Tips for making the most of online learning

+ political parties have been reinventing their quadrennial conventions for 200 years US Edition - Today's top story: 3 ways to get kids to tune in and pay attention when schools go virtual [View in browser]( US Edition | 17 August 2020 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Many, if not most, U.S. children go to schools that chose to stick with online learning as the new academic year begins. Others, whose schools tried to resume in-person instruction, are returning to virtual classrooms after COVID-19 outbreaks triggered quarantines and closures. While remote education reduces health risks for students, teachers and other school staff, it could hinder learning for the millions of kids who still aren’t used to it. Ohio State education scholars Eric M. Anderman and Kui Xie offer evidence-backed advice for [making the most of virtual schools](. Also today: - [How the home office became a man’s world]( - [Should the Fed tackle inequality?]( - [The risks of mining the deep seabed]( Emily Schwartz Greco Philanthropy + Nonprofits | Childhood + Parenting Editor This is what the school day currently looks like in many parts of the U.S. AP Photo/Jessica Hill [3 ways to get kids to tune in and pay attention when schools go virtual]( Eric M. Anderman, The Ohio State University; Kui Xie, The Ohio State University One big complication with K-12 distance learning is how hard it is to get children and teens to log in and do their schoolwork. But there are things teachers and families can do to help. Economy + Business - [Changing the Federal Reserve mandate could provide a down payment to ending racial inequality]( William M. Rodgers III, Rutgers University The economic status of Black Americans hasn't changed since the Fed was handed its mandate in 1977. Could targeting Black unemployment, encouraging credit and reporting discrepancies narrow the gap? Arts + Culture - [In the work-from-home battle for space, women are the reluctant nomads]( Elizabeth Patton, University of Maryland, Baltimore County For decades, home workspaces were portrayed as the domain of men. Now, with many families all working under one roof, women are paying the price. - [How Thomas Cromwell used cut and paste to insert himself into Henry VIII’s Great Bible]( Eyal Poleg, Queen Mary University of London; Paola Ricciardi, University of Cambridge New scientific research reveals how Thomas Cromwell's Machiavellian manoeuvring influenced his own depiction on the front of The Great Bible. Politics/Election '20 - [Hit ’em where it hurts – how economic threats are a potent tool for changing people’s minds about the Confederate flag]( Jordan Carr Peterson, North Carolina State University; Christian Grose, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Public officials and individual citizens alike are more likely to oppose the presence of Confederate symbols when informed it may be bad for local business. - [Poets and novelists have been writing about life under COVID-19 for more than a century]( Rachel Hadas, Rutgers University Newark From 'islands of pain' to the 'peril of exposure,' writers have captured the fear, emptiness and despair that characterize life during the current pandemic, writes a poet and English scholar. Ethics + Religion - [The ethical case for allowing medical trials that deliberately infect humans with COVID-19]( Ofer Raban, University of Oregon; Yuval Dor, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Conventional trials to test coronavirus vaccines are paradoxically slowed down by actions to curb the disease's spread. Human challenge trials are more controversial, but could speed up the process. Environment + Energy - [A rush is on to mine the deep seabed, with effects on ocean life that aren’t well understood]( Elizabeth M. De Santo, Franklin & Marshall College; Dr. Elizabeth Nyman, Texas A&M University ; Elizabeth Mendenhall, University of Rhode Island Companies are eager to mine the deep ocean for valuable mineral deposits. But scientists are concerned about impacts on sea life, including creatures that haven't even been discovered yet. Health - [Racism linked to cognitive decline in African American women]( Lynn Rosenberg, Boston University; Patricia Coogan, Boston University; Yvette Cozier, Boston University A landmark study shows chronic stress from racism can lead to loss of brain function in African American women. Education - [5 reasons to let students keep their cameras off during Zoom classes]( Tabitha Moses, Wayne State University Lack of privacy is a top concern for students required to log on to online courses, a scholar argues. Science + Technology - [Nikola Tesla: The extraordinary life of a modern Prometheus]( Richard Gunderman, Indiana University Scientist Nikola Tesla led a rags-to-riches to rags life. The eccentric inventor had an amazing intellect and set the stage for many modern technologies. Trending on site - [Political trolls adapt, create material to deceive and confuse the public]( Gianluca Stringhini, Boston University; Savvas Zannettou, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History Russian-affiliated Twitter accounts changed what they posted about, and used both text and images in ways that shed light on how these information warriors work. - [Rapid screening tests that prioritize speed over accuracy could be key to ending the coronavirus pandemic]( Zoë McLaren, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Testing large numbers of people regularly would reduce the spread of the coronavirus in the US. Laboratory testing is slow and expensive, but rapid screening tests could be the answer. - [Up to 204,691 extra deaths in the US so far in this pandemic year]( Ronald D. Fricker Jr., Virginia Tech Health statisticians keep careful tabs on how many people die every week. Based on what's happened in past years, they know what to expect – but 2020 death counts are surging beyond predictions. You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111