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Reimagining the schools of tomorrow
Brian Stack EducationEarlier this fall, movie enthusiasts rejoiced at the arrival of Oct. 21, 2015, the actual date that a young Marty McFly traveled back in time to fictitious Hill Valley, California, to save his children in the hit 1989 movie "Back to the Future II." Director Robert Zemeckis introduced us to a world in 2015 that looked very different from the one we knew. Sadly, however, Marty McFly would find almost no differences in Hill Valley High School from 1989 to 2015. Why have we made so much progress as a society, yet our schools continue to operate in much the same way as they have for decades?
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Language register: What is it and why does it matter in education?
Erick Herrmann EducationMany teacher and parents today lament a lack of formality in student language, especially writing. Ask any educator about the use of so-called "texting language" in student writing, and you will likely see eye rolls, a pained look on their face, hear a sigh or complaint about the decline in language.
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5 easy digital tools to assess student learning
Savanna Flakes EducationThe goal of assessment is to improve instruction and provide student feedback. However, many of the standardized assessments take so much time to administrator and grade that many teachers often aren't able to use the data immediately in the moment.
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How to handle aggression and biting in the toddler classroom
Mara McElroy Spencer EducationWe have all had to deal with biting and aggression in the toddler classroom. And I'm sure you've had the endless parade of questions from the parents regarding this behavior: How did this happen? Were they being properly supervised? How was the other child disciplined? Will my child be bitten again?
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Tackling the challenge of making homework relevant
Brian Stack EducationLate afternoon on a school day means only one thing in my house — it's time to put on your game face and prepare for the inevitable. The bus is about to drop off my three elementary-aged children, and my wife Erica will transform into an after-school teacher and tutor.
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Education groups making sure ESEA reauthorization doesn’t get left…
Bambi Majumdar EducationNational education organizations have launched an intensive social media and digital ad campaign to push Congress to act on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Their pointed message stresses creating opportunity for all students, despite their locations — legislation that has already seen much development and simply needs that final push towards the revised law.
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Modifying traditional ESL materials for classroom use
Douglas Magrath EducationThis article provides some helpful hints and suggestions to ESL instructors who wish to use modern techniques in teaching even though the class texts are of a more traditional nature. The learners need to move from language form (i.e. "perfect verbs") to language function (i.e. "asking directions" or "a visit to Chicago") as soon as possible.
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Reflections from the 2015 iNACOL Symposium
Brian Stack EducationThis week, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, is playing host to 3,100 of the country's most promising innovators in education. The annual Blended and Online Learning Symposium, sponsored by the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL), advertises this event as "the industry's leading event for K-12 online, blended and competency-based learning," adding that it is a place where "experts, practitioners, educators, policymakers and researchers gather and work to transform education."
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Improved library facilities for K-12 schools on the horizon
Bambi Majumdar EducationK-12 school libraries across the country are gearing up for some big changes, according to Education Week. As the haven for student knowledge, they are now becoming more interactive and engaging. School libraries will be offering intense learning environments to all students that will be focused on enhancing the regular student workload and improving student performance.
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Electrical soil: Integrating music and art across disciplines, courses
Debra Josephson Abrams EducationAs an experienced educator new to a decades-old university-based ESL program, I quickly found a curriculum moribund from decades of inattention and lacking best practices. The program, whose primary mission is to prepare students for university matriculation, had lost its CEA accreditation and was trying to regain it.
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