Why making, coding, and online learning are the real trends to watch
Why making, coding, and online learning are the real trends to watch
Forget VR and fancy wearables, a trio of short-term trends may also hold long-term promise
Why digital PD needs an urgent overhaul
Technology, collaboration, and new standards are changing the classroom at a rapid pace. Every teacher's professional development must keep up.
You are a global educator. It’s time to start thinking like one
Global collaboration is a skill every student needs to build up. Educators, too.
Can growth mindset theory reshape the classroom?
Growth mindset holds that every learner has the potential to excel. How could it impact education? Great teachers have long ... Read more
Good online teaching is often just plain good teaching
How does an online instructor teach a 19 year old to read and write when she doesn't even see him? The secret, one teacher learns, is all in…
Are schools really wasting money on computers?
A recent report led the media to wonder if schools were wasting money on computers. Here's what they got wrong, and how schools can work with teachers to…
Is there enough diversity in your social media?
As we consume more social media, our perspectives are getting less diverse. That's a problem -- for us and for students.
Why your tech PD might be all wrong
Too often, tech training is about learning how to use the device. Instead, good PD should have purpose and a framework.
Texas’ big strides in preparing students for college math
A new math course backed by the state is boosting collaboration among lawmakers, colleges, and districts. And it may serve as a good lesson in getting more students…
Debunking the myth that good teachers shouldn’t use curriculum aids
Expecting teachers to go it alone hurts school improvement. It’s time to reframe the debate The myth that good teachers ... Read more
This is how librarians can lead the digital transformation
Despite being pressed for time and resources, one librarian shares how her profession can serve as change agents in their schools' digital transformation by keeping priorities where they…
How schools can keep students safe, and on Facebook
Even with a BYOD policy or one-to-one program it's possible to use Facebook and YouTube in class and keep students safe. One industry pro shares how advances in…
Why you should stop testing and start assessing
The thought of asking students to take tests to show their knowledge had never crossed my mind. My goal has always been to design courses that capture the…
When students become entrepreneurs, real learning happens
Some are embracing their entrepreneurial spirit right at school, engaging in a style of project-based learning that helps make lessons come alive and touches on almost every aspect…
3 ways technology should be reinventing rural education
Technology's potential seems particularly compelling for rural schools, which struggle to offer an array of learning opportunities, to transport students to a central facility, and to get the…
Why cellphones belong in our classrooms
As NYC lifts its infamous cellphone ban, one local principal acknowledges challenges but sees plenty of possibilities when it comes to teaching and learning opportunities.
Try these mobile and web tools to improve parent-teacher communication
When I was in high school, no one emailed my parents to tell them I had a test. No one sent a reminder to tell them that I…
The 5 most important terms for transforming schools
It is not terribly difficult to get people to agree on the need for school transformation. The expression of this need comes not only from the “usual suspects,”…
4 fresh ideas for teaching digital citizenship sooner
Kids are immersed in technology from a very young age. So why do digital citizenship courses focus on middle school and above? Recently, I was reflecting on how…
Journey to the student-centered makerspace
Whether you know it or not, your students are already making things outside of school. From digital animation and programming to video production and duct tape crafts, it’s…
How a GoPro Got My Students Excited to Learn
I had not planned to purchase a GoPro while out shopping. However, it was on sale, I had a coupon, two gift cards, and two weeks in the…
5 keys to a successful STEM program at your school
Interested in making the jump to STEM learning at your school? Mine was too. As an elementary math magnet school for nearly two decades, Mound School was looking…
Meet Pecha Kucha, the Japanese presentations changing everything about PowerPoint
“Students, please remember to monotonously read every slide word-for-word when you present to the class.” Said no teacher ever. As I prepare for my presentation this week at…
These 6 questions determine if you’re technology rich, innovation poor
Think your school is innovative with tech? Answer these 6 questions and prepare to reassess At the start of a ... Read more
7 ways to keep girls interested in STEM for the long haul
in the United States, fewer than 15 percent of working engineers are women, despite comprising half of the population. There are a number of possible reasons for this…
A tool in hand is worth… nothing without proper PD
Imagine what would happen if hospital leaders announced to surgeons late on a Friday afternoon that when they came to work on Monday they would no longer be…
A college readiness tool that every district should use
The National Student Clearinghouse's StudentTracker is an invaluable service that can help districts better prepare their students for college success. The National Student Clearinghouse is a nonprofit organization…
Editorial: Duncan disregards own advice
In a Sept. 30 speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Education Secretary Arne Duncan said that “too many [Beltway] inhabitants … are so supremely confident…
Time to focus on the real education problem: Poverty
Many Americans believe public schools are failing our students. Public officials, the media, and investors seeking to cash in on the billions of dollars supporting education by privatizing…
Helping teachers grasp mobile learning’s possibilities
In constructing ed-tech professional development, the focus should not be on teaching apps, but on helping educators grasp the instructional capabilities that exist in mobile, personalized, and differentiated…
Time to ask for more eRate funding
If educators contact the FCC in large numbers, we might be able to more than double the annual funding available for the eRate.
How to have more meaningful iPad professional development
Often, the substantial investments schools make in purchasing iPads are woefully out of balance with the minimal investments they make in preparing teachers to use these new tools…
Why we need a new education law—and why ed tech should play a role
The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act has eluded Congress for too long. Without Congressional action, the current administration has seized the moment and used regulatory…
Social media is a must for America’s STEM future
Over the last several decades, the United States has declined as an economic and educational global leader in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). To regain economic success…
Eight ways kindergarten holds the key to 21st-century instruction
Several of the "revolutionary" changes we've been calling for in our schools have actually been around for quite a while—just talk a stroll down to any kindergarten class.
How to improve the eRate
As the FCC mulls changes to the nation’s school wiring program, here’s a common-sense vision for what we’d like to see.
Making the case for student-controlled devices
It's time to realize that we cannot, and should not, dictate the manner in which students learn. One area where the desire for control is clearly manifested is…
Why our current obsession with high-stakes testing is wrong
We have seen how an increasingly test-obsessed public has led our school systems to narrow their curricula, diminishing attention to many of our important public education goals to…
The ‘Evergreen’ iPad: Why all your apps should fit on one screen
Time and again, I run into educators who spend hours reviewing long lists of largely drill-and-kill subject apps, such as “100 History Apps” or “50 Spanish Apps for…
Resource Library:
The Complete Guide to Computer Science Education for Elementary Classrooms
Introducing computer science at the elementary level gives young learners a strong foundation for the future. By learning tech skills early, students are set up for success in school and…
Take measure of your mathematics practices
DNA Mathematics professional development empowers educators to master the mathematics being taught in classrooms. To exemplify the benefits of DNA Mathematics, download our FREE white paper now to learn a…
Enhance PreK-5 STEAM and CS Instruction with playful, screen-free robotics!
Research shows that young students learn STEAM and Computer Science best with hands-on, playful experiences. Meet KIBO, the screen-free robot, where students problem solve, engineer, collaborate, and develop their computational…