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6 Ways Technology Utilization in a Classroom Environment

Technology is increasingly becoming a fundamental part of our lives. Its adoption to the various functionalities of a person’s life from childhood with playing toys to adulthood has made life easier and complex at the same time. Its implementation is being advocated for yet its effects seem to grow with each passing day. However, it is important to understand that its use is diverse and the benefits associated outweigh the limitations and effects. As a fact, technology utilization in a classroom is now being used in schools for different learning activities. Today, many teachers have taken to issuing exam papers, …

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How National Board Certification Helped Me Turn Around a Failing School

Note: The following guest post comes to us courtesy of Dr. Kiela Snider, who has served as an educator in California for over 23 years and has held her current position as principal for Palm Springs Unified School District for the past 12 years. In 2000 she joined the ranks of National Board Certified Teachers (Early Childhood Generalist).  She believes that children learn best when they are in a learning environment that has been shaped by best teaching practices. This was evident in 2007/2008 school year she led 100% her staff in completing either the National Board Certification or Take One! program.  …

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4 Random Facts You Didn’t Know About Community College

Ever since their inception, community colleges have been viewed as the step children of higher education. Sure, anyone with a brain knows the important role that they play in America. However, many people can’t see past their perceived lack of “prestige” or “swagger” if you will. Yet without much acclaim or fanfare, they continue to be the backbone of America’s higher education system. Here are four facts you might not have known that will change your perception of these schools. Obama proposed free community college tuition in his State of the Union address this year. President Obama laid out proposals …

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Educators: These Two Principles Are Your Universal Code of Ethics

The sphere of ethical responsibilities and moral dilemmas is not just limited to teachers. Professionals from all fields—including doctors, architects, engineers, or psychologists—face ethical issues during their professional duties and find themselves grappling with right and wrong. That’s why most professions have generated a universal code of ethics that every professional belonging to the group is supposed to follow. Doctors abide by the Hippocratic oath, for example. But as mentioned, the teaching profession unfortunately has no universally accepted code of ethics. The InTASC Standards come close. A number of organizations have formulated useful codes of ethics. The National Education Association …

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NEO Learning Management System: The World’s First Comprehensive LMS

By John Cork When it comes to Learning Management Systems (LMS) educators and learning institutions, have many choices available to them. With many years as both an Educational Technology Coordinator and educator, I’ve worked with learning management systems like Moodle, Blackboard, Canvas and Google Classroom.  I’ve found that it’s extremely difficult to find and implement an LMS that excels and satisfies the diverse needs of educators, students, and information technology staff.  NEO from CYPHER LEARNING is the answer as it excels on all levels. When I evaluate a Learning Management Systems, I look carefully at design, usability options, assessment capabilities, …

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How to Market to College Students with Smart Data

I tried ReachBright – and here’s what I learned.  Today’s college students have more options for higher education than ever. Vying for the attention of potential students in such a crowded marketplace can seem nearly impossible and the same is true for when they graduate. When the right combination of informed data and marketing blend, though, it’s possible to cut through the noise to reach the right potential, current and former students with customized messaging. I recently had the chance to demo ReachBright, a data and automated marketing platform tailored to colleges and universities. ReachBright has three separate systems based on …

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The 2 Basics of Strategic Leadership

Strategy involves decision-making aimed at shaping the direction of an organization. In a school, creating strategy takes time, three to five years and beyond. Strategy also includes considering broader core issues and themes for development in the school, instead of day-to-day issues.

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9 Challenges Our Students Face in School Today Part VII: Suicide

One challenge our students face today in school that is not normally discussed is the problem of child and teen suicide. Although students may experience internal struggles they can also be greatly affected by the loss of friends or peers who have committed suicide. This article discusses the importance acknowledging signs of suicide in students. Suicide is a problem few feel comfortable talking about, and even fewer understand. While suicide rates have decreased overall since the 1980s, suicide rates for youth between the ages of 15 and 24 have actually tripled. In fact, suicide is the third most common cause …

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The Call to Teach: Multicultural Education

America’s “melting pot” status is one that most citizens are proud to claim. The fact that people here often refer to themselves as one ethnicity or another, and rarely as simply an American, is proof that being from somewhere else – however far removed – is a source of familial pride. Even African Americans, who do not always have an Ellis Island story in the family tree, find collective strength in the stories of their ancestors and what it means for their lives today. This blending of cultures is both a blessing and curse of the K-12 classroom. With more …

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3 Reasons Kids Should Spend More Time in School

In the past, I’ve advocated for K-12 schools to abandon the traditional summers-off school calendar and switch to a year-round one. There are many benefits to year-round schooling—including consistency, less time spent relearning material, and the implications that year-round schooling has for closing the achievement gap. But there’s another piece to the puzzle that deserves a closer look. Here are three reasons kids should spend more time in school. We have too much time off, anyway. Let’s look at where American schools rank right now when it comes to days in school versus time off. Thirty states require schools to …

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