EdPolicy
California Reports Charter Schools Deliver Positive Impact for Low-Income Students
The California Charter School Association (CCSA) released today its second annual Portrait of the Movement: How Charters are Transforming California Education report, detailing academic performance of California's charter schools. The report finds that low-income students continue to be well-served by charters; and confirms that charters are having a positive impact on delivering high student achievement.
Collaboration, Really?
When I think of instances of true collaboration, Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir comes to mind: a blending of individual voices, each making his or her best effort to interpret the phrasing to contribute to the breathtakingly beautiful whole, all with the common goal of rendering a beautiful piece of music together. This extraordinary accomplishment suggests to me a metaphor for what we need to be doing as educators.
Top 10 Reader Favorites in February
This February, Getting Smart readers enjoyed articles around personal learning networks, blended learning, digital learning, spatial intelligence, tablet applications, and student motivation.
Webinar: Digital Learning Beyond School
It’s time to ensure that as teachers and schools find ways to use technology to advance learning, so do community organizations like Ys, libraries and cultural institutions that provide informal learning opportunities to millions of our least-advantaged kids.
Staff Picks: Smart Teachers, Digital Learning Policy, IWB, & Portfolios
Karen Picks “Battle for Whiteboard-Market Supremacy Heats Up” Karen says, “The crux of this issue is really in the following statement and question: Complicating those decisions are changes in the technological landscape that are raising questions about the long-term educational relevance of interactive whiteboards. Do classrooms really need…
Progress: 3 EdReform Stories, 3 Blended Learning Stories
Here's six interesting stories from the week. ExNext covered the rise of Khan, EdWeek featured Newfound High, and KIPP Empower has a great blended learning video. On the reform front, New York and New Haven adopt new evaluation rules, and the Common Core gets some scrutiny
Support for Teachers: Simulated Classrooms, Online Networking and More
The key to ensuring all students graduate high school college and career ready is effective teaching. And the key to ensuring effective teaching for all students is effective professional development for educators. Professional development is the most powerful strategy that school systems have to help all educators acquire the knowledge and skills they need to effectively reach all students.
Scooch Over LMS, E-portfolio Wants a Seat at the Table
Do you want to give your students a digital footprint? Even if your school is not already practicing e-learning or blended learning, you can still accomplish that with an e-portfolio. If you’re already using a Learning Management System (LMS), you might already have an e-portfolio available that can showcase authentic work.
Wanted: A 21st Century Education
Well into the 21st century, we are still trying to get a handle on what a 21st century education really is – both the question of what young adults really need to know and be able to do and the question of the best way to help them get there. I first encountered this issue as a high-tech executive when coaching talented engineers through a series of workplace myths.
CIS: Meeting Kids Where They Are
CIS is the brainchild of youth advocate Bill Milliken, a man determined to improve the lives of all students, no matter what life challenges they face. Milliken wanted to bring community resources in to public schools where they could be accessible, coordinated and accountable.