Sat.Apr 07, 2018 - Fri.Apr 13, 2018

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Ongoing Self-Assessments: Students Reflect On and Document Their Progress

Catlin Tucker

For the last two years, I have published several blogs detailing my journey away from traditional grading and assessment practices. The purpose of this shift was three-fold. I wanted to shift the conversation from points to the development of skills. I wanted students to take ownership of their progress and skill development. I do not believe grades should happen to students.

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What it Takes to Integrate Robotics and Coding into the Classroom

EdTech Magazine

What it Takes to Integrate Robotics and Coding into the Classroom. jena.passut_7651. Thu, 04/12/2018 - 10:58. It starts with a game of Robot Turtles, a board game by Thinkfun that’s being used at Hubbard Woods School in Winnetka, Ill., to teach kindergarteners the basics of coding. “It helps explain the step-by-step nature of coding,” says Todd Burleson, resource center director for this Winnetka Public Schools District 36 elementary school.

Robotics 406
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Relevance is the Fuel of Learning

A Principal's Reflections

In a previous blog post, I wrote about the importance of focusing on the why as it relates to learning. Here is a piece of my thinking that I shared: The why matters more than ever in the context of schools and education. What all one must do is step into the shoes of a student. If he or she does not truly understand why they are learning what is being taught, the chances of improving outcomes and success diminish significantly.

Learning 332
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Why All Educators Need SAMR And TPACK

The Web20Classroom

Lately, the work I’ve been doing with teachers and leaders has centered around the engaging and effective use of technology. In addition to developing a guide for how teachers can plan better using technology and what leaders can look for when doing walkthroughs, I have had many conversations around the transformational use of technology. Specifically, what does that look like?

Education 277
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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 benefits of active learning

Dangerously Irrelevant

In an article lamenting the reduction in kindergarten of teacher autonomy and child-directed activities , Washington Post columnist Valerie Strauss quoted early childhood development expert Nancy Carlsson-Paige: We have decades of research in child development and neuroscience that tell us that young children learn actively – they have to move, use their senses, get their hands on things, interact with other kids and teachers, create, invent.

Learning 261
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5 Microsoft OneNote Tips Every Educator Should Know

EdTech Magazine

5 Microsoft OneNote Tips Every Educator Should Know. jena.passut_7651. Mon, 04/09/2018 - 10:23. Microsoft OneNote is a tool widely used in K–12 schools. In my roles as professor, student advisor and program administrator of the classical studies program at Villanova University, I’ve discovered that OneNote is my No. 1 tool for innumerable learning scenarios in higher education as well.

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5 Ways to Bring Computational Thinking and STEM Together

The CoolCatTeacher

Stephanie Zeiger on episode 290 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. STEM and Computational Thinking go together. Today’s guest is a PhD, Biomedical engineer and STEM Teacher. Stephanie Zeiger helps us see the potential of STEM and computational thinking. Legends of Learning has awesome free science games and activities to celebrate earth day on April 22. coolcatteacher.com/earth Check out their NGSS aligned Science gam

STEM 228
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1st Grade digital PBL: Does it work?

Neo LMS

Project-based learning , as we have often examined in this blog, is a powerful way to not only impart information, by exploration, but has the added advantage of stimulating and developing a range of other skills and habits such as communication, creativity, curiosity, confidence and collaboration. The Internet is subsequently filled with incredible PBL ideas and projects, shared online on forums such as YouTube and Pinterest by teachers from all over the US.

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Q&A: How Digital Mental Health Tools Made a Difference for Hazard Independent Schools

EdTech Magazine

Q&A: How Digital Mental Health Tools Made a Difference for Hazard Independent Schools. juliet.vanwage…. Tue, 04/10/2018 - 12:50. Digital health technology isn’t just for grown-ups. New tools can help connect children with the private and personalized resources they need to better understand their mental health and keep it in check. For one school district, adopting an online mental and behavioral health system has been an effective tool to better help students in a rural community overcome b

Tools 230
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5 Places To Find Free And Affordable ESL Teaching Resources

EdNews Daily

Many teachers, whether working online or in a brick and mortar school usually have a few resources they depend on and use all the time for their teaching. However, there are a variety of activities or resources you can turn to when you need to modify a lesson or change routes. If you are an ESL teacher, no matter how or where you teach, you may be looking for some new resources to add to your teacher’s toolbox.

Resources 240
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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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How to Host a Student Media Festival

The CoolCatTeacher

Mike Lawrence on episode 287 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Mike Lawrence, a current organizer of the longest running student media festival in the country, shares how to set up and run your own media festival. With a big hat tip to our mutual friend Hall Davidson who started this event, we learn the ins and outs of student media festival and how you can “steal” their ideas and run your own!

How To 201
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20+ ideas for maximizing student voice

Ditch That Textbook

All student have a voice. Some students share their voice often, some rarely, and some almost never. We want to hear from ALL of our students. But what does encouraging student voice really mean? How do we creatively incorporate ways for students to showcase themselves in our lessons? And how can we use student voice to […].

Twitter 218
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Cloud Tech Optimizes Workflow for K–12 Schools

EdTech Magazine

Cloud Tech Optimizes Workflow for K–12 Schools. jena.passut_7651. Tue, 04/10/2018 - 13:31. When the IT department rolls out a new technology in a K-12 school, having a cloud-based management tool is basically a requirement. With the cloud, slim IT staffs are able to help teachers and administrators leverage technology to create personalized learning experiences and manage student data.

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How tracking academic performance can nip (cyber)bullying in the bud

Neo LMS

Bullying is a prevalent problem in American public schools. This behavior has negative effects on the academic performance of those who are bullied and can take a toll on their physical and mental health. Around 17 percent of American students experience bullying two to three times a month but according to the US Department of Health & Human Services, 50 percent of children aged 4 through 12 are bullied.

LMS 170
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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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Merge Cube Mania in Middle School

The CoolCatTeacher

Karen Bosch on episode 288 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Karen Bosch explains why Merge Cubes are so hot, how they are being used in classrooms, and how she’s using them to build critical thinking and creativity in her school. Join Merge Cube Mania! A big thank you to Karen.

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Classroom tech: Geekery not required

Ditch That Textbook

There’s that teacher. Maybe she works in your building. Maybe she’s at another school in your district. And she plans and executes these amazingly complex techy lessons. So much so that you can’t fully wrap your brain around what she’s doing. She uses a buffet of websites, apps and digital tools. There are layers upon […].

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4 Tips for Controlling Shadow IT

EdTech Magazine

4 Tips for Controlling Shadow IT. jena.passut_7651. Fri, 04/13/2018 - 10:15. For a K–12 IT department, one of the biggest security threats may be as sinister as it sounds. Shadow IT — the term for hardware, software and applications acquired by an organization’s users without going through the IT department — has become common, especially with the rise in inexpensive computing devices and widely available mobile and cloud-based apps.

Symantec 178
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Leadership in Personalized Learning

Education Elements

“You can’t buy personalized learning…” I read this statement by Richard Culatta recently and it really resonated with me because personalizing learning is about skilled teachers, not students working on computers for a large part of a day. Yes technology can support and enhance the learning, but what it actually comes down to is good teaching practices, implemented by teachers who are prepared to learn, collaborate and reflect, and take risks (and sometimes fail) to improve the learning process

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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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Legends of Learning: The Game-Based Science Platform for Grades 3-8

The CoolCatTeacher

Sponsored by Legends of Learning From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Students love to play games, and they also need real-world examples to help science come alive. With this in mind, Legends of Learning is a fantastic platform full of NGSS aligned science games that does both. Kids in grades 3-8 will love these science games.

Learning 190
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The future of technology in education

Ditch That Textbook

What is the future of technology in education? We really don’t know. As fast as the world has changed in the last five years, there’s no way to predict what the next five years will look like — let alone one or two years. However, when I heard Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speak on a […].

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Subscriber Special: April

Ask a Tech Teacher

April 24th-30th: Coaching or Mentoring. BOGO — Buy one month; get the second free. Do any of these sound like you? Your kindergartners don’t know what ‘enter’, ‘spacebar’, ‘click’ or many other techie words mean but you need to teach them to keyboard, internet, and become digital citizens. How do you start? You have new students in your class who haven’t had technology training.

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Playing ‘Serious Games,’ Adults Learn to Solve Thorny Real-World Problems

Digital Promise

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. It is never easy for interest groups with conflicting views to resolve public policy disagreements involving complex scientific issues. To successfully formulate complex treaties, such as the recent Paris Climate Change Agreement, countries must find a way to meet the interests of almost 200 national representatives, while simultaneously getting the science right.

Learning 159
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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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Understanding ADHD and Helping Kids Succeed

The CoolCatTeacher

Katherine Firestone on episode 289 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Katherine Firestone helps parents and kids with ADHD. Having been diagnosed with ADHD herself, Katherine is uniquely positioned to help us understand what to do to help children with ADHD and their parents.

Strategy 174
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8 quotes from Matt Miller’s Ditch That Textbook keynote

Ditch That Textbook

Many times, the most memorable parts of a speech come down to a handful of impactful moments. Inspirational quotes. Unforgettable moments. I recently got the wonderful opportunity to keynote the CUE Conference in Palm Springs, California. I was so thankful for the positive feedback and the warm reception to my message that night. I have […].

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Tech Tip for Teachers: Cover your Webcam

Ask a Tech Teacher

Tech Tips is an occasional post on overcoming Tech Dread. I’ll cover issues that colleagues and friends, both real-time and virtual, have shared. . This week, I’m passing on a tip from my security-conscious daughter: I used to do this and forgot about it. She came for a visit and slapped a post-it note over my webcam. And she’s right! Webcams and mics are too easy to hack, been done often.

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Learner-centered Design for Adult Learners

Digital Promise

If you’re looking to join the growing brigade improving the lives of adult learners through mobile learning – then welcome! We need you. More than 89 percent of adults in need of basic academic and job skills will never gain the skills they want and need with traditional classrooms and approaches. However, 95 percent have mobile phones. Mobile learning just makes sense for these learners, if for no other reason than providing access.

Mobility 151
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Enhancing HyFlex Education through the PowerTeaching Framework

This whitepaper explores integrating the PowerTeaching pedagogical approach within a HyFlex (Hybrid Flexible) educational model, focusing on employing cooperative learning strategies and efficient classroom management techniques.

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5 Tips for Planning a Kidcamp, the Student-Driven #Edcamp

Edsurge

By now you’ve probably heard of edcamps —free, organic, participant-driven, “un-conferences” that empower educators to maximize professional learning experiences and peer networks. As a longtime enthusiast, what I love most about the movement is that at its heart it’s all about educators teaching and empowering other educators. So, what if we gave our students the same opportunity their teachers have to learn alongside one another, lift each other up and maximize their learning experiences, all

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If Your Child Can’t Sleep, Reduce Their Screen Time

EdTech4Beginners

Kids keeping you up all night? It happens. Maybe they’ve had a big day visiting family; their sche dule’s out of whack and their sleeping patterns are, too. Or maybe that ghost story they heard at school is sending their imagination into dark places and they can’t calm down. Or maybe…and in today’s society, more likely…their inability to sleep is down to screens.

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Four Landmarks on your District’s Personalized Learning Journey

Education Elements

Imagine you’re exploring a new place. It’s exciting, but unfamiliar and so remote that you’ve lost cell service. How do you get where you’re going? Chances are, you’ll seek out an expert - someone who knows the lay of the land and can give you directions. Once you’ve found the corner gas station and asked for assistance, what will your expert guide tell you?

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Building Family Engagement Through Communication and Trust

Digital Promise

Parent involvement in education used to be defined quite narrowly. Parents could attend on-site Parent-Teacher Association meetings, sign up for classroom volunteering shifts, or participate in parent-teacher conferences. Over time, though, the relationship between families and schools has become more meaningful, customized, and inclusive. Most schools offer engagement programs for family and community members in addition to parents, and view families as full partners for planning and implementi

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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.