A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 2, 2023

I have vivid memories of my early days as an assistant principal and principal, where overseeing instruction was just one of many duties that came with the job. Managing budgets, developing memos, attending meetings, responding to emails and phone calls, and other tasks also consumed a significant portion of my time. The advent of social media introduced yet another responsibility into my already packed schedule: digital leadership.

Leadership 543

Leadership Artifacts K-12 Lesson Plan 543

My AP Life

APRIL 11, 2023

DeAnna Miller's participation in a national teacher educators' conference after a long personal learning drought energized her and gave her hope for the future of public education. "I had an epiphany," she writes. "I was starved for professional engagement and camaraderie." The post Renewing Our Hope for Teaching and Learning first appeared on MiddleWeb.

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Teaching Education Leadership 182

Catlin Tucker

APRIL 28, 2023

In my Art of Blended Learning Online Course this week, we continued our work on the playlist model. I began our synchronous session by addressing frequently asked questions about this model. In this post, I will share answers to some of those questions. Q1: How Long Should Students Work on a Playlist? The length of time required to complete a playlist can vary depending on the scope of the playlist.

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Pedagogy to Share

APRIL 19, 2023

Here is a game I made for my undergraduate students during the pandemic. As we moved rapidly to online teaching and learning, we spoke explicitly about independent learning strategies. I feel a need to return to this game now in my online courses. I made the game on the free LearningApps.org site. You can access the game here with the QR code. I’d love to hear your thoughts if you play or share the game with students.

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Teaching Education 130

Cult of Pedagogy

APRIL 18, 2023

Listen to the interview with Alex Shevrin Venet ( transcript ): Sponsored by EVERFI and Giant Steps This page contains Amazon Affiliate and Bookshop.org links. When you make a purchase through these links, Cult of Pedagogy gets a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. What’s the difference between Amazon and Bookshop.org? My understanding of the word “trauma” has evolved over the last few years.

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Teaching Pedagogy Classroom Management Social Justice 130

Geography Education

APRIL 17, 2023

FIGURE 1: The Central Valley is a highly modified agricultural landscape. SOURCE: Big Think A few years ago, I was delighted to see an geographer’s rendition of what a satellite image of California would have looked if such a thing existed in the 1800s (figure 1). Back then the southern San Joaquin Valley was swampy wetland surrounding Lake Tulare, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River.

Geography 130

Geography 130

A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 16, 2023

The education landscape is undergoing a continuous transformation, something I elaborate on in detail in Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms. While not new in any sense, digital tools continue to play an immense role as they are constantly evolving. By understanding how these tools impact teaching and learning, educators can determine which ones to use and how to implement them effectively.

Artifacts 521

Artifacts Pedagogy Tradition Teaching 521

Catlin Tucker

APRIL 10, 2023

Spend less time preparing for tests! Generating high-quality review materials and engaging review games takes time. It is also a cognitively challenging task since it requires thinking about the key concepts in a unit or learning cycle and producing a collection of questions to guide students in recalling information and developing a deeper understanding of the material.

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Critical Thinking Tradition 204

The Hechinger Report

APRIL 17, 2023

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Most of the guys come straight to the shop each afternoon. After long shifts at supermarkets and home improvement stores, they make their way to southwest Nashville just before 4 p.m., sometimes still in uniform, and pull into a massive parking lot shared by the local community college and the Nashville branch of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, or TCAT.

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Education Tradition High School Research 142

Cult of Pedagogy

APRIL 2, 2023

Listen to the interview with Sarah Fine ( transcript ): Sponsored by EVERFI and Giant Steps This page contains Amazon Affiliate and Bookshop.org links. When you make a purchase through these links, Cult of Pedagogy gets a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. What’s the difference between Amazon and Bookshop.org? Ask most adults if they remember anything they learned in high school, and what you’re likely to hear is a lot of different versions of no.

Project-Based Learning 130

Project-Based Learning Pedagogy Humanities Leadership 130

Geography Education

APRIL 14, 2023

“ If you look at maps of the Americas ranging from the 16th to the 20th centuries many of them have an island within the Gulf of Mexico called Bermeja…but on modern maps, it’s not there.” SOURCE: Geography Geek Don’t be fooled by the click-bait nature of the embedded video title (of course the CIA didn’t make the island disappear), because this obscure topic is a nice entry into several geographic topics.

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Geography Economics 130

A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 24, 2023

When it comes to technology in education, there is a natural tendency to see it as just another thing that somebody must do. In other cases, it is viewed as being more work. Let me tackle the second issue first. When we try implementing anything new, there is always a learning curve. It is important to remember, though, that the time and effort put forth will reap the rewards when it comes to improving practice and, in turn, learning outcomes.

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EdTech Pedagogy Teaching Research 475

Digital Promise

APRIL 25, 2023

This three-part blog series, featuring guest authors from The Learning Accelerator and MA DESE OET , highlights the importance of centering equity in edtech selection. In this first post, the authors outline how they centered equity as they developed an edtech selection, implementation, and evaluation guide for school systems leaders. Technology in schools can be a critical tool in advancing equity.

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EdTech Tradition Educational Technology Education 115

Catlin Tucker

APRIL 5, 2023

As teachers, we know that the physical environment of a classroom can have a significant impact on how students engage with the material and each other. From the color of the walls to the lighting and temperature, every aspect of the room can contribute to a student’s ability to feel comfortable and stay focused. Have you considered how the furniture placement in your classroom can either reinforce or distract from the specific tasks we are asking students to do?

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Leadership Teaching Research Education 195

The Hechinger Report

APRIL 18, 2023

TOKYO — The campus of International Christian University is an oasis of quiet in the final week of the winter term, with a handful of undergraduates studying beneath the newly sprouting plum trees that bloom a few weeks before Japan’s familiar cherry blossoms. This story also appeared in Los Angeles Times The colors of nature are abundant in this nation in the spring.

Economics 140

Economics High School Government Cultures 140

NCHE

APRIL 21, 2023

The NCHE Board of Directors, by a vote of 13-1, approved this statement. The National Council for History Education stands by history teachers in South Dakota. Teachers are professionals and experts in their field, and their perspective is critical to the creation of standards, resources, or curriculum that directly impact their classroom instruction.

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Social Studies K-12 Pedagogy History Education 100

Geography Education

APRIL 13, 2023

“ Chinese individuals now see Singapore as the vessel that can navigate them through a series of expected storms. At the same time, they add, it is becoming an increasingly vital place for outposts of Wall Street and the global financial industry to interact with them. For many years, Singapore has liked to sell itself as the Switzerland of Asia. The new cold war, says one former top official, is finally turning that pitch into a reality.

Economics 130

Economics 130

A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 9, 2023

When it comes to education training, the main pathway to improvement is through professional development. Depending on where you reside or your school system, this typically consists of a few days to begin the new academic year and a few random days going forward that are often associated with student holidays. While the premise is positive, the result doesn’t always lead to sustainable change.

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Professional Development Research Education 464

ED Surge

APRIL 13, 2023

What would you do if you had $800 million to build a new nonprofit to support innovation in online learning? That’s the privileged question that officials at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University have been mulling over for the last two years, and this month they announced some answers. The result is a new nonprofit named Axim Collaborative, and its focus will be on serving learners that higher education has historically left behind.

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Economics Research Education Teaching 123

Digital Promise

APRIL 27, 2023

The post Integrating Research-based Strategies into the Design of Educational Technology to Support All Learners appeared first on Digital Promise.

Educational Technology 114

Educational Technology Research Education 114

The Hechinger Report

APRIL 4, 2023

Twice a week Ricky Carmona, 16, leaves his La Verne home to attend school in makeshift classrooms a few doors down from the Boot Barn at a nearby strip mall. This story also appeared in Los Angeles Times He ended up at Options for Youth charter school in Upland after he was suspended at the start of the 2022-23 school year from Bonita High for vaping in the bathroom.

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K-12 Tradition Charter School High School 140

NCHE

APRIL 15, 2023

As of May 30, 2023 , all NCHE staff members will have a new email address. This is an exciting and important upgrade to our communication abilities, but it does require all of our constituents and supporters to update their address books. Please reach out to us at these new addresses: Jessica Ellison, Executive Director: Jessica@ncheteach.org John Csepegi, Director of Operations: John@ncheteach.org Kathleen Barker, Education Coordinator & Director of EPiC Histories : Kathleen@ncheteach.org R

History 100

History Education 100

Edthena

APRIL 3, 2023

Teacher leaders are all around us – educators making an indelible impact in their schools and communities. Outstanding teacher leaders are dedicated to lifelong learning and continuous improvement of their teaching practices. Being a teacher leader isn’t about a specific title. It’s about how these educators keep learning and getting better so their students can receive the strongest education.

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Professional Development Teaching Cultures Education 98

A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 30, 2023

Being a leader is not a solo endeavor but a collective effort that involves everyone in the organization, school, or district. While a leader may occasionally have to make critical decisions that require going against consensus, such instances are rare and insignificant in the larger scheme of things. To succeed, it is crucial to foster a culture of open-mindedness where people are motivated to change on their own accord rather than being coerced into it.

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Leadership Cultures Education 453

ED Surge

APRIL 11, 2023

The breaking point for Julie Sherlock was a literal one. The elementary music teacher was burned out and so very tired, following years of feeling increasingly overburdened and bulldozed by students and administrators alike. But it wasn’t until she broke her leg last spring that she knew it was time to call it quits. Sherlock was walking down the school hallway, carrying her heated-up lunch back to her classroom to eat, when a student called out to her with a question.

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Teaching K-12 Lesson Plan Elementary School 121

Digital Promise

APRIL 12, 2023

The post Announcing the 2023 Ciena Solutions Challenge Sustainability Awards appeared first on Digital Promise.

Education 121

Education 121

The Hechinger Report

APRIL 25, 2023

BOSTON — Taryn Snyder’s third graders were leaning over their desks, scratching out short essays on what they’d done over the weekend. It was the first lesson in a school week that would take her kids through memoir writing, an introduction to division and research on Indigenous history, each activity carefully curated by Snyder. This story also appeared in Mind/Shift But teaching wasn’t the only thing on Snyder’s plate.

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Charter School Government Sociology Social Studies 136

NCHE

APRIL 3, 2023

At the grocery store: “ Your students did such a great job documenting our local history! Hey, will you have Cooper call me? He really needs to record an interview with my mom and dad. They were students when Smithfield’s Red Brick school closed, and he would enjoy their story.” The gas station: “ Hey Joe, I heard you had a student doing some research about local mines in our community.

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Oral History Public History History Museum 100

Education Elements

APRIL 25, 2023

I’ve gotten into strength training recently. I never thought this would be the path for me, a cardio lover, but after a recent foot injury, I needed to step away from running and try something new. I explored apps and training plans, trying to find the right fit for my schedule and preferences. As a consultant who has helped dozens of districts design and implement strategic plans, I also knew I could apply some of the principles we use when supporting districts to my weightlifting journey.

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K-12 Leadership Education 76

Maitri Learning

APRIL 29, 2023

Since I first did my AMI Montessori training, back in the 90s, people have been asking, "But aren't children different today than they were when Maria Montessori first developed her method?" The answer is a resounding YES! In some ways, children are most certainly different today than they were even five years ago because we humans are biologically programmed to adapt to our culture: our time, place, and group.

Humanities 52

Humanities Psychology Cultures 52

ED Surge

APRIL 25, 2023

In her first year as a teacher, Stephanie Malia Krauss quickly learned that teaching fifth grade effectively involved a bigger variety of skills than she got in her teacher-prep program. That was driven home the day one of her students walked into the classroom with soot on her uniform because her rental home had burned down the night before and her family was struggling to hold their lives together.

Economics 116

Economics History Humanities Cultures 116

Digital Promise

APRIL 19, 2023

The post Starting Early: Promoting Meaningful Science, Math, and Engineering in Preschool appeared first on Digital Promise.

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The Hechinger Report

APRIL 30, 2023

First came the good news. After taking classes at a community college, Ricki Korba was admitted to California State University, Bakersfield, as a transfer student. But when she logged on to her student account, she got a gut punch: Most of her previous classes wouldn’t count. This story also appeared in The Associated Press The university rejected most of her science classes, she was told, because they were deemed less rigorous than those at Bakersfield — even though some used the same textbooks

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Psychology Research Education 131

Pedagogy and Formation

APRIL 27, 2023

In my last post, I indicated that I would write three posts that address the overriding key purposes that give shape to the pedagogical framework I have outlined in my book 'Pedagogy and Education for Life'. I suggested that as teachers and school leaders, who are people of God, there are some key principles that should give shape to all we do in our schools and classrooms.

Pedagogy 52

Pedagogy Tradition Cultures Teaching 52

Geogramblings

APRIL 18, 2023

A piece of poetry performed at the Geographical Association Annual Conference 2023 TeachMeet titled ‘#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs (The Power of Geography Voice)’ The full TeachMeet recording with a range of teaching ideas and thoughts for the Geography teacher can be found on YouTube here. With thanks to the Geographical Association ( [link] ) and the media team at Sheffield Hallam University.

Geography 52

Geography Humanities Cultures Human Rights 52

Maitri Learning

APRIL 29, 2023

Since I first did my AMI Montessori training, back in the 90s, people have been asking, "But aren't children different today than they were when Maria Montessori first developed her method?" The answer is a resounding YES! In some ways, children are most certainly different today than they were even five years ago because we humans are biologically programmed to adapt to our culture: our time, place, and group.

Humanities 52

Humanities Psychology Cultures 52

ED Surge

APRIL 18, 2023

This article is a partial transcript of an episode of the EdSurge Podcast. For the full interview, listen here. Students are looking for something different from teachers and professors as they prepare to enter political and civic life, and that means educators need to change the way they support students when it comes to political engagement. That’s the argument made by Timothy Law Snyder, president of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, who has been writing and speaking about the issue

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Education Civics Tradition Economics 115