Good morning! We are delighted to share the winners of our Local Lens Photo Essay Contest, in which teenagers from California, New York, Utah, Virginia, Ontario, China and Vietnam share slices of life from their hometowns. — The Learning Network
The winners of our photo essay contest
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| In her winning piece, “‘Going Against The Grain’: Agri-Cultural Revolution in SoCal’s Heartland,” Caden Shepard Choi, 17, shows us an earthy side of her Orange County hometown. Caden Shepard Choi |
For our third annual photo essay contest, we invited teenagers to show us their hometowns, and more than 1,400 teenagers from around the world responded. From those entries, we selected a top winner and eight runners-up. You can find our full list of finalists here.
We hope you’ll explore the work of our finalists and appreciate the way that attention and care shines through. As always, we invite you to share your reactions with these young photojournalists in the comments.
Recent Times reporting about schools
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| Ben Wiseman |
- “Teaching in an American university is very strange right now,” writes Opinion columnist Frank Bruni in this essay about the uncertainties facing young people today, and the role of educators in helping them.
- In this video, Neal Mohan, YouTube’s C.E.O., talks about the platform’s role in an age of post-literacy and his belief that video serves as a vital “visual library” for a new generation of learners.
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More teaching resources from The Learning Network
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| Melania Trump, the first lady, with Figure 3, a humanoid robot developed by Figure AI, an artificial intelligence robotics company. Oliver Contreras/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
A new lesson plan on the war in Iran
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| An explosion in Tehran, Iran, after U.S.-Israeli airstrikes. Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times |
How necessary is the war with Iran? What are the United States’ objectives, and are we on track to achieve them?
These are among the critical questions we pose for young people in this new lesson plan, which uses Times articles, photos, videos, graphics, podcasts and more to help students explore what’s happening in the war now, over a month since it began, and to trace how we got here.
Then, we encourage them to weigh in: What is their reaction to this war? How are they making sense of it? What questions do they have?
Before you go, see what teens are saying about screens in schools.
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| Sixth graders learning math in San Luis, Ariz. Survey respondents said middle and high schoolers often spent three hours or more a day online. Ariana Drehsler for The New York Times |
We asked “Is there too much screen time in schools?” Though some teenagers recognized advantages, nearly all called for a more balanced and intentional approach to how technology is deployed in classrooms. Here are a few of their responses:
The pandemic has affected my whole life by worsening my screen time. Back in first grade, I didn’t pay attention. I’d just browse YouTube, ignoring everything my teacher said. This created a loop in my brain that pushed me to watch more, making me prone to distraction. By third grade, I struggled with everything. I was behind in division, and my writing was abysmal. Once I got my hands on a school Chromebook, it only added fuel to the fire. I spent my time playing unblocked games instead of doing assignments. The only reason I improved was that my parents pushed me, even spending $50 on PSSA prep so I could catch up. Schools need to regulate screen time. — Joseph, Julia R. Masterman, Philadelphia PA
One of the biggest benefits of using technology for education is how quickly you can access information. Students can watch explanations, and use interactive tools that make difficult topics easier to understand. Technology also allows learning to be more flexible. You can study at your own pace, review lessons multiple times, and stay organized using digital notes and calendars.— Eshal, Thomas A. Edison CTE HS
The use of Chromebooks wasn’t exactly a TERRIBLE idea. I mean, it’s pretty convenient to be able to have something to help you with playing “catch up” in your classes, but having to stare at screens for around 7 hours alone could already be straining to the eyes and possibly cause a lack of attention span. Actually, because of the technological change in education, I myself have trouble properly focusing on class or even seeing properly. — Enzo, Bville, NY
We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to LNfeedback@nytimes.com. More next week.
