How Apple can improve students struggling with writing
5 questions we should be asking about student screen addiction
When it comes to technology use, can we strike a balance between access and concerns about screen addiction?
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
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,…
Office 365 enhances smooth transition to a Bring Your Own Laptop program
Experience in a real-life scenario in a K12 school at the beginning of 2014 demonstrated that an integrated Microsoft environment that leverages cloud based solutions can help an…
When teachers don’t need technology
Any number of articles, studies, and research topics will tell you that students need technology in the classroom. We live in the digital age, they are natives, and…
Fluency: A key to reading success
According to a recent National Assessment of Educational Progress report, approximately 33 percent of fourth grade students read at a level considered “below basic.” Over the past 20…
Curation on the iPad: Learning to appreciate beauty
Like most of us, instructional technology specialist Daniel Callahan isn’t a big fan of most of the eMail he receives, but on occasion he receives a message in…
Stop saying ‘technology’
I have an idea. Let's stop using the word "technology." I have a feeling that the sooner we get this word out of our vocabulary, the sooner we…
Schools must adapt to innovative changes
It's "back to the future" in education today. Following in the big footsteps of the 19th century educational pioneers who worked to create public schools fit for the…
Technology is no substitute for a well-trained teacher
While technology may be useful to monitor students with special needs, it cannot replace the effectiveness of a skilled educator in the classroom. With the reauthorization of the…
Digital report card seeks to build best innovation education system
The blackboard was a revolutionary piece of technology when introduced into classrooms back in the 19th century. Teachers could, at last, give group lessons and present group problems.…
Global science inquiry’s benefits for students
Communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity (the 4 Cs), the cornerstones of 21st century learning, are and have been the buzzwords circling the educational community. These skills and…
Can an app help foster good reading habits?
When I taught literature, I often found myself trying to break free from the “teacher triangle” class discussion, where a question is initiated by the teacher, answered by…
The iPad as a hammer: Moving from goals to tools
Every year, Kristen Wideen creates a project and invites other classes to join in. This year, her third-grade classroom is using the Book Creator app to create a…
What you should know about personalized education
We’ve seen or heard about it all over the internet. Blogs and forums discussing the future of education. Learning gurus all over the world making predictions about social…
How video is driving personalization in education
Need help fixing your bike? Looking for a new makeup look or hairstyle? More and more, we're looking to YouTube to help us learn new things. The same…
Principal evaluation: The next big reform?
As states and districts have worked tirelessly to implement teacher effectiveness initiatives, largely driven by new and more rigorous teacher evaluation systems, the topic of principal evaluation has…
Successful eLearning begins with well-prepared teachers
When the state of North Carolina dramatically reduced textbook funding, yet decided it would implement the Common Core State Standards, our School of Education at Gardner-Webb University decided…
Top 5 Twitter reactions to Obama’s speech on education
U.S. President Barack Obama’s emphasis on education during his fifth State of the Union address, which last slightly more than one hour, generated a lot of buzz on…
How lawmakers have failed students living in poverty
Fifty years after President Johnson declared a “war on poverty,” there is broad disagreement over whether the nation’s anti-poverty measures have been a success. But when you compare…
What everybody should know about online learning environments
Blended Learning requires an effective delivery system. A web based solution that allows courses to be structured effectively, is easy to use and has a range of educationally…
Connecting kids with today’s changing tech tools
Improved learning is a concern for our nation. Our economic prosperity depends on it, as does our strength as a nation. To improve learning in the 21st Century,…
What good are mentors in an online age?
In an age where anyone with an internet connection can learn everything from how to cut a pineapple to “Intro to Engineering” from MIT, are mentors still relevant…
Technology can help ensure our students hear, learn, and achieve
Desk chairs squeak. Radiators rattle. Vents hum. Classrooms are noisy--and it's only getting worse. Many "open concept" schools don't even have walls to contain noise between rooms. It's…
5 fresh ways to keep professional development engaging
Teachers operate in complex and lively environments where success depends on their ability to be creative and flexible. As a result, sustainable and meaningful professional development (PD) needs…
Is it time to do blended learning PD the right way?
How often have we heard that education is changing, and that Flipped Learning/Blended Learning/Integrated Learning/Hybrid Learning/(enter the latest term here) is the future and needs to be embraced…
What you should know about self-paced blended learning
Some general research supports the move to Blended Learning, particularly self-paced Blended Learning. This research includes sources as diverse as Daniel Pink, Susan Cain and Anders Ericsson. Daniel…
What everybody ought to know about education in Finland
Last month, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), a triennial international survey which aims to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old…
Teachers: Now is the time to connect online!
Teachers can find professional networking online. Educational sites afford convenience, privacy, and expertise in a variety of educational areas. There are also interactive activities for teachers joining an…
Better data use requires better data systems
I loved my 4-door sedan but knew it would never outrace a Lamborghini. Even if I had a driving coach and driving training, the tool I was using…
‘Iron Chef’ parodies: A perfect use of ed tech?
A few years ago, my high-school-age stepdaughter arrived home from school one afternoon and started watching a video. Nothing too unusual. But Olivia was walking around the kitchen…
A college readiness tool that every district should use
The National Student Clearinghouse's StudentTracker is an invaluable service that can help districts better prepare their students for college success. The National Student Clearinghouse is a nonprofit organization…
Creating systemic change? There is no app for that
The rise of educational apps has impacted classrooms across the nation, but there’s one major change that apps can’t implement ... Read more
Are these 8 trends the future of K-12?
In a recent blog I wrote for Wired, I discussed Jack Uldrich’s book, Jumping the Curve. Essentially, it suggests that the best entrepreneurs, innovators, and visionaries are those…
Four great tips on how schools can use technology for Common Core
Ready or not, Common Core is coming. The national educational standards for K-12 schools will officially debut in the 2014-15 school year, and it is bringing a new…
Eight conversions toward global competitiveness
