Ed Policy
The Opportunity for States to Provide Secure Data Access to Parents and Educators
By: Paige Kowalski. State leadership in developing and funding access through solutions such as student data backpacks would demonstrate that states are listening to parent and public concerns and are seizing the moment to deliver on the real value of the information that states and districts have been collecting.
Personalized Learning
Q&A: How A Top Educator Drives Innovation and Social Change In His Classroom
By: Jaclyn Norton. Last month, Microsoft awarded the nations top educators who are bringing technology and project-based learning to their classrooms in innovative and interactive ways. Greg Witkin of Boynton Continuation High School in San Jose, Calif. won first place in the Educator as Innovator and Change Agent category for his project, "Finding Youth Voice." This project made students creators and visionaries behind a multimedia project that addresses a social problem.
Ed Policy
How Teachers Can Best Use Tech
We are in the early years of a learning revolution that has the potential to profoundly improve the reach and quality of American schooling. However, getting digital learning right is more about the planning than the purchase order. It’s not about the technology, but about what we do with it.
Leadership
What ISTE Meant for EdTech Operational Leaders
By: Daniel Greenblatt. Operational leaders are constantly faced with organizational process challenges. It can be difficult to remember that systems and tools are only valuable in the extent to which people adopt them and use them with fidelity.
EdTech
By Teachers, For Teachers
Educators 4 Excellence rallies teachers to help create a more fair and equitable education system for our children. We meet guest bloggers Sydney Morris and Evan Stone, founders of Educators 4 Excellence.
Ed Policy
Four Ways States Can Promote Quality in Blended and Online Learning
With the growth of new learning models comes the need to improve quality assurance systems across K–12 to ensure that only high-quality, proven providers serve students. The 2015 iNACOL State Policy Frameworks presents frameworks for sustainable, systemic change that will dramatically increase personalized learning for students.
EdTech
Serious Games Promote Engagement and Learning
Game developers, educators and business professionals met at the DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Wash. this week to explore the ways games and simulations (sims) are revolutionizing learning, professional development, military training and health for the annual Serious Play Conference.
Personalized Learning
Teachers and Technology in Education
By: Curt Allen. We want to support, not replace teachers. We want to enhance their professional advancement as they develop the young minds in their care. We want to help them prepare better, counsel with peers better and take objective measures of their students’ unique abilities and special needs. We want to be responsive to their preferences, whether they teach from a traditional, personalized, blended or project-based style.
Personalized Learning
Parents Deserve Options
Wow, lots of hate for the parent trigger from the ‘we know better’ bloggers on National Journal. Here’s my take. What other service would survive for more than 5 years when more than half of the customers were dissatisfied? The only problem with the CA parent trigger is that…
Ed Policy
Hey Kansas: Don’t Cut Online Learning; Expand Course Choice
The Kansas legislature is looking for ways to save money. They are considering another 50% cut in the reimbursement rate for full time online learning which (at $5700/student) is already funded at about half of traditional K-12.