May, 2021

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Universally Designed Blended Learning

Catlin Tucker

There are two things I am certain of in education. First, learner variability is the norm, not the exception. Second, technology is here to stay. So, how do we design and facilitate learning experiences to remove barriers and allow all students to succeed? How can we leverage technology to provide meaningful choices within a learning experience and create the time and space needed to work with individual students or small groups of learners?

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5 Awesome online tools for game-based learning

Neo LMS

I have long believed that spring presents an excellent time for educators to explore new ideas and try some new digital tools in the classroom. As we look to boost student engagement with the content and keep up the momentum through the end of what has not been an easy or typical school year, trying some different ideas or adding some games into our classroom might just be the boost that we are looking for.

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How Companies Can Support Bilingual and Multilingual Children

Ed Tech from the Ground Up

There are steps that organizations can take to build their cultural awareness in helping bilingual and multilingual students, explains Emily Guo, who is working with Cognitive ToyBox. The post How Companies Can Support Bilingual and Multilingual Children appeared first on Market Brief.

Company 545
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30 K–12 IT Influencers to Follow in 2021

EdTech Magazine

Educators who rose to the many challenges presented this past year often did so with the aid of educational technology. Many K–12 districts adapted to new learning styles, sometimes more than once, as the year progressed. Classrooms across the nation relied on remote, hybrid and in-person learning models to continue providing meaningful educational experiences to students.

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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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Evolving Instruction in a Rapidly Changing World

A Principal's Reflections

We all first learned of idioms probably during the middle school years in English class. There are so many out there, such as “it’s raining cats and dogs,” “you hit the nail on the head,” and “there are bigger fish to fry.” These expressions represent a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words.

Analysis 540
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How to Assess with Respect with Starr Sackstein

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Assessment is part of what teachers have to do in school. Although it is required, we teachers can make sure we assess with respect. Today’s guest, Starr Sackstein, author of Assessing with Respect: Everyday Practices That Meet Students’ Social and Emotional Needs , shares an overview of what is needed so that every student feels respected even as they are given the necessary feedback to improve and leve

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Teacher Appreciation Week–Gifts for the Tech Teacher

Ask a Tech Teacher

Teacher Appreciation Week: The First Full Week of May. There’s always been something mystically cerebral about people in technical professions like engineering, science, and mathematics. They talk animatedly about plate tectonics, debate the structure of atoms, even smile at the mention of calculus. The teaching profession has our own version of these nerdy individuals, called technology teachers.

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Digital Promise Partnering with Five Rural Communities Using Micro-credentials

Digital Promise

Digital Promise is thrilled to partner with five of today’s most innovative postsecondary institutions that are using micro-credentials to create real-time pathways to social mobility for adult learners in rural communities. These partners were selected as part of our landscape research on how micro-credentials may be used to promote economic recovery among rural learners impacted by poverty, particularly for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities.

Industry 366
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More Connected? Additional Devices Don’t Lessen ‘Troubling’ Media Literacy Skills

EdTech Magazine

The pandemic brought with it an influx of devices and online connectivity for K–12 students. However, despite increased connection, researchers are consistently finding that learners of all ages are still easily fooled by misinformation and advertisements. As students are exposed to more technology in classrooms, assignments and at home, the need to teach them how to properly use these tools becomes more critical.

Tools 531
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How to Make Learning Stick

A Principal's Reflections

It is no secret how we retain information, construct new knowledge, and develop competencies critical for success in the world of work and, more importantly, life. Learning is shaped by specific conditions that are either created or engaged in by chance that allow for authentic application through an immersive experience. If there were a secret sauce, then that is it, but it's not as mysterious as one might think.

How To 534
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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.

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15 ways to use Genially in the classroom

Ditch That Textbook

Are you looking to create professional looking presentations, websites, videos, and more from easy to use templates? Here comes Genially. This post is co-authored by Manny Curiel and Karly Moura. Manny Curiel is an educational technology specialist for Cypress Fairbanks ISD near Houston, Texas. He's a Google Certified Trainer and Microsoft in Education Trainer.

Classroom 363
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Blended Learning: Designing with Balance in Mind

Catlin Tucker

I am concerned about the impact that the imbalances in education have on teacher engagement and job satisfaction. I know firsthand the toll that the imbalances caused by traditional workflows in education can have on a teacher. Those unrealistic workflows almost drove me out of education. That’s why the theme of balance has permeated my work for years.

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Kids’ Computer Posture Explored

Ask a Tech Teacher

Here’s a great article on a topic I don’t talk about enough–proper posture at the computer. Written by “Karen Weaver a 3rd grade elementary school teacher and author of the upcoming children’s book “The Magic Pencil”, it covers all the basics. I think you’ll enjoy it: Good Sitting Posture in Front of the Computer Explored.

Laptops 390
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Four Questions Education Leaders are Asking to Find the Best Edtech

Digital Promise

After a year of fast-paced, high-pressure decision making, you’re now called on to figure out which edtech products will support your learners and educators. Should you continue to use the products you implemented before the rush to distance learning? Should you expand the use of new tools that educators found to meet immediate learning needs? Are there new tools to consider that address your communities’ new and evolving needs as you move to hybrid and in-person learning?

EdTech 343
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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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Learning Without Limits: Increasing Tech Accessibility in the K–12 Classroom

EdTech Magazine

Over the course of the past year, K–12 districts have created entirely new ways for teachers and students to connect and collaborate. Now, schools face mounting pressure to prioritize in-person teaching over online options, but not everyone is eager to return. Recent survey data from Echelon Insights found that 45 percent of parents would keep their children entirely online, if possible, while 22 percent of parents preferred a hybrid learning model.

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Empowerment Through Choice

A Principal's Reflections

Agency in the classroom is about giving students more control over their learning through greater autonomy and purpose. It is driven by many factors, one of which is choice. The underlying premise is to move learners from a state of engagement to empowerment so that they exert more ownership over their learning. Consider the following in the context of the professional world of work and employee success.

LMS 417
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5 teaching practices to keep from remote learning

Ditch That Textbook

The pandemic changed the way we teach and in some ways for the better! Here are 5 parts of remote teaching we'll keep.The pandemic changed a lot about education. In a very short period of time, we had to revamp the way we taught, the way we collaborated with colleagues, the way we connected with […]. The post 5 teaching practices to keep from remote learning appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

Learning 355
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2 hours, up to 200 people, 1 low price

Dangerously Irrelevant

[Trying something new here…]. The 4 Shifts Protocol is taking off in schools around the world. We’ve got tens of thousands of educators already using it for instructional redesign. Schools who are trying to focus on deeper learning, greater student agency, more authentic work, and rich technology infusion are finding the protocol to be helpful in their efforts.

Strategy 308
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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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Pass/Fail Grading Was an Act of Pandemic Compassion. Is It Here to Stay?

Edsurge

In his 21 years of teaching, Jesse Stommel says he has never put a grade on a piece of student’s work. As executive director of the journal “ Hybrid Pedagogy ,” which explores alternatives to traditional assessments, he says using student self-evaluations better takes into consideration all the demands and stresses of their lives when compared to traditional grading.

Policies 203
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How To Sustain Powerful Digital Learning for the Future

Digital Promise

As school districts look ahead to post-pandemic classrooms, they must also continue to invest in refining digital and hybrid learning experiences. Despite its challenges, remote learning is here to stay. The Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools has implemented and advocated for equitable access to technologies to close the digital learning gap since its inception in 2011.

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Can Early Adoption of Esports Help Students Learn to Cope with Stress?

EdTech Magazine

Esports provides a socially distant, collaborative and competitive opportunity for students in any learning environment. These games may also provide a benefit to students beyond safe social interaction with their peers. Students who participate in esports clubs may learn skills to cope with stressors, especially if they practice those skills from a young age.

Exercises 512
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Tackling the Status Quo

A Principal's Reflections

We often hear about companies who are either unwilling or afraid to change and ultimately pay the price. Blockbuster is one that often comes to mind, but many others have become victims of the status quo. Robert Brodo shared this in relation to Kodak: Challenging the status quo is defined as asking “why” and then identifying new and better ways of doing things.

Outcomes 385
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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.

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End of the Year THRIVE-al (Not Survival) Guide

Ditch That Textbook

The end of the school year is a unique animal: extra time, review time, not enough time, etc. Here are some ideas and tools to help you thrive.As I write this, my kids have a little less than three weeks left of school yet. It’s the time of year when attention spans get shorter and […]. The post End of the Year THRIVE-al (Not Survival) Guide appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Books I read in April 2021

Dangerously Irrelevant

Books I finished reading (or rereading) in April 2021… The Spy Who Came In From the Cold , John le Carré [thriller]. Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century , Orson Scott Card [sci fi]. Hope you’re reading something fun too! Related Posts. Books I read in May 2020. Books I read in June 2020. Books I read in July 2020. Books I read in December 2020.

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What Can Teachers Learn From Students' Brainwaves?

Edsurge

It’s a bit of a mystery what goes on inside the brain when students learn. But thanks to relatively new breakthroughs in portable EEG devices, which can measure the brain’s electrical activity in what are known as brainwaves, researchers are able to run experiments in classrooms as never before. Ido Davidesco, an assistant professor of learning sciences at the University of Connecticut, says such research will yield insights that can help teachers do their jobs better.

Learning 200
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Deepening Engagement with Students and Teachers of Color During COVID-19

Digital Promise

The Center for Inclusive Innovation ’s Community Advisory Council is made up of social change leaders who work collaboratively with the Center, offering guidance on community-driven design, network building, and more. In the wake of COVID-19, these advisors and their organizations have been working around the clock to address the needs of the teachers, students, and families of color in the communities they serve.

Laptops 331
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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.

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Post-Pandemic Classrooms: What Will They Look Like and How Will They Be Different?

EdTech Magazine

Every district has a different plan for bringing students back into the classroom. Some schools, like those in Florida’s Martin County, reopened for in-person instruction in August and have offered full-time, face-to-face instruction since. By contrast, in some California schools, students have not returned to school buildings since March of 2020. The pandemic created a mandatory pilot program for virtual learning that many schools weren’t prepared for.

Classroom 506
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Teacher Appreciation Webinars

EdTechTeacher

Instead of Teacher Appreciation Week, we are making it a whole month with FREE EdTechTeacher webinars over the next few weeks. We know the last year has been like no other and teachers have been pushed to the brink. We talk and work with teachers all over the globe and want to share our collective knowledge with you. So come with your questions and your insights and join our instructors for a jammed-packed half-hour of learning on these topics.

Google 197
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Love Zoom chat? 5 ways to keep it in face-to-face classes

Ditch That Textbook

Back in face-to-face classes, we can keep the engagement of the Zoom chat. Here are five options you can use. During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, teachers found lots of things they HATED about remote teaching. They also found new teaching practices they LOVED. You may have hated teaching via Zoom or other videoconferencing platforms. But lots of […].

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Our Collective Lesson Plan [On Teachers of Color In This Moment]

The Jose Vilson

After last summer, this is the way it had to go down. In recent weeks, conservatives have waged an all-out assault on their rendition of critical race theory via state and local legislation in recent months. There’s the actual critical race theory developed in the 1970’s with two pillars: that white supremacy is baked directly into our country’s laws and that we can and should change the relationship between laws and our racial hierarchies.

Outcomes 185
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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