50 tips to develop and run your online courses
From getting started to managing the day-to-day business, try these 50 tips for setting up a successful online course for any grade level. As many K-12 U.S. public…
Latest posts by Stephen Noonoo (see all)
- TC- What student choice and agency actually looks like - November 15, 2016
- What student choice and agency actually looks like - November 14, 2016
- App of the Week: Science sensor meets your smartphone - November 14, 2016
8 great ways to jumpstart your Google+/Twitter PLN
Twitter and Google+ may not have been designed for educators, but every day thousands of teachers, school leaders, and learners of all sizes take to social media to…
What students think of their blended learning teachers
With blended learning, the computer may provide much of the learning fundamentals and students must be more self-regulated than in a traditional industrial model classroom, but the teacher…
These amazing kits make electronics simple and fun for every student
Very young students often have a hard time engaging meaningfully in electronics projects. Sure, most middle school kids can learn the function of basic electronic components and follow…
Pearson unveils tablet ELL assessment system
A new tablet-based assessment developed by Pearson will specifically target English Language Learners (ELLs) in order to help them build English language skills and succeed on summative assessments.…
Hillsborough County Schools reveals 99.98% uptime with LMS
A new system leads to improved outcomes and other revealing data Using a new purpose-built learning management system, Hillsborough County ... Read more
Turn snow days into e-learning days with these 6 simple steps
The latest winter storm to pound the Northeast left a foot or two of snow in its wake, in the process shutting down much of the tri-state region,…
Are digital textbooks worth it?
It has been nearly three years since the FCC and Education Secretary Arne Duncan rolled out the Digital Textbook Playbook and challenged schools to go digital within five…
How a GoPro Got My Students Excited to Learn
I had not planned to purchase a GoPro while out shopping. However, it was on sale, I had a coupon, two gift cards, and two weeks in the…
3 things great teachers do with technology
Too often, we see teachers putting the proverbial cart before the horse. They find an app or tool they like, so they introduce it in their classroom. The…
This Superintendent is bringing internet to every student, like it or not
Superintendent Darryl Adams has turned a poor, rural district into a hotbed of innovation Few superintendents can claim to have ... Read more
App of the week: Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Classroom Edition
Ed. note: App of the Week picks are now being curated with help from Graphite by Common Sense Media. Click ... Read more
Amazon launches e-textbook publisher for educators
Amazon is rolling out a new e-textbook publishing service specifically for educators. Called Kindle Direct Publishing EDU, the self-publishing platform lets teachers create texts by marking up existing…
5 keys to a successful STEM program at your school
Interested in making the jump to STEM learning at your school? Mine was too. As an elementary math magnet school for nearly two decades, Mound School was looking…
Meet Pecha Kucha, the Japanese presentations changing everything about PowerPoint
“Students, please remember to monotonously read every slide word-for-word when you present to the class.” Said no teacher ever. As I prepare for my presentation this week at…
Why technology must be invisible during ed tech roll outs
One district leader shares his philosophy for invisible tech roll outs that focus on goals, not tools When it comes ... Read more
Which of these top 20 programming languages should your school teach?
Way back in the 1970s, working as a computer programmer was quite prestigious, and if you wanted to get into computer programming, your potential employer would more often…
7 steps to creating PLCs teachers want to use
At my district, the MSD of Wayne Township in Indianapolis, we have found that changing the way we think about teacher training not only benefits staff developers and…
App of the week: LightSail
Ed. note: App of the Week picks are now being curated with help from Graphite by Common Sense Media. Click ... Read more
7 TED Talks All About Mobile
This month's TED Talks focuses in on a subject near and dear to our thumbs—our mobile devices. TED Talks are some of today’s most popular examples of the…
5 essential tech checks for 2015
It’s hard to believe, but 2015 is already upon us. For technology directors and IT personnel, that means a whole new year of fires to put out, devices…
7 reasons why your school should teach robotics and game design
I love every aspect of programming—the frustration, the creativity, everything. I taught myself and now I’m lucky enough to teach students how to code, build robots, and design…
These 6 questions determine if you’re technology rich, innovation poor
Think your school is innovative with tech? Answer these 6 questions and prepare to reassess At the start of a ... Read more
5 ed tech predictions for 2015
Last year, in addition to the tremendous attention on Common Core’s ups and downs, educators also found time to weigh the merits of greater access to broadband in…
App of the Week: Twelve a Dozen
Ed. note: App of the Week picks are now being curated with help from Graphite by Common Sense Media. Click here to read the full app review. twelve-dozen…
The 5 keys of any successful Career and Technical Education program
Since its inception, the discipline of Career and Technical Education (CTE) has transformed into a rigorous educational program that continues to address students’ skills and training as they…
How using technology can keep parents in the loop
Six years ago most of Maine Township High School District 207’s parent communication efforts were one-way in nature. According to Hank Thiele, assistant superintendent of technology and learning,…
The when, why and how of PD for iPads
ipad-pdType “professional development for teachers” into any search engine and numerous results fill the computer screen. Type in “professional development for iPads” and the results are more narrow…
Finding copyright-friendly photos for the Google Images generation
Teaching students to respect the intellectual property of others is important in this digital “cut and paste” world we live in. One great project to share with students…
Try these 6 great Minecraft lesson ideas for your math class
From graphing paper to algebra puzzles, one teacher shares tons of practical lesson ideas for turning math class into “Mathcraft” ... Read more
12 big education challenges your LMS can solve
With the rapid rise of online technology resources, coupled with the ever-expanding list of the latest teaching strategies, an educator might feel like they are constantly walking through…
7 ways to keep girls interested in STEM for the long haul
in the United States, fewer than 15 percent of working engineers are women, despite comprising half of the population. There are a number of possible reasons for this…
The best tips for getting your school ready for Common Core assessments
An elearning pro shares how to prioritize to make the transition to online assessments smoother As with anything in life, ... Read more
A tool in hand is worth… nothing without proper PD
Imagine what would happen if hospital leaders announced to surgeons late on a Friday afternoon that when they came to work on Monday they would no longer be…
8 innovative ideas for the tech-strapped teacher
Slow internet? No devices? Here's how to make the most of limited classroom tech for next to nothing School districts in the United States spend billions of dollars…
10 ways to revolutionize PD for the digital age
Odigital-pdver the past 6-8 years we have seen a supersonic advancement in public schools and the way our teachers now must teach. This has hit education like a…
5 apps for creative iPad storytelling
Narrative writing and storytelling skills are useful in nearly every discipline, from English language arts to science and history. Students that might not be able to explain their…
20 tips for putting Google’s 20 percent time in your classroom
Originally pioneered at places like 3M and HP, Google’s vaunted 20 percent time, which lets employees spend a full one-fifth of their time on passion projects, has spawned…
7 free flipped classroom creation apps you might not know
You might not know these apps for creating lessons, video, and more—perfect for the flipped classroom The flipped classroom gives ... Read more
6 Minecraft lesson ideas for your Common Core math class
Last year I taught third-grade math in a whole new way. Combining elements from the wildly popular sandbox game Minecraft, I had students thinking visually and creatively about…