Teachers who are given more input and agency can help drive innovation, two school administrators and an educator said on a panel at the recent SXSWedu conference. They highlighted what innovation looks like in this context.
Educators who may not have experienced blended learning as learners need to see it in action, asserts blended-learning coordinator Stepan Mekhitarian. This interview features insights from four education leaders about adding blended learning to professional development.
Students ages 6 to 18 are learning about computer coding by attending one of the more than 1,200 CoderDojos operating in 65 countries. These coding workshops, which are free and operated by volunteers, feature a flexible learning model.
Some teachers and students are using video technology to connect with peers worldwide as part of the "virtual exchange" movement. Students at a Pennsylvania school participated in a two-year digital-literacy project with students in England.
California teacher John Remmell recently used a telepresence robot to teach his class while he attended a conference in China. The project was part of how the school marked Teen Tech Week, an initiative of the National Library Association.
About 30 states offer private-school voucher programs, and Indiana is home to one of the nation's largest voucher programs. Parents and school leaders in the state share the benefits and potential drawbacks of such programs.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order calling on agencies to submit "recommendations to eliminate unnecessary agencies, components of agencies, and agency programs, and to merge functions." Education Secretary Betsy DeVos last month indicated she would be working to identify unnecessary programs in the department.
The desire to gain popularity online is driving some students to accept the "eraser challenge," in which they rub an eraser on their skin while performing a certain task. However, medical experts say the challenge is dangerous and has resulted in infections that have hospitalized some children.
Albert Einstein once said, "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." Here is a curated list of resources just released on ASCD myTeachSource that offer different ways to promote student creativity using practical applications and classroom assessments. Read now.
Helping defiant students plan for better behavior
Teachers can't make students do anything, and that can be a particularly tough reality to face when working with defiant students. So what makes students want to change their behavior? Behavior management plans provide a five-step process for analyzing problematic behavior and partnering with students to design and apply interventions. Defiant students want to know how to have good experiences in school, they just need a road map to get there. Read now.