March, 2024

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What Is Educational Technology (Ed Tech), and Why Should Schools Invest in It?

EdTech Magazine

Long gone are the days of overhead projectors and handwritten papers. Today’s teachers have robust technology at their disposal, and students have grown up in an increasingly digital world. But, with so many software applications, devices and other technologies on the market, it’s easy for teachers to become overwhelmed with the array of opportunities available to them.

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3 Reasons Teachers Should Use the Playlist Model

Catlin Tucker

Let’s start with a quick review of the playlist, or individual rotation, model for those who have not heard of it. A playlist is a sequence of learning activities designed to move students toward a desired result. Most playlists culminate in a performance task or artifact intended to demonstrate students’ ability to transfer or apply what they learned working through the playlist.

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11 Ideas for Primary Math Stations

A Principal's Reflections

A few weeks back, I shared ideas on ELA stations for primary students after this was brought up during a coaching cycle with one of my schools. Upon reflection, I decided to do the same with math. Creating math stations for primary students can be a fun and effective way to introduce them to basic math concepts through hands-on activities. These stations can help develop their understanding of numbers, shapes, patterns, and measurements in an interactive and engaging manner.

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9 St. Patrick’s Day Resources For Your Class

Ask a Tech Teacher

St. Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on March 17th to honor St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, credited with bringing Christianity to the country. The day is marked by parades, wearing green clothing and accessories, traditional Irish music and dance, feasting, and the symbolic consumption of foods and beverages like corned beef, cabbage, and Irish stout.

Resources 417
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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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Unlock the Secrets: Expert Homework Hacks for Busy Parents

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Brian Page, a former Milken National Educator of the Year with 15 years of experience in the education field. Brian is the creator of the Homework Hacks Course , designed to equip students aged 13 to 20 with research-backed homework hacks and independent learning strategies.

Strategy 382
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8 New Districts Join the League of Innovative Schools

Digital Promise

From Pennsylvania to California, these eight districts are the latest to join the network of 150 forward-thinking education leaders.

Education 327

More Trending

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Pre-assessment is Key to Designing with Intention

Catlin Tucker

At a recent workshop, a teacher posed a compelling question about the effectiveness of small-group versus whole-group instruction. This inquiry always prompts me to reflect: How many educators gather pre-assessment data before crafting their lesson plans? Such preliminary insights, whether through pre-assessments, diagnostics, or activities aimed at accessing prior knowledge, can illuminate the diverse range of skills, abilities, and needs within a classroom.

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AI in the Classroom: A Teacher's Toolkit for Transformation

A Principal's Reflections

The landscape of education is constantly evolving, and artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a powerful tool for educators. While it won't replace the irreplaceable human touch in the classroom, AI can significantly enhance teaching and learning by offering personalization, efficiency, and insightful data analysis. Below are some ways educators can leverage AI to create a more dynamic and effective learning environment while also getting professional learning support from Five Star Technol

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What’s a Backchannel and Is it Right For Your Class?

Ask a Tech Teacher

A backchannel refers to a secondary, often informal, communication channel that runs parallel to the main communication channel. In the classroom, it provides students with an outlet to: ask questions when the teacher is talking–isn’t at a lesson point where she can pause engage in conversation with other students without disturbing the class add comments to a conversation even after the class has moved on in the lesson plan.

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How to Make Every Student Feel Valued

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter I hope today's show will provoke thought and thinking about what it means to relate to our students. Relationships may not be easily measurable but have a significant impact on student achievement. Today, for Thought Leader Thursday, we are talking to Tom Hierck, 41-year educator, and author of 25 books.

How To 383
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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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AI and Education: What are the Goals?

EdNews Daily

By Kiran Kodithala In our lifetimes, the most important technological advancements may arguably include cellular phones, the internet, and digital payments, each revolutionizing how we communicate, access information, and conduct transactions. The advent of smartphones has further intensified these effects, making these technologies indispensable in daily life.

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Why More K–12 Schools are Modernizing Their IT Procurement Process

EdTech Magazine

In Silicon Valley, tech execs brag about moving fast and breaking things. But in the neighboring Mt. Diablo Unified School District, IT officials need to be more careful and deliberate as they deploy new technologies. “We’re supporting teachers and kids,” says Robert Sidford, director of technology and innovation for the 29,000-student district. “We don’t want to be out there making a bunch of mistakes.

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Vocabulary Haiku: A Creative Approach to Deeping Understanding of Academic Vocabulary

Catlin Tucker

Written by Noelle Gutierrez Educators know the importance of academic vocabulary instruction. Student knowledge of academic words and phrases has a direct impact on their ability to acquire and comprehend information, which is why it should be a part of every subject area and class. As an instructional coach and administrator, I regularly observed teachers providing direct instruction using explicit vocabulary routines.

Strategy 269
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Cultivating Lifelong Learners: How to Support Personalized Teacher Growth

A Principal's Reflections

Imagine a classroom buzzing with engaged students, actively constructing knowledge and diving deep into topics that spark their curiosity. This vibrant learning environment does not just happen by chance. It thrives under the guidance of a passionate, skilled educator who is constantly evolving alongside their students. However, like their students, teachers need personalized growth opportunities to stay engaged, motivated, and effective.

How To 389
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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 Automate an MLA Heading

Ask a Tech Teacher

How to Automate an MLA Heading in Word This one is quick–how to create a macro that automatically inserts an MLA-appropriate heading: Have students log in. Macros go with the profile of the user, not the local computer. Open MS Word. Decide what the keyboard shortcut will be for the macro. I use Ctrl+Alt+H. Test it to be sure it doesn’t bring up some other shortcut.

How To 361
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AI Webinar: Artificial Intelligence in the Educational and the Learning Landscape

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Artificial Intelligence is the topic of conversation for anyone who cares about learning, scholarship, and the future of our world, and rightly so. The job losses are supposed to be staggering. The World Economic Forum predicted in 2020 that AI would take away 85 million jobs ; however, this powerful phenomenon would create 97 million new jobs.

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20 useful ways to use Padlet in class now

Ditch That Textbook

Padlet is a web app that lets users post notes on a digital wall. The uses for this site in the classroom are virtually endless!There’s a good chance you’ve done the “write on a sticky note and put it on the wall” activity — or have seen it happen before. Padlet lets those sticky notes have images, […] The post 20 useful ways to use Padlet in class now appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Computer Science: What Schools Need to Know to Teach It Today

EdTech Magazine

Students can build many skills when learning computer science, beyond the ones typically taught in traditional computer science classes. They can learn pattern recognition, problem-solving through debugging, and even project management as they break down a problem into its requisite parts and test and implement solutions. All of these skills can benefit students in a wide variety of jobs, whether related directly to technology or not.

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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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How Can Educational Leaders Strengthen Digital Equity in an Age of AI?

Digital Promise

The post How Can Educational Leaders Strengthen Digital Equity in an Age of AI? appeared first on Digital Promise.

Education 321
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Relevant Thinking and Learner Success

A Principal's Reflections

In today's rapidly changing world, where new challenges and technologies emerge at an unprecedented pace, students need to be relevant thinkers to successfully navigate the complex social, economic, and environmental issues they will face. The ability to think relevantly enables them to connect classroom learning with real-world applications, fostering deeper learning and cultivating critical life competencies such as problem-solving, adaptability, and creativity.

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A Holiday Easter Story in Word for Grades 2-7

Ask a Tech Teacher

Reinforce fiction writing–characters, plot, setting, climax–with a short story in MS Word or another word processing tool. Then use color, borders, and pictures to enhance the words. Click the images below for larger sizes. Designed for grades 2-7: Here’s the sign-up link if the image above doesn’t work: [link] Copyright ©2024 worddreams.wordpress.com – All rights reserved.

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How to Create Apps in the Classroom and Inspire Design Thinking

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Students can build apps and collaboration skills at the same time. Today's episode features my friend Alefiya Master, the CEO of MAD-Learn, and the sponsor of today's show. We discuss the transformative role of app-building, collaborative learning, design thinking, and the importance of authentic learning experiences.

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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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10 Ways To Help Newcomers In The Classroom

EdNews Daily

Did you know? According to the National Education Association, by 2025, 1 out of every 4 children in classrooms across the US will be a new English Language Learner, Multilingual or Bilingual student. New students arriving in the US are usually called newcomers in a school setting. The term ‘newcomers’ is defined as K-12 students born outside the United States who arrived in the country in the last three years and are still learning English.

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How Schools Can Increase Their Chances of Winning Federal Cybersecurity Funding

EdTech Magazine

In the grand scheme of things, $200 million over the course of three years to address cybersecurity in K–12 doesn’t seem like much. However, that is what the Federal Communications Commission will offer as part of its Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program. That said, this is a step up from what the FCC already provides through its E-rate program, whose cybersecurity coverage includes only basic firewalls and support services to configure them.

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How Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Transformed My District

Digital Promise

The post How Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Transformed My District appeared first on Digital Promise.

Learning 341
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Rising Student Absenteeism: We Need to Change the Way We Do Things

Education Elements

Schools across the country are grappling with fewer students in classrooms, causing a ripple effect on learning, funding, and engagement. Research shows that the number of chronically absent students has nearly doubled , from about 15 percent in the 2018-2019 school year to around 30 percent in 2021-2022. Millions of students miss 10% of the school year or more—whether excused or unexcused—and substantial increases in chronic absenteeism were prevalent across every state that captures this data.

Data 254
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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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Tech Tip #165 My Program Disappeared

Ask a Tech Teacher

Today’s tip: Find a lost program Category: Problem-solving If a program disappears, here are two quick ways to find it more than half the time (on PCs ): Look around the screen Check the taskbar Sign up for a new tip each week or buy the entire 169 Real-world Ways to Put Tech into Your Classroom. What’s your favorite tech tip in your classroom?

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3 Ways to Be a Less Stressed Educator

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter How are you doing, educators? Are you stressed? While that can be typical, we also want to consider the habits that will help us teach long-term with a high quality of life. Today will be a refreshing encouragement for educators everywhere. Learn how to set boundaries, embrace self-care, and manage your mindset to transform stress into strength.

Education 321
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Getting started with classroom jobs

Ditch That Textbook

Involving students in classroom responsibilities isn't just about easing the teacher's workload (although that's a nice perk!). It's about creating a vibrant learning environment that fosters essential skills like responsibility, collaboration, and leadership.Encouraging student participation and fostering a sense of ownership in the classroom environment can be achieved through the simple yet powerful tool of […] The post Getting started with classroom jobs appeared first on Ditch That Te

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Girls Who Game Brings Cultural Preservation to San Carlos Apache Tribe

EdTech Magazine

In an ongoing effort to tackle inequities in digital skills and science, technology, engineering and math fields, Dell Technologies introduced its Girls Who Game program to San Carlos Apache Tribe students in Arizona’s San Carlos Unified School District No. 20. Girls Who Game, which was started in 2019 in partnership with Microsoft and Intel, has grown to include more than 75 clubs around the world.

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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.