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Assistive Technology to Help a Student with Asperger’s Syndrome Succeed Academically

Students diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome face unique challenges when they enter the classroom. This condition is considered to be a form of high-functioning autism with fewer of the language and cognitive deficits. Many of these children primarily struggle with social interactions and an inability to recognize the nonverbal cues of the people around them. However, it may also present itself with a delay in motor skills compared to peers. As technology continues to find its way into the classroom, assistive technology has really taken off. There are several options for devices and programs that could aid children with Asperger’s Syndrome …

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Assistive Technology to Help Students with Behavioral Disabilities Succeed Academically

Behavioral disabilities can be challenging for educators because there seem to be very few aids available. The struggling students can be very disruptive to the classroom experience, making it hard for others to learn. As edtech begins to play a more prominent role in our school districts, teachers may want to consider that assistive technology could help. The right tools might assist students when it comes to better organizing their tasks and coping with the demands of the classroom setting. Assistive technology could be the ticket that teachers need to help students with behavioral disabilities thrive in the classroom setting. …

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3 Benefits of Microlearning for Corporate Employees

Microlearning is a new way of delivering training that has gained popularity in corporate America over the last year or so. With microlearning, training modules are divided into small manageable chunks, which makes it easier for the learner to digest. Also, instead of tackling topics that they already know, learners can choose to learn a specific skill or subskill that they lack. In this piece, we will discuss 3 benefits of microlearning, in-depth. Employees access the information when they want to. You might be a morning person, but your coworker is far more alert in the middle of the afternoon. …

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Pass or Fail: An Ideal Multi-Age Classroom

pass or fail

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? Obviously a multi-age classroom has children of different ages – but other than that factor, what would an ideal multi-age classroom look like? The …

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5 Things that Educators Want from Webinars

Continuing education is a necessity for teachers, especially with the rapid rate of change in the classroom. Webinars prove to be a very convenient way for them to access this training from the comfort of the teacher lounge or from home. However, most educators won’t sign up for just any class that happens to be convenient. Each webinar must promise one of these five things in order to capture a teacher’s interest. Actual Benefits Teachers must be able to clearly identify what they will gain from attending a webinar. They already feel strapped for time, so they won’t want to …

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What Are the Opportunities and Challenges of Digital Learning?

The Internet has, it is fair to say, changed everything. And, yet, the potential for digital learning has not yet been fully realized in America’s classrooms. There are also challenges associated with digital learning that barely could have been imagined several decades ago. The opportunities associated with digital learning are immense. Perhaps the most significant benefit of digital learning tools is the ability to personalize learning. Years ago, a teacher could only dream about having the ability to design a curriculum that would be ideally suited to the skills, deficits, and preferences of every single student in the class. Rather, …

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Why Cash-Strapped School Districts Should Turn to OER

pass or fail

Open Educational Resources are educational materials that are available online without any copyright restriction. These are a powerful learning tool for every student, but perhaps most especially for those students in cash-strapped school districts. Here’s why: First, the expense of traditional printed textbooks means that underfunded school districts are not able to replace them frequently. It is difficult for teachers to teach their students when the last two or three presidential administrations are not even included in the student’s textbook. The rapid advance of technology makes this problem even worse, and students have a hard time taking a text seriously …

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Why Do So Many Low-Quality Higher Education Institutions Still Exist?

Most people agree that a college education is the path to a better career and improved financial stability. Formal education increases your network as well as your net worth, and it teaches critical thinking skills. Not all colleges and universities are the same. Each offers different programs and courses of study, of course, but the real puzzle lies in the fact that the quality of the educational programs can differ among similar universities. Some schools will be of a much lower quality than others, providing inferior educational experiences. The conundrum leaves many wondering, why do so many low-quality higher education …

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Why Do So Many Low-Quality Higher Education Institutions Still Exist?

Most people agree that a college education is the path to a better career and improved financial stability. Formal education increases your network as well as your net worth, and it teaches critical thinking skills. Not all colleges and universities are the same. Each offers different programs and courses of study, of course, but the real puzzle lies in the fact that the quality of the educational programs can differ among similar universities. Some schools will be of a much lower quality than others, providing inferior educational experiences. The conundrum leaves many wondering, why do so many low-quality higher education …

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7 Reasons to Use a Digital Assistant (like Alexa) in Your Classroom

We have come a long way from chalkboards and gradebooks. When you take a look at today’s modern classroom, you will find edtech taking over – Smartboards and mobile devices are becoming commonplace in the classroom. And, now, teachers are embracing another form of technology: the digital assistant. We are using digital assistants, such as Siri and Alexa, in our daily lives, so why not use them in the classroom? Just as they help us navigate our lives with reminders and directions, they can help our students navigate lessons. Still unconvinced? Here are seven reasons to use a digital assistant …

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