May, 2021

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12 Websites for Digital Books Summer Reading

Ask a Tech Teacher

At the beginning of the 21st century, the definition of digital equity revolved around the provision of a digital device to every student. Usually, that meant desktop computers, iPads, and laptops, either in small groups or 1:1. As digital equity discussions matured and hyperbole became reality, educators found that those loudly-touted digital devices often became paperweights.

Libraries 413
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Universally Designed Blended Learning

Catlin Tucker

There are two things I am certain of in education. First, learner variability is the norm, not the exception. Second, technology is here to stay. So, how do we design and facilitate learning experiences to remove barriers and allow all students to succeed? How can we leverage technology to provide meaningful choices within a learning experience and create the time and space needed to work with individual students or small groups of learners?

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5 Awesome online tools for game-based learning

Neo LMS

I have long believed that spring presents an excellent time for educators to explore new ideas and try some new digital tools in the classroom. As we look to boost student engagement with the content and keep up the momentum through the end of what has not been an easy or typical school year, trying some different ideas or adding some games into our classroom might just be the boost that we are looking for.

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How to Make Learning Stick

A Principal's Reflections

It is no secret how we retain information, construct new knowledge, and develop competencies critical for success in the world of work and, more importantly, life. Learning is shaped by specific conditions that are either created or engaged in by chance that allow for authentic application through an immersive experience. If there were a secret sauce, then that is it, but it's not as mysterious as one might think.

How To 545
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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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How Companies Can Support Bilingual and Multilingual Children

Ed Tech from the Ground Up

There are steps that organizations can take to build their cultural awareness in helping bilingual and multilingual students, explains Emily Guo, who is working with Cognitive ToyBox. The post How Companies Can Support Bilingual and Multilingual Children appeared first on Market Brief.

Company 545
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More Connected? Additional Devices Don’t Lessen ‘Troubling’ Media Literacy Skills

EdTech Magazine

The pandemic brought with it an influx of devices and online connectivity for K–12 students. However, despite increased connection, researchers are consistently finding that learners of all ages are still easily fooled by misinformation and advertisements. As students are exposed to more technology in classrooms, assignments and at home, the need to teach them how to properly use these tools becomes more critical.

Tools 541

More Trending

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Removing Barriers with UDL and Blended Learning

Catlin Tucker

Recently, a teacher posted a comment to my blog lamenting that direct instruction consumed much of the class period. Like many, this teacher felt intense pressure to teach the standards and wasn’t sure how to embrace Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and blended learning. This is not unusual. There is often a tension created by the pressure put on teachers to cover content with the student-centered approach to learning described by UDL and blended learning.

UDL 546
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Teacher Appreciation Week–Gifts for the Tech Teacher

Ask a Tech Teacher

Teacher Appreciation Week: The First Full Week of May. There’s always been something mystically cerebral about people in technical professions like engineering, science, and mathematics. They talk animatedly about plate tectonics, debate the structure of atoms, even smile at the mention of calculus. The teaching profession has our own version of these nerdy individuals, called technology teachers.

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Evolving Instruction in a Rapidly Changing World

A Principal's Reflections

We all first learned of idioms probably during the middle school years in English class. There are so many out there, such as “it’s raining cats and dogs,” “you hit the nail on the head,” and “there are bigger fish to fry.” These expressions represent a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words.

Analysis 545
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Making spider web discussions work in synchronous online classes

Neo LMS

Student engagement in online classes seems to be a never-ending quest for teachers. That’s because building a classroom culture is harder to do in an online environment if you’ve never done that before. Consequently, it shows when it comes to classroom discussions. Read more: How to facilitate meaningful discussions in hybrid or virtual classrooms. Ideally, everyone would be happy to participate and listen to what their peers have to say.

LMS 403
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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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30 K–12 IT Influencers to Follow in 2021

EdTech Magazine

Educators who rose to the many challenges presented this past year often did so with the aid of educational technology. Many K–12 districts adapted to new learning styles, sometimes more than once, as the year progressed. Classrooms across the nation relied on remote, hybrid and in-person learning models to continue providing meaningful educational experiences to students.

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Digital Promise Partnering with Five Rural Communities Using Micro-credentials

Digital Promise

Digital Promise is thrilled to partner with five of today’s most innovative postsecondary institutions that are using micro-credentials to create real-time pathways to social mobility for adult learners in rural communities. These partners were selected as part of our landscape research on how micro-credentials may be used to promote economic recovery among rural learners impacted by poverty, particularly for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities.

Industry 374
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Blended Learning: Designing with Balance in Mind

Catlin Tucker

I am concerned about the impact that the imbalances in education have on teacher engagement and job satisfaction. I know firsthand the toll that the imbalances caused by traditional workflows in education can have on a teacher. Those unrealistic workflows almost drove me out of education. That’s why the theme of balance has permeated my work for years.

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Kids’ Computer Posture Explored

Ask a Tech Teacher

Here’s a great article on a topic I don’t talk about enough–proper posture at the computer. Written by “Karen Weaver a 3rd grade elementary school teacher and author of the upcoming children’s book “The Magic Pencil”, it covers all the basics. I think you’ll enjoy it: Good Sitting Posture in Front of the Computer Explored.

Laptops 412
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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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Empowerment Through Choice

A Principal's Reflections

Agency in the classroom is about giving students more control over their learning through greater autonomy and purpose. It is driven by many factors, one of which is choice. The underlying premise is to move learners from a state of engagement to empowerment so that they exert more ownership over their learning. Consider the following in the context of the professional world of work and employee success.

LMS 467
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3 Things Educators Should Debate As We Return to In Person Learning

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. As we return to in-person learning, we should not return to business as usual. David Bott gives us three things that, based upon current research, we should rethink in schools. Show Sponsor: This summer, I’m taking my professional development with Advancement Courses. Recently, I shared the five-step process I used to select the perfect course for me at Advancement Courses.

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Learning Without Limits: Increasing Tech Accessibility in the K–12 Classroom

EdTech Magazine

Over the course of the past year, K–12 districts have created entirely new ways for teachers and students to connect and collaborate. Now, schools face mounting pressure to prioritize in-person teaching over online options, but not everyone is eager to return. Recent survey data from Echelon Insights found that 45 percent of parents would keep their children entirely online, if possible, while 22 percent of parents preferred a hybrid learning model.

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15 ways to use Genially in the classroom

Ditch That Textbook

Are you looking to create professional looking presentations, websites, videos, and more from easy to use templates? Here comes Genially. This post is co-authored by Manny Curiel and Karly Moura. Manny Curiel is an educational technology specialist for Cypress Fairbanks ISD near Houston, Texas. He's a Google Certified Trainer and Microsoft in Education Trainer.

Classroom 362
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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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5 End-of-the-Year Activities

Catlin Tucker

As this year winds down, I encourage teachers to take the final weeks of the school year to create closure, collect feedback, and help students look forward. Needless to say, the 2020-2021 school year has been intense. Teachers and students alike are eagerly anticipating the summer. As tough as this year has been, there has been tremendous growth (even if it is hard to appreciate right now).

Exercises 542
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Four Questions Education Leaders are Asking to Find the Best Edtech

Digital Promise

After a year of fast-paced, high-pressure decision making, you’re now called on to figure out which edtech products will support your learners and educators. Should you continue to use the products you implemented before the rush to distance learning? Should you expand the use of new tools that educators found to meet immediate learning needs? Are there new tools to consider that address your communities’ new and evolving needs as you move to hybrid and in-person learning?

EdTech 348
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Tackling the Status Quo

A Principal's Reflections

We often hear about companies who are either unwilling or afraid to change and ultimately pay the price. Blockbuster is one that often comes to mind, but many others have become victims of the status quo. Robert Brodo shared this in relation to Kodak: Challenging the status quo is defined as asking “why” and then identifying new and better ways of doing things.

Outcomes 407
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How Teachers Can Be Intentional About Self Care

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. We teachers need to take care of ourselves. Sarah Parker Wolf, author of Daily Intentions for the Classroom Teacher , talks about some intentional things every teacher can do to improve their thought process and how they take care of themselves. Can you try just one thing from this show?

Course 370
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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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Can Early Adoption of Esports Help Students Learn to Cope with Stress?

EdTech Magazine

Esports provides a socially distant, collaborative and competitive opportunity for students in any learning environment. These games may also provide a benefit to students beyond safe social interaction with their peers. Students who participate in esports clubs may learn skills to cope with stressors, especially if they practice those skills from a young age.

Exercises 529
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Creating a safe environment for online learning

Neo LMS

Teachers in all fields saw their lives turned upside down with the arrival of COVID-19, with most having to resort to remote learning. While the virus is becoming contained, many institutions continue to use online learning for students who attend schools that are still closed and those in rural communities that live far away from a physical location.

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5 teaching practices to keep from remote learning

Ditch That Textbook

The pandemic changed the way we teach and in some ways for the better! Here are 5 parts of remote teaching we'll keep.The pandemic changed a lot about education. In a very short period of time, we had to revamp the way we taught, the way we collaborated with colleagues, the way we connected with […]. The post 5 teaching practices to keep from remote learning appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

Learning 343
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How To Sustain Powerful Digital Learning for the Future

Digital Promise

As school districts look ahead to post-pandemic classrooms, they must also continue to invest in refining digital and hybrid learning experiences. Despite its challenges, remote learning is here to stay. The Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools has implemented and advocated for equitable access to technologies to close the digital learning gap since its inception in 2011.

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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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Student Success Relies on Future-Proofing Learning

A Principal's Reflections

Imagine if we all had a crystal ball? It sure would have come in handy prior to the pandemic. What if I told you that we might have actually had one in the form of a retro animated series that aired over fifty years ago that predicted some modern technological innovations? Below is how I opened Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms : One of my favorite shows as a kid was The Jetsons.

Learning 397
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Is It Worth Teaching School Kids SQL?

Ask a Tech Teacher

I get a lot of interest from high school teachers about teaching databases. These digital tools allow users to query vast amounts of information based on specific areas of interest. They are one of the most effective ways to apply higher order thinking to the world around us. . There are simple ways to teach these in an introductory format for youngers, but by HS, kids should be learning methods that prepare them for college and career.

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Q&A: Using Student Data to Improve Equity and Learning Outcomes

EdTech Magazine

While some K–12 districts in the nation are still experiencing low minority student enrollment in Advanced Placement classes, Westerville North High School is not among them. The district increased black student enrollment in AP classes by 600 percent back in 2006. The Ohio high school additionally saw a 35 percent increase in students’ scores on AP exams rising from 3 to 4.

Data 526
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5 Steps to Choose Your Summer PD

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Choosing your summer PD is essential as we look forward to the fall. Just as we discuss personalizing learning for students, we as teachers have a responsibility to personalize learning for ourselves. In this post, I’m going to take you through the five steps I use to determine my own summer professional development.

Course 319
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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.