story Archives

NJ unveils resources for using AI in schools as state aims to pioneer innovations

July 5, 2024 by Jessie Gómez, Chalkbeat

Education experts continue to note that safety and privacy concerns should remain a top priority as AI expands in schools.

New Jersey's department of education unveiled a set of resources aimed at helping educators understand, implement, and manage artificial intelligence in schools.

Digital Learning Tools

Lax NYC school cell phone policies put burden on teachers, leave students confused

July 2, 2024 by Amy Zimmer, Chalkbeat

Policies on cell phone bans in NYC schools create confusion for students and a challenging learning environment for teachers to manage.

On its face, the cell phone policy at Forest Hills High School seems clear: Phones cannot be used in school and must be turned off during the day,…

Game-Based Learning

How one high school became a Minecraft powerhouse

June 24, 2024 by Alex Zimmerman, Chalkbeat

Minecraft generally does not have set rules or goals--players can use it to tinker, write code, or build a world--even through a school club.

John Dewey High School senior Jayla Mallette had an unusual request for her teacher after 9 p.m. a few months back. She was so excited about a project…

Live @ ISTE 2024

5 can’t-miss events at ISTELive 24

June 14, 2024June 13, 2024 by Laura Ascione

Each year without fail, ISTELive connects thousands of educators--from school and districts leaders to classroom teachers and technology directors--to education experts, industry leaders, and in-depth content sessions.

Digital Learning Tools

5 can’t-miss events at ISTELive 24

June 13, 2024June 11, 2024 by Laura Ascione

Venture into the future of learning at ISTELive 24 and connect with thought leaders, industry influencers, educators, and more.

Student Well-Being

How this school social worker helps students inside and outside of the classroom

May 23, 2024 by MJ Slaby, Chalkbeat

A school social worker advocates for and enhances the voices of students and families to make sure they have all of the support needed.

The more caring and loving adults in a child’s life, the better. That’s the approach Michele Whaley carries into her job as a school social worker at Eleanor…

Education Policy & Funding

It’s time to pay student teachers

April 25, 2024 by Katie Viernum, Chalkbeat

Paraprofessionals like student teachers are poised to fill essential teaching roles. Let’s remove barriers to their advancement.

I fell in love with teaching while working as an assistant educator at a preschool 16 years ago. I had not studied education, so I enrolled in an…

College and Career Readiness

A bungled FAFSA rollout threatens students’ college ambitions

April 24, 2024 by Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat

With college decision deadlines looming, thousands of high school students have been stuck in limbo due to issues with the new FAFSA.

Christian Rojas Linares can’t finish his financial aid forms because he’s been blanketed with error messages. The New York City high school senior has even received incorrect emails…

STEM & STEAM Trends

Can you take algebra in eighth grade? In many cases, the answer is no

April 11, 2024 by Kalyn Belsha, Chalkbeat

$Algebra is often considered a gateway class, which can set students up for challenging math classes in college and career paths in science and engineering fields$

If you’re an eighth grader who wants to take algebra, can you even take the class? The answer to that question, it turns out, depends a lot on…

College and Career Readiness

CTE advocates want more funding as demand increases

April 3, 2024 by Samantha Smylie, Chalkbeat

CTE programs across Illinois have introduced students to trades such as carpentry and culinary arts, and are helping students land jobs. They need more funding.

A decade ago, Latisa Kindred fought to bring back the electricity program at Simeon Career Academy, which had been shut down by the school’s principal due to low…

School Management

Apps are helping teachers communicate with families that don’t speak English

April 1, 2024 by Yesenia Robles, Chalkbeat

For many teachers, apps have become crucial as educators work to communicate with the rising number of families that don’t speak English.

Emma Gonzalez Gutierrez has struggled to communicate with the teachers of her five children for years. She’s tried to stay engaged. She’s attended meetings, gravitated toward Spanish-speaking staff,…

ELL

This ESL teacher ensures students learn the language–and feel the love

March 28, 2024 by Tonyaa Weathersbee, Chalkbeat

Teaching ESL students means more than helping them learn English and find their way--it means helping newcomer students fit in socially

Missy Testerman has been teaching at Rogersville City School for 32 years. But for the past few years, she’s been teaching more children who weren’t born in the…

COVID in Schools

Years after pandemic closures, we’re seeing their effects inside our schools

March 12, 2024 by Christine Ferris

Teachers are seeing students exhibit symptoms of the developmental milestones many children missed in recent pandemic school years.

Since school buildings reopened after COVID closures, I’ve heard teachers say, again and again, that the older elementary children in their classrooms are just not the same.

AI in Education

2024: The year of generative AI

February 21, 2024 by Lindy Hockenbary

This year marks a significant milestone in integrating advanced AI technologies into educational practices, heralding a new era of teaching and learning.

AI in Education

Can artificial intelligence help teachers improve?

January 30, 2024 by Michael Elsen-Rooney, Chalkbeat

The use of AI in teacher coaching is generating a fierce debate among those for--and against--the technology.

A network of small public high schools in New York City is exploring whether artificial intelligence can change the way teachers receive feedback about their classroom instruction.

STEM & STEAM Trends

How this middle school teacher gets students to challenge themselves in math

January 23, 2024 by Samantha Lauten, Chalkbeat

$This believes that giving students the opportunity to work on more difficult equations fosters excitement for math.$

When Salvador Quijada, a seventh and eighth grade math teacher at Philip’s Academy Charter School, thinks back on his own journey as a mathematician, he gives credit to…

Edtech Trends

5 major education trends in 2023

December 29, 2023 by Dr. Christina Counts, Vice President of Education, MiEN Company

As new education trends lead to innovative teaching and learning, here are some of the top trends to look for.

With the start of a new year and education conference season just beginning, educators and industry leaders are discovering the biggest education trends for 2023. The past few…

Literacy

How we can improve literacy through student engagement

December 28, 2023 by Kevin Hogan

When educators use edtech tools properly, literacy achievement and student engagement can reap the benefits and demonstrate improvement.

In this episode of Innovations in Education, Madeleine Mortimore, Global Education Innovation and Research Lead for Logitech details how classroom technologies, if used properly, can increase student engagement…

College and Career Readiness

Voters skeptical of college, more supportive of CTE

January 8, 2024December 27, 2023 by Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat

Many weren’t sure if their districts offered CTE, but would have a more favorable view of their district if they knew about such programs.

It’s more important for Colorado schools to prepare students for the workforce than to prepare them to attend college.

Edtech Trends

How did edtech impact learning in 2023?

December 25, 2023 by Laura Ascione

What K-12 edtech trends about pandemic learning, equity, and more took top billing in schools and districts in the new year?

As we closed the door on 2022, we approached 2023 with clear-cut priorities for education. Education and student well-being are stretched thin, and lingering learning gaps, exacerbated by…

Teacher Professional Development

I’m a first-year teacher. How can I find success in the classroom?

December 19, 2023 by Dr. Kem Smith, Chalkbeat

For a first-year teacher, decide what you value and support students as individuals, build a community of learners, and connect with peers.

This is my first year as a teacher and I’m teaching sixth grade, so both my students and I are new to the school. I’m wondering if you…

Digital Learning Tools

9 ways collaborative learning benefits teachers and students

January 4, 2024December 4, 2023 by Dipal H Kapadia, Ed.D., Director of Information & Educational Technology, Lehigh Career & Technical Institute

While technologies can feel like a hurdle at times, there is also much that can be gained by leveraging collaborative learning.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around for many years, but the introduction of ChatGPT in November 2022 has generated many discussions of how this technology can impact education…

COVID in Schools

Schools have struggled to add learning time after COVID–here’s how one district did it

November 28, 2023 by Kalyn Belsha, Chalkbeat

One district extended its school day to help students catch up after the pandemic--a rare effort nationally to add instructional time and learning time after covid.

School leaders floated the idea to lengthen Cicero 99’s school day before COVID hit, but the proposal took on greater urgency when educators saw how the pandemic set…

College and Career Readiness

As teens rethink college and career options, counselors are trying to adapt

November 27, 2023 by Michael Elsen-Rooney, Chalkbeat

The pandemic upended the college and career landscape for New York City teenagers, and counselors are trying to redefine their roles.

When students come into Danielle Insel’s college and career advising office with their sights set on higher education, she has a checklist of next steps ready. For years,…

CoSN Corner

Leveraging the K-12 generative AI readiness checklist: A guide for district leadership

November 28, 2023November 15, 2023 by Tom Ryan, Ph.D., Co-Founder, K-12 Strategic Technology Advisory Group (K12STAG) (NM) & Shahryar Khazei, Consultant, Infosys (CA)

The rapid pace of generative AI development brings with it both great opportunities and exposure to risk for schools and district leaders.

Whether or not a school district is considering leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI), the influence of this technology on educational ecosystems is undeniable.

Teaching Trends

Outdoor classrooms should outlast COVID

October 31, 2023 by Becca Katz

Being in nature seemed to help my students focus--growing research validates the benefits of outdoor learning and outdoor classrooms.

The evidence for learning in nature is compelling, robust, and growing. Reduced stress. Improved attention and cognitive function. More physical fitness. Fewer behavioral challenges. Higher engagement.

AI in Education

5 positive ways students can use AI

December 11, 2023October 25, 2023 by MacKenzie Price, Co-Founder, 2hr Learning & Alpha School

AI is here to stay, and will be an important workforce skill--let's teach our students to work with it, not against it, in the classroom.

You’ve heard all the news about kids using ChatGPT to cheat, but there's another side to this story. Just as the internet revolutionized education, AI will be the…

College and Career Readiness

Companies go to high schools for career training

October 12, 2023 by Aleksandra Appleton, Chalkbeat Indiana

Vocational schools of the past contributed to inequity, but modern career training gives students a window into their options.

Where vocational schools of the past contributed to inequity by directing low-income and students of color into low-wage jobs, modern career training can give students a window into…

Durable Skills

3 lessons on perseverance from Stoffel the honey badger

May 5, 2024September 19, 2023 by Jon Oosterman, Learning Specialist, Van Andel Institute for Education

Perseverance requires flexibility and patience, but it results in growth and new opportunities for students and teachers alike.

Have you ever heard the story of Stoffel the honey badger? Stoffel was rescued by a wildlife rehabilitation center after being injured by a pride of lions and…

Teacher Professional Development

Education majors share why they want to become teachers

September 4, 2023 by Jade Thomas, Chalkbeat Indiana

Many teachers have left the profession after the pandemic, but some college students are determined to choose a career in education.

Like school systems across the country, Indianapolis districts have struggled to fill their teaching vacancies, especially after the pandemic. Many experienced teachers are leaving the profession, citing inadequate pay or…

Teacher Professional Development

9 big ideas to bolster the teaching profession and boost student learning

August 7, 2023 by Matt Barnum, Chalkbeat

The teaching profession is facing a series of crises, but there are solutions that might help, such as increasing pay and curricular support.

America’s schools face a number of warning signs about the teaching profession: higher turnover, lower morale, declining interest in the profession among college students, persistent shortages in certain subjects. These…

Literacy

I work with struggling readers–here’s what’s standing in their way

July 13, 2023 by Bridget Scanlan, Chalkbeat Philadelphia

It’s heartbreaking to realize that I never taught many of my former students to read--but here's why struggling readers often struggle.

I learned to love reading as a kid, spellbound by wizarding worlds and ghost stories. I wanted to share this love, so I became an intervention teacher, working…

COVID in Schools

COVID learning loss likely to linger without intensive work

May 29, 2023 by Kalyn Belsha, Chalkbeat

COVID learning loss was driven more by factors in student’s communities and school districts than in their homes, new research finds.

Just as COVID hit some communities much harder than others, schools across the U.S. suffered disparate academic losses in the wake of the pandemic.

District Management

How our district improved a 5 percent attendance rate

July 28, 2023May 4, 2023 by Daniella Byrne, Public Information Officer, Eagle Pass Independent School District

Our rural district found its attendance rate so low after the pandemic that funding was at risk. Here’s how we brought students back to class

Here at Eagle Pass Independent School District, we’re right on the border of the United States and Mexico. Approximately 95 percent of our students are Hispanic, and most…

Edtech Trends

With greater access to devices, teachers are folding more tech into instruction

April 21, 2023 by Reema Amin, Chalkbeat New York

COVID's seismic shift made devices more accessible to students than ever before, and has made teachers edtech enthusiasts

Before the pandemic, U.S. history teacher Travis Malekpour hesitated assigning his students work in the classroom that required a computer. He knew not every student had a laptop…

STEM & STEAM Trends

How a middle school teacher grew students’ math scores despite pandemic challenges

April 19, 2023 by Amelia Pak-Harvey, Chalkbeat Indiana

$Throughout the pandemic, this middle school math teacher held students to high expectations whether they were learning in person or virtually$

As a senior at Indianapolis’ Ben Davis High School, Jacob Gregory enrolled in an Exploratory Teaching program. He thought of it as an easy way to leave school…

District Management

3 tips for confusion-free inclement weather communications

July 28, 2023March 16, 2023 by Dr. Kara Stern, Head of Content, SchoolStatus

Reduce chances for confusion and ensure your weather-related communications are clear and concise to help families plan.

Even if the old spoon under the pillow trick hasn’t worked for the students in your district yet, it doesn’t mean it won’t be your turn next!

Student Well-Being

As Seattle schools sue social media companies, what’s the legal impact?

February 10, 2023 by Julian Shen-Berro, Chalkbeat

Seattle’s public school district filed a lawsuit against major social media companies, alleging their business practices have harmed the district and its students

A notable new lawsuit against social media industry leaders by the Seattle school district has left legal experts divided on how the case will unfold.

Teacher Professional Development