Data from UNHCR’s annual Global Trends report, released today, shows that almost 70.8 million people are now forcibly displaced. To put this in perspective, this is double the level of 20 years ago, 2.3 million more than a year ago, and corresponds to a population between that of Thailand and Turkey.
Within the 70.8 million figure in the Global Trends report are three main groups.
The first is refugees, meaning people forced to flee their country because of conflict, war or persecution. In 2018, the number of refugees reached 25.9 million worldwide, 500,000 more than in 2017. Included in this total are 5.5 million Palestine refugees who are under the care of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
The second group is asylum seekers – people outside their country of origin and receiving international protection, but awaiting the outcome of their claim to refugee status. At the end of 2018 there were 3.5 million asylum seekers globally.
The third and biggest group, at 41.3 million, is people displaced to other areas within their own country, a category commonly referred to as Internally Displaced People or IDPs.
In 2018, every second refugee was a child, many (111,000) alone and without their families.
When we think of schools across the globe…
One category of students has some of the greatest instructional – and social and emotional – needs.
These Students with Interrupted Formal Education, or SIFE, have limited or no experience with education in their home countries and, in nearly all cases, have experienced trauma.
I visited school districts in Nashville a few months ago to find out how they were managing the 1000 new Engligh learners annually many of whom have experienced trauma. Find out more https://selforteachers.org/metro-nashville-public-schools/
UNICEF and Microsoft have joined forces to tackle the education crisis affecting children and young people on the move.
Under the partnership, UNICEF and Microsoft will develop a ‘learning passport’ – a digital, personalized platform that will ensure displaced children and young people can continue their studies and have their achievements recorded, wherever they are.
When a child or young person’s education is disrupted the consequences can last a lifetime, making it difficult for them to sit exams, gain the certificates that validate their learning and skills, and ultimately, find work as adults.
It’s not easy knowing where to start when it comes to AI in Education. Leverage some of the resources below to learn more, read how your peers are using AI and connect with us.
I’m so excited to see that @sparvell will be moderating this year’s Big Ideas Summit! Be sure to join his discussion on exploring AI for education during this free online event. https://t.co/dlok7AeaoS#K12BigIdeas
Looking forward to sharing insights, research and learning at the following events and taking the time to listen and learn from the expert practioners across the globe.
A profound but mostly unrecognized demographic and economic trend is unfolding around the world says Dominic Endicott & Johns Sviokla in the Summer 2019 edition of Strategy + Business.
They note that an impact of increased average lifespan is that, for the first time in recorded history, four generations can routinely expect to be alive at the same time!
The longevity revolution, they state, is putting massive strains on all social systems- employment, retirement, healthcare, housing, transportation, and food as well as the environment and has significant implications for education.
It’s entirely possible right now for up to 5 generation to be represented in an education institution. In fact here is a story of a 100 year-old woman from Massachusetts finally securing her high school diploma!…the number of generations co-existing could be 5!
Let’s imagine, if currently a school/ institution leader were in their 70’s (Boomer), staff could well be in their 40’s-50’s (Gen X) with early career teachers in their 20’s-30s (Gen Y) possibly supervising final year teaching graduates from Gen Z all of whom are now potentially teaching the Alpha generation .
The eldest members of this generation started kindergarten a couple of years ago but in 2050 (when they turn 40) the Generation Alpha population is predicted to reach 35 million. When all the members of this generation have been born, they will number almost two billion.
One of the most challenging aspects of managing multiple generations in the workplace is getting each group to respect the unique talents of the other says Janice Robinson-Celeste, contributor for Huffington Post
Advice offered includes:
Creating Teams of Multigenerational Employees Can Help
Help each generation to understand each other and to work more effectively together. Host an initial training on each generational style and characteristics.
Create effective multigenerational teams by publicly identifying each person’s skills in the group. i.e., “Richard has years of experience in graphic design which may benefit your group’s presentation.”
Develop clear goals and expectations for each team.
Hold every member accountable for their individual group participation, i.e., “What role did you play in this project?”
Offer ongoing formal feedback to modify behavior and performance. Meet with each team individually to monitor their success and challenges.
Regards
Mark
p.s. Interested in Social and Emotional Learning in Education? Join my open moderated Facebook Group here
