Ed Tech from the Ground Up
APRIL 30, 2015
There are lots of great ed-tech tools out there, but which ones should you use in your classroom? To narrow down the choices we asked teaches who are ed-tech experts for their best recommendations. Click the headline to read the full post. Questions? Email websupport@epe.org.
Catlin Tucker
APRIL 28, 2015
Are you using Gmail with students, parents, or co-workers? If so, it’s helpful to know how to undo a sent email. This is an easy tip that allows you to “take back” an email even after you click “Send.” We’ve all experienced the sinking feeling of sending an email that has a mistake in it. As an English teacher, I feel immense pressure to make sure my messages are as close to perfect as possible.
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The CoolCatTeacher
APRIL 27, 2015
This post written by Angela Watson. Maintaining balance is impossible without a clearly defined vision for why you teach. No matter how others may choose to evaluate your work, you can’t define your own success as a teacher according to whether students pass a standardized test. That’s a recipe for frustration and burnout. This month on the Global Search for Education by Cathy Rubin, we are reflecting on How do you balance preparation for high stakes assessments with teaching and learning in you
Teacher Reboot Camp
APRIL 6, 2015
'“Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” – Robert Frost. April is National Poetry month and the perfect excuse to inspire your students with poetry no matter what subject you teach. Try posting a short poem on the board related to the topic of the day, such as the science haikus found @Sciencehaiku. Then give your students the mission to create their own poems that explore the topic more deeply.
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.
Digital Promise
APRIL 30, 2015
Sara Schapiro is the director of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools. Jason Tomassini is the communications director at Digital Promise. You can view the full-size version of the image above here. There’s been a lot of discussion among policymakers and the media recently about the pitfalls of using technology in the classroom. Many of these conversations are worthwhile – it’s important to be skeptical when spending scarce dollars for public education.
EdTech Magazine
APRIL 30, 2015
By D. Frank Smith We've scoured the web and found 50 essential blogs for you.
EdTech Update brings together the best content for education technology professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Catlin Tucker
APRIL 14, 2015
'Shakespeare’s plays are a staple in high schools across the country. Unfortuntately, when most students hear the name “Shakespeare” they react with a mixture of dread and anxiety. They worry they won’t “get it” and chances are they won’t get a lot of it. I think that’s okay. Do I understand every line of Shakespeare’s plays or sonnets?
The CoolCatTeacher
APRIL 23, 2015
I’ll admit something, I dread April and May. With every fiber of my being. Can I admit this to you? Will you judge me? Why can’t we all just skip the last two months of the year? It is easy to see why so many people jump at the chance to leave the classroom when they can. It is sooooooo hard to stay here. It isn’t your students that drive you to despair; it is the other stuff – or “schtuff” as my husband calls it.
Dangerously Irrelevant
APRIL 29, 2015
Tomorrow is #PinkApril30 , so named because of the unfilled teaching positions and educator pink slips that Iowa school districts will have next year because their operational funding won’t be enough to keep up with inflation despite our state’s strong economy and full reserves. It’s been an extremely disappointing year as we’ve watched our House propose to cut funding from both our public schools and public universities.
Brilliant or Insane
APRIL 1, 2015
'Brilliant or Insane. If you think a classroom bereft of traditional tools like homework, bell work, worksheets and even grades sounds intriguing, you are ready to convert your classroom into a workshop setting, where learning will really soar. Here are a few simple ways to transform your classroom today. Say Goodbye to Order Order means control. There is no room [.].
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Tom Murray
APRIL 23, 2015
Much of the great work being done in our schools every day by teachers, administrators, school staff, parents and students is unknown to the general public. The exceptional commitment, extraordinary contributions and innovative collaborations among educators around the nation are generally hidden and unrecognized. Yet, every day, educators are doing great things for the children they serve.
Ed Tech from the Ground Up
APRIL 29, 2015
Connecting with students digitally can be a challenge. Here's a short list of tools and tips to make you a more effective online communicator with students. Click the headline to read the full post. Questions? Email websupport@epe.org.
Catlin Tucker
APRIL 8, 2015
'My 90 minute English class begins with 15 minutes of silent sustained reading every day. I prioritize this time because I know students won’t love every book we read as part of our curriculum. I want to give them the opportunity and time to read anything that interests them. They can read whatever they want…graphic novels, biographies, popular young adult books or science fiction.
Pair-a-dimes for Your Thoughts
APRIL 28, 2015
Teaching is dead, long live the teacher! Technology is creeping into every classroom. I say ‘creeping’ because a large part of a typical student’s day at many schools can still be defined by activities involving paper, a pen or pencils, and worksheets or textbooks… Useful tools that should only have a small role in teaching today.
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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.
Dangerously Irrelevant
APRIL 30, 2015
Sir Ken Robinson said: Politicians often scratch their heads over [persistent educational] problems. Sometimes, they punish schools for not making the grade. Sometimes, they fund remedial programs to get them back on track. But the problems persist and in many ways they’re getting worse. The reason is that many of these problems are being caused by the system itself. … If you design a system to do something specific, don’t be surprised if it does it.
Brilliant or Insane
APRIL 4, 2015
'Brilliant or Insane. Many teachers believe social media doesn’t have a place in the 21st-century learning environment; it is simply a tool for people to keep their friends up to date with their lives, right? Or is it? Teacher Petri Ahokas, from Turun Normaalikoulu school, Norssi in Finland, explains how he uses social media ethically and legally to [.].
Tom Murray
APRIL 20, 2015
' Each year, billions of dollars are spent on educational technology in the United States. With stagnant budgets forcing districts to evaluate each line item on a year over year basis, school officials are often forced to make difficult choices on what to purchase, what to cut, and ultimately, where to invest money in the smartest possible fashion.
Ed Tech from the Ground Up
APRIL 8, 2015
'For teachers taking their first steps into the ed-tech world, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media networks are incredible places to consume and learn about best practices. Click the headline to read the full post. Questions? Email websupport@epe.org.
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.
Catlin Tucker
APRIL 20, 2015
In my last blog post “Don’t Just Read Shakespeare, Perform It!” , I encouraged other teachers to have students perform Shakespeare’s plays instead of simply reading them. I want students to enjoy Shakespeare, but I also want them to think about why the situations, themes, and characters in his plays have remained popular for hundreds of years.
Iterating Toward Openness
APRIL 15, 2015
'Wow, there’s been some great writing lately. I’ve been particularly reinvigorated by Brian Lamb , Mike Caulfield , and Bracken Mosbacker. And Audrey Watters’ ongoing work on the history of educational technology is vastly more important than anyone seems to realize. It should be absolutely mandatory reading for every student in a graduate program on educational technology or learning sciences, period.
Dangerously Irrelevant
APRIL 9, 2015
'Peter Greene said: [When advocates] come to explain how crucial PARCC testing is for your child’s future, you might try asking some questions: Exactly what is the correspondence between PARCC results and college readiness? Given the precise data, can you tell me what score my eight year old needs to get on the test to be guaranteed at least a 3.75 GPA at college?
Brilliant or Insane
APRIL 26, 2015
Brilliant or Insane. Pre-assessment is a powerful instructional tool. Conducted prior to new learning experiences, the process empowers students as much as it empowers teachers. I became acquainted with pre-assessment during the early years as a classroom teacher. This was when differentiated instruction felt new to everyone. In those days, we used pre-tests, anticipation guides, and student work [.].
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21st Century Educational Technology and Learning
APRIL 15, 2015
'Welcome to this April post designed to look at the idea of technology and PBL. In my work at the BUCK Institute (BIE). I am often asked about the relationship of PBL and technology. This post is designed to give you my best reflection as to how they can work together. Also, be on the look out for my next few series… entitled the ABC’s of PBL and Deeper Learning, Going Beyond the Tech Shine, and also… 40 great education sites to discover in 2015.
Educational Technology and Mobile Learning
APRIL 28, 2015
April 28, 2015 We just came across this beautiful visual on the impact of technology on classroom learning and teaching and wanted to pass along some important stats that stood out to us. Technology.read more.
Learning in Hand
APRIL 29, 2015
Projecting your iPad on a large screen is great for demonstrations, simulations, explanations, and showing examples. There are several ways this can be done in the classroom. Scroll to the end of this post for a comparison chart. If you don't mind keeping your iPad in one spot, then a VGA adapter ( for 30-pin Dock connector or for Lightning connector ).
TeachThought - Learn better.
APRIL 27, 2015
Why Do High School Teachers Lecture So Much? by Grant Wiggins , Authentic Education. Why do high school teachers lecture so much? Almost every high school I go to I see teachers talking and kids listening (or not) more in History than any other course. And you needn’t take my anecdotal word for it. For the past year, students taking our survey have been asked to respond to questions about use of time in class.
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.
Dangerously Irrelevant
APRIL 12, 2015
'A school board member said to me a while back: Scott, I hear what you’re saying about active, hands-on, project-based learning. But I got to tell you, when I’m driving over a bridge, I want to have confidence that the people who designed and built it knew what they were doing. So if that takes a lot of practice on worksheets until students know their math and science, so be it.
MiddleWeb
APRIL 26, 2015
In today’s budget-conscious and time-stressed schools, virtual field trips are a great way to excite students without leaving the classroom. Teaching expert Barbara Blackburn shares a sample lesson idea and some good places to hunt for relevant field trips.
ProfHacker
APRIL 27, 2015
If you’ve been meaning to start exploring what it would take to integrate Wikipedia in your courses, the West Virginia University library is hosting a free webinar on teaching with Wikipedia on April 30, 10.30am-12pm EST. Topics that will be covered include the gender gap in Wikipedia content and editing, an introduction to editing Wikipedia, sample assignments, syllabi and instructor experiences with teaching with the online encyclopedia.
Educational Technology and Mobile Learning
APRIL 29, 2015
April 29, 2015 Here are three good Chrome apps for creating 3D models. The apps are easy to work on and students will definitely enjoy them. Some of the things they can do with these tools include: read more.
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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