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

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Five Keys to Successful Social and Emotional Learning

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A Parent's Guide to 21st-Century Learning

Blogs on Professional Learning Network (PLN)

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Restorative Justice and Youth Court: Alternatives to Suspension

Betty RayOctober 1, 2010

Tags After-School Learning, Bullying, Dropout Prevention, New Teachers, Professional Learning Network (PLN), , Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to attend a panel discussion called "Culture Shift, Alternatives to Suspension: Creating Connections for All Students," which highlighted the effectiveness of a restorative justice and youth court as an innovative approach to juvenile justice.

Writing Response Takes an (Objective) Village

Todd FinleyOctober 1, 2010

Tags Professional Learning Network (PLN), Teacher Development, High (9-12), English Language Arts

I was wrong a few days ago. I believed that an early version of this blog post had the swagger and crispness of flat front khakis, until my night students responded to it. They noted scores of errors in the piece. Are you talking about you or other writers? Shouldn't the use of 'first' be followed by a 'second' later? Paragraph two confuses me. Their blood was up. Break time? No need. The metaphor doesn't really help me understand the concept. You repeat the word 'right' in that sentence. I scribbled in the margins, trying to keep up with their insights.

Introduction to Edcamp: A New Conference Model Built on Collaboration

Mary Beth HertzSeptember 29, 2010

Tags After-School Learning, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades

Editor's Note: Blogger Mary Beth Hertz was one of the organizers of Edcamp Philly, a free education "unconference" that took place in Philadelphia last May. The event attracted the attention of educators from around the world--not only for the excellent content and collaborative spirit, but also for the unconference model itself -- one that costs next to nothing to produce by facilitating ad-hoc community participation. Since then, groups of educators around the world have begun to organize local edcamps in their areas. In this four-part series, Ms. Hertz explores the edcamp model, and shares some tips on how to organize and host an edcamp unconference.

Bittersweet News for Social Media in Education

Elana LeoniAugust 20, 2010

Tags Professional Learning Network (PLN), , Technology Integration, All Grades

We live in an incredibly exciting time. My recent visit to @jeffpulver's #140conf in San Francisco reinforced just how exciting a time it is. Twitter, the popular micro-blogging site, has quickly dominated the social media space. In a matter of six months, Twitter has doubled its tweets per month to an impressive two billion tweets. That's worth repeating: two billion tweets per month.

TEAMS Model State: The Ohio Arts Integration and STEM Initiative (Part 4 of 5)

Jim Brodie BrazellAugust 20, 2010

Tags After-School Learning, Integrated Studies, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades, Math, Science, Visual Arts, Ohio

Editor's Note: Today's guest blogger is Jim Brazell, a technology forecaster, author, public speaker, and consultant. It is the fourth in a five-part series on the convergence of STEM education and the Arts (TEAMS).

Elementary Educator Asks: Does Merit Pay Turn Kids into Zombies?

Gaetan PappalardoAugust 17, 2010

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Primary (K-2), Professional Learning Network (PLN), Student Engagement, Teacher Compensation, Upper Elementary (3-5), English Language Arts, History, Physical Education, Visual Arts

Tap, tap, tap---tap, tap--tap. I'm sending a signal from down here in the muck, down here where the boogers are hard and the shoelaces are eternally untied. HELLO up there? In the 80's words of Def Leopard, "Is anybody out there? Is anybody there?" Call me crazy, but how come I don't see or hear serious discussion about what's going to happen to elementary school students and teachers when teacher evaluation is tied to test scores?

Case Study: TEAMS Model School - Clark STEM Magnet in Glendale, CA

Jim Brodie BrazellAugust 13, 2010

Tags Career and Technical Education, Dropout Prevention, Integrated Studies, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Project-Based Learning, Technology Integration, Middle (6-8), High (9-12), California, Math, Science

Editor's Note: Today's guest blogger is Jim Brazell, a technology forecaster, author, public speaker, and consultant. It is the third in a five-part series on the convergence of STEM education and the Arts (TEAMS).

Integrating Technology with Limited Resources

Mary Beth HertzAugust 11, 2010

Tags Classroom Technology, Comprehensive Assessment, Curriculum, Digital Divide, Funding, Online Learning, Primary (K-2), Professional Development, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Project-Based Learning, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), English Language Arts, History, World Language Learning

OK, so you know about all of these great tools out there that can transform teaching and learning in your classroom but all you have is an ancient PC in the corner of your room. How can you effectively integrate technology with this dinosaur?

Hopefully this post will help.

Budget Crises and Technology Could Break the Mold of the Little Red Schoolhouse

Betty RayAugust 2, 2010

Tags Blended Learning, Curriculum, Leadership, Multiple Intelligences, Online Learning, Professional Development, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades

Editor's Note: Today's guest bloggers are Susan Colby and Caitrin Moran Wright from the Bridgespan group, a non-profit strategy consulting firm.

Connecting STEM and Arts (TEAMS) to Spur U.S. Innovation: Part 1 of 5

Betty RayJuly 30, 2010

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Integrated Studies, Online Learning, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Project-Based Learning, Technology Integration, All Grades, Math, Science, Visual Arts

Editor's Note: Today's guest blogger is Jim Brazell, a technology forecaster, author, public speaker, and consultant. This is the first article in a five-part series.