Education
Q-and-A with author Dan Pink: Using motivational questioning and more in the classroom
From my introduction to author Dan Pink through his book “Drive,” I was amazed at how he could write a book about business that...
Education
Education
Lessons from Nelson Mandela
At a time when education in America continues to be in crisis, we can learn a great deal from Nelson Mandela. Mandela was able...
Education
A moral standard
Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. — John F. Kennedy President Kennedy...
Education
No nonsense nonfiction: Tips for incorporating nonfiction into the ELA curriculum
Many school districts are going through a painstaking process of writing new curricula to meet the Common Core State Standards. One of the biggest...
Education
Educational change in the new year
Contrary to the perception portrayed in the media, schools are remarkably well-run organizations filled with competent and caring educators. Day in and day out,...
Education
Breakfast in the classroom benefits students, school budgets, experts say
School nutrition experts have long touted the benefits of student breakfast programs, but some have found that breakfast-in-the-classroom models can be a tough sell...
Education
Happiness as a measurable educational outcome
A new vision for the global education race: Schools in South Korea have pursued high test scores with great success. They are clear leaders...
Education
“The Hunger Games” — Catching fire in rural schools
As a professor of adolescent literacy, few things make me more hopeful than witnessing tweens and teens waiting outside in the cold for tickets...
Education
Leveraging touch technology for special education
Touch technology has been a tremendous development for the field of special education, giving students a wonderful new learning medium that enables them to...
Education
CCSS and the selection of high-quality materials
EdWeek recently reported that 68% of districts that participated in a national survey indicated that they would purchase new instructional materials to support the...
Education
Building bridges
As we began our structures unit in Grade 7 this year, students were amazed by the Popsicle bridge structures that lined the classroom from...
Education
Can education save the eroding middle class?
I grew up somewhere in the middle class. My dad barely achieved a high-school education, but he was a hard worker. We borrowed books...
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
Have fun, change lives
The conversation caught me by surprise. Perhaps it was because I had lost contact with him for nearly three years. Maybe it was because...
Education
Let’s not lose perspective
They were floating in the water when I first saw them — the paintings of my three-year-old girl. Once a moment of pride and...
Education
Helping students self assess
Giving quizzes allows teachers to examine data and see what students understand and where they may need more practice. Ideally, quizzes should provide the...
Education
An alternate take on the “close reading” standard
The first standard in the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading under the Common Core State Standards for Language Arts says, in...
Education
Q-and-A: How open lines of discussion can alter school culture
SmartBlog on Education recently interviewed Abby Sterensis, vice president of observe4success, about her perspective on best practices for classroom observations. Here are some of...
Education
Back to Maslow’s basics
Once again, it’s time to go back to the basics — Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. While we do so, we must keep in mind...
Education
What are assessment capable learners?
“In education, assessment is at its best when it is ongoing and most difficult to distinguish from the teaching that is occurring.” — Changing...
Education
Technology revolution in special-education assessment
In most autism programs, data collection and graphing are daily tasks for teachers and therapists. These tasks are a vital component of a program...
Education
5 reasons to teach spelling, handwriting in the new year
Here’s a great resolution: Keep spelling and handwriting in the curriculum and use research-based tools to teach these skills explicitly and efficiently without wasting...
Education
Another type of school choice
The act of choosing from a menu is a compelling reason for why people enjoy going to a restaurant. You are handed a menu...
Education
Glocalized learning: What’s relevant in the rural world
The mission statement of the Common Core State Standards concludes: “With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned...
Education
Black educators and racially-competent mentors
On Jan. 10, I was prompted to moderate a Twitter chat on mentoring preK-12 teachers. More specifically, it was suggested by two African-American educators,...
Education
The leader in you
Those of us in education often think of leadership as the domain — if not the burden — of the privileged few. Individuals who...
Education
The opportunity is now for English language learners
English language learners comprise the most rapidly growing segment of students in K-12. More than 10% of students are now identified as foreign language...
Education
Lessons from Sugata Mitra: Global education and democracy
The challenge of translating small forums and local relevance into small global networks can be both empowering and frustrating. During the summer of 2013,...
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
Q-and-A: SXSWedu to celebrate innovations in learning
The 2014 SXSWedu Conference & Festival kicks off March 3rd in Austin, Texas. SmartBrief will have reporters on the ground, bringing readers regular coverage...
Education
Teaching resilience: Reflection
“I’m so stupid. I’ll never get this!” The message looped inside Kent’s mind, its echoes blinding him to any way forward. When his teacher...
Education
Leadership resilience in action
After a round of districtwide budget trimming, principal Riley received some tough news: His school’s two instructional coaches would be reassigned to classroom teaching...
Education
Music education for the classroom teacher
Why music education? UCLA professor James Catterall led an analysis of a U.S. Department of Education database. Called NELLs88, the database was used to...
Education
SXSWedu keynote: Closing the achievement gap begins in the halls
The 2014 SXSWedu Conference & Festival kicked off this week in Austin, Texas. SmartBrief Education has been on the ground, bringing readers regular coverage...
Education
SXSWedu Content Roundup
SmartBrief Education has been on the ground this week, bringing readers coverage of the 2014 SXSWedu Conference & Festival, held in Austin, Texas, March...
Education
Teachers as talent scouts
Every student has a talent that we can uncover if we keep our eyes and mind open. If we teachers were able to harness...
Education
Live from #ASCD14: 6 steps for leading change
Sparking change in an organization — classroom, school, school district, state or nation — sometimes can feel like a Sisyphean task, rolling a heavy...
Education
Live from #ASCD14: How to amplify student voice
Self-worth. Engagement. Purpose. These are three signposts on the journey to unlocking student potential, according to Russell Quaglia, president and founder of the Quaglia...
Education
Q-and-A: How one N.Y. school is personalizing math instruction
In this Q-and-A, Scott Burdick, principal at Pine Valley Elementary School in South Dayton, N.Y., discusses how his school uses data and technology to...
Education
The new imperative: Personalizing education
As we continue to focus almost exclusively on core curriculum and tests, we fail to understand that personalized education is our key to success....
Education
Inquiring minds DO want to know
What makes you inquisitive? Curious? Interested? Do we even think about or consider these things? Are we less inquisitive? Are we more indifferent? And...
Education
Teaching resilience: Attention
“Squirrel!” In addition to its other endearing qualities, Pixar’s 2009 animated feature “Up“ introduced the world to Dug, a golden retriever with definite attention...