Education
BYOT and one-to-one initiatives are literacy initiatives
As a school leader who recently sold my community on the importance of moving to a one-to-one environment where every student has access to...
Education
Education
Don’t use 2.0 technology in a 1.0 way
“And that’s the grand dilemma of social networking: it’s intended to allow participation, to let companies and individuals all engage and interact, but all...
Education
Part II: Tug of war: Competition for the best STEM minds
Part I of this two-part series discussed STEM industry projections and K-12 STEM education projections. Part II explores meeting all STEM needs and mining...
Education
How to connect the dots
One of the biggest things I have learned in the past two years is that I don’t need to know the answer; I need...
Education
QR codes in education
Senior education editor Melissa Greenwood is blogging this week from ACTE’s CareerTech VISION 2012 conference in Atlanta, Ga. Here is a blog inspired by...
Education
Professional-resource audit
A couple of caveats before reading this post: This post is based on the assumption that collegial conversations are already happening within a school’s...
Education
Gaining confidence through connectedness
Confidence, as an educator, is something that is not a skill to be taught. It is not a method to be memorized. It is...
Education
The educational PR machine
It seems like everywhere we turn, education is under the microscope. From members of Congress to the mother next door, everyone has an opinion...
Education
So, you’re on Twitter
So, you’re on Twitter. What does that really mean? When prompted (on Twitter) for reasons why folks are on Twitter, invariably responses include: it’s...
Education
Teaching the last backpack generation
This is the last generation of students who will carry backpacks to school. For teachers and parents, the realization that education will look very...
Education
5 best practices to consider when using Facebook with students
Innovative educators realize that to run for office, to run a business or to change the way things are run where one works or...
Education
Today’s teachers are formed from a different mold
Most young people today are versed in the use of the Internet and its search engines. They have a question, they search Google, Yahoo...
Education
Is it time to eliminate parent-teacher conferences?
My wife and I have attended upwards of 50 parent-teacher conferences collectively for our three children. For the past decade, we have dutifully scheduled...
Education
Leaders to learn from
Last month, I received the great honor of being recognized by Education Week magazine and the U.S. Department of Education as a 2013 Leader to...
Education
5 questions to end the school year
In many places, the end of the school year is upon us. Students are eagerly waiting for that final bell to ring, and teachers...
Education
A problem with success
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports — PBIS — has become a permanent, organizing structure for more and more schools. For schools where behavior problems...
Education
Taking a pulse on the path to the common core
A majority of states have signed on to the Common Core State Standards and work is well underway across the country to implement the...
Education
Keeping first-day-of-school excitement alive
Why are kids and teachers so excited to come back to school? To cover new curriculum? To get really good test scores? To spend...
Education
Kindergarten in action: A focus on literacy
On the first day of kindergarten, we used Skype to connect with one of my student’s parents, explored our iPads and began learning how...
Education
Part II: Q-and-A: How one N.Y. district is implementing common core ELA
In this Q-and-A, Ralph Lyons, interim assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the East Greenbush Central School District in New York, discusses how...
Education
Why classrooms should be places for second chances
The battle over standards-based grading, mastery learning and other progressive grading and assessment practices continues to be waged in classrooms, OpEd pages and PTA...
Education
Intervention — Ready or not, here I come!
I recently had a student walk out of the classroom in a fit of frustration. Before leaving, I was able to squeeze a few...
Education
Online CTE and my good fortune
February has been designated Career and Technical Education Month. Which career paths are you preparing students for after high school? I’m lucky. Every day,...
Education
Born gritty
As I was pulling out of my driveway one morning, I looked over into the neighbor’s yard. Their two-year-old was on the edge of...
Education
From the boardroom to the classroom: 8 lessons for effective school leadership
Today’s school leaders face a new education landscape, one fraught with challenges and new expectations. Smart leaders are realizing the benefits of applying business...
Edtech
How do we harness the power of games?
Everywhere you look, kids are playing digital games. Whether it’s a game on a parent’s mobile phone or a student’s personal Minecraft account, many...
Edtech
Editor’s Choice Content Award: February
In January, SmartBlog on Education launched a monthly education content award, recognizing content written by educators, for educators that inspires readers to engage, innovate...
Edtech
10 tips to help educators break into paid gigs
Have you ever been inspired by a great conference keynote speech? A workshop presenter that your school or district hired? Do you want to...
Edtech
Integrating game-based learning into the school year
Research is verifying what many teachers know: Well-designed digital games in the classroom increase student engagement, learning and retention. They improve students’ on-task time...
Edtech
Ed-tech survey: Competency-based education
Conversation around competency-based education seems to be heating up in K-12, as more and more schools look for ways to personalize learning and better...
Career-Technical Education
#SBSTEM Pathways: Stay tuned for Q&As with panelists
Education and industry leaders recently gathered at SmartBrief headquarters in Washington D.C., for an interactive discussion on bridging the gap between associations and students’...
Voice of the Educator
9 tips for transitioning teens from middle school to high school
Middle school has come to an end for many students as they graduate from eighth grade and anticipate moving on to high school. Transitioning...
Voice of the Educator
Consumer, creator … what’s next?
It is clear that education is going through an evolution/revolution due to technology and open sourcing. Our students have opportunities to do, make and...
Voice of the Educator
How to use feedback to your advantage
We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve. — Bill Gates As a teacher, you will certainly be the...
Education
Modern education leadership from a high-school principal
As society, education and learners change, so does the need to have educational leaders who embody a modern form of leadership. Modern leaders must...
Education
What is an ed-tech leader?
This question has been bouncing around my brain since I left the International Society for Technology in Education conference. When people say that I’m...
Education
Flipped classrooms: Let’s change the discussion
Since Sal Khan’s 2011 TED Talk, the Khan Academy has been nearly synonymous with “flipped classrooms.” This is because since then, Khan Academy has...
Education
Student standardization
As I was driving recently, I heard a commercial on the radio that really grabbed my attention. It was from a real estate organization...
Education
My limited understanding of public vs. charter schools
I was a public-school educator for 34 years. While I recognize many of public education’s shortcomings, I am a staunch supporter. More than ever,...
Education
A necessary struggle: Deep practice and skill mastery
“Struggle.” It’s a term we usually reserve for extreme situations. The struggle for freedom. The struggle for power. The struggle for survival. The struggle...
Education
Social media help schools build bridges
Like all public entities, public schools are under attack from a skeptical public. The talking point that resonates: The district needs to rein in...
Education
Are EDU conferences meeting our needs?
Today I attended the 39th annual conference for the Association of Middle Level Education in Portland, Ore. I actually presented for this group for...