The Hechinger Report

AUGUST 1, 2021

Under a first-in-the-nation law that took full effect this year, students from across the state must take part in at least two “student-led, nonpartisan civics projects” — one in eighth grade, and another in high school. Peyton Amaral, an eighth grader at Morton Middle School in Fall River, Mass., Credit: Christopher Blanchette.

Civic Engagement 142

Civic Engagement Civics Teaching Middle School 142

Digital Promise

MAY 24, 2016

Undertaking this transformation is a challenge, and requires buy-in and commitment from district leadership, school administrators, and teachers in order to be successful. Over the past two years, we’ve witnessed how building a strong school community and culture of support is critical to success.

Cultures 91

Cultures Middle School Leadership Education 91

Digital Promise

MAY 12, 2020

Because students know that their work could be featured on the school’s social media pages, they are motivated by the prospect of that authentic audience. It’s been a huge culture builder at our school; all the students want to be a part of it,” said Sorrells. Ready to design your own Authentic Powerful Learning experiences?

Junior High 133

Junior High Economics Library Middle School 133

Digital Promise

JULY 31, 2019

Since 2014, the Verizon Innovative Learning schools initiative has reached more than 86,000 students and nearly 6,000 teachers in 100 middle schools across the country. The post Growing the Culture of Learning with Verizon Innovative Learning schools appeared first on Digital Promise.

Cultures 64

Cultures Middle School Professional Development Teaching 64

Digital Promise

JANUARY 13, 2021

Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of these shifts in coaching and how they have contributed to cultures of continuous growth and changes in how the instructional technology coaching role is perceived: The shift to distance learning has removed many logistical and scheduling challenges coaches previously faced in a traditional school day.

Artifacts 147

Artifacts Middle School Advocacy Lesson Plan 147

The Hechinger Report

JULY 3, 2023

At the start of my teaching career, I was the only full-time, Black, male classroom teacher for a predominately Black student population in a southwest Philadelphia middle school. It is time to take a hard look at the policies that keep our diverse students from learning from teachers who look like them.

Social Justice 145

Social Justice Leadership Elementary School Professional Development 145

Teaching American History

JANUARY 28, 2025

So far, so good; but the third political problem facing the integration plan seemed irresolvable: what would happen to the well-loved Reid School, which had provided both elementary and secondary education for all black students in town since visionary educator Charles Reid became principal in 1914? [2]

Education 59

Education American History Junior High History 59

Digital Promise

MAY 6, 2019

Since then, researchers have looked at how play enlivens lessons in three schools in South Africa, as well. The goal is to understand, articulate, and advocate for the role of play in learning and schools. But there are also cultural specifications to what play looks like, when it’s appropriate, and who children play with.

Pedagogy 110

Pedagogy Cultures Middle School Research 110

Digital Promise

MAY 30, 2019

The Dynamic Learning Project (DLP) utilizes coaching for classroom teachers to increase impactful use of technology in select schools across the country. In our new video below, educators from San Ysidro Middle School in San Diego share how the DLP benefits both teachers and students in their school.

Middle School 132

Middle School Social Studies Cultures Education 132

Digital Promise

SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

Similarly, during the 2019-2020 school year, San Antonio Union School District (California) created the first-ever student board member position. Following interviews and selection, the board member—a middle school student—acts as the voice for the district’s student population.

Advocacy 168

Advocacy Public School Leadership Cultures 168

Digital Promise

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

These experiences provide a framework for learning that uses surroundings, communities, and cultures to invite inquiry, investigate biases, and deepen understanding. What happens when this same approach is applied to school districts? Chief George Dan Public School provides culturally responsive, literacy-based invitations to learning.

Middle School 108

Middle School Social Justice Professional Development Cultures 108

Digital Promise

DECEMBER 14, 2016

Students were prompted to find images that represent contemporary pop culture, and then to use Adobe Photoshop Elements to create their own Warhol-inspired work. Thirty-four elementary schools are contributing data to the district’s Project Daffodil, examining relationships between weather and plants. Kalama Intermediate School.

Education 105

Education K-12 Middle School Professional Development 105

Dangerously Irrelevant

MAY 31, 2017

Some folks know that I started my education career as a middle school Social Studies teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina. We could listen to podcasts on the geography of world cultures from Stanford University. For instance, we could use the Civilization video games to learn and blog about political power and civics.

Social Studies 76

Social Studies Teaching Archiving Geography 76

Digital Promise

NOVEMBER 29, 2016

Before Chute Middle School undertook a digital transformation , many of its students did not have an internet connection or access to technology at home. Because of this, teachers weren’t able to assign homework that required students to use technology or conduct internet research outside of school.

Lesson Plan 112

Lesson Plan Middle School Cultures Research 112

Digital Promise

DECEMBER 3, 2020

Fortunately we have seen possibilities become reality in our Verizon Innovative Learning Schools, where one-to-one devices are provided along with up to four years of data, as well as ongoing professional learning for all teachers. 87 percent of teachers said VILS enhanced their ability to differentiate instruction.

Geography 143

Geography Professional Development Middle School Cultures 143

ED Surge

OCTOBER 16, 2023

Collaborative learning thrives in the metaverse , fostering teamwork and cross-cultural communication as students from different locations collaborate on projects. I had very good training as a substitute teacher in my first year at TASIS Hellenic International School in Greece. I asked my English language learners to create films.

Tutoring 123

Tutoring Project-Based Learning Tradition Teaching 123

Digital Promise

OCTOBER 29, 2019

“Polk County is one of the counties you don’t think about very much,” said Nakia , a student at Chilhowee Middle School in Benton, Tennessee, a small rural town of fewer than 2,000 people. We’d look at another school that has technology, and we’re like, ‘Wow … I wish we had those possibilities.’”.

Middle School 116

Middle School Pedagogy Project-Based Learning Cultures 116

Digital Promise

JULY 10, 2019

During our webinar on productive struggle, middle school math teacher and former National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) board member Kevin Dykema explained his philosophy on the topic: “The thinking goes, if you were good at memorizing, you’d be good at math.

Heritage 133

Heritage Pedagogy Psychology Cultures 133

Digital Promise

MARCH 31, 2017

Vista Unified School District – Vista, CA. Located in southern California, Roosevelt Middle School is part of an interstate collaboration with two other middle schools located in Mentor, Ohio, and Kettle Moraine, Wisconsin, to further competency-based education (CBE).

Middle School 95

Middle School Charter School Project-Based Learning Elementary School 95

Digital Promise

SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

Superintendent Pat Deklotz and Assistant Superintendent Theresa Ewald have worked with their team to create a culture that empowers teachers and students to be thoughtful critics and advocates of their own learning and to explain and advocate for their experiences with the community.

Education 119

Education Advocacy Professional Development Middle School 119

Digital Promise

MARCH 15, 2022

Project Name: Reviving Culture and Promoting Disaster Resilience. Site: Vikas Bharati Public School , Delhi, India. Essential Question: How do we revive culture and promote disaster resilience with the help of technology? Site: Caleb International High School , Lagos, Nigeria. Site: West Middle School , Nampa, Idaho, USA.

High School 127

High School Elementary School Middle School Cultures 127

Digital Promise

NOVEMBER 7, 2014

This blog post was originally published by EdSurge. Exemplary educators are breaking down boundaries, helping students to connect with diverse peers from other places and cultures to build their global competencies as citizens in an increasingly globalized world. Guest co-author Mary Jo Madda is an Associate Editor at EdSurge.

Education 81

Education Middle School Educational Technology Cultures 81

Dangerously Irrelevant

OCTOBER 13, 2015

– Interrogating our instruction: Are these elementary and middle school projects any good? – Going deeper with the components of high-quality PBL – A PBL case study – Making sense of PBL in our own context – Getting set up with Feedly and some awesome school leadership blogs.

Leadership 107

Leadership Professional Development Geography Project-Based Learning 107

Digital Promise

JUNE 6, 2019

At River Dell Middle School in River Edge, New Jersey, my class was preparing to read the novel The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney. This novel contains important themes and topics that are challenging for middle school students, including gender equality, child marriage, terrorism, seeking asylum, and conditions in refugee camps.

Global Connections 97

Global Connections Middle School Cultures Teaching 97

The Hechinger Report

JANUARY 16, 2017

(From left to right) Sixth graders Mia DeMore, Maria DeAndrade, and Stephen Boulas make a number line in their math class at Walsh Middle School in Framingham, Massachusetts, one of 132 “Basecamp” schools piloting the Personalized Learning Platform created by the Summit charter school network. Photo: Chris Berdik.

Charter School 87

Charter School Middle School Project-Based Learning Elementary School 87

Digital Promise

JULY 11, 2018

The Learning Studio at Fallingbrook Middle School in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada also explored what it means for a community to be resilient, leading them to the big idea they wanted to address: mental health. We looked at heavy snowfall, flooding, extreme heat, cold, droughts and more and came up with. The Problem Tree.

Library 67

Library Middle School Cultures Education 67

The Hechinger Report

MARCH 6, 2017

They may need to learn to assume a new manner of speaking, navigate a new culture and demonstrate new behaviors. Related: A racially charged assault spurs schools to rally behind Portland’s large refugee community. This is what happens when our schools perpetuate segregation, rather than cultivate diversity.

Civics 82

Civics Middle School Leadership Public School 82

Digital Promise

APRIL 24, 2019

The Dynamic Learning Project (DLP) utilizes coaching for classroom teachers to increase impactful use of technology in 100 middle schools across the country. Everyone deserves a coach—even coaches. Having an outsider who can see the big picture is essential.”. Mentors support administrators, too.

Middle School 107

Middle School Cultures Teaching Education 107

Digital Promise

AUGUST 11, 2017

This panel brings together the leaders of the Verizon Innovative Learning School (VILS) program to discuss how they have successfully leveraged the 1:1 model in conjunction with student data plans for low-income middle schools. How are district leaders adopting technology in schools to better support student learning?

EdTech 99

EdTech K-12 Middle School Leadership 99

Dr. Shannon Doak

JUNE 7, 2019

These include slide presentations, graphic organizers, infographics, ebooks, video presentations, websites, whiteboard app creations, graphic novels, blog posts, ePortfolios, podcasts, coded applications, digital art, video games, and VR world creations. In our lower school, our classrooms are 1:1 iPads.

Critical Thinking 54

Critical Thinking Professional Development Cultures Tradition 54

Let's Cultivate Greatness

MARCH 3, 2024

Just know that if you don’t meet within your school day, your group won’t be able to take on nearly as many things. For my full list of tips, check out this blog post: 9 Things Great Student Council Advisors Do. When you have a final draft, send it to your principal, district admin, and or school board for approval. No question.

High School 52

High School Leadership Tradition Middle School 52

Edthena

AUGUST 17, 2015

Amanda Huza, middle school principal of Equality Charter School in The Bronx, knew that video had the potential to be a powerful tool for the teachers and coaches on her staff. Well it’s changed the whole culture, really. She needed a system for video that wouldn’t overwhelm her teachers and coaches.

Charter School 40

Charter School Professional Development Middle School Cultures 40

The Hechinger Report

MAY 24, 2021

In a state with 96 percent of its teaching staff being white, choosing teaching was to be no different,” the 27-year-old high school teacher in Minneapolis wrote in her blog this winter. Terrance Lewis, a middle school teacher in Columbus, Georgia, is leaving teaching to pursue a doctorate in secondary education.

K-12 145

K-12 Middle School High School Cultures 145

The Hechinger Report

FEBRUARY 14, 2017

In November 2015, middle-school students from Westchester County, New York, found themselves on a windswept field in Southern Sudan mingling with a crowd of refugees fleeing civil war. Mark’s blog post about teaching empathy mentions both the refugee VR video and one about the lives of police in Flint, Michigan. “In

Teaching 105

Teaching Middle School Humanities Professional Development 105

Digital Promise

JULY 22, 2020

“During school closures, I did quite a bit to coach parents and families on the responsible use of devices and the ways that the technology and access can be leveraged to support student learning,” said Jillian Wetzel, the former Verizon Innovative Learning Schools coach at Harris Middle School in San Antonio, Texas. “I

Middle School 86

Middle School Leadership Cultures Teaching 86

Edthena

SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

I know what it feels like to want to be the best teacher you can be and not necessarily have someone that you can access to say, like, “Hey, how do you teach inquiry style learning in a middle school classroom or high school classroom?” How do you build a culture of trust for teachers using video?

Teaching 98

Teaching Artifacts Research Professional Development 98

The Hechinger Report

DECEMBER 3, 2018

As economists Samuel Bowles and Arjun Jayadev wrote in a New York Times blog post about inequality, students (especially students of color) may soon be pledging allegiance to “ one nation under guard.”. Some organizations are taking a decidedly different approach to improving school safety.

Elementary School 111

Elementary School Middle School Social Studies Government 111