A great deal of initial research exists about blended learning techniques such as game-based learning, but adoption has stalled because of a lack of scalable, practical techniques that have also proven effective. students who played edgames outperformed their peers on standardized tests. There are a lot of opinions and fads in education, and they are not serving students well. “In Additionally, teachers saw dramatic increases in engagement and performance. MORE

The Windsor Locks High School freshman belongs to the first cohort of students going through middle and high school under a new system. Traditional grades no longer exist, children get extra help based on their individual learning needs and classrooms run very differently. MORE

In a typical teacher’s day, taking the time to learn about digital tools can be a low priority. Memorization, basic skill development and surface-level understanding are no longer enough for our students’ futures. Yet…students need to know stuff. MORE

” A panel of four additional 11th-grade teachers sat beside Hook, and each of them took turns making different investment offers based on the product, potential revenue, and investment request that the students initially pitched. Uncategorized 9-12 High School Interest-Based Learning Student Engagement Student Voice MORE

As Clayton Christensen recently said to me, just as people have taken the phrase “disruptive innovation” to justify whatever they already wanted to do, people are using the phrase personalized learning—and a whole host of other terms—in a similar manner. What is personalized learning? MORE

Many school leaders and education professionals tout personalized learning as the future of learning. If your school already uses a learning management system (LMS) , this is an excellent tool for gathering student-specific information. MORE

A new report examines how giving students the power to explore digital technology improves learning. Today’s students are creating learning cultures in which they are digital creators, and this transformation is benefiting districts across the nation, according to a new report. MORE

If We Expect Students to Collaborate, Are WE Leading By Example? Any observer can see the vast amount of student collaboration transpiring online from teachers sharing their classroom practices via Twitter chats, class blogs or websites, Instagram, Periscope and more. MORE

Harley Center Student Engagement Harley Center shares how relationships, humor, choice, and displaying his work engaged him, plus his three-minute video highlighting student work and personalized learning MORE

A Comprehensive Framework For Student Motivation. When researching student motivation and gamification late last year, I came across the most comprehensive gamification framework I’ve ever seen. For educators, student motivation is one of the pillars of a academic performance. MORE

Ever noticed the connection between student engagement/achievement and the authenticity of the learning experience? Let’s agree for a moment that students are motivated to learn when they recognize the real-world significance of the content. MORE

Flipped classrooms are the bread and butter of e-learning and have defined the education landscape in the past few years or so. But sometimes we still feel there is that sorely-lacking element which could increase student engagement practices or even augment different learning techniques to enhance the learning experience. Learning after all, is a continuum. Social learning is another possibility. Technology is a powerful enabler for learning. MORE

There are organizations that support different kinds of transformation in schools and after researching and interviewing some of these organizations, we've learned a great deal about what these changes can look like, how schools go about redesigning aspects of their model, and what types of support they need along the way. In October, we will share a guide highlighting the trends, insights and challenges we've learned about while profiling five key players in the world of school redesign. MORE

Whenever I told people that I am a blended learning coach, I'd often get a quizzical look. "A What's a blended learning coach?" Just as frequently, I'd also get the question: "What exactly is blended learning, anyway?" August 20, 2015, Volume 2, Issue 9, Number 9. Driving Question: How might the work of district leaders transform daily instruction? A what? MORE

Check out the archive HERE and learn how you can easily and freely harness the power of Twitter. For those of you who regularly read my blog you know how passionate I am about Twitter and its positive impact on my professional practice as a school leader. MORE

From early literacy to learning a second language, differentiation is key to keeping every student engaged. These resources compile useful data, but they're also valuable for being approachable, inviting, and engaging. MORE

Possibly one of the most important shifts needed in schools is to provide individualized and personalized learning experiences to students. Image credit: [link] Infusing online learning opportunities should be a given in a digital world. MORE

In a typical teacher’s day, taking the time to learn about digital tools can be a low priority. Memorization, basic skill development and surface-level understanding are no longer enough for our students’ futures. Yet…students need to know stuff. MORE

As Clayton Christensen recently said to me, just as people have taken the phrase “disruptive innovation” to justify whatever they already wanted to do, people are using the phrase personalized learning—and a whole host of other terms—in a similar manner. Peak of Inflated Expectations: Personalized Learning. What is personalized learning? Instead, I increasingly think of “personaliz ing learning” as a verb. Competency-based learning is one of these. MORE

Students didn’t like the traditional textbook-and-worksheet-centric course, and their teachers and district staff were concerned that a lack of engagement was translating into lower grades at Canada’s Ottawa Catholic School Board’s (OCSB) high schools. The Board wanted to help teachers better engage students; to do this effectively, it needed clearer insight into teacher needs. The finished product was a highly personalized and engaging project-based course. MORE

When Jenny Billings piloted a digital textbook class and saw an immediate increase in engagement and retention after just one semester, she thought it must be a fluke. In many cases, the use of digital tools, platforms, and applications has helped to boost student engagement, grow pass rates, and increase retention. RCCC’s e-Text initiative has saved students up to 50 percent on the cost of their course materials, and has increased classroom engagement and retention. MORE

Our next webinar is designed to help educators transform teaching and learning with ThingLink with Google Docs. Educators can use a Google Doc to collect information, automate tasks and make the workflow progress smoothly throughout a student driven learning experience. MORE

Of course, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be a wild proliferation of learning pathways that burgeon from those same core definitions. We often forget about the role of CBE in a global context because there are enough challenges to contend with at the national level, but in sub-Saharan Africa, a small university called Kepler is making substantial strides toward helping impoverished students in Rwanda. Kepler students range in age from 19 years old to adult learners in their 30s. MORE

You have explored the many different ways teachers have created exemplary practices for students' engagement with the rich content of standards-aligned science, technology, engineering and mathematics instruction. Through this issue's posts, you have read about the big ideas and samples of STEM and STEAM exemplary practices. MORE

One of the things I truly believe is that student engagement is dependent on their voice and choice in both the planning and execution of learning. As my students walk in each morning from now on, they will have 5 must-do activities. Productivity is never an accident. MORE

In a piece for Quartz this past week, I addressed how moving to a blended learning, competency-based education system in which students advance based on mastery, not time, could address many of the concerns by better preparing citizens for the demands ahead. Accordingly, the group wrote, “We need to shift away from rote learning and build instead on our uniquely human strengths in areas like creativity and interpersonal interactions.”. MORE

Redesigning Learning Spaces: Panelists identified changing learning spaces as a trend that educators and district leaders have embraced for quite some time and which is likely to continue. Teachers are becoming more comfortable with this idea of “blending learning.”. MORE

Higher education in Denmark is free of charge and scholarships and student grants are very much available. But unless students belong to rather wealthy families or win the lottery, higher education comes with a big price for them — student debts. MORE

Pickerington Schools in Ohio has over 10,000 students and a notable 96.5% This high-achieving district takes pride in prioritizing student engagement and enthusiasm for learning. ST Math has really helped us move away from the teacher-led classroom to the student-driven. MORE

Competency-based and personalized learning strategies are both best incorporated when they leverage technology tools which allow teachers to customize their standard curriculum. A competency-based learning system focuses on the demonstration of a student’s academic performance. MORE

It requires unconventional ideas, foresight, thoughtfulness, and dedication to student learning. And as the world becomes more connected, schools are making every attempt to help students develop the skills they’ll need to be a part of that interconnected world. MORE

In the MSD of Wayne Township , there are several blended and online opportunities available for students. Recently, the teachers in one particular program in the district inspired a personalized approach to professional development. MORE

Yesterday after school I was in the hallway at Inquiry Hub , talking to a student about an idea he is launching with one of our teachers, iHub Talks. These talks, organized by students, will be presentations on diverse topics aimed to have appeal to a variety of students and community members. MORE

Now that the buzz about flipped learning is calming and the novelty is wearing off, the time has come to dig a little deeper into the natural outcomes of flipping. Truly personalized learning. Next page: Bringing student choice to assessment. MORE

What do students need to be successful? When we posed this question to our students at. All the wishes they’ve expressed are pieces of a personalized learning environment. As it turns out, these students’ insights also match what we would like in our own development as teachers. Yet what does personalized professional development (PD) look like? Our challenge was to personalize learning for ourselves so that we could personalize learning for our students. MORE

One of education’s hottest buzzwords these days is g amification: the integration of games into classroom instruction to enhance student learning. Purposeful gamification can allow for personalized learning , increased student engagement , and greater creativity. ( MORE

Great things happen for students, schools, and communities when students know they will be challenged and supported. schools are moving in this direction to address the social and emotional dimensions of learning as part of their academic mission. Antwan Wilson. MORE

A new school year has begun and educators will face the task of engaging a new set of students. Cultivating an environment where students are consistently engaged with the curriculum brings a unique set of challenges with each new mix of students and level of study. MORE

In year one of being a personalized learning school, I have had many reflective moments like this at Trailside Middle School. Students engage in selecting their pathway for learning, collaborating, questioning, and self-assessing all day long. Teachers have assumed the role of facilitator and students are owners of their learning. Personalized Learning Blended Learning Education Education Elements School Districts communications MORE

CALDWELL, Idaho — Cassandra Madrigal is a high school senior and a top student, with a grade-point average of 3.94. Such academic extras have long been de rigueur for wealthy and middle-class students trying to gain an edge in college admissions. Idaho students “spent” $5.5 MORE

Game-based learning is a topic we have revisited numerous times on this blog. The implications it has on student engagement and learning cannot be overstated. If you have not already experimented with game-based learning with your class, make 2015 the year you do! MORE

LIBRARY Table of Contents CURRICULUM Blended/Flipped/Personalized Learning Coding, Makerspaces, and STEM Digital Content/Open Resources Google in Education Student Engagement, Empowerment and Leaders. Techlearning Resources T&L Live PD Library MORE

Edtech enthusiasts promote the benefits of innovations such as open educational resources (OER), learning management systems (LMS), and adaptive learning software. The Gooru software and LPS’s learning resources are available for free at gooru.org. MORE