3 things to know about school network security
Cyber attacks account for more than half of all incidents in education--all the more reason why school network security should be a top priority for IT leaders, according…
Month: May 2019
7 programs that are transforming education
Innovative tools and strategies are transforming education, and the best educators recognize this growing trend and harness it to benefit their students.Fuel Education's Transformation Awards recognize schools, districts…
3 ways to find time for personalized learning
When schools think about incorporating personalized learning, it may seem intuitive to consider resources like specific technologies or professional development plans. But there’s another critical resource that too…
10 reasons school librarians are more important than ever
Without question, some of the most important members of the school community are the school librarians.Also known as library media specialists, school librarians play a unique role in…
Tips for surviving all types of assessments
Whether you are a first-year teacher or a veteran teacher, classroom and system-wide assessments can be a time of high anxiety and stress for everyone involved.In this recent…
4 strategies for boosting creativity in education
Creativity in education is more important than ever in the innovation age, where it’s not so much what we know but how we use what we know.At San…
10 signs you’re doing SEL right
Teachers, school counselors, and school leaders impact student social-emotional learning (SEL) to the degree that they transform each student’s mindset by empowering the self of the student.SEL is…
‘Personalized success plans’ are the next big thing
Personalized success plans, maps of in-school and out-of-school efforts that will help all students achieve, are emerging as a viable way to address all of a student's needs--even…
4 ways to improve digital equity in your classroom
As a former middle school teacher who taught in a lower-income, majority-minority school equipped with lots of "high tech" tools, I often wondered about digital equity. For me,…
7 things supporting broadband best practices
State leadership can have a powerful impact on broadband best practices in K-12 schools--and a new report highlights success stories and strong policies supporting broadband connectivity.State K-12 Broadband…
12 key components of today’s digital classroom
Most teachers today view edtech as an essential part of an increasingly digital classroom, and a new report from Common Sense sheds light on the role these edtech…
Why should schools change?
The transformation of our schools--from the outdated model that focuses on rote learning of content and short-term preparation for tests, to one of deeper learning that prepares students…
6 ways to connect with ELL parents
There’s no secret formula for parent engagement. And when English isn’t their first language, the obstacles seem more daunting. Connecting with ELL parents can help educators better support…
8 questions to ask before creating a makerspace
You wouldn’t just randomly choose a tool from your toolbox and feel confident it was the right one to cut a board or attach a hinge. Same goes…
CTO headaches: Five complex district challenges
CTOs juggle countless district challenges—they have many high-profile systems, implementations, and changes they manage each year. At times, some of the biggest headaches are the low-priority projects that…
Redesigning how we educate our educators
Imagine walking into a classroom with an average amount of chaos that begins each school day. Students start to gradually ... Read more
5 ways to improve instructional coaching today
Instructional coaching can be a powerful framework for teacher professional development, but not all coaching is created equally. As a beneficiary of a Teacher and School Leader Incentive…
The whys and hows of SEL implementation
CASEL, The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, defines social and emotional learning (SEL) as the “process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set…
Why I use student-driven ideas in my curriculum
You might think that teaching a high school programming course in which students are asked to code simple games and interactive websites would be motivating and exciting, but…
Creating a mindful classroom with 6 helpful apps
Mindfulness, meaning mental presence and reflection, is a popular practice across the U.S., incorporating tools to help people think clearly and critically, calm their minds, and be more…
5 of the coolest edtech tools since sliced bread
It seems like new edtech tools are developed each day, and while many of them serve practical purposes without too much fanfare, there are some edtech tools that…
Fun facts from Britannica: Do cats cause schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia affects only 1 percent of the population. Although many people are predisposed to it, most folks are never exposed to enough stress to exhibit any of its…
6 tips to help your students collaborate on awesome podcasts
A 2019 Edison Research survey reported that 51% of Americans above the age of 12 have listened to a podcast. Interest in podcasts has increased 122% since 2014,…
How to teach empathy & sustainability through global connections
I’ve become incredibly passionate about connecting students globally using technology. I’ve seen the impacts of what this can do for students and the profound impact it can make…
5 major changes in the future of learning
Five changes have incredible potential to influence the future of learning, according to a new forecast--and we have to embrace these changes in order to understand the challenges…
3 steps to implementing a 21st-century financial education curriculum
Effective and accessible financial education has historically been absent in U.S. schools. Outdated instructional practices and a lack of standards have made it difficult for teachers to easily…
The importance of jaggedness in personalized learning
According to Learning in the 21st Century: the 2019 Digital Promise LVP Survey, 83 percent of teachers think students are capable of high achievement, but just 26 percent…
How we turned around our student tardy numbers
Nicolet High School District is located in the southeast region of Wisconsin and serves over 1,000 students from four Milwaukee suburbs and the city of Milwaukee.
10 ways to use technology to promote reading
I am updating my workshop on how technology can be used to promote reading—the only foolproof means of both improving reading proficiency and developing a lifelong love of…
5 ways to create spaces that unlock creativity & encourage collaboration
It’s easy to focus on what we teach and how we teach, but where we teach is often overlooked.We need to prepare students for jobs that don’t yet…
Why we love our PD tools
Ask most teachers what they think of their district’s professional development (PD) and you’ll most likely get a grimace or an outright groan. But PD tools don’t have…
How one middle school is closing the technology achievement gap
There’s a widening technology achievement gap for minorities, despite blacks and Hispanics having more interest in learning computer science. So why is the field so dominated by whites?
5 fun presentation tools for end-of-year projects
As the school year winds down, tests and final projects are looming. Class presentations can be a great way for students to synthesize knowledge, practice public speaking, and…
11 unique ideas to finish the school year strong
State testing is done (or will be), the weather is getting nicer, and the school year is coming to an end. It’s hard for students to stay focused…
Here’s how we’re preparing our students for workplace success
When I first mentioned the FlexFactor program to my students, they were concerned that they would not be able to “invent” anything new because they believed that everything…
How student-created VR can enhance SEL and special ed
Quality social-emotional learning (SEL) and effective special education (SpEd) programming look remarkably similar.
7 resources to help educators better understand anxiety
Mental illness is omnipresent in schools today, but it isn’t as well understood or managed as districts would hope. An October 2018 Education Week article stated that, according…
How we turned around our new teacher retention
Gaston County Schools, located in North Carolina, is the 10th-largest district in the state. We have a very diverse, economically challenged population in our school system, with roughly…
5 core computational thinking skills that strengthen humanities skills
Anyone who says you can’t apply computational thinking and digital learning strategies to strengthen students’ writing skills is wrong. To the contrary, this innovative learning style helps students…
How we created a comprehensive drone curriculum
As educators, we are all continuously looking for interdisciplinary learning opportunities that will provide students with the most authentic learning experiences possible. With students’ hyper-exposure to the growing…
