the informal social interactions students have at school, but how will online courses do in terms of moving student learning forward? Research to date gives us some clues and also points us to what we could be doing to support students who are most likely to struggle in the online setting.

Congratulations @Xiaoyang_Ye for winning the AEFP dissertation of the year award. #AEFP2020 pic.twitter.com/xxvAobndry

— AEFP (@aefpweb) March 19, 2020

Congrats @eric_s_taylor, the winner of this year’s AEFP Early Career Award. #AEFP2020 pic.twitter.com/PcwtYpSeaH

— AEFP (@aefpweb) March 19, 2020

The Annenberg Institute recently launched a new website and resource "Catalyzing Education at Brown", and we invite the community to check out the webtool and learn about how to get involved in education in a local context.

Brown University has long offered a variety of programs (including student teaching and mentoring on a range of subjects, teacher development support, internships, etc.) in partnership with local schools. Knowing what options are available and how one may become involved has not been a centralized activity... Until now! The Annenberg Institute's new "Catalyzing Education website offers a catalogue of all such Brown programs working with schools and students in Kindergarten through 12th grade.

Culturally responsive teaching, culturally relevant pedagogy, culturally sustaining pedagogy. By any name, it's a very timely topic, brought into the spotlight by a new wave of recognition that the nation's schools have failed too many students of color for far too long. Hopes are high that by better grounding education in students' lives, cultural responsiveness, or just CR, will be the fix we need. As a result, you likely have participated in a CR workshop, used CR materials, or directed your staff to take the CR plunge.

But what do these programs bring to schools? And do they improve students' experiences and outcomes?

I guess it's time to announce that I'm joining @UMDCollegeofEd as an assistant professor in education policy in the coming fall. I'd like to take the chance to thank all my mentors, colleagues, and friends at @StanfordCEPA and @AnnenbergInst.

— Jing Liu (@DrJingLiu) March 4, 2020

In our last “What Works” essay, we cast serious doubt on the value of teachers analyzing student test data. Studies find the practice on average doesn’t produce student learning gains. We also noted that the practice is widespread, often forming a cornerstone of teachers’ professional learning time.

This raises a question: If this study of student data doesn’t improve schools, what should teachers do with their professional learning time?