Smart Teachers

Smart Teachers is for celebrating the work of powerful educators working to innovate classrooms and provide high-quality learning experiences.

EdTech

Parent-Teacher Communication in a Multilingual School District

Guest Author

Jul 24, 2017

By: Dr. Melanie Morgan. With the growth of ELL students in the classroom on a steady rise, today’s teachers need to be prepared to communicate with ELL students and their parents. Here are a few options I've found helpful in my own classroom.

EdTech

Smart Review | An Epic! Review From a Teacher and Parent

Amber Chandler

Jul 15, 2017

Whether for classroom or home use (or ideally a combination of both) the Epic! digital library is an excellent place for students, teachers and families to explore and grow a love of reading together.

SEL & Mindset

Design Thinking: Teaching the Importance of Empathy in Business

Guest Author

Jun 17, 2017

By: Mary Ruskey and Lori Aument. After learning about Design Thinking, we thought the method would naturally fit into the curriculum for the business course we teach to 10th and 11th graders. Here, we reflect on our results after two years.

Project-Based Learning

Building Confidence and Curiosity with littleBits Code Kit

Amber Chandler

May 30, 2017

Teacher blogger Amber Chandler reviews the littleBits Code Kit after observing her nine-year-old son using it and speaking with the lead designer.

person using tablet for building a school community

Smart Teachers

7 Ways to Become A More Connected Educator Today

Guest Author

May 29, 2017

Guest author Rachelle Dene Poth shares seven ways educators can get connected today and in the future to build a learning network.

Leadership

A Gifted Ed Teacher’s Secrets to Success

Guest Author

May 26, 2017

By: Stephen Noonoo. Gifted education teacher Alison Alowonle shares how she keeps her exceptional students (and their families) engaged in their learning process, as well as advice for those interested in getting involved as an educator in the space.

Leadership

Words of Wisdom To Inspire & Motivate Educators

Amber Chandler

May 22, 2017

The end of the school year is quickly approaching, and many of us could use a little motivation to make it across the finish line. Here are some of my favorite words of wisdom from teachers and leaders who help me stay moving.

Leadership

Supporting Student Agency of SEL

Guest Author

May 19, 2017

By: Jessica Berlinski. Let's support students in owning their own SEL by providing them with the tools they need to develop agency. Here are two unique programs that represent powerful methods for building SEL agency for future career and life success.

Future of Learning

Smart Review | Media Literacy in the K-12 Classroom

Aimee Bartis

May 10, 2017

Now more than ever, students must be taught how to be media literate, and after reading Frank Bakers "Media Literacy in the K-12 Classroom" I think teachers have exactly the resource they need to get started.

students in classroom with bright colors and good design

Personalized Learning

Teacher To Teacher: My Journey To Personalized Learning

Guest Author

May 8, 2017

I was initially hesitant about shifting to a personalized learning classroom, but I now know this ‘fad’ changed how I teach and how my students learn for the better. Here are the steps I took to fully embrace this change.

	Beginning	Piloting	Implementing
From Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery	BeginningFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Beginning	PilotingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Piloting	ImplementingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Implementing
From One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning	BeginningFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Implementing
From Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry	BeginningFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Beginning	PilotingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Piloting	ImplementingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Implementing
From Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning	BeginningFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Implementing
From Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities	BeginningFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Beginning	PilotingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Piloting	ImplementingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Implementing
From Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment	BeginningFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Beginning	PilotingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Piloting	ImplementingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Implementing
From Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets	BeginningFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Beginning	PilotingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Piloting	ImplementingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Implementing

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