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Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

4 tips for using data to differentiate instruction

Finding ways to help all students grow academically – regardless of where they are starting from – can be challenging. From my experiences teaching special education, general education, and English Learners, I can tell you there is no one-size-fits-all approach that works.

In order to meet the unique and individual learning needs of each student, teachers have to find ways to differentiate instruction, and data is critical to doing so.

Teachers often have a lot of assessment data at their fingertips, but they have to know how to use it in order to be successful. An administrator once said in a meeting, “Data by itself is useless. Data is only useful if you apply it.”…Read More

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Edthena Names Winners of the 2022 Teacher Leader Impact Awards

SAN FRANCISCO (June 14, 2022) – Edthena is announcing this year’s honorees for the Teacher Leader Impact Awards which recognize the outstanding achievements of teacher leaders nationwide. All four of the winning educators were nominated by either an administrator or colleague at their school or district for making a measurable impact on others and creating positive lasting change.

“Educators are true superheroes,” said Adam Geller, founder and CEO of Edthena. “This is particularly true of this year’s awardees from across the country. From supporting students and fellow teachers to spearheading STEM initiatives, all of the honored educators are so deserving of the Teacher Leader Impact Award recognition.”

The 2022 Teacher Leader Impact Award recipients are:…Read More

3 key actions for trauma-informed student supports

Most every K–12 teacher or administrator can anecdotally describe the mental health and wellness challenges their students now face. Statistically, it’s overwhelming—more than one-third (37 percent) of high school students report that they experienced poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and 44 percent of them reported they felt persistently sad or hopeless during the past year.

The degree and types of trauma students now face can be measured as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) that demand deliberate and focused school-based supports that can mitigate the ACE’s impact on a student. We have talked for years about the challenges students face, but it is now time to actualize support systems that not only re-engage, but keep students engaged in their learning.

ACEs are traumatic experiences that occur in childhood, such as experiencing violence, abuse, neglect, and even economic and health disruptions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 61 percent of adults surveyed across 25 different states reported experiencing at least one type of ACE before age 18, and 1 in 6 adults reported experiencing 4 or more types of ACEs. While ACEs don’t have a single cause, they do have lasting, negative effects on health, well-being, education and even job potential. Toxic stress from ACEs affects a child’s brain development, immune systems, and stress-response, leading to a decrease in a child’s attention, decision-making abilities, and learning. Yet, students often lack access to proper support.…Read More

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Georgia Principal Wins Curriculum Associates’ 2022 Inspire Award

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., February 17, 2022—Curriculum Associates has named Jamilah Hud-Kirk, principal of Fountain Elementary in Clayton County Public Schools in Forest Park, GA, as the recipient of its 2022 Inspire Award. This recognition, which is part of the annual Extraordinary Educators program that celebrates exemplar teachers around the country, is given to one administrator nationwide for their ability to create strong bonds with school-based teams to take the use of i-Ready to new levels to support students. Today, the award-winning i-Ready program is used in the majority of Georgia’s school districts.

“All teachers and students deserve a dedicated and supportive principal,” said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. “Jamilah fully embodies these characteristics and more. She is truly an inspiration to all those she serves, and we are proud to recognize her ongoing leadership and hard work with this year’s award.”

Hud-Kirk has more than 25 years of experience in urban and rural education as a teacher, school improvement specialist, assistant principal, and principal at the elementary, middle, and district levels in Alabama, Texas, and Georgia. This includes 13 years as principal at Fountain Elementary, where she currently serves more than 600 students in Grades pre-K–5.…Read More

Heroes at Work: Navajo Prep goes all-in on internet access during pandemic learning

Heroes at Work is a three-part series featuring excerpts from conversations with the grand prize winners of the 2021 eSchool Media K-12 Hero Awards program, sponsored by Trox. See below for the full interview.

Here, eSchool News highlights the Navajo Preparatory School–one of three K-12 Hero Awards winners. Keep reading this interview with Sean C. Bekis, the school’s Network Administrator, to discover how school leaders did whatever they needed to do to get students connected to reliable internet and other vital resources during the pandemic.

eSN: Tell us a bit about your situation.…Read More

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3 ways to support students’ mental and behavioral health this fall

Through no real fault of their own, schools and districts around the nation usually struggle to meet students’ mental and behavioral health needs. The demand for services outstrips their capacity, meaning administrators, counselors, and educators are often left to cobble together solutions while facing time and resource constraints. So, while education leaders make the most of the options available to them, it’s often difficult to help every student needing support.

As a former teacher, building administrator, and assistant superintendent, I experienced these frustrations firsthand. They kept me up at night. How do we make sure we have supports in place for each one of our students? How do we expand support for students outside of the school walls? How do we create a supportive environment—in and out of the classroom—to ensure all our students succeed?

With students returning once again this fall for full-time, in-person learning, there are going to be challenges that arise, especially mental and behavioral health needs tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.…Read More

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Making a post-pandemic promise

Vicksburg Warren School District (VWSD) Superintendent Chad Shealy is irrepressible. Whether you are talking about COVID response, CTE strategies, or curriculum content, Chad not only makes you feel happy you asked, but even happier with his answers.

VWSD serves all of Warren County, Mississippi, and has an enrollment of approximately 7,200 students in grades Pre-K through 12. VWSD consists of three high schools (grades 9-12), three middle schools (grades 7-8), 10 elementary schools, and an alternative program.

In this conversation with eSchool News, he provides insights for any district administrator looking to thrive next fall.…Read More

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Edthena Names Winners of the 2021 Teacher Leader Impact Awards

Educators from across the country recognized for their measurable impact within the school community

SAN FRANCISCO (May 6, 2021) – Coinciding with Teacher Appreciation Week, Edthena is announcing this year’s honorees for the Teacher Leader Impact Awards which recognizes the outstanding achievements of teacher leaders nationwide. All nine of the honored educators were nominated by an administrator in their district for making a measurable impact on others and creating positive lasting change.

“We were blown away by the truly remarkable accomplishments and contributions of teacher leaders from across the country,” said Adam Geller, founder and CEO of Edthena. “From supporting students and fellow teachers to spearheading school-wide initiatives, all of the honored educators exemplify true leadership and are so deserving of this recognition.”…Read More

5 ways to nurture a cybersecurity interest in a healthy way

It’s something no teacher or administrator wants to think about, but what if one of your students is showing an interest in computer hacking? Teachers–sometimes more than parents–can tap into kids’ interests and skill sets. And with technology now a large part of how students are learning, it is just a matter of time until any educator runs into a student with an unexpected knowledge of how tech works or how to manipulate it.

How do you know if these students simply have a healthy curiosity or are interested in something darker? And how do you help an advanced student understand that they can use their skills for good by choosing a career as a cybersecurity professional rather than an underground hacker? Here’s how to handle such a nuanced situation.

1. Identify interest and skill…Read More

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ClassTag Launches ClassTag Connect Parent Engagement Platform

ClassTag, the leading parent-teacher communication platform, today announced the introduction of ClassTag Connect, an all-in-one engagement platform that provides robust data-driven insights to facilitate greater parent, teacher, and administrator involvement and insights from classroom to district. Over 25,000 schools and several districts, including South-Western City School District, Phoenix Talent School District, and Salado Independent School District are currently using ClassTag Connect.

“The COVID pandemic has prompted school districts to recognize the value of a single, cohesive engagement platform that will avoid overwhelming parents with siloed communications. Our platform provides a way for districts and their individual schools to facilitate meaningful, personal, two-way communication between parents, teachers and administrators while simultaneously offering school and districts actionable insights behind parental engagement levels, ensuring that every family is empowered during this challenging time,”  said Vlada Lotkina, CEO and Co-Founder of ClassTag.

For example, ClassTag Connect allows schools and districts to send important updates in real time to each parent’s preferred messaging channel, whether that’s via the app, email, SMS, web or paper. The accessibility of ClassTag Connect also extends to families who do not speak English as a first language as well, as the app allows for automatic translation into 60+ languages.…Read More