August, 2016

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50 Minute Periods Are Killing Teacher Creativity

Catlin Tucker

“I’d love to do [ fill in the blank with some creative idea or activity ], but I just don’t have time. My classes are only 50 minutes.” I hear this lament frequently when I lead professional development. Teachers get super excited about integrating technology or want details about a project, assignment, or routine I do with my own kids.

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Against the Flow Leadership

A Principal's Reflections

Change is uncomfortable for virtually everyone. I am the first person who will say that the process is not easy or absent of difficult challenges. The challenge of change becomes even more difficult when the main adversary is always right in front of us – our mindset. Our complex brains often work against our best intentions at times. This is Maslow’s hierarchy at play in a nutshell.

Policies 354
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How to create beautiful online courses: colors

Neo LMS

Have you ever bought something not because you really needed it, not because it offered much value to you, but simply because it had a nice packaging? Don’t be ashamed if you did; you’re not the only one. It’s not your fault. It’s your brain’s. We simply have this weakness for beauty. Everyone that ever bought a MAST chocolate bar fell into this trap.

Course 321
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ALERT: Fundraising Program With Clorox And DonorsChoose.org

The CoolCatTeacher

A great fundraising idea for schools From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Clorox has an awesome new way to help teachers. First, if you’re a high-need school, learn how to double your impact on your DonorsChoose.org project to take advantage of the $100,000 donation from Clorox, GLAD and Hidden Valley to Donorschoose.org.

Company 237
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Enhancing Higher Education with Generative AI: A Responsible Guide

Generative AI holds tremendous promise for all stakeholders in higher education. But guardrails are needed. Strong governance that empower instructors are at the core of a responsible approach to using generative AI in academia.

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Bring Your Textbook to Life! 18 Ideas

Teacher Reboot Camp

“Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.” – John Locke. Your textbook is just another tool in your teacher’s instructional kit. The problem is that for many of us it becomes a crutch when we first begin lesson planning. The textbook can be very useful for planning curriculums and lessons.

eBook 235
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Students Find STEM Solution for Food Crisis

EdTech Magazine

By Alexander Slagg A unique program at Schurz High School in Chicago is helping students learn how to use technology to tackle a looming global problem.

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More Trending

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A Simple Strategy to Deal With Negative People

A Principal's Reflections

Nobody likes change, but some dislike it more than others. Negative people in every organization can suck the life out of you. These are the people that constantly undermine you and others who challenge the status quo in order to create a better culture. Some have been empowered for all the wrong reasons and take advantage of their “sacred cow” status.

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Virtual Reality in education brings the future closer

Neo LMS

Out of all the trends in e-learning right now, I have to say that I have a soft spot for Virtual Reality, or VR. The things that it allows you to do and/or see are astonishing. For example, who wouldn’t like to go and visit Mars without leaving the room? Or go inside one of Dali’s paintings ? Or jump off a building without getting hurt? Ok, maybe not everyone would like the last one, but you get the idea.

LMS 243
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Back to School Advice for Principals and Teachers

The CoolCatTeacher

Start #back2school strong From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Heading back to school with the right attitude is vital to our success as educators. These are important days, days that change everything. Educator, your importance is tremendous! You know why you’re so important? Well, you can change everything about a kid’s life.

Classroom 237
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12 tips for using Google Apps with young students

Ditch That Textbook

There’s a common misconception with students and Google Apps: sometimes, they’re just too young to use them yet. Not so, says Christine Pinto. She teaches kindergarteners and previously taught four-year-olds in a transitional class. Regardless of their age, her students use Google Apps. No, more specifically, her students thrive with Google Apps.

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Enhancing School Device Management for Improved Learning

Schools face increasing challenges as technology becomes integral to education. Efficient device management is essential for maximizing technology use and safeguarding investments. Our article discusses the importance of tracking devices, outlines current challenges, and suggests modern solutions that go beyond traditional methods like Excel. Learn how advanced tracking systems can streamline operations, improve maintenance, and offer real-time updates for better resource allocation.

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3 Ways Technology Can Help Students with Autism

EdTech Magazine

By Meghan Bogardus Cortez Digital tools have the power to help students with learning disabilities communicate and gain confidence.

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10 Tips for Teachers Using Twitter

Catlin Tucker

Today, I began teaching my course “Engaging Today’s Learners with Technology” at Stanford’s Festival of Teaching. One of the first things I asked my students to do was create a Twitter account. I explained that Twitter is ideal for connecting with other educators, engaging in conversations about education, and being inspired by the steady stream of interesting ideas shared online.

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Making is a Process

A Principal's Reflections

“ No two makerspaces should be exactly alike, because no two school communities are exactly alike. Properly planning your makerspace will ensure that you uncover themes that are unique and meaningful to your school. It will ensure that your space is vibrant and relevant, as well as one that is sustainable into the future. “ – Laura Fleming , author of Worlds of Making When we created our makerspace at New Milford High School many years ago we never fully realized the positive impact it would hav

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Ensuring Access and Opportunity; Supporting At Home Connectivity

Tom Murray

This post is sponsored by Samsung. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own. According to a report released by the Pew Research Center, approximately 5 of the 29 million households with school-aged children lack access to high quality broadband internet while at home. The research indicates that almost one-third of households whose incomes fall below $50,000 and with children ages 6 to 17 do not have a high-speed internet connection.

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Quickly Create Personalized Learning Experiences that Work

How can we actively engage learners 24/7, on their level and according to their interests, while respecting their learning styles? It’s not impossible. In this guide: Explore how to transform traditional, one-way videos into two-way interactive learning experiences Understand different types of artificial intelligence (AI), including - Generative vs.

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What is Project Based Learning?

EdTech4Beginners

Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching strategy in which students acquire knowledge by working over a longer period of time on a project. They may have to answer an in-depth question, undertake an investigation or complete a challenge. Image courtesy of emergingedtech.com. What is required of the educator during PBL? Assigning learning goals. Directing students to a meaningful point of study.

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10 sites for students with free time on their hands

Ditch That Textbook

As a teacher, there’s always been a question that I wanted to have an answer to. “I’m done. What do I do now?” Early in my teaching career, my answer was, “If you’re done, you’re done.” That was my veiled answer for, “I don’t know what you should do next.” If you’re ever stuck without [.].

EdTech 215
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6 Ways Students Benefit from Technology Integration [#Infographic]

EdTech Magazine

By Meg Conlan Implementing technology in the classroom provides richer learning opportunities for students.

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DIY Furniture Project

Catlin Tucker

In spring, I wrote a blog titled “ Classroom Furniture: Does it impede or improve learning? ” to explore how the design of a classroom impacts learning. I’ve been frustrated by my own bulky furniture, which stifles movement and makes collaboration challenging. Determined to redesign my own classroom, I researched furniture options, toured a retailer in Oakland, visited classrooms with alternative furniture, and presented a proposal to my school board.

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Can Brain Science Actually Help Make Your Training & Teaching Stick?

Speaker: Andrew Cohen, Founder & CEO of Brainscape

The instructor’s PPT slides are brilliant. You’ve splurged on the expensive interactive courseware. Student engagement is stellar. So… why are half of your students still forgetting everything they learned in just a matter of weeks? It's likely a matter of cognitive science! With so much material to "teach" these days, we often forget to incorporate key proven principles into our curricula — namely active recall, metacognition, spaced repetition, and interleaving practice.

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The First Days of School: Setting the Climate for Year

User Generated Education

I have written before about the beginning of the school year, Beginning the School Year: It’s About Connections Not Content. I begin all classes focusing on having the students make connections between each other and with me. I want students to learn about one another in a personal way. I want to learn about my students so my instructional strategies can be more personalized and tailored to their needs and interests.

iPhone 184
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16 Great NonProfits Working to Support EdTech in Schools

Tom Murray

Prior to my role as the Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools ® , I spent 14 years in a public school in Pennsylvania as an elementary and middle school teacher, middle school and elementary principal, and district level technology director. During my time as a public school employee, I’d occasionally hear about educational organizations that were working to support schools in some capacity.

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How To Use ‘Kahoot!’ To Gamify Learning.

EdTech4Beginners

Kahoot! is a really fun and motivating app for learning. Games and quizzes which incorporate videos, images and diagrams can be created by the teacher and then students can compete against each other. Pupils can also create games for their peers. And it doesn’t have to be played solely in class – pupils can play against other schools anywhere in the world.

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12 ways to use Google Cardboard in your class

Ditch That Textbook

Virtual reality used to be the thing of science fiction books and movies. Now, it’s inexpensive, works with the technology we carry in our pockets, and can transform us to real and imaginary places. I remember watching Marty McFly sit at his table in “Back to the Future Part 2”, watching TV with virtual reality [.].

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Behind the Bell: The Underlying Impact of Tardiness in K-12 Schools

Managing a K-12 campus with constant pressure to meet performance metrics is challenging. And tardiness can significantly limit a school from reaching these goals. Learn more about why chronic lateness matters, and key strategies to address the following impacts: Data errors caused by manual processes Low attendance and graduation rates that affect a school’s reputation Classroom disruption, which leads to poor academic performance High staff attrition and “The Teacher Exodus” Unmet LCAP goals t

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4 Apps to Foster Parent-Teacher Communication

EdTech Magazine

By Meghan Bogardus Cortez Smartphones can help deepen and extend relationships beyond the scheduled parent-teacher conferences.

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Irresponsible fearmongering

Dangerously Irrelevant

Three days after the launch of Pokemon Go here in the United States, a central office administrator told me that his superintendent had emailed the entire district leadership team, warning them about the game because “six teenagers already had been killed by wandering into traffic while playing the game.” The administrator with whom I spoke said that he was concerned and also curious about what I thought.

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Let's Make Professional Learning Meaningful Again!

The Web20Classroom

I remember it as it if it were yesterday. The worst professional development session I have ever delivered. It had already been a long week. And this was the last session I was delivering. The participants could tell that this was the last place I wanted to be and really it was the last place they wanted to be too. I trudged through the scripted content with little passion.

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7 Great NonProfits Changing the Face of Professional Learning

Tom Murray

As mentioned in my previous post 16 Great NonProfits Working to Support EdTech in Schools , prior to my role as the Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools, I spent 14 years in a public school in Pennsylvania as an elementary and middle school teacher, middle school and elementary principal, and district level technology director. During my time as a public school employee, I’d occasionally hear about educational organizations that were working to support schools in some capacity.

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The Battle of the Authoring Tools: A 10-Point Comparison for Picking the Right One

Speaker: Chris Paxton McMillin, President of D3 Training Solutions

There are plenty of great authoring tools for developing eLearning, but the one you select could directly impact your course's outcomes. Depending upon your learners’ needs and your organization’s performance goals, you could be overlooking considerations that impact the both effectiveness of your courses and how long it takes to finish them. From general capabilities to specific workflow structures, some aspects are critical when it comes to learning objectives and deadlines.

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A great website to use when teaching dialogue.

EdTech4Beginners

Today I taught an English lesson which focused on dialogue between characters. I wanted to motivate the students and found an excellent website to do so. First, I paired the students up and they did some hot-seating in character. Next the students got their ipads and loaded ifaketext.com . It is a great website which allows you to create a fake text message conversation – perfect for a whole range of lessons.

Exercises 189
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20 easy ways to collaborate globally with your class now

Ditch That Textbook

The world is our classroom’s playground. We can see and talk to practically anyone around the world (with an Internet connection) for free. Video calls and collaborative digital tools let us connect in powerful ways. They let our students experience and learn from others in diverse locations in deep ways. Unfortunately, it’s one of the [.].

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Curriculum Changes Key in Utilizing Classroom Technology

EdTech Magazine

By Meghan Bogardus Cortez Technologist and mathematician Conrad Wolfram talks about best practices for tech use in K–12 education.

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Math Modeling: Why are We Missing it in High School?

EdNews Daily

Young people are frequently exposed to ambitious dreams of changing the world, and a practical way of expressing said interest is through research in science fairs; however, do science fairs provide everyone an equal opportunity to produce meaningful research? One study by the University of Toronto 1 suggests that students who have laboratory exposure typically dominate high school science fairs, such as Intel, Google, and Siemens.

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Reimagining Chickering & Gamson's Principles Post-Pandemic: Technology's Central Role in Modern Edu

This white paper examines and proposes revisions to the "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education" introduced by Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson in 1987 for today's technology-driven world.