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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.

3 ways to get the most out of a digital classroom

Recent Food and Drug Administration approval of the COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds means that thousands of children who have continued to learn from home will dust off their lunch boxes and climb onto the school bus, destined for in-person instruction once again.

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools indicates, students benefit from in-person learning, and face-to-face should be the primary method of instruction. Still, eLearning has earned its place in education, and smart educators welcome the addition.

Two are better than one…Read More

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eSchool News, Xirrus launch Innovate to Educate Awards at ISTE 2016

Innovate to Educate Awards to recognize the best ed-tech innovation and commitment to making the digital classroom and personalized learning a reality

eSchool News, in partnership with Xirrus, provider of next generation, cloud-enabled Wi-Fi networks, invites K-12 schools and districts nationwide to participate in the first ever Innovate to Educate Awards program, kicking off June 27 at the ISTE 2016 conference at Xirrus Booth No. 2937.

The Innovate to Educate Awards program recognizes the country’s finest ed-tech initiatives, and offers schools and districts across the U.S. the opportunity to showcase their groundbreaking approach to improving teaching and learning through the use of technology. ISTE 2016 attendees will have the first chance to enter the contest which runs until October 14, 2016. Attendees can enter by creating a video that describes their ed-tech innovations at the Xirrus booth and will receive five free raffle tickets for the daily Xirrus Apple Watch drawing.

The winning school or district will be awarded the grand Innovation Showcase Prize November, 2016—a multi-faceted eSchool News media package that promotes the success of the winner’s technology program to local and national stakeholders and constituents. The award package includes a feature story in eSchool News print and digital issues, a success story for the winner to share and distribute, a grand prize winner press announcement, and a custom-designed “Innovate to Educate Winner” icon for online posting and promotion.…Read More

School Specialty unveils intervention program for low-level readers

Interactive intervention tool aims to engage learners in a digital classroom

According to the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress — the Nation’s Report Card — only about 35 percent of U.S. fourth and eighth graders perform at the “proficient” level in reading.

To help schools close the achievement gap with students performing significantly below grade level, EPS Literacy and Intervention, a division of School Specialty, announced the debut of iSPIRE, an interactive reading intervention program incorporates phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, vocabulary, comprehension and fluency to accelerate literacy skill development for the lowest performing students in grades PreK-8.

iSPIRE is powered by Exploros, a streamlined online teaching platform designed to connect teachers to students in a digitally transformed classroom with the teacher at the center of mastery based instruction.…Read More

Five strategies for using classroom technology

New paper from Center for Promise highlights best technology practices gleaned from school districts

classroom-technologyTechnology and digital media continue to represent a powerful pathway for advancing the goals of education, including raising academic achievement and preparing students for college and career, according to a new study released by the Center for Promise, the research arm of America’s Promise Alliance.

In time for Digital Learning Day, the new paper, Wired to Learn: K-12 Students in the Digital Classroom, supported by the Cable Impacts Foundation, explores digital learning as a promising strategy for improving students’ educational experiences and highlights the efforts of five school districts across the country focused on reshaping the traditional learning environment.

“Our research findings illustrate how carefully planned and implemented digital learning initiatives can powerfully impact how students learn,” said Jonathan Zaff, executive director, Center for Promise. “Identifying innovative, yet practical ways to involve students in meaningful teaching plans that meet their individual needs and strengths is critical for creating positive pathways toward graduation.”…Read More

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How to create a student-centered digital classroom

student-centered-classroom
The key to creating a student-centered digital classroom is teaching students many web tools, the author writes.

Someone recently inquired if there is a time in the classroom when you just know that everything is right. She asked me to envision that time and to describe it. “When is it great?” she wondered.

It didn’t take long for me to picture a recent day, when my seventh-grade students created that perfect 50 minutes of class. It was magical, but it had little to do with their teacher. Twenty-five 12-year-olds were scattered about the room, some at desktop computers and others on mobile devices.…Read More

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