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More School Time, Well Spent, Boosts Academic Achievement and Engagement at Edwards Middle School

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Blogs on Education Trends

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Get insight from educators on the latest ideas and innovations changing the way students learn.

Dive into the Maker Movement

Adam ProvostJune 18, 2013

Tags Blended Learning, Curriculum, Project-Based Learning, Middle (6-8), Science

Maker Spaces, Fabrication Labs . . . it's been going on for some time now, but it's all the buzz in education these days. And with good reason.

I've been thinking about all this more and more since walking in on a session called "Digital Fabrication in K-12" at Educon this past January. One of the presenters that day, a fellow named Jaymes Dec, said, "I wish every classroom was a Maker Space."

Educators: How to Give Your Great Ideas Wings (and Cash)

Suzie BossJune 17, 2013

Tags Technology Integration, All Grades

For many teachers, summer is peak season for generating ideas. When the daily classroom demands ease up, you can enjoy the luxury of unstructured time to reflect, explore, and brainstorm about the learning experiences you'd love to offer your students.

Make. Write. Remix. Share.

Paul OhJune 13, 2013

Tags Open Education Resources, Professional Development, Project-Based Learning, Teacher Development, All Grades

What do programmable books, multimedia poetry and DIY clubs have in common?

They're all examples of ways that a growing number of educators -- in school and out, at libraries, museums and other cultural institutions, at home and at community gatherings -- are engaging in making things and leveraging the learning associated with that very human impulse to create.

STEMbite: An Experiment in Teaching with Google Glass

Andrew Vanden HeuvelJune 13, 2013

Tags Curriculum, Technology Integration, All Grades, Math, Science

For the past two months, I've been the only teacher in the world to have Google Glass -- the most highly anticipated (and intensely coveted) technology to emerge in years. How did I get this incredible opportunity? Let me explain . . .

The Digital Lives of Teens: Mobile is Now

Matt LevinsonJune 11, 2013

Tags Digital Citizenship, , Technology Integration, Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Matt Galligan, co-founder of SimpleGeo, says, "The future of mobile is the future of everything." Galligan sees a future where mobile will pervade every facet of life, from communication to wallets to car keys.

Virtual Schooling: Where Are We Now? Where Are We Headed?

Andrew MillerJune 6, 2013

Tags Blended Learning, Online Learning, Technology Integration, All Grades

I am a committed virtual learning advocate. As an experienced virtual teacher, I have seen students thrive where they'd previously failed. I have seen students who didn't have access to certain courses gain not only college entry requirements, but also innovative electives to support their passions. At the same time, I am also a thoughtful critic of virtual schooling. We have an opportunity to innovate with online learning; we also risk stepping into pitfalls of doing the "same ole thing." We run the risk of the "factory model," where we put as many students as possible through a course with a large student-to-teacher ratio. So where are we now? After many of years of experimentation and implementation of various models, what are some challenges that still remain?

Four Highlights from the Reimagining Education Summit

Bob LenzJune 5, 2013

Tags Classroom Technology, College Readiness, Technology Integration, All Grades

How would you reimagine education? Last week, I attended a Reimagining Education Summit with innovators from multiple sectors (K-12 education, tech, higher education, government, youth development, makers, and more) sponsored by the US Department of Education and the MacArthur Foundation dedicated to exploring this question.

A Guide to Hosting Your Own ParentCamp

Dr. Joe MazzaJune 3, 2013

Tags Community Partnerships, Education Reform, Leadership, Parental Involvement, All Grades

Since Knapp Elementary held its first "ParentCamp" on April 27, our learning community has been engaged in conversations far beyond those 27 discussion sessions led by local parents and teachers.

Summer Reading for Educators: My Favorites

Mark PhillipsMay 30, 2013

Tags Literacy, Professional Development, Teacher Development, English Language Arts

During my years as a high school teacher, summer vacation was often the time to catch up on the reading I didn't have time for during the school year. My reading list frequently featured books unrelated to education, but I always included a book or two related to my teaching, as long as it was both thought provoking and readable. So I want to suggest some books that I think would be good to check out for this summer. These are my picks.

Report on Dropout Rates: Who's Missing from Graduation Stages?

Suzie BossMay 28, 2013

Tags Achievement Gap, Teacher Development, High (9-12)

With cap-and-gown season in full swing, graduates are getting life advice from all corners. President Obama recently encouraged Morehouse College graduates to "work harder and dream bigger." Comedian Stephen Colbert turned momentarily serious at the University of Virginia, challenging grads to "decide now to choose the hard path that leads to the life and the world that you want."