4 secure online learning platforms to use
As good educators engage with students outside of the classrooms, usually through office hours, using a secure learning platform might just be the answer teachers have been looking…
3 secrets to a successful digital transformation
During the 2013-2014 school year, Archbishop Stepinac High School became the first all-digital high school in the United States, with each of our 700 students utilizing a fully…
How web-based journalism reveals Common Core’s relevance
In order to give students purpose to engage deeply in the Common Core, District 21 in Wheeling, Ill. has partnered with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, a…
Why a writing workshop framework works for young authors
We all have stories to tell. Regardless if our stories are told orally, through body language, or written composition, students need to feel ownership and validation in their…
Why some teachers are choosing compensation over open source for lesson plans
In 2012, one kindergarten teacher defied the norm and earned over $700,000 by selling her lesson plans online. This success story was just one of many stories involving…
5 anti-bully apps you should know about
No matter what generation you grew up in it’s evident bullying always played a role in the educational system. In movies it’s usually the stereotypical character going for…
7 PD tips for your instructional technology integration plan
The role of instructional technology in the classroom has steadily increased over the past decade. These advances include the use of computers and tablets in classrooms, over 300,000…
Using eLearning tools to maximize summer PD
School’s out for summer, and what better time for teachers to continue their education through professional development programs?
Where have all the summer reading assignments gone?
Summer: a time in a child’s life where they are no longer bound by societal rules to attend school nor do anything school related. To do so would…
How can an app lead to cyberbullying?
Can’t remember the name of that great restaurant you went to last night? How many miles it is the moon? Type any question into a search engine today…
5 ways to teach kids about the Declaration of Independence
Having sizzling burgers during the day and watching a lit up sky at night seem to be hallmarks of celebrating the Fourth of July. But if that’s all…
What school leaders need to know about 9-1-1 operations
Beyond understanding the need to dial 9-1-1 in an emergency, many people are not familiar with how emergency dispatch works. Unfortunately, this is also true for many school…
Six characteristics of great professional development (and great classrooms)
For nearly a dozen years I’ve traveled to various schools and districts to deliver professional development workshops and presentations. Over the years, I’ve also sat in on many…
Little-known ways Skype is great for teaching ELA
The current task for my doctoral course Curriculum Technology and Teaching is to explore a variety of compressed video alternatives in the classroom setting. The compressed video applications…
How Storify can be a new platform for students
With new innovations coming out of the wood work students are being given new tools to further their education.
How Vine videos can improve the classroom experience
Instead of telling students to put their phones away, why not start using apps like Vine to enhance the classroom ... Read more
How an iPad can transform music classes
It’s no surprise that many teachers and superintendents view music as vital for a holistic learning experience. According to a study by McMaster University, students who took one…
One-to-one: Student-led, student-centered
Surprise, surprise! Decisions imposed on people suddenly, with no time to get used to the idea or prepare for the consequences, are generally resisted. It’s always easier to…
Project-based learning done right
Two years ago, Kyle was a bored kindergartener at Parkside Elementary School in Coral Springs, Fla. “He wasn’t being challenged enough,” said his mother, Chris Beck.
7 steps to authentic learning
Why authentic learning? There are so many reasons to choose from, some of the most important being: providing deep purpose for learning, empowering students, providing differentiation and choice…
Building human capacity for a digital leap
Strengthening the human technology capacity in our school systems is imperative if we are to enhance the digital learning environment and prepare students for success in college, career,…
Skipping summer slump: Igniting a passion for learning
As educators, we all look forward to summer vacation with elation and a bit of concern. We’re happy, of course, to have a few months off to enjoy…
A collaboration in the cloud: Advancing K-12 technology innovation
Today’s reality of budgetary shortfalls and limited resources make it challenging for K-12 districts around the country to effectively address the technology needs of schools, students and teachers…
What’s a Culture of Data, and how can schools get one?
Schools are overflowing with data—attendance records, achievement data, even logs from mobile devices—and the question remains, how can education systems create a culture that uses data to make…
5 reasons to use Netflix in the classroom
Imagine yourself back in a high school classroom and the teacher is getting ready to discuss how the next 40 minutes will play out. It’s your last class…
2 vital components for true college, career readiness
To succeed in the real world, a student must have the ability to work well with others, persevere through challenges, and make healthy choices and responsible decisions. Oftentimes…
6 Characteristics of Great PD (And Great Classrooms)
For nearly a dozen years I’ve traveled to various schools and districts to deliver professional development workshops and presentations. Over the years, I’ve also sat in on many…
Moving to assessment at its best
How can assessments be reframed to benefit education? As a culture, we like to measure things. Mobile computing has ushered ... Read more
Waste less ink and paper in photography classes with the right equipment
High school students studying photography need to learn both the art and the craft. The art comes from within—the eye for capturing a visually exciting image.
How to build human capacity for a digital leap
Strengthening the human technology capacity in our school systems is imperative if we are to enhance the learning environment and prepare students for success in college, career, and…
5 AV trends transforming the Common Core
Much of the talk surrounding the Common Core State Standards has been about the content being taught, but few are discussing the audio hardware that districts need to…
Audio technology you don’t realize you need
If students can’t hear, they can’t learn. It’s that simple, which is why lead audiologist Dr. Donna Massine has spent the past 23 years working hard to make…
The Minnesota Tundra can’t freeze personalized literacy
The Lakeville Area Public Schools’ (LAPS) vision of world-class, personalized learning has driven and accelerated our work in digital learning both inside and outside of the classroom. Personalized…
Past Google’s first page: Gauging students’ global search skills
“Did he seriously just ask that? How old is this guy?” Well yes, I recently seriously just asked a group of students if they knew how to use…
How Apple can improve students struggling with writing
I was teaching special education students in grades 5 and 6 in an inner city school in Canton. Time was going by and students continued to struggle with…
Write for my teacher, or publish to the world?
When students participate in out-of-class learning, teachers should recognize that potential Fifteen years ago, a student I never taught forever ... Read more
Problem solving skills: The value added by maker spaces
Great problem solvers share a number of key characteristics—and here are 10 in particular.
Personalized learning: Not just for students
For more than 20 years, educators and ed-tech companies have pursued the promise that personalized instruction can raise student achievement. So why has so little work been done…
Being assessment ready–now
Ask a school district technology leader what is his or her top priority this year, and you’re likely to hear the response: “Getting ready for the new high…
What education needs now: A national repository of educational materials
For this to happen we need to build a National Repository of Educational Materials (NREM), an online library of lessons in a range of subject areas with pre-assessments,…