The 4 essentials of a successful Genius Hour
Genius Hour projects may be open ended, but there are still some ground rules. Here are some tips for making Genius Hour work in your school.
Year: 2016
N.J. experiments with new engagement platform
Evolution Labs and The New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA), the state’s professional association of school leaders, have partnered to further develop and make available to NJASA…
ACT, BenchPrep partner to personalize ACT online prep
BenchPrep, a digital learning platform company, will work with ACT to leverage technology to bring personalized, web- and mobile-based ACT test prep to all ACT test takers. This…
Teach students to communicate effectively in the Innovation Age
Communication looks different in the Innovation Age compared to the Information Age of yesteryear. Here's how to help students succeed
These are the 5 most in-demand K-12 languages
Foreign language skills are increasingly important for students to have as they enter college or the workforce, and technology-based programs have made learning new languages easier for students.…
New professional development focuses on engagement through gaming
The ever-increasing omnipresence of digital media in student’s lives can be challenging for teachers as they compete for kid’s attention in and out of the classroom. With this…
App of the Week: Daily news and events, just for kids
Ed. note: App of the Week picks are now being curated with help from Graphite by Common Sense Media. Click ... Read more
6 apps to help parents and teachers communicate
Communication between teachers and parents makes it easier for educators to understand the outside challenges students may deal with, and it helps parents understand how they can better…
New tool helps districts compare bandwidth pricing
The nonprofit EducationSuperHighway on Jan. 21 launched a beta version of Compare & Connect K-12, an online tool that makes the internet services that schools receive more transparent.…
HP’s Sprout Pro offers immersive learning
HP Inc. on Jan. 19 unveiled Sprout Pro by HP – designed for schools and professionals – and detailed the evolution of its Immersive Computing platform. “Sprout Pro…
Changes for MinecraftEDU, studies on PD and observations, plus creativity tools for the classroom
Each Friday, I’ll be bringing you a recap of some of the most interesting and thought-provoking news developments that occurred over the week. I can’t fit all of…
K-12 science teachers in dire need of PD
K-12 science teachers are often left to deal with a lack of coherent and sustained professional learning opportunities that researchers say are needed to support science teachers inside…
Acer introduces ‘game-changing’ TravelMate notebook
Acer on Jan. 20 announced its new TravelMate B117 notebook, tailor-made for the education market and powered by Windows 10 Pro. The notebook supports the Acer TeachSmart solution,…
Making classroom observations more efficient — and effective
A custom web-based system is making for more thoughtful classroom observation Instructional leaders need to know what is happening when ... Read more
Microsoft replacing MinecraftEDU with new education edition
Starting this summer, classrooms hooked on MinecraftEDU will be given the option of migrating to a new education-focused Minecraft title, recently announced by Microsoft who has acquired the…
N.C. deploys new parent-school feedback tool throughout state
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) has partnered with K12 Insight on a statewide implementation of the company's cloud-based Let's Talk! communications solution. The department is…
Lenovo, Google launch Project Tango device
At the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Lenovo announced the development of the first consumer mobile device with Project Tango in collaboration with Google. Available in summer 2016,…
Classroom observations may hurt teachers more than they help, study says
Teachers might be at a disadvantage during classroom observation of their instructional practice, which is one of the most widely-used tools for high-stakes job performance evaluations. Research from…
SMART, Samsung offer a boost for collaboration
SMART Technologies, Inc. and Samsung Electronics America, Inc. have joined forces to help students attain the 21st-century communication and collaboration skills they need to succeed in the world.…
App of the Week: A vast literary learning system
Ed. note: App of the Week picks are now being curated with help from Graphite by Common Sense Media. Click ... Read more
Report: The major problems with U.S. professional development
Two new reports reveal that in many top education systems, teacher professional development is built into their daily work as a means for school improvement and teacher quality.…
6 fun tools to teach creativity through music
Use these music apps and tools to make your own keyboards or work on a song with others around the ... Read more
Vernier hosting 34 data-collection workshops
Starting in February, Vernier Software & Technology will host 34 free, hands-on workshops to help science and STEM educators learn how to use and integrate the latest data-collection…
Inside the school that immerses students in Spanish — and technology
A Spanish immersion program makes full use of technology in the classroom
New platform assesses students with cognitive disabilities
Breakthrough Technologies and the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) have partnered on and completed development of an online delivery platform for a new assessment program for students…
zSpace launches virtual reality teaching tools
Shuttle Computer Group and zSpace have teamed up to create a desktop virtual reality solution used in K-12 schools and universities. Their intent is to create a union…
Boosting access, risk-taking, and engagement
Each Friday, I’ll be bringing you a recap of some of the most interesting and thought-provoking news developments that occurred over the week. I can’t fit all of…
OverDrive lists the 5 most read digital novel sets in schools
eBooks and digital audiobooks have become a vital component to promote reading and support literacy goals in nearly 13,000 schools and districts in 50 countries. Educators are increasing…
Flipping the classroom when home access is a problem
A lack of reliable internet access at home can make flipping a challenge, but by no means an impossibility.
Educational gaming expands in Florida district
DimensionU, Inc.'s educational gaming platform for math and literacy is expanding across 40 elementary and middle school after care sites in Florida's Broward County. The DimensionU expansion kicked…
Hawaii partners on statewide STEM, energy curriculum
The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) is moving to further support Ka Hei, its statewide strategic program kicked off in 2014 that educates students about sustainable energy…
The next top scientist could win $25,000
Discovery Education and 3M have opened the annual Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a national science competition for students in grades 5-8. Through the program, young inventors…
Bringing wi-fi, and parent engagement, to the community
Kent School District's new internet kiosks are bringing the SIS and free wi-fi to the community to increase parent engagement and internet access at the same time.