5 things you need to know about device buyback programs

While most school district officials are aware that they can sell their digital learning device fleets at the end of their lifecycles, many don’t do it because they don’t understand the device buyback process.

This is a key finding from a recent study conducted by Project Tomorrow, best known for its annual K-12 Speak Up education research.

The survey showed that while just 7 percent of district administrators and 14 percent of technology leaders were unfamiliar with buyback services, only a little more than half said they were somewhat or very likely to participate in a buyback program over the next two years.…Read More

10 SEL activities to help students with stress management

As an educator, you are in a unique position to provide stability and care to your students and their families. One of the best ways you can support students during these uncertain times is by teaching them effective stress management strategies.

Just like adults, unmanaged stress in students can lead to anxiety, depression, irritability, poor concentration, aggression, physical illness, fatigue, and sleep disturbance. It can also increase tobacco, drug, and/or alcohol use.

Here are 10 activities to help your students learn effective stress management.…Read More

6 ways to keep students engaged in any type of classroom

Whether your students take the bus to school or run downstairs to the computer room, keeping them engaged in their classwork throughout the day is the best way for them to master content and progress to the next level of their education.

But not all students do this, or at least, do it well. So how can teachers and principals up their game to keep students engaged and make sure each child stays focused and ready to learn?

As teacher for more than 20 years, I have 6 tips to help keep students engaged throughout the day, whether they are in a traditional or a virtual classroom.  …Read More

Mental health is harder for everyone—practical solutions are critical

Schools are facing an enormous task in delivering mental health services to a growing number of students with urgent needs. Even before the pandemic, the gap in achievement levels due to mental health struggles was widening. The pandemic did not create this challenge; it only expanded the need.

Long-established approaches to addressing student mental health continue to be relevant today, but schools are at a moment of freshly examining how, where, and who is best positioned to tackle these challenges.

Recognizing both the new and the familiar in the challenges schools are facing…Read More

Curriculum Associates’ Complete i-Ready® Classroom Mathematics Program for K–8 Now Rated as Tier 1 by the Louisiana Department of Education

NORTH BILLERICA, MA, November 8, 2021—Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Classroom Mathematics program for Grades 6–8 recently received a Tier 1 rating by the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE). With the prior Tier 1 rating of i-Ready Classroom Mathematics for Grades K–5, the complete program for Grades K–8 has now received the highest rating from the Department. Louisiana educators can use i-Ready Classroom Mathematics, which “exemplifies quality” and “meets all non-negotiable criteria and scored the best possible on all indicators of superior quality” according to the LDOE, to deliver discourse-based instruction that empowers students to think mathematically and discuss mathematical ideas.

“A Tier 1 rating from the LDOE is the real benchmark when it comes to choosing comprehensive and quality instructional programs to meet the needs of students,” said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. “Whether addressing unfinished learning, accelerating student outcomes, or supporting in-person or distance instruction and tutoring, i-Ready Classroom Mathematics provides a research-based solution that is a valuable resource for all K–8 math educators in the state.”

The LDOE’s comprehensive, educator-led online reviews of instructional materials are designed to help support school districts across the state in making their own local, high-quality purchasing decisions. The tiered reviews describe the instructional materials’ degree of alignment with state content standards that enables each local school system to determine if the use of the materials is appropriate to meet the educational needs of their students. Ratings are based on elements such as the focus, coherence, rigor, alignment, and quality of the materials.…Read More

4 lessons I’ve learned about supporting all students

Over the past several years, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with many innovative student teachers and have taken advantage of several blended learning instructional opportunities in my building. These experiences have been the best thing to happen to my teaching practice.

Between the small group instruction and differentiation used in the special education classroom that translated perfectly to my inclusion and general ed classes, the new technologies I’ve learned about from my co-teachers, and my own constant pursuit of professional learning, I have been mindful that even as a 32-year classroom veteran, I must continue to evolve my approach and incorporate new strategies so I can be at my best for all learners.

The challenges we’ve faced as a profession throughout the pandemic have validated my thinking and reinforced the importance of being adaptive and always learning as an educator. With the new approaches I’ve implemented and with new technology, I’ve seen students achieve some marvelous things.…Read More

3 steps to creating a comfortable learning environment

Students have started a new school year and are facing the many challenges still present with in-person learning amid a pandemic. One of the most important to address is how schools address student safety and health–both physical and mental. CDC research has already documented the negative effects COVID-19 has inflicted upon children’s mental well-being.

Schools that established health and safety policies and procedures before this academic year began are best poised to help protect their students’ well-being. But it’s not too late–as school leaders confront the evolving situation, security technology can help build an environment where students feel safe, comfortable, and confident, and where every person’s well-being is prioritized.

Integrating security technology doesn’t have to be a complex process. Keep reading for an easy-to-follow approach school leaders can use to identify and execute on opportunities for enhancing their students’ health and safety journey.…Read More

4 simple steps to help students build resilience and confidence

We’ve all heard the expression “we’re in the same boat”–however, I heartily agree with those who are brave enough to argue no–we are all in different boats in the same storm. I’d extend that metaphor for the gradual return to in-person instruction.

During each school day, students and teachers are in the same boat. It is up to teachers to build the best boat for all their student passengers, while remaining aware that every individual brings different baggage when they come aboard.

The 2021-22 school year started with children who come with a whole gamut of effects from a variety of stressors, including the pandemic, social unrest, and polarization. To provide support, school leaders are prioritizing social-emotional learning (SEL) and trauma-informed education–with a particular focus on student well-being, as evidenced by myriad articles, webinars, and resources centered around mindfulness and stress management.…Read More

As schools share best practices, equity can emerge from the pandemic

Another school year is underway, and many of you may be feeling an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. Pandemic preparedness, mask mandates, quarantines–it’s starting to sound a lot like where we were last fall. But, luckily, it’s not.

Our public schools are not where they were at the start of the last school year. In fact, in terms of investment in new teaching and learning capabilities and student supports, we are currently leaps ahead of where we were in fall 2019, too–a not-so-distant past. Pushed by the pandemic, school systems and learners acquired new skills at a rapid pace. If we help them learn from each other and keep building upon these innovations, we will be in a new and better place this time next year.

This is the lesson of our recent white paper, “Launching Forward: Leveraging Pandemic Innovations to Advance School Systems.” In our research, we looked across U.S. school systems and found that through the hardship has come considerable growth. We didn’t want those lessons learned and innovations made to be lost; we didn’t want the hardship to be for naught.…Read More

Using the rule of threes for a technology strategy

As the new school year starts amid fresh uncertainty, educators are grappling with how to navigate what I’ve come to call the “And Era.” The And Era is not about going only remote or returning to purely in-person experiences, but adopting the best of both. While many schools are bringing kids back into classrooms this year, the spread of the Delta variant and other factors out of their control mean they must again be prepared to support a mix of virtual and in-person learning.

That means focusing on what they can control–developing and deploying a strong technology strategy that will give them the agility to combine varying degrees of in-person and remote elements into a seamless learning experience. The heart of that strategy should center around three interdependent components: hardware, software, and the network.

While the stakes are enormous, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and its $130 billion in new K-12 funding offers great hope that schools will be able to secure the technology, expertise- and resources they need to build an educational infrastructure for the next generation. Given the possibility that many students will spend one-fourth of their learning journey under these trying circumstances, making best use of those funds to implement a thoughtful technology strategy is more important than ever.…Read More

3 activities that will turn classroom robots into SEL power tools

If I had one teaching tool at my disposal in a classroom besides pencils, papers, and books, it would be an educational robot. A robot is the single most engaging learning tool I’ve used with students. It appeals to children of all ages, genders, and backgrounds—and it goes beyond technology to include so many learning goals. In fact, when I was at the pre-K-8 Park School, I considered it one of the most important social-emotional learning tools I’ve used.

There are so many demands on teachers’ time, especially at the beginning of a new school year, that teaching with a robot may not be on their lists of must-do activities. But robotics can be easily incorporated into instruction. As a lead makerspace educator, I’ve found that the best way to help teachers integrate robots into their lessons is to identify the skills they’re looking to teach and demonstrate how they can accomplish it with classroom robots.

As students return to the classroom after a tumultuous and traumatic year, SEL is going to be especially important. Here are a few activities that have helped the teachers in my school connect STEAM and SEL.…Read More

Flinn Scientific Launches New Contest for STEM Educators in Celebration of Mole Day

In celebration of the upcoming Mole Day on October 23rd, Flinn Scientific is asking STEM educators to share their favorite way of teaching students about the size of a mole – a scientific unit that is often hard for students to conceptualize – for a chance to win up to $500 in Visa gift cards. All K-12 educators ages 21 and above are encouraged to apply by the October 23, 2021 deadline. 

 “One mole is officially defined as containing exactly 6.02214076 x 1023 elementary entities, which is an extremely large quantity of units,” said Alan Downward, Ph.D., senior staff scientist at Flinn Scientific. “With National Chemistry Week and Mole Day later this month, our new contest provides a fun way for teachers to share their best practices and tips for teaching students about this concept and how it relates to important chemistry concepts such as amount, mass, and concentration.”

To enter, educators create a short video of their favorite explanation, analogy, or demonstration showing how they teach students about the size of a mole. After uploading to YouTube, Vimeo, or TikTok with the hashtag #FlinnMoleDay, educators then share the video link on Flinn Scientific’s contest page. All videos must reference the SI unit known as a mole, as well as highlight educators’ original concept, method, or reasoning behind how they teach students the size of a mole.

Next, teachers will vote on their favorite submissions by October 31, 2021, and the three educators whose videos receive the most ‘likes’ will be named the winners. The first place winner will receive (2) $250 Visa gift cards, the second place winner will receive (1) $250 Visa gift card, and the third place winner will receive (1) $100 Visa gift card.

To learn more about the #FlinnMoleDay contest and to submit your entry, visit https://www.flinnsci.com/chemistry-week/mole-day-contest/.…Read More