Competency-Based Education
EdTech
EdTech
One Giant Leap For Humanity, Now Education
The first time a kid said that his DREAM was to score in the top quintile on a standardized test, that was when we became the dystopian, near-future, cold world where dreams die that SyFy movies have been promising us since the 1950s.
EdTech
5 Apps to Lower Teacher Anxiety & Raise Student Voices
The art of teaching sure has changed since I nervously stepped into my first class of thirty-two, energetic students fourteen years ago. I remember feeling pressure from the prescribed sage-on-the-stage pedagogy. Fortunately, I soon discovered that not only was I far from an academic scholar, but I also wasn’t the most important factor. The students demanded they be a vital part of the classroom and curriculum creation. That was okay with me. Opening up the pressure valve a tad never hurt anyone.
EdTech
E.L. Haynes: A Force For Change
Jennie Niles started her career as a s cience teacher at the famous Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. She now leads the equally famous E. L. Haynes Public Charter School in Washington DC. The path in between could not have been better scripted: Yale for graduate school, a state department of education, a foundation, then New Leaders.
Personalized Learning
Hip Hop: An Alternative Method for Student Engagement
Apathy is the enemy of learning, and, regrettably, many teachers operate at a disadvantage because student motivation is low. Good educators are always looking for innovative ways to inspire students to achieve academic success. Some methods are more controversial than others, but if there is a positive impact in scores, these methods are worthy of consideration. The goal is to get students more invested in their learning experience. One strategy for doing that is to blend the mandated curriculum requirements with elements of popular culture.
EdTech
Virtual Field Trips Rise in Popularity: How Educators Can Host Their Own
A small group of fearless fifth graders are sent to outer space to help NASA locate and rescue a lost spaceship orbiting one of the universe's revolving planets. It's a dangerous mission, but these young children are NASA's only hope.
EdTech
Staff Picks: Online Learning, DIY, Edtech & Funding
Tom Picks “Better Online Learning” Tom says, “I’m proud of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (where I’m a director) for promoting quality online learning. This blog outlines 8 ways that online learning is different and 6 things states can do to make it better.” Karen Picks…
EdTech
Infographic: Student Access to Digital Learning Devices
Digital Learning Now! (DLN) today released “Funding the Shift to Digital Learning: Three Strategies for Funding Sustainable High-Access Environments,” the first in the DLN Smart Series of interactive papers that provide specific guidance regarding adoption of Common Core Standards and the shift to personal digital learning.
Personalized Learning
Virtual Projects to Add to Real World Field Trips
Nowadays, when someone talks about a “21st century field trip," they are most likely referring to a virtual field trip. Virtual field trips are incredible examples of how the Internet can change the learning experience for students today. They can take a tour of Versailles, cruise around with the Rovers on the surface of Mars, even travel back in time and "walk" around Ancient Egypt in a format that was unimaginable just a few years ago.
EdTech
51 Essential EdTech Tools By Category
Technology and education are pretty intertwined these days and nearly every teacher has a few favorite tech tools that make doing his or her job and connecting with students a little bit easier and more fun for all involved. Yet as with anything related to technology, new tools are hitting the market constantly and older ones rising to prominence, broadening their scope, or just adding new features that make them better matches for education, which can make it hard to keep up with the newest and most useful tools even for the most tech-savvy teachers.
Ed Policy
Curriculum Associates Releases New ‘Ready’ Program For Common Core
Curriculum Associates, LLC, has introduced an all-new print program to ensure student success on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Built specifically for the new standards and using the language of the CCSS, Ready™ Common Core offers students in grades 3–8 rigorous instruction and practice in math and reading while also offering teachers multilevel resources and tools to easily implement these lessons.