10 privacy steps for every district
It would be hard to name an issue that has taken the education technology world by storm as has student data privacy over the past year. To address…
Month: August 2014
Give engineering education a boost
TeachEngineering.org is a collaborative project between faculty, students and teachers associated with five founding partner universities, with National Science Foundation ... Read more
Top ed-tech stories to watch: From 1-to-1 to ‘one to many’
No. 3 on our list of top ed-tech stories for the new school year is the trend toward students using many different devices while at school.
5 ways the Common Core could be worthless
Common Core State Standards, which have been adopted by 43 states and the District of Columbia, are supposed to be the ultimate indicator for a student’s college readiness.…
New eRate rules invite a new approach: Managed Wi-Fi
The FCC’s extensive eRate overhaul includes a new type of eligible service, managed Wi-Fi, which could lead to more outsourced networks in K-12 schools.
6 reasons mobile learning is booming
Mobile technologies are increasingly gaining support among school administrators, who opt for one-to-one initiatives and BYOD programs to help deflect the costs of maintaining a mobile device initiative,…
Top ed-tech stories to watch: Schools grapple with data privacy
After the high-profile demise this past spring of inBloom, a controversial nonprofit organization that aimed to build a national, cloud-based student data system to improve education, school leaders…
Games: The new learning experience
It seems you can’t go anywhere in the education world without hearing about game-based learning. At its core, game-based learning connects learning and meaning to content to give…
Top ed-tech stories to watch: Maker movement makes waves
As the new school year approaches, “maker spaces” are cropping up in countless schools and libraries nationwide.
App of the week: Stack up your math skills
This app helps children enjoy and learn math in an entertaining and fun way.
Create, Connect, Communicate: Digital-Age Learners Share Digital Stories
With the proliferation of iPads in K-12 classrooms, teachers need apps (tools) that leverage this powerful, new technology and can help them create active, participatory, authentic classrooms that…
8 educators share back-to-school priorities
Common Core, technology use and integration are among back-to-school goals for the new school year A new school year brings ... Read more
5 ways to create a performance-based school climate
Students’ learning is affected by academic as well as nonacademic factors. Enabling them to achieve their full potential requires integrating learning outcome data with information about special needs,…
Trying to change teacher practice? Enlist ‘Bob’
Perhaps the most frequent question I get from school administrators is: How can I get my teachers to use technology? It’s often voiced by a school principal, ed-tech…
5 data protection policies for the new school year
Student data is a hot topic these days, and as the new school year kicks off, educators and school leaders are examining their data storage and data security…
How to minimize digital classroom distractions
Using technology in the classroom can also bring multiple distractions to students. As an educator, how can you confront this dilemma?
FCC moves to modernize eRate
In a split decision along party lines, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to move ahead with a plan to modernize the eRate by increasing the amount…
5 higher-ed skills to teach K-12 students now
While the Common Core aims to teach students critical skills that can translate to college, career and life (critical thinking, collaboration, and writing), a different set of skills…
What should we make of the South Korean tutoring boom?
To say that South Korea takes its private tutoring seriously would be an understatement. In fact, spending on private tutoring in South Korea has surpassed spending on public…
Explore new and free ed funding options
A free site connects educators to funding resources and tips.
5 Common Core priorities for the new school year
As schools gear up to dive back into learning, states that have adopted the Common Core State Standards are outlining their priorities and are identifying their top goals…
3D printing in your classroom–so what?
Two years ago, I was telling a friend about 3D printing, and she thought I was teasing her. After watching several YouTube videos and reading a few articles,…
A $5 billion bounty: How to use eRate support for Wi-Fi
The FCC’s new eRate rules set aside $5 billion over the next five years for the equipment needed to extend broadband access within schools and libraries, including wireless…
Secrets of innovative schools
Today’s schools, educators, and district leaders strive to give students the best education possible. Doing that means being innovative.
50 apps for the new school year
As some schools welcome students back and as others gear up to do the same after Labor Day, teachers and librarians have a chance to become familiar with…
New app makes reading fun, prevents ‘summer brain drain’
Encouraging children to read at a young age and to continue reading throughout life is a huge challenge for educators and parents. The real trick is to encourage…
App of the Week: Create art like never before
This art app lets users experience a full range of artistic functionality.
Increasing student participation with Google Drive
It’s no secret that recent technological changes have altered the face of childhood education. Walk into a classroom these days and you will see laptops, tablets, and even…
August: 4 education grants you don’t want to miss
School funding difficulties show no sign of abating, and school budgets are stretched to the limit. Many educators and administrators rely on school grants to fund important projects…
Poverty and the perception of poverty–how both matter for schooling outcomes
Compensating for students’ socio-economic disadvantage is one of the greatest challenges facing teachers,school leaders and education systems as a whole. However, data from PISA show that some countries…
5 ways to choose and use K-5 apps, mobile devices
Students are typically not shy about showing their enthusiasm for using the latest mobile devices, and they're eager to share apps with teachers and friends. Sometimes, teachers are…
Five tips to find the right ed-tech partner for your school district
When choosing ed-tech partners for your district, you must look beyond the cost, features and functionality of the products you ... Read more
Teaching, testing with tablets a key theme at ISTE ’14
This year’s conference from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) was the biggest yet, with nearly 20,000 people convening in Atlanta June 28 to July 1…
6 STEM resources to engage women, minorities
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs are growing each day, expanding to reach students of all ages as they educate tomorrow's leaders. While education stakeholders and policymakers…
Try a subject-agnostic role-playing game for your class
Classcraft is a free online educational role-playing game that teachers and students play together in the classroom.
27 academic writing resources for students
All teachers and educators are familiar with such a problem of every student as writing. Often, it appears to be very difficult for them to write an essay,…
Can young students master digital writing assessments?
A new pilot study reveals that fourth grade students are well-equipped to successfully take computer-based writing assessments. The National Center for Education Statistics conducted the National Assessment of…
5 examples of blended learning success
As new educational models gain support among educators and students who want to learn in new and different ways, blended learning is perhaps one of the strongest among…
Commit yourself to action by investing in success
The title you just read is something to make people look at an article. The actual article you are about to read is not nearly as wishy-washy or…
4 ways games make it ‘OK to play’
While technology is a powerful learning tool, there are still concerns about how tech tools are used, as well as how much screen time young children should experience.…