5 tips for getting over your #edtech fears to engage and empower students
I have been lucky. I was on a computer at a young age, playing Math Blaster or Oregon Trail until my eyelids grew heavy and I had to…
student
SEL should be an easy sell for U.S. schools and districts
In light of tragic events that have put a spotlight on school safety issues, it’s more important than ever to understand the value of students’ social and emotional…
App of the Week: Sworkit Kids
Sworkit Kids What’s It Like? Both physical education (PE) and classroom teachers can use Sworkit Kids to get kids exercising. ... Read more
8 reasons why we should combine art + math
With declining U.S. student math scores, our schools would be wise to adopt a new formula that is sure to paint a prettier picture for the country’s STEM…
Finding the money for SEL
Effective social emotional learning (SEL) requires a thorough understanding of the student population’s needs, training to integrate SEL into everyday lessons, and the instructional resources. Although educators and…
Putting the SEL into PBL
In project-based learning (PBL), teachers present students with a real-world problem and challenge them to solve the problem through research and inquiry, often collaborating with each another and…
Fixing the grade passback pain point
Grade passback is a pain point for educators and school systems. Just go online and look up the help desk for popular grading platforms and you’ll notice the…
3 ways districts can use AR and AI
Artificial intelligence (AI), mixed reality, and cognitive science research sound like science fiction for today’s classrooms, but this technology is available today. Innovation and technology are as integral…
How do I share something difficult with my colleague?
Something happened. Your colleague said something you found a bit harsh or inappropriate. Something inaccurate or uncalled for. She said it to you. Or to a student. Gulp.…
How does culture impact our ability to learn?
When educators think about diversity in the classroom, culture may be one of the characteristics that crosses their mind. But as they select their curriculum and develop their…
5 ways to ensure cultural inclusivity
Have you ever wondered what goes into developing curriculum? The audience that Reading Horizons serves is diverse, and our footprint has grown significantly in the last decade as…
How I became an active learner at ASCD “Empower18”
As ASCD Empower 18 kicked off in Boston on Friday, March 23 I knew the four days were going to be “wicked awesome”—I mean, come on!—it’s Boston. But…
4 key ways ESSA can support SEL in schools
Although student achievement in core subjects is commonly used to define success, more educators agree that student success also depends on learning about intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies--commonly known…
Can creativity be taught?
I recently attended a conference and enjoyed the sessions and topics ranging from professional-development strategies to the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI). Like everyone else, I am eager…
3 must-know’s about assessment achievement levels
In education and assessment, we use the word “standards” in a number of ways: curriculum standards, standards-based assessments, performance standards. Performance standards—also known as proficiency levels, achievement levels,…
A year in the life of a student-centered library
There’s no “typical” day for a library media specialist. In one school day, we can teach a class about fake ... Read more
Video of the Week: 3 tips for great formative assessment
Ed. note: Video of the Week picks are supplied by the editors of Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech ... Read more
5 questions we should be asking about student screen addiction
Numerous voices have emerged in the last two years to warn us about the effects of digital screen addiction on ... Read more
Thriving special education programs have these 7 elements
Focusing on inclusion, using data, and forming partnerships are among the practices that can help make special education programs successful in schools, according to a report.
Why combining assessments and LMS technology is essential
The testing effect, also known as retrieval practice, practice testing, or test-enhanced learning, needs a place in today’s modern learning. It can be implemented in modern learning management…
4 ways to customize classroom goals for students
Every student is different. There are various external and internal factors that may affect the pace of a student’s learning. ... Read more
How our school is personalizing learning through co-teaching
Greenwood College School is a not-for-profit, independent, grade 7 to 12 school with about 450 students and about 60 teachers. We focus not only on academic achievement, but…
How to have a coach for every teacher, without breaking the bank
Every good athlete needs a coach to help them improve their practice, from student athletes to superstars like LeBron James and Serena Williams. This same principle can—and should—be…
Nope! Why adaptive software is not the same as personalized learning
We all know that changes in public education move slowly, but there’s one specific educational dilemma we’ve been mired in for decades, with varying levels of rhetoric and…
These edtech tools are perfect for hassle-free assessments
With the shift in education towards data-driven instruction, teachers spend inordinate amounts of time on assessments: checking for understanding, formative assessment, summative assessment, quizzes, tests, essays, research papers,…
Complex Integrations Simplified
Kimono makes it easy to securely share student information, including grades, amongst district software applications. Kimono’s standard-agnostic platform connects the ... Read more
How video cameras help improve classroom learning and campus safety
The topic of video cameras in the classroom has been brewing for years. Schools that have deployed cameras in public areas have experienced dramatic safety benefits. For example,…
3 things schools must know about the rising “phigital” student
A major generational clash is underway, says a foremost expert, and it’s affecting all industries, including education. The clash is coming from so-called Gen Z, the first generation…
5 ways teachers can improve student learning based on current brain research
Educators can positively influence students’ learning by understanding how the brain is shaped by their early experiences—and how it can be rewired and reorganized to work more quickly…
How an edtech innovation is giving performance assessments new life
Internet access, electronic collection of student work, and online distributed scoring, for example, can all play significant roles in making performance assessments more manageable and efficient.
School sees massive literacy boost thanks to new assessment attitude
At the beginning of the 2016-17 school year, 82 percent of Morgen Owings Elementary School’s students were working below grade level. Now, six months later, just 40 percent…
3 keys to student success with early college programs
Like a growing number of school districts, North Carolina’s Guilford County Schools (GCS) has early college programs that allow students to earn college credit while they’re still in…
2017 Digital Learning Innovation Award
The DLIAward competition recognizes exemplary higher education faculty-led teams and institutions for advancing student success through the adoption of digital ... Read more
2017 Student Scholarship Program
Empowering students as lifelong learners is a central goal of The Foundation for Blended and Online Learning. Ten scholars matriculating ... Read more
5 school areas that desperately need student voices
As a graduate journalism student over 20 years ago, I worked on a thesis project centered on education reform news reporting. I was analyzing how often education reporters…
How school districts are leveraging Twitter to become rock stars
When a student tweets at their school’s Twitter handle, chances are they don’t expect a response--it’s like tweeting at Starbucks, or the Office of the Comptroller of the…
11 online tools & apps for dyslexic students
In the past, dyslexia was rarely recognised, and when it was, very little was put in place for the student. It was assumed that students were being lazy,…
ACS-Hach High School Chemistry Classroom Grants
These grants support ideas that enhance classroom learning, foster student development, and reveal the wonders of chemistry. Teachers can request ... Read more
NEA Student Achievement Grants
The NEA Foundation gives NEA members grants to improve the academic achievement of students in U.S. public schools in any ... Read more