BY KAHA GEDI

Teaching isn’t just about giving information; it’s about creating learning experiences that students find interesting and useful. When teachers try new ways to connect with their students, learning becomes more exciting and not to mention meaningful. Here are five essential tips for schools and educators to support students.

Introducing Michigan Virtual, or LANSING, Mich, who unveiled a bold 2025-2030 Strategic Plan for transforming education. They are a leader in learning innovations and are sharing key tips for educators and schools to build off their new 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. This ambitious plan accentuates three strategic priorities: driving educational change, broadening student pathways, and powering professional learning. These efforts aim to address Michigan’s urgent need for educational talent development and provide innovative, technology-driven learning solutions for students and educators alike. These efforts aim to address Michigan’s urgent need for educational talent development and provide innovative, technology-driven learning solutions for students and educators alike. Other regions, including Toronto, Ontario can also learn from these strategies and use them to improve their own educational systems too.

To support both students and educators, schools should look to:

• Adopt new learning models: Schools should explore innovative educational measures like virtual training and project-based learning to meet diverse needs. These models allow students to engage in hands-on experiences that relate to real-world problems, helping them develop important skills like teamwork and critical thinking.
• Expand career pathways: Focus on integrating flexible, real-world learning experiences to prepare students for life beyond school. This could include: job shadowing, internships, or partnerships with local, or small businesses, giving students a chance to explore different careers and understand what skills are needed. I think this is a great idea because it diversifies students’ experiences and helps them get ready for the real world. It shows them how what they learn in school can be used in real-life situations. By taking part in these opportunities, students can make important connections and learn more about their future careers.
• Prioritize professional development: Investing in flexible learning opportunities to keep up with trends in education technology is crucial. Providing teachers with ongoing training helps them learn new tools and techniques, which they can then use to enhance their teaching and better support their students.
• Foster collaborative networks: Engaging with partners such as Michigan Virtual to introduce and attain system-wide transformations. Collaboration allows schools to share resources and best practices, creating a stronger support system for educators and students alike. By working together, schools can implement new ideas more effectively.
• Leverage technology: Use AI and other tech tools to create personalized, high touch learning environments that enhance student engagement. Technology can help make lessons to fit individual student needs, making learning more enjoyable and effective. For example, virtual reality experiences, which can be provided with a higher budget, and can be used once in while during classes, can definitely make lessons more interactive.

In conclusion, to make education better, teachers need to change how they connect with students. By trying new learning methods, offering real-world experiences, supporting teacher training, working together with partners, and using technology, schools can create meaningful learning experiences. Michigan Virtual plan shows that these ideas can help students and teachers today and prepare them for the future. By using these strategies, schools can improve learning and help students succeed.

BY KHADIJA KARIM

Artificial Intelligence, or AI for short, is already here. It is in our phones and video games. It is even in the things we search. While AI can be great, some experts say depending on it too much could actually change how we think, and that might not be good for us!

So, what does AI really do? It is a tool that learns from info it sees and then uses what it learned to make rules about new stuff it hasn’t seen before. This can save us time and energy by helping us find what we are looking for fast, but there are a few bad things about getting all this convenience.

One thing I worry about is that if we rely on AI too much, then we might not be able to really do certain things well. For example, let’s say you started using a calculator for all the math problems you need to solve, then it would start becoming harder and harder for you to even do simple math in your head. Similarly, if we start relying on AI to make decisions, or even help us think of new ideas, then we have no way of getting better at it ourselves. It will certainly help make things easier, but at the same time I would not want to lose my ability to come up with unique original thoughts, or process information myself. If everything was done by AI in our lives there won’t be much space left for us to think.

So how do we solve this? The answer is simple. AI can be an amazing tool, it was created to help us in our daily lives after all, but that’s all it should be; a tool. Just because something can be done for us doesn’t mean it has to be. Understanding and accepting that concept is important if we want to ensure our skills remain sharp and unique.

In conclusion, while AI can make our lives easier, we need to be careful not to let it take away our ability to think and create independently. It’s all about using technology as a tool, not as a crutch. If we stay mindful of this, we can enjoy the benefits of AI while still being true to ourselves.

BY YAHYA KARIM

Electric cars (EVs) are the future of transportation, loved for being eco-friendly and high-tech. A recent study by Affinity Law investigated the safety of these vehicles and found some surprising results. They analyzed crash rates for different EV and hybrid models to see which cars were involved in the most accidents. Here is what they discovered.

The Hyundai Ionic had the highest crash rate of all the cars in the study, with 31.6 crashes per 10,000 cars sold. While the Ionic is popular for its efficiency and stylish design, this data shows it may come with safety risks. Buyers should keep this in mind when considering this model.

Even though it’s no longer made, the Chevrolet Volt still ranked high on the crash list, coming in third place. This shows that even older, discontinued EVs can still pose safety risks on the road. Just because a car is not new doesn’t automatically make it safer.

Toyota, known for its reliable cars, appeared twice in the list of risky models. This may surprise people who trust and know Toyota for safety and durability. As this study shows, even top brands can have models that carry risks.

Even big and emerging brands, such as Tesla made the list. This just shows that just because a car might be famous, or the owner of the company might be famous, does not mean it is a reliable car.

EV cars come with many new features. One in particular is regenerative braking. Most drivers are unfamiliar with these dynamics of driving. This also plays a huge role in the amount of crashes, and people should really consider this when looking to buy a new EV car.

If you’re thinking of buying an EV, or hybrid, consider the crash data, not just the eco-friendly features. Knowing a model’s safety history can help you choose a car that fits your values and keeps you safe on the road.