Archive: Jan 2017
Why Do Students Choose Blended and Online Schools?
More students than ever before are attending blended and online schools. Here, we summarize a recent paper on the common motivations behind students' enrollment in programs other than traditional brick-and-mortar schools.
Transcend the Classroom with Virtual Place-Based Learning
By: Louis Pienaar. Simulation-based learning allows my students to learn in a highly immersive environment that reflects aspects of the real world, encouraging deeper learning of cross-curricular skills and concepts.
Curriculum Associates: Blended Success Story
Curriculum Associates may be the most important EdTech success story you don’t know about. Learn more about its backstory, how it grew into a blended learning giant and recently donated most of it's stock to a university
How PBL Transforms the Classroom into the ‘Real World’
By: Anthony Johnson. My students consistently outperform others in our school and district, and I believe my focus on PBL and hands-on learning is the catalyst. In this post, I share my strategy and techniques.
Innov8: New Year, New Beginnings
This week's eight stories share how education is kicking off the new year right by ensuring the future of this country develops important skills they’ll need for future success in college, career and life.
New Zealand Leads the Way on Competency-Based Learning: Part 1
By: Susan Patrick. New Zealand has been exploring competency-based learning and assessment as a way to move toward education equity for decades. Here, I look at where they're headed and lessons from the journey so far.
Personalizing Math for Bear Creek Middle School Students
By: Anthony Newbold. Fulton County’s Bear Creek Middle School is personalizing math instruction for all students, using mobile devices and a model that helps teachers customize learning to individual students’ needs, skills and interests.
Tell Kids to Get Good at Stuff Smart Machines Can’t Do (Yet)
Smart machines will change the face of the economy, and today's young people will need a different set of skills to succeed than past generations did. In particular, they will need to get good at things machines can not do.
5 Minutes to Change Culture: The 5 to Thrive Challenge
By: Tom Vander Ark and Jillian Darwish. The “5 to Thrive Challenge” encourages education leaders to dedicate five minutes each day for a month to improving the culture of their schools. In this post, we provide strategies and a free toolkit to help get you started.
Teacher Reflection | The Power of Place-Based Professional Learning
By: Helen Ommen. I'm comfortable teaching inquiry-based lessons, but I have always felt less secure letting students ask and pursue their own questions. That all changed after my place-based professional learning experience.