January, 2022

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Benefits of Using Board Games in the Classroom

User Generated Education

As a kid growing up, I loved board games. loved playing The Game of Life , Clue , and Sorry with my friends as a preteen and then Backgammon throughout my undergraduate years. I definitely liked the thrill of winning but equally so interacting with my friends while we played the games. Years ago I brought board games into my classroom. but haven’t for several years focusing more on using video games with my students.

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6 Essential educational trends to look out for in 2022

Neo LMS

The new year is an excellent opportunity to put last year’s lessons into practice and start with a clean slate. While there were some disruptions in the educational sector, technology managed to keep many boats afloat. Edtech tools have become a great asset for schools and universities worldwide, providing a delightful learning experience. Besides the learning trends that people are used to, there are a variety of rising digital trends that will revolutionize the learning space in 2022.

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Hitting Curveballs

A Principal's Reflections

If only everything could be simple. Life is anything but an easy journey. While this, for the most part, has been manageable in the past, the pandemic has upended professional and personal lives. Just when there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, a new variant materializes. For now, Omicron is the current curveball. As I write this post on the first day of 2022, I can't help but reflect on the resilience educators showed the year before.

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The 4 Phases of a Cybersecurity Strategy That Schools Must Implement

EdTech Magazine

Despite the increased cyber risks K–12 schools face, some still don’t have a formal cybersecurity plan in place. A poll from EdTech: Focus on K–12 in October found that, of the first three phases of a proactive cybersecurity strategy, prevention is the area where K–12 IT leaders feel they need the most help. However, nearly half of respondents said they needed help with all three of the phases or had no cybersecurity plan in place at all.

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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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Top 10 Hits and Misses for 2021

Ask a Tech Teacher

Since we at Ask a Tech Teacher started this blog thirteen years ago, we’ve had almost 5.6 million views from visitors, about 10,000 followers who have read some or all of our 2,731 articles on integrating technology into the classroom. This includes tech tips, website/app reviews, tech-in-ed pedagogy, how-tos, videos, and more. We have regular features like: Weekly Websites and Tech Tips ( sign up for the newsletter ).

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Shifting from Time-consuming Teacher-led Workflows to Sustainable Student-led Workflows

Catlin Tucker

Teaching has always been a demanding profession, but this school year takes the cake! Teachers are navigating substitute teacher shortages, COVID protocols, and record numbers of absent students in addition to the normal demands of this job. It makes sense why so many educators are feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted. Yet, the last two years have highlighted how crucial school is for students and families.

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Methods and tools to develop future-ready skills

Neo LMS

In preparing students for the essential skills they need for the future, we have different methods and digital tools that we can bring into our classroom space. But what skills do students really need? . A great resource to explore is the skills outlook provided by the World Economic Forum. The top skills cited include emotional intelligence, collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving.

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Model What You Expect

A Principal's Reflections

One of the most powerful teaching and leadership strategies is the act of modeling. It goes beyond just telling people what to do by instead showing them how to do it as a means to either support learning or change. In the classroom, modeling aids in making concepts clear where students learn by observing. I shared the following in Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms : Modeling is a pedagogical strategy whereby the teacher or student(s) demonstrates how to complete tasks and activities related

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The Continued Importance of Professional Development in K–12 Education

EdTech Magazine

Professional development builds character and confidence in K–12 educators. When PD focuses on educational technology, it allows educators to seamlessly integrate the tech tools into their classrooms, lesson plans and overarching pedagogy. At the onset of the pandemic, educators learned to use ed tech because there were no other options for teaching their classes.

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Public Domain Day and Happy New Year!

Ask a Tech Teacher

Every year, January 1st, is P ublic Domain Day. This is an observance of when copyrights expire and works enter into the public domain–free for all to use. According to Public Domain Review, here are some of the newly-available artistic works you might like a/o January 1, 2022: Click image for interactive content on PublicDomanReview.org. Here’s the sign-up link if the image above doesn’t work: [link].

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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 Micro-credentials Are Changing Professional Development for Educators for the Better

Digital Promise

Micro-credentials are digital certifications that verify an individual’s competence in a specific skill or set of skills. Digital Promise offers more than 600 competency-based micro-credentials on a wide range of research-backed skills. These micro-credentials are developed, assessed, and awarded by more than 50 partner organizations, ranging from institutes of higher education to non-profit organizations.

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10 low-prep activities to kick off 2022

Ditch That Textbook

When the calendar turns over a new year, for many of us, we're still in the middle of the school year. So, when a new year starts in schools (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), two things happen: 1. It's an opportunity to look back, reflect, regroup, and set some goals. 2. It can also be a midpoint […]. The post 10 low-prep activities to kick off 2022 appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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3 Opportunities for education during the pandemic

Neo LMS

Almost two years ago, life took a different turn and the unexpected happened. The pandemic caused havoc and damage in every area of our lives. We all felt its impact more or less and we witnessed the unthinkable. Among all the negativity, this time has also provided us with awakening, collaboration, creativity, and evolution. I want to focus on this evolution, highlighting how the pandemic has offered opportunities for education to change for the better.

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Tips for an Abrupt Shift to Remote or Hybrid Learning

A Principal's Reflections

The other day I was with one of my partner districts as part of ongoing longitudinal work that will last at least two years. As I was facilitating a model lesson near the end of the school day with a group of teachers and administrators, a staff member came by the room to inform everyone that the district would be going remote the rest of the week. An email was also sent informing all educators to plan for an asynchronous day of learning on Thursday and synchronous on Friday.

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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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Scaling Small K–12 IT Teams Through People, Technology, Processes and Partners

EdTech Magazine

While IT departments provide essential day-to-day services, sometimes students, teachers and even other staff may not realize the huge feats these teams accomplish with a relatively small group. They also may not know how these smaller teams are able to provide immediate help desk support and fast turnaround times for repairs on tens of thousands of mobile devices.

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How Minecraft Teaches Reading, Writing and Problem Solving

Ask a Tech Teacher

A while ago, Scientific American declared “…“ not only is Minecraft immersive and creative, but it is an excellent platform for making almost any subject area more engaging. ” A nod from a top science magazine to the game many parents wish their kids had never heard of should catch the attention of teachers. This follows Common Sense Media’s seal of approval.

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4 Tips for Reigniting Creativity in the Classroom

Digital Promise

How can teachers develop a practice of creativity and stay inspired in their classrooms? During a recent webinar, HP Teaching Fellows Brent Christensen , Vickie Morgado , Teena Hine , and Amanda Brace shared tips for igniting creativity in their teaching and learning practice. The webinar, hosted by Digital Promise as part of HP and Microsoft’s Reinvent the Classroom initiative, highlights four strategies for encouraging creativity in students and how they stay creative in their own work: Practi

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The best books I read in 2021

Dangerously Irrelevant

I read some great (and not so great) books in 2021! Here are my top few (and why)… My top book for 2021 is Difference Making at the Heart of Learning , by Tom Vander Ark & Emily Liebtag. Tom and Emily describe how students can make positive impacts in their local, online, and global communities NOW, not later after they graduate from high school or college.

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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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Connecting with students in the online classroom

Neo LMS

Online learning has been on the rise for a while, but it became the norm for almost everyone at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While most students have returned to in-person learning, many have remained in the online classroom. Some kids who homeschool also solely attend classes online. While there are plenty of benefits to online learning, there are also some challenges – especially for educators.

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10 edtech experts you should follow

Hapara

Integrating technology into instruction and learning is a way of life for educators today. But it can be a struggle to understand how to use classroom technology in meaningful ways. Luckily there are edtech experts who are sharing strategies and tools through blog posts, social media, books, courses and podcasts. Each of these experts has a background in education, a unique voice and a passion for using technology in the classroom.

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The Evolution of Technology in K–12 Classrooms: 1659 to Today

EdTech Magazine

In the 21st century, it can feel like advanced technology is changing the K–12 classroom in ways we’ve never seen before. But the truth is, technology and education have a long history of evolving together to dramatically change how students learn. With more innovations surely headed our way, why not look back at how we got to where we are today, while looking forward to how educators can continue to integrate new technologies into their learning?

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Build Empathy Among Students

Ask a Tech Teacher

It used to surprise me that it became the school’s job to teach empathy. Shouldn’t parents do that? The truth is it doesn’t always happen in homes. Since children spend much of their daylight hours in school, it is a logical place to reinforce empathy as a life skill. Edsurge has an interesting article, How to build empathy among students , that shares one teacher’s experiences: Lessons in empathy often are taught with a focus on the individual, rather than the collectiv

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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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Game On: How to Empower Students to Learn and Play through Gaming

Digital Promise

The post Game On: How to Empower Students to Learn and Play through Gaming appeared first on Digital Promise.

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Slide – Organize around the opportunity to contribute

Dangerously Irrelevant

“It’s ironic that a shift away from a focus on preparation (take Algebra 1 because you need it for Algebra 2, which you might need to go to college which you might need to get a job) to a focus on difference making is the best possible form of preparation for the innovation economy. A portfolio of work that demonstrates expanding contribution to causes that matter — to a young person and their community — is far more valuable to most colleges and employers than a list of

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How teachers can make the most of LMS automation

Neo LMS

A learning management system (LMS) is a powerful tool that helps you streamline teaching activities and offer students a personalized learning experience. One of the main capabilities that enable such systems is automation. Although the sole name ‘’automation’’ might be intimidating if you’re the non-tech-savvy type, don’t worry. Most LMSs are intuitive, so using automation comes easily to more and more educators.

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Team Habits with a Big Impact

Education Elements

We’ve all been there. The room, half empty. Little to no conversation happening between the seated rows. Most eyes fixed on laptop screens, phone screens, projector screen, likely checking email or “checking email.” Everyone waiting for the session to begin in hopes of getting a nugget of information that makes the workshop registration worth the investment.

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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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Schools Share Strong Measures That Protect Student Data

EdTech Magazine

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jun Kim, technology director for Moore Public Schools in Oklahoma, watched as teachers began expanding their use of free digital resources. He understood that instructors were racing to bridge the gap between school and home to keep student learning on track, but in the back of his mind, a question lingered: What impact would these new resources have on student data privacy?

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Google Earth Lesson Plans

Ask a Tech Teacher

Tech Learning recently shared an excellent lesson plan by Dr. Stephanie Smith Budhai that incorporates the amazing Google Earth into learning. Here’s the beginning: The 3D interactive online exploration platform Google Earth provides a pathway to endless learning adventures around the globe. For an overview of Google Earth and a breakdown of its unique features, check out How to Use Google Earth for Teaching. .

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Hubs: A Digital Learning Research Strategy to Reach Millions

Digital Promise

The post Hubs: A Digital Learning Research Strategy to Reach Millions appeared first on Digital Promise.

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Slide – Control and compliance 01

Dangerously Irrelevant

You can have a school that emphasizes control and compliance. Or you can have a school that emphasizes student voice, agency, and risk-taking. But you can’t have both. . Download this file. See also my other slides. Related Posts. 5 great slides about technology, learning, and change. Quirky kids, Frisbee, and dead fish [SLIDES].

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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.