6 tips to help your students collaborate on awesome podcasts
A 2019 Edison Research survey reported that 51% of Americans above the age of 12 have listened to a podcast. Interest in podcasts has increased 122% since 2014,…
students
How we created a comprehensive drone curriculum
As educators, we are all continuously looking for interdisciplinary learning opportunities that will provide students with the most authentic learning experiences possible. With students’ hyper-exposure to the growing…
‘I teach because’: 7 educators on why they teach
Has anyone ever asked you why you teach? What did you say? Maybe you said, "I teach because I love seeing ah-ha moments," or, "I teach because I…
4 tips for incorporating safe, engaging, tech-rich material into early elementary ed
I love incorporating technology into my curriculum and introducing it to my students in meaningful ways. The good news is that teaching them to use technology isn’t difficult.…
Here’s why AI skills will make or break students’ futures
It’s OK if you don’t know exactly what AI is--but you need to learn, and quickly, because it’s already firmly ensconced in our lives, and AI skills are…
6 questions to ask to build a culturally inclusive classroom
It’s almost impossible to ignore that K-12 classrooms in the U.S. are filled with students from increasingly diverse cultural backgrounds: race, nationality, religion, economic, etc.
3 changes that can help the class of 2030 succeed
Today's kindergartners are the class of 2030, and by the time they enter the workforce, it will look vastly different. Occupations will need expertise, creativity, grit, and, most…
Is it time to say goodbye to textbooks?
People have been predicting the end of the traditional, paper-based textbook for years.
5 things to say to students suffering from anxiety
Understanding anxiety is something that educators, parents, doctors, therapists, students, sufferers, and non-sufferers are still working on. Just like anything else we attempt to understand, we will never…
5 things to avoid saying to students suffering from anxiety
Currently, schools are being inundated with cases of anxiety in young adults. Although the dramatic increase in attention being paid to the illness has been beneficial to those…
4 ways I make learning fun in the classroom
As a middle school Spanish teacher, my #1 goal is to have my students fall in love with learning a language the way I did in middle school.
Calling all teachers: Who’s up for the 1,000-word challenge?
How might a lesson run if the teacher were allowed only 1,000 words of whole-group instruction each class period?
Spotty internet access for rural students limits achievement
Technology and internet access for rural students in some parts of the U.S. is unreliable at best, and this limited access could adversely affect their learning. Rural students…
6 lessons our district learned from our move to blended learning
Temple Independent School District (ISD), which is located north of Austin and south of Waco, Texas, has a very diverse student population. More than 75 percent of our…
How to transform a library into a makerspace
In a recent edWebinar, hosted by edWeb.net, Michelle Luhtala, library department chair, and Donna Burns, technology integrator, both from New Canaan High School (NCHS) in Connecticut, showcased the…
8 ways to reduce device damage in 1:1 programs
As a technology user, I have over the years: Dropped and broken my phone’s screen Spilled liquid on my laptop’s keyboard, frying the motherboard Pulled the cord out…
How to instill an entrepreneurial mindset district-wide
As the superintendent of a large urban high school district, I have the opportunity to help identify and implement innovative programs that help prepare our students for success.
4 Fresh Approaches to Coding in The Classroom
Coding is one of the most crowded categories in edtech. And while there are a ton of great tools for students of any ability level, many of these…
Tech directors: Here’s how to truly support multi-screen classrooms
Today, education is far more flexible and collaborative than a generation ago, and technology is key in enabling teachers to quickly adapt lesson plans to suit the moment’s…
5 questions students should ask about media
Do your students love to take and edit photos to post on Instagram? Are they obsessed with watching (or maybe even becoming!) YouTube celebs? Do you want to…
Teacher training does wonders for students’ emotional regulation
When teachers participated in a training program focused on pro-social classroom behavior, their students became more socially competent and better able to regulate their emotions than students in…
Looking for a way to lower suspensions and reduce bullying?
Suspension has been a commonly used disciplinary method in schools for decades. Unfortunately, it also has no positive impact on students. What’s worse, these same children often develop a…
The 14 most innovative SEL districts, part 2
In this article, we will be highlighting districts that have shown tremendous commitment to the well being of their students and staff. These 14 districts are being recognized…
The 14 Most Innovative SEL Districts, Part 1
In this article, we will be highlighting districts that have shown tremendous commitment to the well being of their students and staff. These 14 districts are being recognized…
Why we love our SEL tools
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an increasingly important part of the curriculum in many schools—and for good reason. SEL helps students develop key skills they’ll use to…
Why we love our reading software
It’s no secret that strong reading skills are part of the foundation of students’ academic success. Without a solid reading foundation, students are more likely to perform poorly…
We all teach SEL: Empathy activities & tools for students
Building social and emotional learning (SEL) skills such as empathy requires face-to-face interactions, meaningful discussion, and reflection.
Pernille Ripp
This week’s #BloggerMondays share is the wonderful blog of Pernille Ripp, creator of The Global Read Aloud and a relentless advocate for creating environments that instill a passion for…
VoIP Emergency Response Guide
Emergencies happen—from intruders to natural disasters—and a detailed emergency response plan is critical in minimizing risk, coordinating resources, and ensuring ... Read more
Here’s a must-do for E-rate applicants
Calling all E-rate coordinators--there is one important step you can take now to ensure a smooth process when the E-rate filing window opens in 2019. The FY2019 application…
Using technology to embrace the “un-faculty” meeting
I’m not sure if teachers dreaded faculty meetings more than I did, but while standing in an auditorium filled with tired-looking faculty after a long day of teaching,…
Tips & resources to prevent cyberbullying
Each act of cyberbullying hurts students, disrupts classrooms, and affects your school’s culture and community. So how should you handle it? What should you do or say? And…
4 keys to building an equitable STEM program
This year in schools across the nation, approximately 136,000 students took advanced placement (AP) computer science, a 31 percent increase from last year. This group included a record…
Here’s my secret for better classroom management
At Flagstaff Academy in Colorado, I am lucky to head up the SmartLab facility and offer guided lessons to all K-5 classrooms. Couple this with 15 years of…
4 examples of engaging vision-impaired students in STEM
STEM learning is a cornerstone of education in today's K-12 schools, but STEM classrooms often aren't all that inspiring to students who are blind or have low vision.…
3 ways to improve special education outcomes
When you combine a steady growth in the number of students receiving special education services with rising expectations for the educators who serve these students, all of whom…
6 tools to support school safety efforts
As teachers and students return to school across the country, thoughts range from nervous excitement to worries about how to keep school buildings--and the people in them--secure. Last…
Mapping the Universe of Edtech That Connects
I’m excited to share a tool that my colleagues and I have been working on for the past few years: a market map of what we’re calling Edtech…
8 ways I practiced mindfulness this year
Mindfulness has become a buzzword in schools over the past few years. Many schools have hired mindfulness professionals to work with their students and faculty. According to scientist…
How wearables, AR, and VR help students to develop SEL skills (part 2)
In my previous post, How wearables, AR, and VR help students develop SEL skills (part 1), I explored the ways in which wearables, augmented reality (AR), and virtual…