September, 2021

article thumbnail

Trust is a Leader's Best Friend

A Principal's Reflections

When I began the journey to become a school administrator many years ago, I took the typical courses that were required. These focused on topics such as school law, instructional leadership, change management, school finance, and curriculum development, among many others. While I felt adequately prepared when I finally became a building leader, I quickly realized how valuable the on-the-job training was to my growth.

Course 496
article thumbnail

Creating more interactive learning spaces in the new school year

Neo LMS

At the start of a new school year, especially with some unknowns when it comes to whether we will be full in-person or shifting between learning environments, having various tools available as educators is necessary. Teachers are always looking for new strategies or digital tools that will help students better retain the content and promote student engagement and meaningful learning.

Learning 536
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Shifting from Time-Consuming Teacher-led Workflows to Sustainable Student-led Workflows

Catlin Tucker

I had the pleasure of chatting with Matt Miller this week for my podcast, The Balance. During our conversation, we explored aspects of the teaching profession that are time-consuming and create work-life imbalance. One culprit is the mentality that, “If I don’t grade it, the students won’t do it.” I disagree, especially when it comes to assignments designed to provide students with opportunities to review concepts and practice specific skills.

article thumbnail

Asynchronous Learning Gains Popularity Following Pandemic Education Adjustments

EdTech Magazine

A year and a half of online and hybrid learning showed the nation that there is more than one way to learn. Many students found that online education suited their learning style and opted to stick with it even after classrooms reopened their doors. Virtual-only schools saw a rise in admissions, and traditional schools created their own permanently virtual options.

Education 529
article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

How to Get the Most Out of Google Apps Now with Eric Curts

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Some awesome changes have happened with Google Apps over summer 2021. In today's show, Eric Curts talks about Google Classroom, Google Docs, and other Google apps and what has happened that is new and cool and how these changes will help classrooms improve this school year.

Google 497
article thumbnail

A Book New–and Veteran–Teachers Will Want to Read

Ask a Tech Teacher

They Call Me Mom. by Pete Springer. 5/5. x. Pete Springer’s memoir They Call Me Mom (Outskirts Press 2019) about his first years teaching will delight new teachers and have experienced educators nodding along with him. As a teacher, Pete’s early experiences remind me of the joy inherent in teaching: “This job required about as much brainpower as my tree planting experience.”. “This is the story of how I fell in love with teaching and the joys and challenges that this noble prof

More Trending

article thumbnail

8 Ways teachers can better deal with digital fatigue

Neo LMS

A version of this post was originally published in EdTech Magazine , on June 18, 2021. Teaching is a profoundly caring profession. Just like doctors, nurses, and therapists, teachers deeply impact the lives of all the people they work with. Their jobs come with high moral obligations, as well as a highly regulated work environment. That alone makes any caring profession deserving of the highest respect from society, as such individuals deal with a specific combination of stress factors daily.

EdTech 472
article thumbnail

Promoting Literacy: Cultivate a Reading Culture

Catlin Tucker

Guest post written by Amy Tobener-Talley. September 8th is International Literacy Day, a great time to think about promoting a class culture that values reading. However, encouraging students to read in and out of class is challenging as small screens command much of their time and attention. It is becoming increasingly difficult to pry students away from Snapchat, Netflix, Spotify, Instagram, and video games to read anything longer than a snippet.

article thumbnail

How to Choose K–12 Educational Technology Intentionally

EdTech Magazine

When it comes to choosing educational technology, K–12 IT leaders have the opportunity — after more than a year of using whatever was available to achieve learning — to choose tools intentionally. Educators, administrators and technology specialists have the chance to take what they’ve learned during remote learning, evaluate what they’ve implemented and decide how they want to move forward with ed tech.

article thumbnail

Battling Blended Learning Burnout and Finding Balance

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Tiffany Wycoff, the co-author of the bestselling book, Blended Learning in Action , talks about the state of blended learning today. She shares how some teachers are battling blended learning burnout but that it is necessary for learning today and how we move forward. Sponsor: Screencastify.

article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Announcing the 2021-2022 League of Innovative Schools Cohort

Digital Promise

Digital Promise is thrilled to announce 37 districts—including 26 new districts and 11 returning districts—will join the ranks of the League of Innovative Schools for the 2021-2022 school year. The new cohort extends the network’s reach to 125 districts across 34 states, and expands its cumulative impact to 3.8 million students served over time. Over the past 18 months, innovation has taken on a whole new meaning.

Advocacy 418
article thumbnail

A Five-Step Process for Resolving Conflict

A Principal's Reflections

When it comes to a thriving school culture, many factors can derail progress. While lack of resources, too many mandates, unclear vision, and a lack of accountability might be at the top of the list, I feel that conflict, especially internal, possesses the greatest threat to achieving goals and improving outcomes. While this has always been a part of human nature, it is interesting to observe how it plays out at an individual level.

Outcomes 429
article thumbnail

Digital reflection tools your students can use in class

Neo LMS

The concept of reflective practice is an essential part of the learning process. Taking the time to consider what you know at a moment in time lets you put things into perspective and see the gaps in knowledge, the places for improvement, and what steps you could take to perfect your acquisition level. Conscious reflection is a practice used in many domains where professionals analyze their work, abilities, and overall results.

Tools 444
article thumbnail

3 Strategies for Ed. Companies to Reach Teachers Through Social Media

Ed Tech from the Ground Up

Cognitive ToyBox conducted an experiment to find out which forms of advertising via social media are most effective in reaching educators. The post 3 Strategies for Ed. Companies to Reach Teachers Through Social Media appeared first on Market Brief.

article thumbnail

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

article thumbnail

Chatbots Allow Educators to Delegate Repetitive Tasks and Focus on Teaching

EdTech Magazine

The chatbot revolution isn’t coming — it’s already here. It’s been five years since an AI-enabled chatbot called Jill Watson fooled many students in an artificial intelligence class at Georgia Tech into thinking they’d been interacting with a human teaching assistant all semester. Considered the world’s first intelligent chatbot and powered by IBM Watson technology, Jill Watson took between 1,000 to 1,500 hours to build.

Education 509
article thumbnail

Using Pop Culture to Teach Writing Skills

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Nancy Barile has an incredible story of how she uses the show The Walking Dead to engage learners in writing skills and more. Her administration has let her recraft the curriculum around this show with pretty astounding results. Sponsor: Advancement Courses is sponsoring DonorsChoose projects from August 18 – September 24.

Company 432
article thumbnail

20+ ways to use 10 BIG Flipgrid updates

Ditch That Textbook

Once again Flipgrid released BIG updates to its camera, user experience, help center and more. Here are 20+ ways to use those updates in the classroom. For many students, video is just part of the way they speak. Snapchat. Instagram. YouTube. How they'll share those videos is a natural way of thinking for them. Video has never […]. The post 20+ ways to use 10 BIG Flipgrid updates appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

Video 355
article thumbnail

Helping Diverse Communities Create a Relationship with the Maritime Industry

Digital Promise

Maritime High School in Des Moines, Washington—a collaborative project between the Port of Seattle , the Northwest Maritime Center , Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition , and Highline Public Schools —welcomed its inaugural freshman class this month. The first of its kind in Puget Sound, this high school engages students interested in pursuing a career in the maritime industry, the third largest economic driver in the state.

Industry 334
article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

7 Outside of the box ideas for teaching students who don’t like writing

Neo LMS

Writing is seen as the topmost skill to master by students. Case in point, most Higher Education institutions require strong writing abilities. It’s no wonder that educators focus on writing from as early as kindergarten. That’s why it can be frustrating to convince reluctant students of the importance of writing, especially when they don’t particularly enjoy it.

Wiki 395
article thumbnail

September 11th, 20 Years Later. Never Forget. Take a moment. Do a good deed

Educational Technology Guy

September 11th, 20 Years Later. Never Forget. Take a moment. Do a good deed [link] I was in EMS for 22 years before retiring due to a back injury. One of my most memorable experiences was responding to New York City as a Paramedic in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. I will never forget that experience. What I saw and did are still with me, as is a type of asthma from breathing the dust.

Company 277
article thumbnail

Ed Tech Access and Competency Make Virtual Learning Options Equitable

EdTech Magazine

A mandate in Ontario, Canada, requires all school districts in the province to provide a virtual learning option to K–12 students for the 2021-2022 school year. Over the summer, families were asked whether they wanted their students to learn virtually or in person. Many districts sent surveys as late as they reasonably could (while still having enough time to prepare), to ensure that parents had the most up-to-date information when deciding.

article thumbnail

How to Help Struggling Readers in Grades 6-12 with Pam Allyn

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Students are coming back to school and many of them are reading below grade level. While this has always been a challenge, this year it may be even more so. In this episode, literacy expert Pam Allyn gives advice to teachers about how to help struggling readers in grades 6-12.

How To 408
article thumbnail

The Roses and Thorns of an LMS Strategy: How to Flourish with the Right LMS

Speaker: Amanda Davis, Chief Experience Officer and Liam O'Malley, VP of Association Solutions

The "new normal" is now a little less new, a little more normal. Does that mean your current LMS strategy is in need of a refresh? Is your organization or association leaning into the always-evolving eLearning environment to ensure you have the tools and content to remain relevant through all this change? There are many complex decision-making processes within your learning & development strategy and LMS lifecycle management, including: Selection.

article thumbnail

20+ interactive digital lessons for class tomorrow

Ditch That Textbook

Need some lesson ideas for class tomorrow? The Applied Digital Skills curriculum from Google for Education teaches practical digital skills with free video lessons.Post sponsored by Google for Education You've got lessons to plan for tomorrow. Or next week. Or your next unit. Let's be honest. Time is not something we teachers have an overabundance of.

Google 333
article thumbnail

Center & Empower Educator Voice in Edtech Market: A Collaborative Vision

Digital Promise

Let’s center educator voice in the design and selection of edtech tools. Over the last year and a half, the level of urgency to find flexible tools that support educators and learners in creating powerful learning experiences increased tenfold, with edtech application use nearly doubling in one year. More than ever, the edtech industry needs to respond to the ever-changing needs of educators and learners.

EdTech 327
article thumbnail

Books I read in August 2021

Dangerously Irrelevant

Books I finished reading (or rereading) in August 2021… Restoration , Carol Berg (fantasy). The Rose and the Thorn , Michael Sullivan (fantasy). The Death of Dulgath , Michael Sullivan (fantasy). The Disappearance of Winter’s Daughter , Michael Sullivan (fantasy). A Time of Dread , John Gwynne (fantasy). A Time of Blood , John Gwynne (fantasy).

272
272
article thumbnail

Personalized Learning: Reflection and Goal-Setting

Education Elements

Reflection and goal-setting is the simplest way to begin personalizing learning because it mirrors a practice we engage in every day of our lives. Sometimes this shows up in small ways, like aiming to show gratitude more often, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or reading more. Technology is playing a larger role in this practice, especially as it applies to our health.

article thumbnail

Building the Foundation for a Modern K-12 Classroom

K-12 looks different these days. But one thing remains the same: you need a reliable learning platform that serves as the foundation for teaching and learning––for all students, in a variety of learning experiences. Discover how the Instructure Learning Platform supports today's K-12 classroom through: A central, consistent, connected hub of the digital learning environment.

article thumbnail

Q&A: What Do K–12 IT Leaders Need to Know about Ransomcloud?

EdTech Magazine

The pervasive threat of ransomware has taken on a new dimension in the past two years. Now, districts have to worry about ransomcloud attacks, in which hackers try to breach cloud service providers such as G Suite and Office 365, encrypt data and emails, then demand a ransom. Ransomcloud has quickly become a significant threat, especially to K­–12 institutions.

Data 495
article thumbnail

Blended Learning Best Practices During the Pandemic with Thomas Arnett

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Thomas Arnett from the Christensen Institute Shares What the Insitute has learned from administrators and teachers about best practices for teaching during the pandemic. Sponsor: Screencastify. This year, I introduced the free screencasting tool, Screencastify, the first week of school to all of my students so they could record screencasts.

article thumbnail

Captain of a hook: 10 engaging lesson introduction ideas

Ditch That Textbook

This post is written by Megan Diede and Kara Risby. Megan and Kara both currently teach primary at Prairie Wind Elementary in Gillette, Wyoming. They are also the founders of IntegratED LLC a framework that challenges teachers to find a new norm and their teaching. “Tick, Toc, Tick, Toc…” How many of you pictured the crocodile from […]. The post Captain of a hook: 10 engaging lesson introduction ideas appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

article thumbnail

Creating Conditions for Powerful Technology Use

Digital Promise

Instructional technology is a critical component of teaching and learning in today’s world. Technology, when aligned to research-based practices, supports teachers in delivering instruction that is adapted to meet the needs of all students. However, it’s not enough for teachers to simply use technology tools. Teachers need to be able to effectively use technology, select appropriate tools, and integrate technology into the curriculum in order to have impactful technology use.

article thumbnail

Transform Your Classroom with Apple

Speaker: Aaron Webb, Jamf

Apple empowers educators and students by design. Whether using Macs, iPads, or Apple TV, Apple devices encourage creativity and can simplify teaching with apps to make the classroom more flexible, collaborative and personalized for each student. To unleash the full potential of the technology and create the best learning environment, you need to understand the tools and resources available, and develop an education-focused, comprehensive plan, from equipment purchase to deployment, management an