2016

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4 Guidelines for Early Learners Using Technology

EdTech Magazine

By Meghan Bogardus Cortez These best practices from the Department of Education will help educators seamlessly integrate tech in the classroom.

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The Secret to Effective Technology Integration in Schools

The CoolCatTeacher

Powerful Learning First, Technology Second From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Powerful learning first technology second. What does this mean in the classroom? Well, have you heard the school that bragged that “we have all new, shiny.” And in the blank insert Chromebook, iPads, BYOD, or laptops.

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Ditching Traditional Grades & My Online Gradebook

Catlin Tucker

Last year, I began experimenting with standards-based grading and wrote a blog titled “ Grading for Mastery and Redesigning My Gradebook. ” My goal was to shift the conversation away from the accumulation of points and, instead, focus on the development of skills. Although I appreciated the immediate change that took place when I began grading based on my students’ ability to master specific skills, I knew I wanted to go even further this year as I began N.E.W.

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15 Ideas and Tons of Resources to Try with Learners in 2017

Teacher Reboot Camp

“Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.” ~ Bill Gates. Throughout the year, I’ve shared many activities and resources to engage your learners with technology. Below are more than 15 ideas to try with your learners in 2017. Try picking one or two that you think would really motivate your learners to be more creative, problem solve, and think critically.

Resources 385
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Make Tuition Agreements Work Smarter—for Your School and Families

A well-crafted tuition agreement is more than paperwork—it’s a powerful tool for protecting your school and building family confidence. This guide helps private and independent K–12 schools reduce legal risk, improve collections, and foster long-term trust with families. Learn best practices for drafting enforceable agreements, communicating clear expectations, and navigating challenges like payment disputes, custody conflicts, and continuous enrollment.

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A parent’s perspective on the best learning apps for children

Neo LMS

There are many different apps that all claim to help children with their learning. From reading to math games, apps are taking over the educational landscape. So much so, that some schools are integrating tablets and apps into their curriculum. Apps can be a great tool to use for learning, once you figure out the best ones for your children and how to use them effectively.

More Trending

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8 Websites that Explain Elections

Ask a Tech Teacher

In about half the world’s nations–such as those ruled by socialism, communism, dictators, and autocracies–law and order are decided by government agencies, often people placed in power by those already in power. When America wrote its Democracy-based Constitution and Bill of Rights in the late 1700’s, we chose a different route.

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Celebrating Five Years of Leadership with the League of Innovative Schools

Digital Promise

This week, as we celebrate Digital Promise’s fifth anniversary , we also welcome the districts who are part of the 2016-2017 cohort of the League of Innovative Schools. Members of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools are changing the model of traditional public education and building policies, programs, and practices that demonstrate how forward-thinking leadership, combined with driven, empowered educators and smart technology use, can transform learning.

Policies 336
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Online Gaming Strategy Sparks Idea for Ed-Tech Startup Business

Ed Tech from the Ground Up

Guest post By Nikki Navta, Founder and CEO of Zulama. Nikki has been inventing products that combine left-and right-brain thinking for more than two decades. Her work on the product development side of the educational textbook publishing industry gave her the experience and inspiration to launch an ed-tech startup. Through a series of courses developed with faculty at Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center, Zulama helps students develop critical programming, art, and design skills.

Strategy 297
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Are We Talking Technology or Are We Talking Learning

More Verbs

More and more, educators are recognizing that the true value of technology isn’t learning how to use the tools and devices, but rather using the tools and devices to learn (see here , here , here , and here ). Even a recent meta analysis of the research on 1to1 learning environments shows that when the studies focused simply on the presence of technology, there was no real improvement in learning.

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The Case for Game Design as an Innovative STEAM Teaching Tool

Speaker: Speakers:

Searching for innovative ways to deliver integrated STEAM education that also help students attain industry-ready skills? Then this punchy 30-minute thought leadership webinar is for you. Join fellow education leaders as we share: National data on STEAM performance and student engagement that indicates post-pandemic learners are craving inspired intervention 10 research-backed reasons why game design is the leading method for practically teaching integrated STEAM education An inside look at live

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Robotic Telepresence Device Allows Student to Attend School Virtually While Receiving Treatment

The Journal

Naya Salah, a seventh grader at Stratford School's Santa Clara Middle School, uses a videoconferencing system called Beam to attend school as she recovers from leukemia and gets chemotherapy.

Robotics 285
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Virtual Reality: Coming Soon to a School Near You

EdTech Magazine

By Frank DiMaria Soon students will sense movement, explore the human body in 3D and mix chemicals virtually thanks to companies like Oculus, Facebook and Nearpod.

Facebook 419
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Why Do We Ask Kids to Sit Down and Learn When the Research Says…

The CoolCatTeacher

How Sedentary Education Hurts Kids From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Many kids may not have ADD or ADHD but have those symptoms because their school is requiring them to sit for such long periods of time, according to Dr. Brad Johnson. Today’s guest shares the latest research about physical activity and school performance.

Learning 419
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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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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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Visualize Learning with Photo Challenges and Projects

Teacher Reboot Camp

“Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.”. – Marc Riboud. Learners of all ages love taking pictures, especially with their phones. Learners can use these photos in projects, digital stories, or other learning projects to provide an authentic voice and to show the learning that is taking place all around them. You can also have learners go on photo challenges and missions instead of assigning typical homework.

Adobe 294
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Why we should leave behind the cookie-cutter education

Neo LMS

Whenever my mom made cookies when I was a little kid, I could barely wait for them to come out of the oven. My mom’s cookies were simply delicious. She had a magic ingredient she kept in a small recipient, and its location between two cookie-baking sessions was top secret. She always added that magic ingredient, and the cookies were always delicious because of it.

Education 327
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10 Strategies to Improve Instructional Leadership

A Principal's Reflections

I still vividly remember my early years as an assistant principal and principal. Instructional leadership was a routine part of the job along with the budget, master schedule, curriculum development, meetings, email, phone calls, and many other duties. With the evolution of social media yet another responsibility was added to my plate in the form of digital leadership.

Strategy 366
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8 Essential Books Every Tech-Minded Teacher Should Read

Ask a Tech Teacher

I love reading, but there are so many books out there, it’s challenging to pick the right one for my education needs. Ask a Tech Teacher contributor, Karen Dikson, came to the rescue. She curated a great list of essential tech-minded books for today’s teachers. Here are her suggestions: We live in an extremely stimulating and dynamic era, and it’s hard to predict what is going to happen tomorrow, let alone in the next few years.

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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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10 Things To Know about the Future of Blockchain in Education

Doug Levin

I recently availed myself of the chance to join and learn from many of the leading innovators and thinkers in the emerging blockchain industry at the Chamber of Digital Commerce’s DC Blockchain Summit 2016 , which billed itself (accurately, I think) as “a dialogue at the intersection of industry, regulation, and innovation.” The event had a strong financial services theme, although I met audience members engaged in a wider array of fields (including healthcare and social media)

Education 281
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The Challenging Journey From Teacher to Startup CEO

Ed Tech from the Ground Up

Today’s guest post is written by Melissa Corto of Education Modified , a company that provides educators with research-based, job-embedded professional development to increase collaboration and improve the outcomes for students with special needs. This will be her first post of two, regarding claiming her identity as an entrepreneur after teaching in New York City public schools.

Company 285
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MLTI is a Massive Failure: What We Can Do

More Verbs

On Friday, October 14, 2016, Maine’s Governor Paul LePage announced that he believes the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) has been a massive failure. Now, we could get mad, or argue, or blame, or call someone and complain… But in truth, MLTI has become better known for the technology than the learning, and we have become stuck at word processing, presenting and online research.

Resources 289
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Researchers: Forget Internet Abstinence; Teens Need some Online Risk

The Journal

If adults want to help teenagers learn how to handle the big risks of Internet usage, the best thing we can do is let them get used to handling smaller risky online situations. That's the conclusion from a Pennsylvania State University research project that examined adolescent online safety.

How To 285
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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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Computer Science (Not Just Coding) Needs a Bigger Role in STEM Education

EdTech Magazine

By Vince Bertram Schools should introduce technology courses earlier and demystify CompSci.

STEM 420
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How Do You Mend a Broken Teacher?

The CoolCatTeacher

Life Lessons from Hall of Fame Teacher Kim Bearden From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Broken. It happens. It hurts deeply. I have had days when I didn’t know how I would get out of bed and make it to school. Most teachers I respect have had periods of deep brokenness too. So has Hall of Fame Teacher Kim Bearden, co-founder of Ron Clark Academy.

Company 419
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Who is doing the work in your classroom?

Catlin Tucker

Who does the following tasks in your classroom: Plans daily lessons. Teaches or facilitates each lesson. Designs projects. Troubleshoots technology hiccups. Assesses student work. Communicates with parents about student progress. If the answer to most of these questions is you, the teacher, then you’ve already realized you are doing the lion’s share of the work in your classroom.

Classroom 412
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40 Recommended Extensions for Teachers, Research, and Language Learners

Teacher Reboot Camp

“It isn’t that they cannot see the solution. It is that they cannot see the problem.” – GK Chesterton. Did you know a web browser has many free incredible extensions (Chrome/Safari)/add-ons (Firefox)/plugins(IE) to support teachers and learners? Teach your students how to enhance their reading, writing, literacy, studying, and research skills with these powerful web browser tools.

Google 284
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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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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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Stop the Homework Insanity and Let Kids Be Kids

A Principal's Reflections

I have so many fond memories of my childhood. Growing up in a relatively rural area of Northwestern New Jersey sure had its benefits. As we returned home from school each day, my brothers and I would jump off the bus and diligently make our way about a half-mile back to our house. Once home we would peel off the backpacks, get changed, and play outside for the remainder of the day until dinner was ready.

Policies 330
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The Importance of 3D Printing in Education

Ask a Tech Teacher

A topic I don’t cover enough is 3D printing. It’s relatively new on the education landscape and I have yet to reach a comfort level with it. Thankfully, Ask a Tech Teacher contributor, Lisa Michaels, has lots of knowledge and experience on this topic. Here are her thoughts on the importance of 3D printing in education: The range of possibilities which 3D printing provides is almost limitless.

Education 329