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Research-informed newsletter on youth development, student success,
mental health, and career readiness.
– Issue 58 –
Hello Friends,
 
We're starting the school year (here in the global North) with an issue that includes resources on some of the most talked-about topics in education: student engagement, social and emotional development, and the role of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning.
 
Dive in and be well,
- Konrad

01 | MENTAL HEALTH
Psychologist Lisa Damour and guests discuss the importance of facing and managing difficult emotions during adolescence as an opportunity for growth and to build positive coping strategies. They emphasize the need for adults to support young people by listening and helping them find adaptive strategies to manage emotions, rather than trying to fix everything for them.

02 | YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
It may sound counterintuitive, but challenging growth is essential for young people to evolve and develop resilience. It involves expecting the best while pushing young people to go further, helping them learn from mistakes, and insisting they take responsibility for their actions. Approaches to challenging growth include encouraging autonomy, promoting a growth mindset, emphasizing continuous improvement, providing feedback, and developing critical thinking skills.

03 | AI IN EDUCATION
The company behind CHAT GPT released a guide for educators that includes prompt ideas, an overview of how ChatGPT works, ChatGPT limitations, its effectiveness, and issues of bias. The company also created an educator FAQ with additional resources.
 
In related news, UNESCO released a guidance document on regulating generative AI in schools. It outlines seven key steps that governments should take to establish policy frameworks for ethical use in education and research. UNESCO recommends an age limit of 13 for the use of AI tools in the classroom and calls for teacher training on this topic.

04 | TEENS AND SCREENS
The US Surgeon General has released an advisory concerning the effects of social media on youth mental health. The report highlights the following negative effects of social media on mental health and well-being: depression, anxiety, inadequate sleep, low self-esteem, poor body image, and eating disorders.
 
The advisory calls for multi-pronged strategies to create safe and healthy social media environments for young people. The recommendations include strengthening protections, prioritizing user health and safety, creating family media plans, and conducting research on the benefits and harms of social media use.

05 | STUDENT SUCCESS
4 Cs for Student Engagement: Connections, Conditions, Challenge, and Control. According to this ASCD article, student engagement increases when teachers build positive relationships, make content relevant, set high expectations (and offer regular feedback), and empower students to take control of their learning.

Missed the previous issue? Find it here.

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