eSchool News

DECEMBER 22, 2020

This story on how teaching critical thinking skills online during the COVID pandemic, originally published on April 29, was eSN’s No. 8 most popular story of 2020. Check back each day for the next story in our countdown. As educators, we often hear about the importance of teaching critical thinking skills to our students. What we hear about less, however, are the most effective techniques for teaching those skills and how teachers can implement them in the classroom—especially now that sch

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Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

DECEMBER 22, 2020

In today's post we are sharing with two of our favourite digital libraries for kids. These are platforms where kids can access tons of books for all reading levels.

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Insight Education Group

DECEMBER 21, 2020

It’s almost impossible these days to read an education article, watch the news, look at social media, or even have a conversation with a friend or colleague that doesn’t somehow touch on racial equity. We’ve seen our country grapple with a worldwide pandemic while simultaneously trying to reckon with the gross racial inequities that are ever-present in our society and in our schools.

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Catlin Tucker

DECEMBER 20, 2020

The events of the last nine months have launched the phrase “blended learning” into the mainstream. I worry that instead of articulating the value of a powerful blend of online and offline learning, teachers are receiving the message that they “must” adopt blended learning to meet the demands of the moment. Yes, blended learning can help teachers navigate the challenges of teaching at this moment.

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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.

Education

EdTech Magazine

DECEMBER 22, 2020

As virtual reality becomes more prevalent in K–12 educational spaces, developers continue to create content that enables students to partake in a host of realistic and fantastical simulations. Students can visit new places, create 3D artwork and conduct science experiments in ways that might not otherwise be possible. We have seen classroom applications of VR that fully utilize the technology to engage students in rich and novel immersive learning experiences.

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A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 20, 2020

" Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. " - Joshua J. Marine I love working with educators. Even though I am often the facilitator of learning, I always seek out opportunities to put myself into the shoes of those doing the day-to-day work and then use this as an opportunity to reflect on my practice.

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Teacher Reboot Camp

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Part of the December 2020 STEM Resources Digital Calendar ! The good news is there are thousands of digital tools and apps (many free) to support teachers, students and families. The bad news is there are thousands of digital tools. Teachers need to quickly find the right tool to meet their students’ needs and means. The websites below have search engines to narrow down the choices along with short descriptions and reviews.

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EdTech Magazine

DECEMBER 23, 2020

With kids spending more time online than ever, many teachers are witnessing an increase in cyberbullying among their students in online classrooms. In a recent report, L1ght analyzed communication on millions of websites, discussion boards and gaming platforms. The results were bleak, with a 70 percent increase in hate speech and a 40 percent increase in online toxicity between students in online platforms.

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Ask a Tech Teacher

DECEMBER 19, 2020

I’ll be taking a few weeks off–until after the New Year–to edit/format my website, work on projects with a deadline, prioritize life, and wish my two adult military children could come home to visit. I may drop in on you-all as you enjoy your holidays, but mostly I’ll be regenerating. I wish you a wonderful season, safe and filled with family.

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Education Elements

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Whoa. 2020. I became a mom this year. My daughter Emily Ruth was born on April 1, 2020. My husband and I knew immediately that she was going to be a mix of wicked and wise, given the birthday she chose: April Fools Day - so perfect for 2020. She was born 2 weeks into the first COVID lockdown, and 4 days after my labor had started (she was in no rush to enter into these circumstances).

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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.

Learning

Teacher Reboot Camp

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Part of the December 2020 STEM Resources Digital Calendar ! Students love being trusted with responsibility. They want to help. When students help you allow their peers to celebrate them and learn from them. During remote and distance learning student helpers can really help you manage a lot more. Below are ways to allow students to help you. I’ve used these tips and resources this year and student helpers have really helped make hybrid and virtual learning run more smoothly.

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EdTech Magazine

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Since the shift to remote and hybrid learning, many parents have found themselves playing the role of tech support — a job they aren’t always prepared for. At the same time, school help desk teams are already stretched thin trying to support student and teacher IT needs during distance learning. Some 64 percent of K–12 parents surveyed said they received little or no tech support last year, PC Magazine reports.

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Neo LMS

DECEMBER 22, 2020

In a quest to find innovative ways to stimulate learning, teachers often try to reinterpret patented theories. One of these reinterpretations is the hexagonal approach to learning. Based on the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome of Biggs and Collins in 1982, also called the SOLO taxonomy , hexagonal learning derives its core purpose from learners’ actions and interactions with content.

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Edsurge

DECEMBER 22, 2020

The way teaching is typically done just doesn’t match how the brain actually learns. “Our approach to teaching is based on the assumption that the teacher has a pen and the student's brain is a sheet of paper. That’s actually wrong,” says Sanjay Sarma, a professor and the vice president for open learning at MIT. Instead, he likens good teaching to growing a plant.

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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.

Personalized Learning

Teacher Reboot Camp

DECEMBER 21, 2020

Part of the December 2020 STEM Resources Digital Calendar ! The first step in student ownership of their own learning is goal setting. We can help students identify what they know, how they want to grow and commit to plans to making this happen. One way I help my students set learning goals is by having them complete the vision board template below, which is free for you to copy and assign to students.

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EdTech Magazine

DECEMBER 23, 2020

You can’t look back on the 2020 school year without recognizing the massive — and transformative — impact of COVID-19. Across the country, school districts embraced remote learning environments and introduced metamorphic changes to the K–12 curriculum. However, the classroom wasn’t the only school function upended. From senior prom and homecoming to football games and graduation, longstanding school year rites of passage were cancelled in an effort to protect children and communities from COVID-

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Waterford

DECEMBER 21, 2020

To solve a problem they are struggling with, some students need only to “think outside the box.” This tactic is called divergent thinking, and it gets students to come up with several answers to a question and decide which is the best, most useful one. Read on to take a look at divergent thinking, why it’s important, and how it differs from its opposite, convergent thinking.

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Edsurge

DECEMBER 23, 2020

A once in a lifetime pandemic. A once in a lifetime opportunity. Teaching in the year 2020 reminds me of a quote from “Inherit the Wind:” “Perhaps it is you who has moved away by standing still.” All at once our world was completely halted by a global pandemic the worst in 100 years and yet in a moment of crisis an opportunity to create appeared. Are we going to move away from progress by standing still?

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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.

Training

Teacher Reboot Camp

DECEMBER 21, 2020

Part of the December 2020 STEM Resources Digital Calendar ! If you are a teacher who uses Google Classroom then you know how easy it is to assign a template of a Slide, Spreadsheet, Doc or Drawing for students to complete. Even if you don’t use Google Classroom. You can easily force a copy to students with a simple link. Creating these templates doesn’t have to take hours.

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EdTech Magazine

DECEMBER 21, 2020

Education for K–12 students looks a lot different these days, with almost all students spending at least some of their class time learning from home. This can be challenging even for the best-equipped students, but it’s even more difficult for kids who lack the right equipment to sustain the level of connectivity they need to succeed. For these students, the new Microsoft Surface Pro 7 tablet is well suited to support virtual learners from anywhere.

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The Jose Vilson

DECEMBER 23, 2020

In my final reflection for the semester of my doctoral studies (don’t ask me how it’s going), I considered what it meant to get an education. Over and again in this space, I’ve considered how there’s a big difference between schooling and education. Schooling is a set of processes characterized by the desire to show students a given set of ideas and materials.

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Edsurge

DECEMBER 21, 2020

In many ways, 2020 has been THE year of edtech. Technology experienced a meaningful surge in adoption by schools, districts and parents. The industry saw large capital inflows and more edtech “unicorns” than in any other prior year. Mergers and acquisitions are booming. Edtech funds closed larger funds, and top-notch venture capital investors including a16z , Lightspeed and Union Square Ventures have developed investment theses on education.

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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.

Technology

Teacher Reboot Camp

DECEMBER 19, 2020

Part of the December 2020 STEM Resources Digital Calendar ! My students love doing any learning when they get to brainstorm on their desks with a dry erase marker. Brainstorming on a canvas with words, symbols, icons, lines, stylized font, shapes, frames, and color is a fun way for the brain to make connections and make sense of information. The digital whiteboards and brainstorming tools below provide features for students to create sketchnotes and concept maps.

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Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

DECEMBER 20, 2020

Below are two of our favourite sources where you can access virtual manipulatives to use with your students in class. The sites also offer other educational math resources that you can easily.

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techlearning

DECEMBER 22, 2020

These top image and clip art sites provide an extensive supply of moderate- to high-quality visuals for cost-conscious schools.

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Edsurge

DECEMBER 23, 2020

This was the year that more people learned what a MOOC is. As millions suddenly found themselves with free time on their hands during the pandemic, many turned to online courses—especially, to free courses known as MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses. This phenomenon was compounded by media worldwide compiling lists of “free things to do during lockdown,” which tended to include MOOCs.

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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

Classroom

Teacher Reboot Camp

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Part of the December 2020 STEM Resources Digital Calendar ! Students love being trusted with responsibility. They want to help. When students help you allow their peers to celebrate them and learn from them. During remote and distance learning student helpers can really help you manage a lot more. Below are ways to allow students to help you. I’ve used these tips and resources this year and student helpers have really helped make hybrid and virtual learning run more smoothly. ?

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The Hechinger Report

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Despite mounting evidence that schools are not turning out to be major incubators or vectors of Covid-19 transmission, New York City shut down its public school system in November. Such closures have a disastrous impact on education in STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering and math. Science in particular is extremely hands-on and almost impossible to grasp virtually.

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techlearning

DECEMBER 23, 2020

As the pandemic continues, educators and school leaders need to proactively focus on nurturing positive mental health strategies

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Edsurge

DECEMBER 22, 2020

I have been worried about public education for a long time. As a teacher, the long nights and weekends I spent creating and customizing resources, along with the thousands of dollars I spent each year buying classroom supplies, copy paper, books, winter coats, and even food for my students eventually led me to turn my attention to school finance: Why were there never enough resources for my students?

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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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