Why we need to change the teacher vs. tech narrative
A recent chart from Bloomberg on the future of artificial intelligence and employment lends evidence to a point I have been making for years: teachers will not be…
3 ways to build community in a multi-cultural school
As more and more ELL students enter the U.S. public school system, teachers are facing the twofold challenge of communicating not only with these students, but with their…
Teacher specializing in differentiated learning: These are “My Tech Essentials”
At Long Elementary in Harlingen, TX, where I teach 4th grade, more than 72 percent of our students are considered economically disadvantaged, while nearly 10 percent are English…
Don’t let CTE become an episode of Flip or Flop! Here are 4 musts for success
Switching school districts and Career and Technical Education programs can be a challenging task for a CTE director. It’s even more difficult if your goal is to revitalize…
The right stuff: Teaching kids about copyright
We (rightfully) spend significant time and energy teaching kids to be aware of their digital footprints. Stories abound about momentary lapses of judgment leading to loss of employment…
Urgent: Today’s students need a digitally fluent school website
It hardly seems possible to get through an hour without using technology, let alone a day. We track our health with wearable wristbands, our smartphones are basically pocket-sized…
The 2 stages of successful early STEM education
I have been in education for 18 years and my strongest belief is that all children deserve a fresh start when they begin each school year. My classroom…
3 tips for maximizing your PLC participation during the new school year
For educators across the country, it’s time to get back at it. Summer is over, and if we are not yet back in school teaching, we are sorting…
How to have a coach for every teacher, without breaking the bank
Every good athlete needs a coach to help them improve their practice, from student athletes to superstars like LeBron James and Serena Williams. This same principle can—and should—be…
Fourth-Grade teacher: These are “My Tech Essentials”
As I prepare to start my ninth year of teaching, I find myself reflecting on the tools and resources I ... Read more
STEAM teacher: These are “My Tech Essentials”
I am a third grade teacher in an urban school district in Kansas City, Missouri. I teach in a 1:1 environment that focuses on STEAM education and Project…
Teachers talk: 12 makerspace must-haves for back-to-school
Makerspaces are becoming a classroom staple. As these shared spaces for student-led learning continue to flourish, the concepts, tools and applications of makerspaces have reached a new level…
Opening the definition dialog: Personalization, individualization and differentiation
A recent eSchool News contributed article, Differentiation, individualization and personalization: What they mean, and where they’re headed, which helped define personalized learning in relation to both differentiation and…
How digital badges are shaking up teacher PD
The topic of teacher professional development has dominated discussions about teacher quality and retention for years. While some progress has been made, there is still no standardized means…
2 starting steps to flawless tech implementation
We all realize that planning is paramount to a successful project, and no one understands this more than educators. From plans that guide daily lessons to plans that…
What’s your district’s vision? Ask these 4 questions and find out
Education is the business of learning; we are not product-based, but instead, are people-, interest-, and demonstration-driven. As such, we all—regardless of community, economy, demographic, age or any…
3 ways to leverage elementary coding for NGSS standards
As our district has started exploring the role that computer coding should play in our students’ educational lives, more than once the following question has come up: What…
5 technologies that support differentiated learning
Instead of orienting a classroom to have all student desks facing a whiteboard at the front of the room, a flexible learning center model often includes modular workstations…
3 ways to enhance communication at a multi-cultural school
As more and more ELL students enter the U.S. public school system, teachers are facing the twofold challenge of communicating ... Read more
Kindergarten teacher: These are “My Tech Essentials”
At Saratoga Elementary in Morris, Illinois, we believe that incorporating tech tools into our daily lessons is a great way ... Read more
The 4 simple misconceptions that can derail early math education
From an early age, children try to make sense of their world by applying context and meaning to certain ideas. But many children also form misconceptions about number…
In practice: School’s redesigned library of the future leads to deeper learning
Modern. Beneficial. Fun. Engaging. Immersed learning. Student led. Teamwork. Leaders. Creators. Inviting. What do all these words have in common? They are all terms I’ve heard used to…
The must-have for a SIS? It’s not what you think!
Earning buy-in from stakeholders is one of the most important factors when moving to a new SIS.
Believe the hype! How video games are changing education
To draw a parallel between video gaming and education may cause the more traditional educators to balk at the thought, but recent developments in the field of video…
What education inspiration looks like on a global basis
The Imagine Cup competition, and competitions like it, are so inspiring. This year’s competition, though large and very well done, is only a small representation of the vast…
15 of the best apps to engage students outside the classroom
Learning shouldn’t stop when students leave for summer vacation. Rather, this extended break from the classroom is the perfect time to introduce kids to a variety of mobile…
3 reasons why tomorrow’s workforce needs 3D printing education today
Though to a lesser scale and profile than Apple, there is a similar technology immersion taking place today with 3D printing education. Companies are all working to bring…
VR is great, but here’s why hands-on learning can’t disappear
With the help of technological tools and toys, children can now engage with worlds that they could have only experienced before in their dreams. However, we must find…
Technology teacher: These are “My Tech Essentials”
By using tech tools, teachers actively create, customize and enhance educational approaches to meet the new and growing challenges of the 21st century. The tech tools offer a…
Nowhere is tech more important than in curriculum-here’s why
To date, the general model for curriculum has been the physical textbook. If a school district adopts a textbook, that became the base for curriculum. In recent years,…
These educators know how to make PBL work for teachers
For PBL to reach its full potential educators must learn to step back and be facilitators in the classroom, a change that requires thoughtful and ongoing professional development.…
This is how you build the library of the future
The 4 C’s (collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity) will drive our pioneering approach to developing the libraries of the future.
Media specialist: 3 ways to break down barriers between students and reading
It’s safe to say that both the environment and expectations for library media specialists have certainly changed, but what’s remained true is our mission to break down the…
How a focus on teachers helps a charter district serve the most challenging students
At George Gervin Academy in San Antonio, Texas, the conversation has never been about competing with the city’s best schools by selecting the students most likely to succeed—in…
How to navigate the new device-agnostic classroom
With the advent of more device-agnostic digital classrooms, many tech-savvy teachers and schools are taking a step back and reevaluating how best to use technology to support their…
10 ways Google is making Classroom and Forms easier for teachers this school year
Today Google is excited to announce 10 updates to Google Classroom and Google Forms designed to make teachers’ lives easier this school year.
Is this the new class every student should take?
Whether a recent graduate plans to study 18th Century English literature in college or jump right into the workforce in any number of jobs, I have a one-word…
Differentiation, individualization and personalization: What they mean, and where they’re headed
Throughout the education sector, we hear a lot about “differentiation,” “individualization” and “personalization.” But what do these terms really mean, and how are they different?
Think apps are over? Think again: 3 reasons apps foster effective learning
As technology continues to evolve, it’s not surprising that apps are starting to be incorporated into daily classroom activities. With more than 80,000 apps considered ‘educational’ in Apple’s…
To turn around schools, first turn around the principals
I oversee a portfolio of nine turnaround schools, all of which had an overall rating of F when ACCEL Schools first took them over two years ago. This…