April, 2022

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Shifting Our Practice

A Principal's Reflections

In my previous post , I dove into the concept of shifting our focus from “what” to “who” in order to set the stage for personalization. The premise is as simple as it is powerful, with the goal being to provide all learners with what they need, when and where they need it, to become life ready. While having a focus and knowledge of pertinent strategies is a good start, there needs to be an emphasis on changing practice.

Pedagogy 541
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China's Social Credit Policy

World History Teachers Blog

I plan to introduce my Current Events students to China's social credit system with a lesson that I found from another teacher, some outside readings, and a couple of video clips. China has instituted a series of initiatives and databases to monitor the trustworthiness of its citizens and companies. They do it by combining older and state-of-the-art technologies like phone scanners, facial recognition cameras, and fingerprint databases.

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Motivating Students to Test Their Best

My AP Life

Amid all the stress and organized chaos that comes with state testing, there can be bright moments that make everyone smile. AP DeAnna Miller shares how her school’s staff (and students) brightened their test season to encourage kids to do their best after a challenging year. The post Motivating Students to Test Their Best first appeared on MiddleWeb.

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5 Vocabulary Activities for Middle School

Mr and Mrs Social Studies

Vocabulary Activities Teaching Vocabulary Are you looking for a way to make learning vocabulary more enjoyable for your students? Vocabulary plays an important role in our teaching, but sometimes has a reputation for being a bit boring. It certainly doesn’t need to be that way, and there are many strategies and tools available! This post will cover five different vocabulary activities that can be used with any vocabulary set, no matter what you teach.

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7 Edtech Trends to Watch in 2022: a Startup Guide for Entrepreneurs

ED Surge

As we navigate the roadmap drawn by COVID-19, we know there will continue to be accelerated digital transformation and rapid innovation of education intended to positively impact student outcomes in 2022. This will take many forms, from institutions evolving their operations to students optimizing their learning with technology to caregivers connecting directly with their children’s education through edtech services.

EdTech 145
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A day in the life of a school social worker

The Hechinger Report

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — Just before 7:20 a.m. on the day before February break, the black Ford SUV was the first vehicle to pull into the school parking lot. Inside, Nathaniel Wylie listened to the last refrains of the gospel praise song “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus” before turning off the engine and heading inside the beige brick building. His morning playlist always consists of something uplifting, including the occasional motivational speaker.

Tutoring 141
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Disrupting Your Practice

A Principal's Reflections

Last week I shared the news that Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms: Preparing Learners for Their Future was published a year ago. While I am proud of all the books that I have been honored to write, this one was a bit more special. For starters, it represented my first major publication that veered away from a leadership focus. Since a great deal of my time as of late has been in the role of a coach, I wanted to share insight that has been gleaned through visits to numerous schools and count

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How Student Tech Teams are Creating New Leaders

Digital Promise

When Renee Dawson, the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools coach at Crawford W. Long Middle School in Atlanta, met John*, an eighth grader with learning and speech disabilities, they bonded immediately. Long had just joined the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program, and Dawson was recruiting members for her new student tech team. Student tech teams are an integral part of the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools initiative.

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9 Ways to Recognize and Appreciate Teachers

Education Elements

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Although we at Education Elements believe that teachers should be celebrated on any day that ends in a “y”, we also are excited to join in the Nationwide celebrations next week. As a former teacher, a little “thank you” went a long way, a gifted morning coffee fueled me to empower my students through testing season, and a card highlighting my impact reminded me of my “why.”.

Education 100
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Education Needs a Reset. We Can Start by Listening to Our Teachers.

ED Surge

Depending on how you look at it, Ed Secretary Miguel Cardona’s assertion that “we’re closer to a reset in education than ever before” is either a beacon of hope at the end of a long, dark tunnel, or the opening of a new front in an increasingly polarizing culture war. Because my work as CEO of the national Breakthrough Collaborative involves middle-schoolers with college aspirations and college students who aspire to become advocates and teachers, I’m always inclined to take the optimistic view.

Education 137
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‘More than a warm body’: Schools try long-term solutions to substitute teacher shortage

The Hechinger Report

EVERETT, Wash. — Over the past few months, Nathan Roberts has witnessed dozens of substitute teachers stumble through their first days at Penny Creek Elementary School. This story also appeared in The Seattle Times. He’s watched them circle the parking lot outside, wondering whether to leave their car in a visitor or employee spot. He’s encountered subs in the hallway, looking for the library or a place to make copies of classwork.

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The Ever-Evolving Leadership Lens

A Principal's Reflections

Good leadership is, quite frankly, good leadership. The tenants have remained the same for centuries. What’s changed is the environment in which one leads, and this impacts the lens that is, or should be, used to drive change. Employing well-known and research-based strategies within a current context is a hallmark of influential leaders. I am of the opinion that being able to adapt in a way that results in improvement across various dynamics is what it is all about.

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Resources for Teachers and Instructional Coaches – April 2022

Edthena

Spring is in full swing, and whether you’re conducting an end-of-year teacher self-reflection or thinking about giving effective feedback, we’ve got the latest reads for you. This edition of noted and notable content for educators includes three popular education articles about supporting teacher and coach growth. Here are our top picks for the Apr. 2022 reads you shouldn’t miss.

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An Inclusive Approach to Designing Learning and Employment Records

Digital Promise

What is a Learning and Employment Record (LER) and how might we design them to create equitable and inclusive systems of work? How might we ensure we include workers and learners in the development of these emerging systems throughout the design process? At Digital Promise, the Adult Learning, Marketplace, and Learning and Employment Innovations teams have been collaborating on research about LERs—digital records of an individual’s skills, credentials, diplomas, and employment history.

History 110
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Grading for Equity: One School’s Approach to Increasing Student Ownership and Success

Education Elements

This school year, Portland Public Schools (PPS) launched a multi-year strategic plan for educational equity, inclusion, and excellence with the core belief that the student experience needs to be reimagined. PPS’ district-wide focus spotlighted the middle school experience, where data revealed – regardless of metric – that students are not being adequately prepared for high school and beyond.

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Students Have Different Thinking Speeds. Inclusive Teaching Means Realizing That.

ED Surge

Many classroom environments favor a certain kind of thinker, usually the students who are quick to recall a fact when the instructor asks a question. But that’s not the only type of mind, and it’s not even always the best kind of mind for learning. “Research has shown that shy learners—the ones who sit in the back and they don’t really say anything—they can be slower learners, but they’re actually the most flexible and they can be the most creative problem solvers,” says Barbara Oakley, a profes

Teaching 130
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After the pandemic disrupted their high school educations, students are arriving at college unprepared

The Hechinger Report

Andrea Hernandez studied the multiplication table nearly every day during the summer between her third and fourth grade years. Sitting at her family’s kitchen table in Dallas while her mother prepared dinner, she printed the arithmetic over and over in a yellow, spiral-bound notebook. When she started at a new school in the fall of 2012, she breezed through the timed math tests.

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Our lives are always embedded within a personal history & story

Pedagogy and Formation

I've been working on my family history. I set myself the task of compiling the story of the previous 3-4 generations of my family history in words (yes, a ‘small’ task!). As I wrote, I found myself revisiting images of people, places and events. I knew that any family history is always shaped primarily by memories and perspectives of varied family members (and non-family members too), who often have different lived experiences and accounts.

History 52
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Not a Tech Expert? Not a Problem. How Principals Can Choose the Best Edtech for Teachers

Edthena

Principals wear a lot of hats but ‘tech expert’ isn’t always one of them. So how can school leaders help roll out the best and right edtech for teachers in their building? According to Monica Burns, ClassTechTips.com founder, school leaders don’t need to know the ins and outs of every app on the market to support edtech for teachers. In this PLtogether Lounge Talk with Edthena founder and CEO Adam Geller, the two talked about best practices for strong classroom technology integration and usage.

EdTech 98
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Path to Digital Equity: Why We Need to Address the Digital Divide with Solutions Around Adoption

Digital Promise

Imagine creating conditions where every learner and community can fully access and leverage the technology needed for full participation in learning, the economy, and society at large. Simultaneously, every learner and community is equipped with connected devices, learning content, digital literacy skills, technical support, and a reliable, high-speed internet connection.

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Go Slow to Go Fast: Blended Learning at John F Kennedy High School

Education Elements

“ When you drive up to John F Kennedy High School in Cleveland, OH, you are immediately taken by the sheer scale of the building. Set against a backdrop of single-family historic homes, JFK is an imposing and beautiful modern structure. The vision of the school was simple: to combine the staff from 3 previous high schools, including the “old” JFK, to create the New JFK.

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Why I'm Still Bullish About the State of Edtech

ED Surge

In the next few days, thousands of edtech entrepreneurs, investors, educators and policymakers will flood a hotel in San Diego to attend the Mecca of Education Innovation Optimism known as ASU GSV. So now is the perfect time to reflect on the state of edtech. I was lucky enough to attend the inaugural ASU GSV back in 2010 in Tempe, Arizona. It was a modest two-day affair: maybe 350 attendees in sweaty overcrowded rooms, a few speeches by CEOs and academics.

EdTech 121
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Black women are uniquely burdened by student debt, report finds

The Hechinger Report

While Brittani Williams was busy working toward her bachelor’s degree, the student loan debt she was quickly accruing rarely crossed her mind. Her focus was on her coursework. A first-generation student, Williams relied on loans to fund her college and hopefully, help change the course of her family’s lives. After she had her degree in hand, it was time to start paying.

Economics 132
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Practical Tips for Online Student Engagement

MPSA

By James Steur, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Since the spread of COVID-19, many universities recognize that online teaching is here to stay. However, the online teaching environment poses its own set of unique challenges around the instructor’s teaching presence and keeping students motivated. The session, “Online Courses & Student Engagement,” represented a wide variety of backgrounds from community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and research universities to

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How Arkansas Teacher Corps Used Edthena to Boost Teaching Fellow Retention

Edthena

The Arkansas Teacher Corps was recently awarded the annual Outstanding Team Award for 2021. The recognition came from the University of Arkansas Staff Senate. The Arkansas Teacher Corps (ATC) partners the University of Arkansas with the Arkansas Department of Education and Arkansas public school districts to recruit, train, license, and support Arkansan teachers.

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It’s in the Design: Learning and Employment Records for Greater Equity

Digital Promise

Learning and Employment Records (LERs) are comprehensive digital records of an individual’s skills, competencies, credentials, and employment history that may be able to show a complete picture of an individual’s education and work experiences. LERs have the potential to highlight verified skills, reduce hiring biases, and match people to employment opportunities.

EdTech 92
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Top 10 Teacher Superpowers that Put the Marvel Superheroes to Shame

Education Elements

If you’ve ever watched a superhero movie, you’ve probably wondered which superpower you would like to embody. Super strength or super flexibility? Invisibility or the power to fly? It may surprise you to learn that superheroes live among us and go about their lives, often unnoticed. If you look closely, however, you may spot them shopping at the grocery store, taking their pets for a stroll in the park, or, most commonly, shopping for treasures in the $1 bins at Target.

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Pell Grants for Short-Term Programs Would Help Students at My Community College

ED Surge

At the end of March, I had the honor of representing the Community College of Aurora and providing testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development. The hearing , titled “Skill, Upskill, and Reskill: Analyzing New Investments in Workforce Development,” provided an opportunity for our country’s leaders to hear firsthand from educators, researchers and business leaders regarding the impact of coll

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PROOF POINTS: Study finds guaranteed free tuition lures low-income students

The Hechinger Report

Low-income students who were offered an upfront guarantee of free tuition at the University of Michigan were far more likely to apply and enroll than students who were told they would likely qualify for free tuition. Credit: Oleg Albinsky/Getty Images. What is the best way to help more bright low-income students attend elite colleges? Typically, we tell these prospective college students to fill out forms to see how much financial aid they can get.

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Hard History in Syracuse City Schools

C3 Teachers

I recently zoomed with Nick S tamoulacatos, Supervisor of Social Studies at Syracuse City School District and one of the writers on the article “Countering the Past of Least Resistance” in that latest Social Education. We talked about Syracuse City Schools inquiry initiative and the inquiry loop featured in the article. Can you give me a little background about Syracuse’s relationship with C3 teachers?

History 52
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AI for Teachers (AI Business)

Edthena

There are many AI applications to use in the classroom with students, but how can AI for teachers help the educators themselves? The Edthena AI Coach platform is being called “the AI solution to coach teachers.” This article from AI Business, a platform dedicated to artificial intelligence and its real-world applications, named how the AI Coach platform will transform teachers’ professional learning.

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Want to Shape the Future? Support Emerging Scholars!

Digital Promise

The post Want to Shape the Future? Support Emerging Scholars! appeared first on Digital Promise.

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How Student Choice Helped Me Grow Out of My Perfectionism

Education Elements

I am a recovering perfectionist. As a kid, I always colored within the lines of my coloring book; not because I wanted to follow the rules, but because I enjoyed precision. As a teacher, I bought a laser level tool so that my posters would all be hung at the exact same height. Perfectionism can bring a sense of pride, especially when applied to a tangible outcome.

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How Schools Can Build a Culture of Support for Educator Mental Health

ED Surge

Considering the ongoing traumatic upheaval on school communities in recent years, and the unrelenting pressure on educators to work under difficult, uncertain and constantly vacillating circumstances, it is not a matter of if educators will experience the corrosive effects of prolonged and extreme stress, but rather when. The question is, what can schools do to prioritize and support the mental health and well-being of the invaluable educators at the heart of their school communities?

Cultures 111
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OPINION: Data matters, but only if it leads to effective teaching action

The Hechinger Report

A recent Hechinger Report article highlighted how data analysis has not significantly improved student outcomes since the No Child Left Behind Act ramped up national data collection. Data — even high quality data— is of no value if it isn’t used effectively. Simply gathering evidence of learning, whether through tests or teacher-prompted feedback, is wasted effort if it does not inform the practice of teaching.

Teaching 122
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What is Earth Day?

Rockin Resources - Social Studies

Looking to celebrate Earth Day in your classroom this year? I did a little research for you and now you can share some facts along with a free download activity in the free album – What is Earth Day? We all know Aesop’s fable, The Ants & the Grasshopper, where a family of ants bustles. The post What is Earth Day? appeared first on Rockin Resources.

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Fixing Classroom Problems? Coaches Actually Just Need to Use Expansive Listening

Edthena

Expansive listening is listening with curiosity and compassion. Instructional coach Nita Creekmore uses expansive listening as the key to empowering teachers. Teachers need more than solutions; they need to be listened to. Are you coaching teachers without making a connection? It might be time to try expansive listening. In our recent conversation with Nita Creekmore, founder of Love Teach Bless , the experienced instructional coach talked about how coaches can really show teachers they’re liste