Think big: How to jumpstart tech use in low-income schools
The challenges of rural schools are many of the same (though not all) that low-income public schools face across the country: inadequate access to technology and broadband, tight…
mindshift
Rich resources for celebrating Black History Month
In recognition of Black History Month, PBS LearningMedia offers a rich collection of multi-media resources, lesson plans and student guides that can complement educators’ teaching tools, MindShift reports
How can we maximize the potential of learning apps?
Let’s dive directly into the world of educational apps. Our survey suggests that the majority — one might even say, the vast majority — of educational apps encourage…
Steve Hargadon: Escaping the Education Matrix
“We tell a story about the power of learning that is very different from what we practice in traditional models of school,” says Steve Hargadon, education technology entrepreneur,…
The importance of low-stakes student feedback
Assessment is both a cornerstone of measuring learning and a point of contention between educators and policymakers, Mind/Shift reports.
How can developers make meaningful learning games for classrooms?
Though many educators are excited about game-based learning, the movement is still very much in a state of transition, Mind/Shift reports.
Age of distraction: Why it’s crucial for students to learn to focus
Digital classroom tools like computers, tablets and smartphones offer exciting opportunities to deepen learning through creativity, collaboration and connection, but those very devices can also be distracting to…
In the rush to buy new tech for Common Core, what happens to the big picture?
Who’s ready for the Common Core? Many schools and districts are re-assessing what they need to do, and how much they will need to spend, to comply with…
Dan Pink: How teachers can sell love of learning to students
In his new book To Sell is Human, author Daniel Pink reports that education is one of the fastest growing job categories in the country, Mind/Shift reports.
Beyond Minecraft: Games that inspire building and exploration
The success and popularity of Minecraft in and out of classrooms is no surprise, Mind/Shift reports.
How can students be successful in a high stakes world?
When asking an audience of parents what attributes they value, Stanford educator and author Denise Pope heard things like critical thinking, creativity, and well-being. Most parents indicated they…
How much freedom to give kids with school-issued iPads?
Parents pack into a gym at Cahuilla Desert Academy, a middle school in the southern California city of Thermal, Mind/Shift reports.
Two case studies: How connected educators can transform schools
Figuring out which new teaching practices or pieces of technology might work in a classroom can feel like a full-time job, Mind/Shift reports.
Why kids take on adults’ math anxiety
We know a lot about how relationships can enhance learning, Mind/Shift reports.
Five research-driven education trends at work in classrooms
Increasingly, educators are looking to research about how kids learn to influence teaching practices and tools, Mind/Shift reports.
Teach kids to be their own internet filters
It’s becoming less and less effective to block students from websites.
How two struggling schools got two different results with ed tech
By now, many educators understand that technology has the potential of transforming teaching and learning, Mind/Shift reports.
Can startups disrupt the slow-moving education market?
Every year, schools spend billions of dollars on supplies and instructional materials and staff, Mind/Shift reports.
Finding the beauty in math
Math has a bad rap, writes math professor Manil Suri in a recent New York Times op-ed, and would be better geared to students as a playful and…
Bypassing the SAT altogether
Mind/Shift reports: “It’s kind of declaring war on the whole rigmarole of college admissions and the failure to foreground the curriculum and learning,” Leon Botstein, Bard’s president of…
Are teachers and ed tech businesses working towards the same goal?
Education technology businesses have come up with hundreds, if not thousands, of products meant to make teachers’ lives easier and improve student achievement, Mind/Shift reports.
5 tools to help students learn how to learn
Helping students learn how to learn: That’s what most educators strive for, and that’s the goal of inquiry learning, Mind/Shift reports.
Is it time to redefine “gifted and talented”?
Manhattan mom Heather McFadden is grateful that entrance into the prized New York City Gifted and Talented program has worked out for her two kids, Mind/Shift reports.
Reinventing school from the ground up for inquiry learning
A grave miscalculation exists in the minds of many educators: That inquiry-based learning, project based learning, and 21st century competencies can flourish in industrial model schools, Mind/Shift reports.
Can technology help students find the “sweet spot” for learning?
Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham wrote a book called Why Don’t Students Like School?
MIT unleashes new online game for math and science
As the buzz around games and learning continues to grow, one particular subset — Massive Open Online (MMO) games — is catching the attention of educators as a…
What we can learn from the smartest kids in the world
In this excellent review of Amanda Ripley’s new book “Smartest Kids in the World,” Annie Murphy Paul highlights one of the biggest changes in how we perceive American…
Tech companies angle for big bucks in education
Enthusiasm to change education from an old-school, paper-based model that most adults are familiar with from their time in school, to a dynamic, personalized experience for kids is…
Before reading or watching videos, students should experiment first
Mind/Shift reports that a new study from the Stanford Graduate School of Education flips upside down the notion that students learn best by first independently reading texts or…
In the digital age, what becomes of the library?
Nashville’s Main Public Library, located in a stately building in the heart of downtown, has a children’s section filled with comfortable sitting areas, oversized art, and a state-of-the-art…
Why computers alone won’t move the needle
MindShift reports that if a student is getting Bs in school, will giving him a home computer, if he doesn’t have one, bump his Bs up to As?…