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11 facts about K-12 IT leadership

Broadband access and the ever-growing equity gap are among K-12 IT leaders’ top concerns, according to CoSN’s annual IT Leadership Survey.

The survey, released in collaboration with the Ed-Fi Alliance and other partners, is based on a national survey of nearly 400 school systems and provides a nuanced look at the challenges K-12 IT leadership has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were proud to once again work alongside the CoSN team in developing this report,” said Sean Casey, manager of strategic partnerships at the Ed-Fi Alliance, a nonprofit devoted to helping school districts and states achieve data interoperability. “At Ed-Fi, our goal is to define data standards to solve problems shared by all educators and to arm the learning community with useful information, as found in this report, for conscientious decision-making that leads to better outcomes for learners everywhere.”…Read More

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Are your students ready for their next step?

After more than a year of virtual learning, many educators and parents are investigating approaches to accelerate learning to ensure students are ready for their next step.  Learning does not just mean facts and content but includes a broad range of skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and effective written communication, as well as social and emotional well-being.  

While content knowledge is a requisite part of a student’s education, on its own it is insufficient if a student is to thrive academically and professionally. Students’ critical thinking, problem solving, and written communication skills are essential for success in college and career. These are the skills in high demand by employers and higher education institutions.

Prior to the pandemic, CAE’s data show that 60 percent of students entering college are not proficient in these essential skills. Furthermore, 44 percent are still not proficient when they graduate. These are the students most at risk–and proficiency is likely even lower now, given the impact of the pandemic. CAE’s data also shows that students who are more proficient with these essential skills are more likely to have positive college and career outcomes.…Read More

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4 facts about student-centered learning

A report from the Clayton Christensen Institute offers unique insights and recommendations for education as schools strive to move toward student-centered learning practices.

In the report, author Thomas Arnett highlights findings from survey data and discussed trends in instructional practices that could help redirect education and reshape its future.

Taking conventional classrooms online…Read More

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11 facts about today’s K-12 IT leadership

Broadband access and the ever-growing equity gap are among K-12 IT leaders’ top concerns, according to CoSN’s annual IT Leadership Survey.

The survey, released in collaboration with the Ed-Fi Alliance and other partners, is based on a national survey of nearly 400 school systems and provides a nuanced look at the challenges K-12 IT leadership has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were proud to once again work alongside the CoSN team in developing this report,” said Sean Casey, manager of strategic partnerships at the Ed-Fi Alliance, a nonprofit devoted to helping school districts and states achieve data interoperability. “At Ed-Fi, our goal is to define data standards to solve problems shared by all educators and to arm the learning community with useful information, as found in this report, for conscientious decision-making that leads to better outcomes for learners everywhere.”…Read More

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How to stop the global pandemic of superficial learning

The global pandemic of superficial learning characterised by the passive acceptance of information, memorisation of isolated and unlinked facts, and a lack of opportunity to explore subjects in depth – has resulted in millions being left unprepared for deeper challenges beyond passing exams. The book ‘A Year of Making and Learning’ came about thanks to a community of international educators taking collective action against this global challenge.

The book takes the reader on a restriction-less voyage spanning six continents and fifteen countries including rgentina, Australia, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Russia, Togo, Ukraine, UK, and USA. In each place, educators share how they go about designing impactful learner-centred experiences with the creative elements of making – in schools, after-school programmes, universities, makerspaces, at home and online.

‘A Year of Making and Learning’ features contributions written in user-friendly language from Wissenschaft im dialog, WMG at the University of Warwick, EcoTec Lab, Shenzhen Open Innovation Lab, and Jerry Do it Together amongst others.…Read More

CVS Health and Discovery Education Team Up for Substance Misuse Prevention Day of Learning

CVS Health and Discovery Education are coming together to present a Day of Learning on October 27, 2020. This event occurs during Red Ribbon Week, the largest drug-use prevention campaign in the nation, and will debut to communities across the United States the newly announced Dose of Knowledge digital education resources.

Dose of Knowledge, part of CVS Health’s Pharmacists Teach program focused on substance misuse education, offers a suite of no-cost digital resources focusing on the facts about prescription and illicit drug misuse. Designed for students in grades 6-12, Dose of Knowledge empowers pharmacists and educators to discuss the importance of healthy lifestyle choices with students.

Intended to spark critical discussions about prescription medication misuse awareness, the Day of Learning will showcase these new resources for educators, students, and families. The Day of Learning will empower youth and adults alike to more deeply engage in the topic of prescription safety and discover the tools needed to face substance misuse head on. Join in on Facebook and Twitter with #DoseofKnowlege.…Read More

Professional Learning Summer Webinar Series

Flinn Scientific is hosting a safe return to school series of webinars, designed to provide facts and information to enhance student learning and facilitate instruction in a safe format, regardless of the learning modality.

Webinars cover safety measures, processes, and protocols required to keep students and staff safe. They have curated the top recommendations from recognized leaders in education, safety, and protection worldwide to help you sort through the overwhelming avalanche of content and readily get to the facts, links, and information that you need.

For School District Personnel
Guidance to Safe School Re-Entry: We all recognize that there is not a ‘one-size fits all’ solution to safely returning to school. In this session, they discuss safety preparation and concerns within schools and maintaining a physically and mentally healthy school environment.…Read More

STEM @ Home

Pitsco Education is offering five STEM/STEAM activities perfect for K-5 learning at home. Using a few readily available household items and some creativity your students can learn while making 5 projects.

For older students, Pitsco Education has made its SySTEM Alert! publication available which includes STEM fast facts, trends, related topics, and much more.  A quiz and answer key is available for each as well.

For more information and many more resources visit Pitsco Education’s STEM @ Home website.…Read More

4 reasons teaching coding improves SEL instruction

Being able to recall facts may help you look good in front of your friends during trivia night, but memorizing content of the past has become largely irrelevant in today’s modern society. When it comes to education, the undeniable truth of the testing culture from the past 20 years is that children arrive to the working world woefully unprepared to deal with interpersonal relationships or even the ability to work in teams. This has as much to do with poor academic skills gained as it has to do with the lack of acquiring and developing basic social and emotional skills associated with positive human relationships. The hue and cry of the media announcing the demise of public education begs the question: What is the best solution for helping students prepare for the 21st-century workforce?

For a growing number of schools and districts, introducing social-emotional learning (SEL) into the classroom in the context of 21st-century learning is the answer.

SEL skills and competencies, as defined by Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making—all of the valuable soft skills important for lifelong success. The challenge is how to do this in an engaging and relevant manner.…Read More

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14 surprising facts about educators’ social media use

Social media has fast become an educator’s dream, with almost immediate responses to questions about teaching strategies, resources, and professional development opportunities.

But how are educators really using social media, and is it really as widely-used as everyone assumes?

FrontRow Education recently asked 1,000 K-8 teachers how they are using social media personally, professionally and as a communication tool with parents and students.…Read More