5 signs your K-12 LMS needs an upgrade
Learning management systems (LMS) are facing changing times, as many K-12 administrators evaluate how their current LMS fits into teaching and learning goals. The K-12 LMS is quickly…
Month: October 2015
Report warns of need for identity, access management tech
As school districts nationwide increasingly turn to digital content, the need has never been greater for robust identity and access management technologies. This, as well as the benefits…
Do online charter schools measure up?
New research offers evidence that online charter schools post weaker academic performance and struggle more to maintain student engagement than their conventional brick-and-mortar peers. The National Study of…
How NGSS transforms science class with hands-on learning
One classroom learns how NGSS to take students farther than they've ever been.
Guides help teachers with NGSS transition
Instead of having students go to one class for chemistry, another for physics and so on, NGSS-aligned teaching uses disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting…
Free coding kits for the Hour of Code
Bitsbox, a Boulder-based education technology startup that teaches children how to create their own apps, announced today that it will donate 1,000 coding kits to educators around the…
New science award urges cancer research among high school students
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, and PBS LearningMedia, a media-on-demand service designed for K-12 classrooms, announced today the opening of applications…
How 2 states are making school broadband a priority
As high-speed broadband internet becomes critical for student success in and beyond the classroom, a number of state education leaders are forging partnerships to strengthen school broadband throughout…
Platform will beam lessons to rural schools via tablet
Mobiliya Edvelop, a digital classroom platform, is tackling educational transformation by enabling remote classrooms and lectures to rural schools and those spread across different locations. The platform is…
This software turns old laptops into new Chromebooks
Neverware, a New York-based startup, makes software that lets older computers run newer operating systems without compromising speed. Now some districts are using it to refresh laptops otherwise…
E-rate funding toolkit aims to make applying easier
A new E-rate funding toolkit from Common Sense and SETDA explains the changes to the federal program, available funding, and best ways to apply for it. Common Sense…
Assessments to play reduced classroom role
Students and educators will have to prepare for fewer assessments under a new federal focus that, while preserving the role that high-quality assessments play the classroom, also removes…
App of the Week: Videos and challenges for active learning
Ed. note: App of the Week picks are now being curated with help from Graphite by Common Sense Media. Click ... Read more
School leaders get new professional standards
New professional standards for educational leaders aim to ensure district and school leaders are able to improve student achievement and meet new, higher expectations. The National Policy Board…
Why flip the classroom? ‘If kids aren’t learning, it’s not them, it’s you’
Why a teacher's decision to flip the classroom turned out to be a great learning experience for everyone.
A new ‘Seal of Endorsement’ for teachers evaluating ed-tech
Global Educator Institute (GEI) has introduced a new twist to the traditional “Seal of Approval” model. Created specifically to serve the educational market, GEI places learning products into…
5 useful science and technology grants for schools
Each month, eSchool News compiles a list of new education grant opportunities. This month’s grants focus on science and technology grants for schools. We list grants for tech-savvy…
Entries open for PASCO/NSTA STEM Educator Award
PASCO Scientific and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) are now accepting applications for the 2016 PASCO NSTA STEM Educator Awards. Three middle and high school STEM teachers…
10 districts that have seen big blended learning success
As schools and districts try to better meet the needs of students with different learning styles, blended learning programs are becoming increasingly popular. Because blended learning combines face-to-face…
Buoyed by Congress, STEM and coding are on the rise
STEM education, while always a national focus, is receiving more attention in recent days, as surveys and legislation reveal awareness of its importance to the nation's success. Three…
How to Leverage Online Curriculum to Keep Students in District
You’re almost there!
22 districts join network of innovative school systems
Oxnard Union High School District is one of 22 school districts accepted into the League of Innovative Schools, a national coalition of forward-thinking school districts organized by Digital…
When one-to-one goes wrong
Not all one-to-one implementations are smooth sailing. From filtering and training to server crashes, here's what to keep an eye on.
Rural schools implement personalized curriculum to close skill gaps
Oak Heights Elementary School in Sweet Home, Ore., is using MobyMax to identify and fill the gaps in students’ skills as part of its Response to Intervention program.…
How to use video and Google Forms to encourage deeper learning
One educator's video and Google forms take on the classic document-based question activity turns students into mentors and instructors and encourages deeper discussion.
Is there enough diversity in your social media?
As we consume more social media, our perspectives are getting less diverse. That's a problem -- for us and for students.
Learn these SAMR model essentials straight from its creator
SAMR creator Ruben Puentedura walks educators through the must-know elements of his model in this video and how you can get started using the model successfully.
Newseum launches free resource site
The Newseum has launched a new online educational resources site called NewseumED, which gives teachers and students free access to curated, standards-aligned content from the Newseum’s vast collection…
Tennessee’s supplemental STEM curriculum available to all
The Tennessee STEM Innovation Network, through legislative support, is making a supplemental STEM career awareness curriculum available at no cost to all middle schools in the state. The…
App of the Week: Fun with fractions
Ed. note: App of the Week picks are now being curated with help from Graphite by Common Sense Media. Click ... Read more
How a blended program can change Common Core math
One district looks at the changes a new blended math program for K-5 has brought, including a focus on deeper learning.
Platform helps Ga. districts measure student, teacher performance
In many states, a majority of teachers, for at least part of the instructional day, teach subjects that are not assessed by state tests. To measure a teacher’s…
New guide offers ed-tech purchasing insight
LearnBop, a web-based interactive K-12 math learning system, has released a free eBook, The Administrator’s Guide to EdTech Purchasing, created in partnership with Superintendent John Carver of the…
One district’s innovative ideas to engage parents
How free tutors, workshops, and cold hard cash gets more parents involved in some pretty interesting ways in one district.
SETDA launches guide on digital instructional materials
SETDA, a membership association of the U.S. state and territorial educational technology leaders, has launched of a free online tool to support the implementation of digital instructional materials.…
Is this a smarter way to store school data?
Network attached storage (NAS) provides a cost-effective way to store, share, and back up work securely.