A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 30, 2022

As a leader, have you ever been so excited about a new initiative or innovative idea only to learn that some of your staff weren’t as equally thrilled? Early in my career, this was more the norm than the exception. I vividly remember getting excited about improving parent communication with, at the time, a state-of-the-art app. Since I saw the inherent value that it would have in the hands of my teachers to get information out readily while building relationships in the process, I couldn’t wait

Leadership 529

Leadership Humanities Research 529

Pedagogy to Share

NOVEMBER 1, 2022

Two of my didactics courses opened last week with the beginning of the 2022-2023 academic year. I began both lessons with a quiet activity which allowed the students to get seated, calm down, look around the room and get ready for the class in an easygoing fashion. I presented a message in code and asked the students to translate it into their notebooks.

Teaching 130

Teaching Lesson Plan 130

ED Surge

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

The past 12 months may be a year that will live in infamy for fans of the metaverse. Meta itself, the artist formerly known as Facebook, spent $10 billion on building its grand vision of a digital world and allocated $150 million to immersive learning projects, including funds for universities to create digital versions of their campuses that students can access—wearing Meta VR headsets, of course.

Economics 139

Economics Government Tradition History 139

Digital Promise

NOVEMBER 1, 2022

A. B. C. D. F. How did five letters of the alphabet become a measure of one’s capabilities? In today’s day and age, grades have become everything; people are practically defined by the grades they earn in school, leading to academic competition to be the top of the class. But is the emphasis on a mere letter or number worth it? In many instances, grades become counterintuitive as they lead to more students cheating; in other situations, too much stress on grades can lead to depreciating mental h

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Teaching Critical Thinking High School Education 117

Dangerously Irrelevant

NOVEMBER 4, 2022

It’s always gratifying to see your resources being used by educators. I’ve worked with the Bismarck Public Schools multiple times on leadership, vision, and instructional design for deeper learning (and we featured Legacy High School in Leadership for Deeper Learning ). They’ve got an amazing group of educators there and I always love to see what they’re up to… Thanks for sharing, Tanna !

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Leadership Public School High School Education 113

Education Elements

NOVEMBER 1, 2022

The most successful school leaders we work with understand that high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) improve student engagement and are a key resource in addressing schooling loss. They also know that materials, while a critical lever, are only one piece of the necessary elements for shifting teacher practice and improving student outcomes. In this blog post, we provide a brief list of things principals should know about high-quality instructional materials as they get started with adopti

Leadership 99

Leadership 99

ED Surge

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

When a school or district decides to cut a check for an edtech product, the end goal isn’t about owning a shiny new piece of hardware or app. The administrators who sign off are thinking about how students will benefit long-term from more support in the classroom. But where in the conversation are the people implementing those tools: the teachers? And how much say do they—or should they—have in edtech decisions?

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EdTech Educational Technology Middle School Lesson Plan 115

History Havoc

NOVEMBER 4, 2022

I have been waiting for All Quiet on the Western Front since I first saw it advertised over a month ago. The previews were great, and I had high expectations for the movie. A little background on me, I read the book just over a year ago and absolutely loved it. It was one of the best pictures of war that I’ve ever read. I even use parts of it in class.

History 52

History 52

ACRE

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

Arkansas educators asked, we listened! We asked teachers around the state what topics they would like to see new materials on, and budgeting was a top response. Based on that feedback, UCA Family & Consumer Sciences Professor Dr. Kathryn Carroll developed an in-depth content review, hands-on simulation, and several additional resources specifically designed to teach budgeting in Arkansas classroom.

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K-12 Social Studies Digital Resources Lesson Plan 52

ED Surge

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

A few days ago, young children were welcomed to explore a virtual world full of blue skies and sunshine right alongside a doe-eyed blond baby boy, who has become one of the most popular characters in children’s programming. They were invited to have a “playdate with JJ.” During these adventures with JJ, the star of the toddler show CoComelon, toddlers can sing songs about vegetables, frolic in a treehouse or build a sticker collection.

Psychology 117

Psychology Research Humanities Teaching 117

The Hechinger Report

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

This podcast, Sold a Story, was produced by APM Reports and reprinted with permission. There’s an idea about how children learn to read that’s held sway in schools for more than a generation – even though it was proven wrong by cognitive scientists decades ago. Teaching methods based on this idea can make it harder for children to learn how to read.

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Teaching Research Education 88

History Havoc

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

In sports, economic growth can be measured by attendance figures. After all, any sports franchise needs to draw fans to its games to make money and thus compete within its own league. For this post, I want to look at attendance figures from baseball during the 1880s compared to the growth of some of the cities where these teams played. The first city to look at will be Boston.

Economics 52

Economics History Research 52

The Effortful Educator

NOVEMBER 1, 2022

The exit ticket is used often in the classroom as a quick method for assessing student understanding and performance for a (usually) simple task. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the exit ticket, they usually work something like this: As students pack up their things and prepare to leave the classroom, they are provided a sticky note, an index card, or maybe just a ¼ sheet of paper.

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Tradition History Education 52

ED Surge

OCTOBER 31, 2022

It’s the start of the second week of the school year and my son’s virtual first grade orientation is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. It’s 10:05 a.m. and I’m in a state of utter panic. I’ve got ten minutes to help a substitute teacher compile materials for their coverage, ensure that my team has the support needed to execute lessons smoothly and move my car, which is double parked out front because there’s never parking by my school.

Leadership 110

Leadership Lesson Plan Teaching Education 110

The Hechinger Report

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

Editor’s note: This story led off this week’s Early Childhood newsletter, which is delivered free to subscribers’ inboxes every other Wednesday with trends and top stories about early learning. Subscribe today! When teachers make an effort to incorporate a student’s home language into the classroom, multilingual children not only benefit academically , but they also feel a stronger sense of identity.

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Professional Development Leadership Cultures Research 87

ACRE

OCTOBER 31, 2022

It’s #EconEdMonth, the time of year where we highlight resources and strategies for teaching Economics across disciplines and content areas. This year, I asked a few Arkansas teachers to share what they love about teaching economics. Here is what they had to share. There are five key strands in the Arkansas Economics Standards: Economic Decision Making, Exchanges & Markets, National Economy, Global Economy, & Personal Financial Management.

Economics 52

Economics Teaching Elementary School Critical Thinking 52

Edthena

OCTOBER 31, 2022

It’s spooky how fast October went by! Scared that you may have missed resources for teachers and coaches this past month? We’ve rounded up the top resources from October 2022 and included highlights here. These three reads have great ideas and resources for teachers and coaches around supporting students’ productive struggle, classroom essentials, and prioritizing teacher self-care.

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Cultures Teaching Education EdTech 52

ED Surge

OCTOBER 31, 2022

Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School (CCRMS) in East Palo Alto is named after the famed Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist. This tribute is fitting, given that the majority of the school’s students identify as Hispanic or Latinx. Community pride is evident here, but inherent language barriers in the student population and many socio-economic challenges require that teachers like Salvador Sainz stay laser-focused on ensuring equitable access to educational opportunities.

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Middle School Economics Teaching Education 105

The Hechinger Report

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and minority-serving institutions (MSIs) are opening their doors to a new academic year against a national backdrop of ongoing pandemic challenges, the legacy of racial injustice and rising socioeconomic inequality. These institutions hold unique potential to bridge longstanding racial and socioeconomic gaps and drive creativity nationwide to unprecedented heights.

Economics 82

Economics History Research Teaching 82

Pedagogy to Share

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

Teaching and learning are relational processes; building significant relationships in large classes requires planning, time, and hard work. Showing genuine interest in who my students are as individuals is crucial in developing trust and a feeling of safety in my classroom. At the beginning of each academic semester, I make sure I allow my pre-service teacher students at the Oranim College of Education to introduce themselves to me in different ways.

Teaching 130

Teaching Education 130

ED Surge

NOVEMBER 1, 2022

In North Salem Central School District, every student is encouraged to engage with computational thinking (CT) and computer science (CS). Aligning their efforts with the New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards and the Profile of a North Salem Graduate , the district has developed a Computational Thinking Pathway, which provides CT and CS learning opportunities for all students.

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K-12 Professional Development Leadership Humanities 99

ED Surge

NOVEMBER 1, 2022

What if you gathered a group of high school students, gave them fancy microphones and some training, and challenged them to make an investigative podcast about the issues they cared about the most? That’s the premise of a nonprofit called The Bell, started in New York City by 2017 by two former teachers with a journalism background and a belief that one way to improve education is to elevate the voices of students.

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High School Research Education Educational Technology 103

The Hechinger Report

OCTOBER 31, 2022

Universities around the country will be watching carefully as the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in two college admissions cases on Oct. 31, 2022. Many legal pundits predict that affirmative action, a practice that gives preferences to groups that have been discriminated against, will be abolished when the court issues its decision next spring. That could prevent both private and public universities from considering a student’s race or ethnicity as one of many factors in admissions, along wi

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Research Tutoring High School Education 17

The Hechinger Report

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

MESA, Ariz. — A teacher in training darted among students, tallying how many needed his help with a history unit on Islam. A veteran math teacher hovered near a cluster of desks, coaching some 50 freshmen on a geometry assignment. A science teacher checked students’ homework, while an English teacher spoke loudly into a microphone at the front of the classroom, giving instruction, to keep students on track.

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Elementary School High School Teaching Private School 138

The Hechinger Report

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

AUSTIN, Texas — By his mid-20s, Tommy Andrade was tired of working dead-end jobs. With a young child at home, he realized he needed more than a high school diploma to support his family. When he heard about a new, advanced manufacturing program at Austin Community College (ACC), Andrade was intrigued. This story also appeared in The Guardian. Some of the jobs that graduates would be trained for carried salaries well into the six figures, enough to give Andrade financial security, he figured, eve

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Tutoring Economics Government Research 100

ED Surge

NOVEMBER 4, 2022

“Congratulations on your promotion, on becoming the dean! You’re in charge now!” a parent yells from his car in the midst of dismissal. My stomach is in knots as the words “in charge” echo across the parking lot. I pause, pondering the best way to respond. I force a smile in gratitude. “I am still a teacher, and grateful to be part of a strong team,” I quickly say, before getting in my car.

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Leadership Middle School Humanities Teaching 103