How does educational media impact children?
While 78 percent of screen media consumed by children ages 2-4 is educational, that figure drops drastically as children age, down to 39 percent among 5- to 7-year-olds…
Month: January 2014
3 edupreneurs to watch in 2014
In October 2013, The Atlantic highlighted three “edupreneurs” or innovators who work tireless to not only advance math and science education in the U.S., but to energize attitudes…
This hybrid innovation is about to change your school forever
Hybrid innovations are technologies that bridge tradition to the future, fundamentally changing how an entire industry performs; and according to education experts, K-12 is currently experiencing one hybrid…
App of the week: Atomsmith Molecule Lab Middle School
With this app, explore how atoms in molecules rearrange during chemical reactions.
The impact of Google on our memory
What is the last time you memorized something? do you still retain it in your memory or has it faded away? Memorization, though severely undermined in progressivists works,…
Md. schools need $100 million in technology upgrades for new testing
Maryland schools will be scrambling to make $100 million in technological and other upgrades to give new state tests aligned with the Common Core standards next year, according…
Chromebooks take other mobile devices to school
Chromebooks have come from nowhere to grab nearly a fifth of U.S. school purchases of mobile computers, posing problems for Microsoft Corp. and possibly even Apple Inc., the…
Erased answers on tests in Philadelphia lead to a three-year cheating scandal
The first sign that something was wrong appeared more than two years ago when a company grading student tests from Philadelphia noticed that erasures from wrong to right…
Ohio’s move toward embedded assessments
The state of Ohio is taking steps to ensure that students enter college and the workforce with the ability to apply critical skills to real-world problems. Through the…
Schools prep for Digital Learning Day
On Feb. 5, 2014, teachers, library media specialists, and students across the nation will celebrate Digital Learning Day as they strive to incorporate digital learning into their classrooms…
Bill Gates: I assume my phone’s not being tapped
In some fascinating comments about privacy and security, the Microsoft co-founder admits that he does use e-mail to send confidential messages. And he expects a level of security…
The defiant parents: Testing’s discontents
Anna Allanbrook, the principal of the Brooklyn New School, a public elementary school in Carroll Gardens, has long considered the period of standardized testing that arrives every spring…
Will “disease-like” Facebook lose 80 percent of users by 2017?
There’s some non-peer-reviewed “research” (PDF) going around that claims Facebook will have lost 80 percent of its users in a few years’ time, based on the idea that…
For your child’s sake, don’t hate on math
Admit it – given the choice between reading a book and solving some algebraic equations, you’d pick the book, according to this Teach for American blog post.
The ten ‘Golden Rules’ of Google Apps for Education
Google Apps, and cloud-based applications in general, are revolutionizing how educators teach and students learn. Here are 10 "Golden Rules" to consider when using Google Apps for Education.
Connecting kids with today’s changing tech tools
Improved learning is a concern for our nation. Our economic prosperity depends on it, as does our strength as a nation. To improve learning in the 21st Century,…
Seven instructional strategies for the Common Core
As significant numbers of educators, parents, and politicians push back on the Common Core Standards now that implementation has begun, many teachers are left to navigate the shift…
Once blocked, Twitter is now a classroom tool
Taxation, representation and slavery were up for debate recently at Wauwatosa West High School, where juniors engaged in a multi-day, in-class simulation of the first Constitutional Convention in…
New Common Core resource aids students with special needs
One of the best non-profits for the advancement of education technology has developed a new, free Common Core website for educators that offers customizable resources to improve teaching…
Why Eton, Britain’s 574-year-old high school, is embracing ed-tech
What does a nearly six-century-old private school that charges $54,000 a year in tuition do when confronted with start-ups with bright ideas about how education should work? If…
Ex-NC Gov. Perdue unveils education tech effort
Former North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue says she wants to jump start collaboration among teachers, students and entrepreneurs to develop electronic technology that improves learning for adults and…
Beware Chinese data: Its schools might not be so great
For much of my life, I have been obsessed with China, Jay Mathews reports for the Washington Post.
Welcome to the wild, wild web? Fewer parents enforcing internet rules for kids
Canadian children are increasingly being left to their own devices – both literally and figuratively – when it comes to accessing the internet, according to a major new…
8 incredibly easy steps to a professional development makeover
There’s a lot of talk these days, especially with the implementation of Common Core, about how to reform student learning. However, there’s a group of learners education is…
7 crippling parenting behaviors that keep children from growing into leaders
While I spend my professional time now as a career success coach, writer, and leadership trainer, I was a marriage and family therapist in my past, and worked…
5 reasons you should be teaching digital citizenship
Students buzzed about the latest uproar on Instagram, TeachThought reports.
L.A. Board of Education approves next phase of iPad plan
The Los Angeles Board of Education approved the next phase of a $1-billion effort to provide computers to every student, teacher and administrator, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Around the world, net neutrality is not a reality
Net neutrality—the idea that all Internet traffic should generally be treated equally—suffered a setback last week when a federal court struck down the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s latest…
Five steps to a successful blended learning program
As school leaders consider adopting blended learning to provide more opportunities for their students, here are five key considerations gleaned from the thousands of schools we’ve worked with.
New site explores the science of the Winter Olympics
NBC Learn, the educational arm of NBC News, has partnered with the National Science Foundation to create a new video series exploring the “Science and Engineering of the…
Teaching students to evaluate info critically
In the Age of Information, students must learn how to evaluate the accuracy and relevancy of the nearly limitless information at their fingertips. But how can these skills…
School principals beg for help with Common Core
It’s no surprise that schools across the country are gearing up for implementation of Common Core, with many teachers and school principals fully aware of what the standards…
Connected Districts, Part 2: Prioritizing ed-tech
We presented the idea of the "connected district" in Part 1 of this series, where we featured one district that has made personalized learning a top priority, and…
The secrets behind one school’s remarkable turnaround
Twelve years ago, Maplewood Richmond Heights High School in St. Louis, Mo., ranked among the area’s lowest-performing schools. With a 59-percent poverty demographic, low test scores, and dilapidated…
5 Newark principals suspended indefinitely, allegedly for opposing One Newark plan
Five Newark public school principals were suspended indefinitely on Friday, including four who spoke at a community meeting opposing proposed changes to the state-run school district, according to…
S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley blasts Common Core, wants state to scrap it
Gov. Nikki Haley urged South Carolina lawmakers to scrap the national Common Core curriculum that is being phased in at schools throughout the state, KnowNews reports.
Joy & rigor: The And-Both solution
Is it possible to create a high-engagement school where students do interesting and relevant work and meet high expectations? Erin Mote and Eric Tucker are a smart duo…
Fon raises $14 million from Qualcomm to boost sharing of Wi-Fi, music
Spanish Wi-Fi sharing company Fon has raised $14 million from Qualcomm Ventures, VentureBeat reports.
App of the week: Classroom Mosaic
Classroom Mosaic is web-based app that provides a way to perform teacher observations. Templates can be created to suit any school’s needs.
How to teach students about their digital footprint
Students must know about their digital footprint and the consequences of online actions Technology is an integral part of teaching ... Read more