Sat.Dec 19, 2020 - Fri.Dec 25, 2020

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How to teach critical thinking skills online

eSchool News

This story on how teaching critical thinking skills online during the COVID pandemic, originally published on April 29, was eSN’s No. 8 most popular story of 2020. Check back each day for the next story in our countdown. As educators, we often hear about the importance of teaching critical thinking skills to our students. What we hear about less, however, are the most effective techniques for teaching those skills and how teachers can implement them in the classroom—especially now that sch

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Two Great Digital Libraries for Students

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

In today's post we are sharing with two of our favourite digital libraries for kids. These are platforms where kids can access tons of books for all reading levels.

Libraries 110
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Four Key Lessons on Addressing Equity in Schools

Insight Education Group

It’s almost impossible these days to read an education article, watch the news, look at social media, or even have a conversation with a friend or colleague that doesn’t somehow touch on racial equity. We’ve seen our country grapple with a worldwide pandemic while simultaneously trying to reckon with the gross racial inequities that are ever-present in our society and in our schools.

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Gauging the Reality of Emerging Tech in Classrooms

EdTech Magazine

As virtual reality becomes more prevalent in K–12 educational spaces, developers continue to create content that enables students to partake in a host of realistic and fantastical simulations. Students can visit new places, create 3D artwork and conduct science experiments in ways that might not otherwise be possible. We have seen classroom applications of VR that fully utilize the technology to engage students in rich and novel immersive learning experiences.

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Reimagining Chickering & Gamson's Principles Post-Pandemic: Technology's Central Role in Modern Edu

This white paper examines and proposes revisions to the "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education" introduced by Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson in 1987 for today's technology-driven world.

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The Why, How, and What of Blended Learning

Catlin Tucker

The events of the last nine months have launched the phrase “blended learning” into the mainstream. I worry that instead of articulating the value of a powerful blend of online and offline learning, teachers are receiving the message that they “must” adopt blended learning to meet the demands of the moment. Yes, blended learning can help teachers navigate the challenges of teaching at this moment.

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Challenges Create Opportunities

A Principal's Reflections

" Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. " - Joshua J. Marine I love working with educators. Even though I am often the facilitator of learning, I always seek out opportunities to put myself into the shoes of those doing the day-to-day work and then use this as an opportunity to reflect on my practice.

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Protecting Students from Cyberbullying in the Virtual Classroom

EdTech Magazine

With kids spending more time online than ever, many teachers are witnessing an increase in cyberbullying among their students in online classrooms. In a recent report, L1ght analyzed communication on millions of websites, discussion boards and gaming platforms. The results were bleak, with a 70 percent increase in hate speech and a 40 percent increase in online toxicity between students in online platforms.

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Happy Holiday!

Ask a Tech Teacher

I’ll be taking a few weeks off–until after the New Year–to edit/format my website, work on projects with a deadline, prioritize life, and wish my two adult military children could come home to visit. I may drop in on you-all as you enjoy your holidays, but mostly I’ll be regenerating. I wish you a wonderful season, safe and filled with family.

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I’ve Got an Idea?? Digital Brainstorming Tools for Students!

Teacher Reboot Camp

Part of the December 2020 STEM Resources Digital Calendar ! My students love doing any learning when they get to brainstorm on their desks with a dry erase marker. Brainstorming on a canvas with words, symbols, icons, lines, stylized font, shapes, frames, and color is a fun way for the brain to make connections and make sense of information. The digital whiteboards and brainstorming tools below provide features for students to create sketchnotes and concept maps.

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What every teacher should know about the hexagonal approach to learning

Neo LMS

In a quest to find innovative ways to stimulate learning, teachers often try to reinterpret patented theories. One of these reinterpretations is the hexagonal approach to learning. Based on the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome of Biggs and Collins in 1982, also called the SOLO taxonomy , hexagonal learning derives its core purpose from learners’ actions and interactions with content.

Learning 243
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Behind the Bell: The Underlying Impact of Tardiness in K-12 Schools

Managing a K-12 campus with constant pressure to meet performance metrics is challenging. And tardiness can significantly limit a school from reaching these goals. Learn more about why chronic lateness matters, and key strategies to address the following impacts: Data errors caused by manual processes Low attendance and graduation rates that affect a school’s reputation Classroom disruption, which leads to poor academic performance High staff attrition and “The Teacher Exodus” Unmet LCAP goals t

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How K–12 Schools Are Expanding Tech Support Along with Remote Learning

EdTech Magazine

Since the shift to remote and hybrid learning, many parents have found themselves playing the role of tech support — a job they aren’t always prepared for. At the same time, school help desk teams are already stretched thin trying to support student and teacher IT needs during distance learning. Some 64 percent of K–12 parents surveyed said they received little or no tech support last year, PC Magazine reports.

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How Responsiveness Led Us Through 2020 - and the Past Decade

Education Elements

Whoa. 2020. I became a mom this year. My daughter Emily Ruth was born on April 1, 2020. My husband and I knew immediately that she was going to be a mix of wicked and wise, given the birthday she chose: April Fools Day - so perfect for 2020. She was born 2 weeks into the first COVID lockdown, and 4 days after my labor had started (she was in no rush to enter into these circumstances).

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Virtual Student Jobs, Roles, and Duties

Teacher Reboot Camp

Part of the December 2020 STEM Resources Digital Calendar ! Students love being trusted with responsibility. They want to help. When students help you allow their peers to celebrate them and learn from them. During remote and distance learning student helpers can really help you manage a lot more. Below are ways to allow students to help you. I’ve used these tips and resources this year and student helpers have really helped make hybrid and virtual learning run more smoothly.

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Now Is Not the Time for Education to Stand Still. It’s Time to Reimagine and Revolutionize.

Edsurge

A once in a lifetime pandemic. A once in a lifetime opportunity. Teaching in the year 2020 reminds me of a quote from “Inherit the Wind:” “Perhaps it is you who has moved away by standing still.” All at once our world was completely halted by a global pandemic the worst in 100 years and yet in a moment of crisis an opportunity to create appeared. Are we going to move away from progress by standing still?

Education 212
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The Battle of the Authoring Tools: A 10-Point Comparison for Picking the Right One

Speaker: Chris Paxton McMillin, President of D3 Training Solutions

There are plenty of great authoring tools for developing eLearning, but the one you select could directly impact your course's outcomes. Depending upon your learners’ needs and your organization’s performance goals, you could be overlooking considerations that impact the both effectiveness of your courses and how long it takes to finish them. From general capabilities to specific workflow structures, some aspects are critical when it comes to learning objectives and deadlines.

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Review: Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Powers Distance Learning

EdTech Magazine

Education for K–12 students looks a lot different these days, with almost all students spending at least some of their class time learning from home. This can be challenging even for the best-equipped students, but it’s even more difficult for kids who lack the right equipment to sustain the level of connectivity they need to succeed. For these students, the new Microsoft Surface Pro 7 tablet is well suited to support virtual learners from anywhere.

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How to Teach Divergent Thinking Skills in the Classroom

Waterford

To solve a problem they are struggling with, some students need only to “think outside the box.” This tactic is called divergent thinking, and it gets students to come up with several answers to a question and decide which is the best, most useful one. Read on to take a look at divergent thinking, why it’s important, and how it differs from its opposite, convergent thinking.

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Virtual Student Jobs, Roles, and Duties

Teacher Reboot Camp

Part of the December 2020 STEM Resources Digital Calendar ! Students love being trusted with responsibility. They want to help. When students help you allow their peers to celebrate them and learn from them. During remote and distance learning student helpers can really help you manage a lot more. Below are ways to allow students to help you. I’ve used these tips and resources this year and student helpers have really helped make hybrid and virtual learning run more smoothly. ?

STEM 195
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Forgetting is a Feature, Not a Bug: How the Brain ‘Grasps’ New Concepts

Edsurge

The way teaching is typically done just doesn’t match how the brain actually learns. “Our approach to teaching is based on the assumption that the teacher has a pen and the student's brain is a sheet of paper. That’s actually wrong,” says Sanjay Sarma, a professor and the vice president for open learning at MIT. Instead, he likens good teaching to growing a plant.

Libraries 208
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The Roses and Thorns of an LMS Strategy: How to Flourish with the Right LMS

Speaker: Amanda Davis, Chief Experience Officer and Liam O'Malley, VP of Association Solutions

The "new normal" is now a little less new, a little more normal. Does that mean your current LMS strategy is in need of a refresh? Is your organization or association leaning into the always-evolving eLearning environment to ensure you have the tools and content to remain relevant through all this change? There are many complex decision-making processes within your learning & development strategy and LMS lifecycle management, including: Selection.

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How to Create a Winning Esports Program During a Pandemic

EdTech Magazine

You can’t look back on the 2020 school year without recognizing the massive — and transformative — impact of COVID-19. Across the country, school districts embraced remote learning environments and introduced metamorphic changes to the K–12 curriculum. However, the classroom wasn’t the only school function upended. From senior prom and homecoming to football games and graduation, longstanding school year rites of passage were cancelled in an effort to protect children and communities from COVID-

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Where Did Education Fail Us?

The Jose Vilson

In my final reflection for the semester of my doctoral studies (don’t ask me how it’s going), I considered what it meant to get an education. Over and again in this space, I’ve considered how there’s a big difference between schooling and education. Schooling is a set of processes characterized by the desire to show students a given set of ideas and materials.

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I’ve Got an Idea? Digital Brainstorming Tools for Students!

Teacher Reboot Camp

Part of the December 2020 STEM Resources Digital Calendar ! My students love doing any learning when they get to brainstorm on their desks with a dry erase marker. Brainstorming on a canvas with words, symbols, icons, lines, stylized font, shapes, frames, and color is a fun way for the brain to make connections and make sense of information. The digital whiteboards and brainstorming tools below provide features for students to create sketchnotes and concept maps.

Tools 195
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2020: The Year Of the Edtech Paradox

Edsurge

In many ways, 2020 has been THE year of edtech. Technology experienced a meaningful surge in adoption by schools, districts and parents. The industry saw large capital inflows and more edtech “unicorns” than in any other prior year. Mergers and acquisitions are booming. Edtech funds closed larger funds, and top-notch venture capital investors including a16z , Lightspeed and Union Square Ventures have developed investment theses on education.

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Enhancing HyFlex Education through the PowerTeaching Framework

This whitepaper explores integrating the PowerTeaching pedagogical approach within a HyFlex (Hybrid Flexible) educational model, focusing on employing cooperative learning strategies and efficient classroom management techniques.

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Two Good Sources of Virtual Manipulatives to Use in Your Teaching

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

Below are two of our favourite sources where you can access virtual manipulatives to use with your students in class. The sites also offer other educational math resources that you can easily.

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Wow! I just did that! AK Teacher Tech Reflections with @MjmcalliWrites

Teacher Tech

Before you head into the new year, take a moment and think about how you have grown in the last year, six months, even two weeks ago. You probably look at challenges differently, even while you are tired, and you know you will find a way. We are so glad for wonderful leaders like you. The post Wow! I just did that! AK Teacher Tech Reflections with @MjmcalliWrites appeared first on Teacher Tech.

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Teachers, cafeteria workers and school bus drivers should be next in line for the Covid vaccine

The Hechinger Report

Technicians measure doses of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 in Arlington, Virginia. Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images. When Sandra Lindsay, director of critical care nursing at a Long Island hospital, received the first vaccine for Covid-19 approved by the FDA for emergency use, the shot to her arm on Dec. 14 not only boosted her immunity for the virus, it lifted our collective hopes that this tragic period in world history would soon pass.

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Things Fall Apart. Will Public Education?

Edsurge

I have been worried about public education for a long time. As a teacher, the long nights and weekends I spent creating and customizing resources, along with the thousands of dollars I spent each year buying classroom supplies, copy paper, books, winter coats, and even food for my students eventually led me to turn my attention to school finance: Why were there never enough resources for my students?

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Building the Foundation for a Modern K-12 Classroom

K-12 looks different these days. But one thing remains the same: you need a reliable learning platform that serves as the foundation for teaching and learning––for all students, in a variety of learning experiences. Discover how the Instructure Learning Platform supports today's K-12 classroom through: A central, consistent, connected hub of the digital learning environment.

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8 Tips For Teaching With Technology For Beginners

TeachThought - Learn better.

Integrating technology into teaching and learning is like adding electricity to architectural design: embedded from the beginning. The post 8 Tips For Teaching With Technology For Beginners appeared first on TeachThought.

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3 ways to foster a positive social environment online

eSchool News

This year is unlike any other. 2020 is truly unprecedented in how countless aspects of our lives have completely changed. For many students across the country, this means trying online schooling for the first time. The same rings true for the teachers who are leading them. But this isn’t a new concept for all. Some, including myself, were already online before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

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OPINION: New York City’s new middle school admissions will test white parents

The Hechinger Report

The recent news that New York City’s Department of Education will suspend the use of fifth graders’ prior test scores or grades as admissions criteria for some of the most sought-after middle schools — known as screened middle schools — marks a huge, even if temporary departure from the educational system’s overreliance on test scores as a central measure of students’ “ability.”.

Education 125
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Distanced Play. No Hugs. How Everyday Child Care Routines Are Changing.

Edsurge

“Circle time” conjures an image of children sitting close together, cross-legged, on a brightly colored rug as a teacher guides them through the day’s routines and lessons. The kids might be asked to describe what the weather is like, verbalize how they’re feeling or practice a new letter in the alphabet. And most likely, they’ll do it all while singing, clapping and laughing.

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LIVE DEMO: Using PowerPoint to Create Compelling Presentations for Virtual Training

Speaker: Richard Goring, Director at BrightCarbon

Have you ever caught an employee sleeping during training? Compelling content is paramount, but trying to do so with the same tools you've always used is complicated, right? Wrong! Powerpoint has excellent features that, with a bit of creativity, can help you improve your presentations and keep your people engaged without going over budget. By utilizing newer components that enable interactive sequences, navigable content to respond to your audience, and pop quizzes for informal knowledge checks