Category: K-12

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What is the Difference Between Problem, Project, and Challenge Based Learning?

With all the buzzwords in education, it can be difficult to keep certain concepts straight. Problem, project, and challenge-based learning are all popular methods that can be easily confused. However, these are three different approaches.

Problem-based learning starts, as the name suggests, with a problem. In this model, students are presented with an open-ended problem. Students must search through a variety of resources, called trigger material, to help them understand the problem from all angles.

In problem-based learning, there is no one right answer to the problem. Instead of working towards one “right” answer, students exercise critical thinking skills and develop their own solutions. Often, the problems used are real-world examples of complex problems.

Typically, students work in small groups to solve the problem. This allows for students to practice working collaboratively. Each student must assist in coming up with solutions, then work as a team to evaluate each solution and determine which is best.

Project-based learning is often confused with problem-based learning. This may be partly because both methods are sometimes referred to by the acronym PBL. Though they are similar, there are a few key differences between problem and project-based learning.

Both PBLs involve students working to answer questions or solve problems. In both models, students are given complex problems with no clear solution and are asked to come up with an original idea.

The main difference between problem and project-based learning is in the product students created. In a problem-based learning lesson, students are simply developing a solution to a problem. With project-based learning, students must extend their ideas and complete an entire project.

Project-based learning is typically more in-depth and takes longer. While teachers might use a problem-based approach as a jumping-off point or only for a single lesson, project-based learning takes several weeks. As such, project-based learning usually involves more complex problems and is designed to challenge students more than problem-based learning.

Finally, there’s challenge-based learning. Challenge-based learning is similar to problem or project-based learning. While these models have existed for decades, challenge-based learning was created more recently and aims to incorporate 21st-century skills into problem-based learning.

With challenge-based learning, students are again asked to develop solutions to a complex problem. However, challenge-based learning incorporates technology into the process. The goal of challenge-based learning is to have students come up with real-world solutions to problems, not just to complete a critical thinking exercise. This makes challenge-based learning a natural extension of these other methods.

Have you used problem, project, or challenge-based learning in your classroom or school? Tell us about your experiences!

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Four “Not to Miss” Education Conferences for EdTech Leaders

The field of education has a plethora of conferences and assemblies where educators and industry leaders gather to learn about emerging developments, instructional trends and market disruptors. If you are interested in attending a highly beneficial education conference to share, learn, and find new solutions to current challenges, consider these four “not to miss” conferences that stand out with effective programming and networking opportunities.

  1. The EdNET Conference – September 17-19, Scottsdale, AZ

Hosted by MDR, EdNET2017 provides senior executives from PreK-12 education companies the latest information on market trends, business partnering opportunities, funding sources, new technologies, and activities for key market players.

Now in its 29th year, EdNET is a business-to-business leadership forum, with peer-to-peer interaction. The conference  attracts senior personnel responsible for marketing, sales, business development and strategic initiatives, as well as top management from all industry sectors selling products and services to U.S. schools, including nonprofits and consumer goods.

Speakers include influential voices in education, such as representatives from innovative corporate players, education-focused investment and analyst groups, education institutions, education administrators and policy makers.

EdNET provides a forum for discussion and an opportunity for senior executives to consider not only the market they are currently working in, but also where the industry is headed. It has brought together top executives of companies whose products and services for schools constitute the most important source of instructional and assessment resources available to schools in America and beyond.

This year’s programming is built from conversations with an Industry Advisory Board, and leaders from various segments of the education industry. These Board members identify critical issues in the market, from both the business and customer perspective, and help to shape the topics, speakers and presentations of highest interest. This is one of the most well-established and well-attended educational industry conferences of the year. For more information, click here to visit the conference site.

  1. The iNACOL Symposium – October 23-25, Orlando, Florida

The iNACOL Symposium is sponsored by the nonprofit organization iNACOL, and it focuses on the education of children in grades K through 12. This conference is designed for anyone within the education field, whether a teacher, professor or administrator.

In addition to the opportunity to develop your network, the symposium offers a broad range of topics to help you explore new ways of teaching. There are over 200 sessions covering a wide variety of issues that fall one of the following foci:

  • Personalized learning
  • Policies
  • Competency education
  • Blended and online learning
  • iNACOL national quality standards

It is the kind of event that you must attend to get a real understanding of the scope and breadth of knowledge that is on display. You can check out the areas being highlighted at the symposium to see if they are covering a particular field. If you are interested in setting up an exhibition, they are still accepting applications.

While there are still months before the event, there are already several hashtags associated with it. You can post some of your own ideas or look up what others are saying with the hashtags #Policymakers and #Edleaders. You can also follow details about the symposium and other news and events by iNACOL by following @nacol on Twitter.

  1. DevLearn 2017 – October 25-27, Las Vegas, Nevada

If you are actively involved in using technology to help students learn, this is a conference you need to add to your calendar. The entire event is dedicated to different learning technologies and how they can best be used to enhance the learning experience. Sponsored by the eLearning Guild, you will have three days devoted to technology in education. You can speak with some of the leaders in the industry or share ideas with others who are enthusiastic about what technology can do to help students perform better both in the classroom and outside it.

You can follow the latest news and information on Twitter @eLearningGuild.

  1. ExcelinEd’s National Summit on Education Reform – November 30-December 1, Nashville, TN

To round out the year, you can go to the National Summit hosted by ExcelinEd for a look at ways to improve and reform the American education system. The focus goes beyond the classroom and examines how state and local policymakers and advocates can keep up with the latest trends to help students get ahead in their education. Some of the conference’s primary focus include the following:

  • Holding schools accountable for learning
  • Creating incentives for students to achieve more
  • Using technology to improve and customize education based on the student
  • Expanding the options for students and parents

By focusing on these details before the holiday season, you can establish some resolutions to help improve the way you, the local government, and the state approach education. To stay current on the latest news and changes to the event, you can follow the event on Twitter @ExcelinEd.

Final Thoughts

As the field of education continues to evolve at a furious pace, the need to assemble and share our thoughts and best practices is more important than ever. The conferences that were discussed in this piece are just a sample menu of all the valuable and relevant gatherings that will take place this fall. Our hope is that it provides a starting place for educational professionals that are planning to attend a conference in the near future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The A-Z of Education Blogs: Letters TH-Y

In this multi-part series, we are profiling the best of the best education blogs, in alphabetical order. In the previous article, I introduced letters TE and in this one, I will discuss letters TH-Y.

Click here to access all of the articles in this series.

The Innovative Educator

Lisa Nielsen’s daily blog posts focus on ways to make education more relevant for students by embracing technology and channeling their passions. Recent topics include how to teach students to evaluate the accuracy of the news, and how to tell if your students are digital learners.

Score: Activity 20, Originality 19.5, Helpfulness 22.5, Authority 23

Total Score: 85

Twitter: @InnovativeEdu

The Nerdy Teacher

Nicholas Provenzano shares his ideas about being a connected educator. Recent articles outline how to create a meaningful Makerspace program.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 21, Helpfulness 21.5, Authority 23

Total Score: 91.9

Twitter: @thenerdyteacher

Email: OneNerdyTeacher@gmail.com

The Educator

This is another UK site, but it’s worth mentioning as it covers some fresh topics, such as finding out what refugee camp teachers go through, teachers’ work life balance, and what you can learn from a classroom in Singapore.

Score: Activity 17, Originality 17, Helpfulness 17, Authority 17

Total Score: 68

Twitter: @TheEducator_UK

The College Puzzle

Geared more towards students, this blog focuses on how to adapt and thrive in college. They post regularly, making it a site to bookmark for regular perusal.

Score:  Active 25, Original 19, Help 18, Authority 16

Total: 78

Twitter: @Michael_Kirst

The Cornerstone for Teachers

This blog by Angela Watson is interesting because it focuses on teachers and managing yourself, as well as your classroom. There are also plenty of resources, courses, etc. available from Angela on the page.

Score: Activity 20, Originality 21, Helpfulness 21, Authority 20

Total Score: 82

Twitter: @Angela_Watson

The Curriculum Corner

In this blog, founded by two teachers, you will find lesson plans, activities to do in the classroom, etc. targeted toward busy teachers who want to access information fast. Unlike so many other blogs these days the focus here is old fashioned games and activities. The activities are aimed to meet national state standards.

Score: Activity 17.6, Originality 17, Helpfulness 18, Authority 18

Total Score: 70.6

Email: jillandcathy@thecurriculumcorner.com

Twitter: @curriculumcornr

The Innovative Educator

Lisa Nielsen got angry because she found education boring so she decided to do something about it. On her blog she shares innovative tips for educators.

Score: Activity 23, Originality 22, Helpfulness 20, Authority 23

Total Score: 88

Twitter: @InnovativeEdu

The Learning Spy

David Didau likes exploring psychology and learning which he talks about on his blog, setting out with the idea that possibly everything you ever knew about education might be wrong. He is based in the UK, but his thoughts are as relevant for teachers in the US. If you want to find out what techniques you’re using in the classroom that have actually been examined to work and which are just presumed to work, then this blog is for you.

Score: Activity 22, Originality 23, Helpfulness 21, Authority 23

Total Score: 89

Email: ddidau@gmail.com

Twitter: @DavidDidau

The Jose Vilson

A math teacher turned teaching activist promoting social justice in education, Jose Vilson shares his thoughts on the latest happenings in education, offers support to minorities in teaching and talks about teaching students of low income households. The blog has been listed on several “top blog” lists.

Score: Activity 19, Originality 24, Helpfulness 18, Authority 23

Total Score: 84

Twitter: @thejlv

The Learning Network

This is the New York Times Learning Network, which is a great network to tap into if you’re looking for lesson plans centered around news stories. There are also news quizzes, a film and picture club and various contests that your students can get involved in.

Score: Activity 24, Originality 20, Helpfulness 17, Authority 19

Total Score: 80

Twitter: @nytimes

The Organized Classroom

This blog by Charity Preston mixes hands on classroom DIY with technology tips, classroom management tips, etc. There are plenty of video workshops too.

Score: Activity 17, Originality 17, Helpfulness 18, Authority 18.3

Total Score: 70.3

Twitter: @theOCblog

The PE Geek

It sounds somewhat contradictory to introduce edtech to PE, but it’s not. And here you’ll learn why. From time to time there are also other topics related to edtech and teaching covered, so even if you don’t teach PE, you might want to stop by.

Score: Activity 22, Originality 23, Helpfulness 19.5, Authority 20

Total Score: 84.5

Twitter: @mrrobbo

The Power of Educational Innovation

School administrator Liz Davis chronicles her adventures in leading technology innovation in her school and her region. Her recent posts tell a story of inspiring students to lead through an Edcamp program.

Score: Activity 18, Originality 22, Helpfulness 21, Authority 21.5

Total Score: 82

The Teaching Palette

They may not post often, but their posts related to teaching art are incredibly helpful if you are indeed teaching art!

Score: Activity 19, Originality 18, Helpfulness 18, Authority 20

Total Score: 75

Twitter: @TchingPalette

The Theory Blog

This blog looks at some of the most entrenched ideas in higher education and questions them. It is thought provoking, even if you do not always agree, making it well worth a monthly check for updates.

Score:  Active 15, Original 25, Help 18.5, Authority 19

Total: 77.5

Twitter: @BonStewart

Think Inclusive

This blog is for anyone teaching in an inclusive classroom. Here you will find tips from other educators that you can implement.

Score: Activity 17, Originality 20.5, Helpfulness 20, Authority 22

Total Score: 79.5

Twitter: @think_inclusive

Times Higher Education

A higher education blog staple, Times Higher Education takes in the news and events about and on campus on a daily basis. It is a great way to start the day catching up on events that you may have missed or to prepare for tomorrow.

Score:  Active 25, Original 18.5, Helpfulness 23, Authority 20.9

Total: 86.9

Twitter: @TimesHigherEd

Top Hat Blog

Top Hat strives to keep students and professors working together. They cover a good bit of news and assessments about higher education edtech too.

Score:  Active 23, Original 21, Helpfulness 20, Authority 22

Total: 86

Twitter: @TopHat

Top Performers

If you are interested in the policies and practices of countries that have the best educational systems, this is a blog that will give you insight. It will make you question what’s good and what’s bad in the American system and possibly leave you with ideas for how to make your personal teaching better.

Score: Activity 21, Originality 21, Helpfulness 15, Authority 23

Total Score: 80

Email: marc.s.tucker@gmail.com

Twitter: @educationweek

Totally Rewired

The tagline for the site says it all – “…education, technology and random stuff.” The site is a great source of information about higher education, and a bit of random news and trending topics to keep you entertained as well as informed.

Score:  Active 12, Original 22, Help 18, Authority 16

Total: 68

Twitter: @Chri5Rowell

Udacity

The primary focus is on data and technology, but there is also a heavy emphasis in how they change higher education. It is an interesting blog to track for those who are interested in technology or who want to see where edtech could take higher education in a few years.

Score:  Active 19, Original 21, Help 18.3, Authority 20

Total: 78.3

Twitter: @Udacity

UnCollege

This is a blog aimed at a very specific niche in higher education – student taking a year off of going to school. Since the point is to take a break, the blog gives you ideas and advice about how to make that year both productive and enjoyable so that you are ready to go back and finish your degree with enthusiasm.

Score:  Active 20, Original 25, Help 15, Authority 18.6

Total: 78.6

Twitter: @UnCollege

University Business

If you are in administration, this is a must follow blog to keep you informed and help you plan for the future. With multiple blogs posted daily, there is always something new for your to learn or consider.

Score:  Active 25, Original 17, Help 20, Authority 18.5

Total: 80.5

Twitter: @UniversityBusiness

User Generated Education

If you are looking for extraordinary activities for elementary school kids, then this blog by Jackie Gerstein Ed.D is for you! Here you will find activities that far surpass the normal range and help both teachers and kids think outside the box.

Score: Activity 19, Originality 24, Helpfulness 22, Authority 20

Total Score: 85

Twitter: @jackiegerstein

Web 2.0 Classroom

Renowned for his insightful tweets and retweets, Steve Anderson blogs about powerful ways to use technology in the classroom. Most recently, he posted about the power of TED talks and how to teach kids to evaluate news sources.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 24, Helpfulness 24.5, Authority 25

Total Score: 97.5

Email: steven.anderson@web20classroom.org

Twitter: @web20classroom

Will Richardson

If you want a thought provoking blog that takes on random subjects, this one does not disappoint. While other blogs tend to repeat each other, this one is utterly unique and enjoyable when you want to cogitate about something different.

Score:  Active 22, Original 25, Help 17, Authority 15.5

Total: 79.5

Twitter: @WillRich45

Yes, Tech!

A technology instructional coach, Pam Shoemaker, blogs about the ways in which technology is changing the face of education. She will inspire you to take on challenges such as learning to code or becoming a Google trainer.

Score: Activity 21, Originality 19.5, Helpfulness 17, Authority 14.5

Total Score: 72

Email: pamelashoemaker@wlcsd.org

Twitter: @shoemap

Conclusion

As you can see, there is no shortage of great education blogs to choose from! Subscribe to those that meet your needs best, and watch your knowledge of education expand in no time.

 

 

 

 

 

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The A-Z of Education Blogs: The Letters TE

In this multi-part series, we are profiling the best of the best blogs in education, in alphabetical order. In the previous article, I introduced letters S-TC and in this one, I will discuss the letter TE.

Click here to access all of the articles in this series.

Teach

From online teaching tips, to the latest research on the effectiveness of homework assignments, this blog is an incredible resource for any teacher. The topics are varied and relevant. Teach is actually a blog owned and operated by 2U Inc, which enables leading colleges and universities to deliver their high-quality degree programs online. However, the blogs are often geared towards teachers teaching K-12.

Score: Activity 20, Originality 18, Helpfulness 18, Authority 21

Total Score: 77

Twitter: NA

Email: info@teach.com

Teach Like a Champion

According to themselves Teach Like a Champion provides educators with a set of techniques, a shared vocabulary, and a framework for practice that equip teachers to achieve dramatic results with their students. The blog, on the other hand, contain blogs that are both personal and revealing, showing how the educators come to the conclusions they do. A worthwhile blog to read if you want to be part of revolutionizing education.

Score: Activity 21, Originality 21, Helpfulness 21, Authority 21

Total Score: 84

Email: teachlikeachampion@wiley.com

Twitter: @Doug_Lemov

Teacher Cast

Here you will find tutorials, news and tips related to teaching. Recent topics include learning to create auto grading quizzes using Google Forms and the top 10 classroom management tips for teachers. It’s nice to see it’s not just about the tech space.

Score: Activity 22, Originality 20.5, Helpfulness 21, Authority 22

Total Score: 85.5

Twitter: @TeacherCast

Teacher Tech

A certified Google trainer, Alice Keeler will help you keep up with Google’s constant expansions. She’s exceptionally skilled in the use of Google Classroom.

Score: Activity 24, Originality 23, Helpfulness 23.5, Authority 24

Total Score: 94.5

Twitter: @alicekeeler

Te@cher Toolkit

It’s been called the most influential blog on education in the UK and given it manages to top some of the lists in the US too, that might just be true. It is written by Ross Morrison McGill who has been teaching since he was 18 and the topics covered vary from talking about teachers’ fear of looking foolish to using comedy to improve literacy. Whilst topics concerning educational policy in the UK might not be of interest to you, the majority of posts are as relevant in the US as they are in the UK.

Score: Activity 24, Originality 21, Helpfulness 21, Authority 24

Total Score: 90

Twitter: @TeacherToolkit

Teacher Tube

This is a blog sharing instructional videos covering just about any and every subject. A great resource for any teacher looking to incorporate videos in the classroom. Some videos offer higher quality than others, so it’s a matter of finding the ones that work for you.

Score: Activity 21, Originality 24, Helpfulness 24, Authority 21.5

Total Score: 90.5

Twitter: @teachertube

Teaching Blog Addict

If you like getting freebies (every Friday); lesson plans, printouts and the likes, then Teaching Blog Addict can help. What’s more, it links up an astounding amount of bloggers that blog about teaching, so whether you’re looking for kindergarten or first grade inspiration for teaching you will find it here. However, the blog is somewhat confusing with links going off in all directions.

Score: Activity 17.9, Originality 17, Helpfulness 18, Authority 18

Total Score: 70.9

Teaching for the Whole Story

This is a relatively new blog on Education Week by Ariel Sacks who is a is a middle school language arts teacher and instructional-support coach. She blogs about various elements of teaching, mainly related to reading in the classroom. Covering interesting and useful topics, it’s a blog well worth reading.

Score: 19, Originality 17, Helpfulness 18, Authority 19

Total Score: 73

Email: ariel_sacks@yahoo.com

Twitter: @arielsacks

Teaching NOW

Teaching NOW is crafted by Education Week Teacher Assistant Editor Madeline Will. The apt description on the blog reads: “Coverage runs the gamut from the inspirational to the infuriating, from practical classroom tips to raging policy debates.” The blog does cover various very interesting topics.

Score: Activity 20, Originality 19, Helpfulness 21, Authority 20.5

Total Score: 80.5

Twitter: @EdWeekTeacher

Teaching With Technology

Bethany Petty shares tips and ideas that she learned from the trenches of her own “flipped, blended and gamified classroom.” Posts range from the philosophical (global collaboration) to the practical (creating “view only” folders in Google Drive).

Score: Activity 21, Originality 19, Helpfulness 17, Authority 14.5

Total Score: 71.5

Twitter: @BethanyPetty

TeachThought

This blog focuses on using innovative teaching methods to change the face of education. Blog posts have topics such as teaching empathy in the classroom, how to use inquiry based learning, four things project based learning teachers should do, etc. They also cover a range of edtech topics; one of their contributors is Victoria Olson an Apple Distinguished Educator, Google Certified Innovator, and Google Education Trainer.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 22, Helpfulness 23.5, Authority 25

Total Score: 95.5

Twitter: @TeachThoughtPD

Tech & Learning

As the name suggests this blog focuses on EdTech. It covers news related to edtech as well as more practical guides for implementation. The site is a bit overwhelming given all the content. However, they do offer a K-12 Blueprint which will give you tools for implementing technology and innovative learning techniques in the classroom. These tools and techniques come with research to back them up, which is very helpful.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 21.5, Helpfulness 21.5, Authority 24

Total Score: 91.5

Twitter: @techlearning/@k12blueprint

Well, that’s it for letters TE. Did we miss any?

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The A-Z of Education Blogs: Letters S-TC

In this multi-part series, we are profiling the best of the best blogs in education, in alphabetical order. In the previous article, I introduced letters M-Q and in this one, I will discuss letters S-TC.

Click here to access all of the articles in this series.

Science Cheerleader

This blog scores top points for originality – it’s a blog by cheerleaders who work in science. The blog features interviews with different cheerleaders, which serves to inspire more girls to join the field of science. It’s not exactly the kind of blog you’d use to implement new classroom strategies, but you might want to share it with students to show that women who work in science have diverse interests. Most people don’t think Harvard grads and women working on the forefront of science do cheerleading.

Score: Activity 16, Originality 17, Helpfulness 18, Authority 18.6

Total Score: 69.6

Email: darlene@sciencecheerleader.com

Twitter: @TheSciCheers

Shake Up Learning

This blog is a lot about creating a Google classroom, which the author, Kasey Bell, has written an entire book about. This isn’t so surprising given she’s a certified Google educator, innovator and trainer. The posts are regular and contain useful information for anyone who wants to run a digital classroom.

Score: Activity 22.5, Originality 20, Helpfulness 20, Authority 24

Total Score: 86.5

Twitter: @ShakeUpLearning

SmartBrief Education

They claim to connect education professionals with industry news, insights, resources and trends, which they do. It’s all curated.

Score: Activity 22, Originality 20, Helpfulness 23.5, Authority 21

Total Score: 86.5

Twitter: @smartbrief

Smart Classroom Management

Smart Classroom Management is Michael Linsin’s take on classroom management and offers weekly blogs on the topic. The blog has over 100,000 subscribers which says something about the usefulness of the topics covered and Michael has taught every grade level from K-12. It’s, of course, his biased take on classroom management, but it’s a take well worth considering.

Score: Activity 16, Originality 17, Helpfulness 18, Authority 18.3

Total Score: 69.3

Email: michael@smartclassroommanagement.com

Speed of Creativity

Wesley Fryer documents his work with students and educators around the globe in the creative use of multimedia. Recently he offered a digital literacy challenge to create an information filter bot.

Score: Activity 24, Originality 20.5, Helpfulness 20.5, Authority 22

Total Score: 87

Email: wfryer@pobox.com

Twitter: @wfryer

Start With a Question

Digital learning specialist Kerry Gallagher shares tips for safe and ethical use of technology in the classroom. Recent provocative topics include the spread of fake news and the prevalence of “sexting” among teens.

Score: Activity 16, Originality 20, Helpfulness 21, Authority 21

Total Score: 78

Email: kerryhawk02@yahoo.com

Twitter: @kerryhawk02

Steve Hargadon

A pioneer in the field of educational technology, Steve Hargadon offers timely suggestions for things like turning PCs into Chromebooks and even has the occasional fun giveaway. Articles focus on edtech as a vehicle to drive meaningful learning.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 17.5, Helpfulness 21, Authority 20.5

Total Score: 84

Email: steve@hargadon.com

Twitter: @stevehargadon

Student Affairs & Technology Leadership

Take a look at higher education through the eyes of Joe Sabado. His blogs cover many of the challenges he has faced and experiences that have enriched him on his road to becoming the CIO of Student Affairs in Santa Barbara, CA. It is well worth the read if you aspire to become a higher education administrator, or simply want to improve in areas like public speaking and communicating across different departments.

Score:  Active 15, Original 21, Help 19, Authority 17

Total: 72

Twitter: @JoeSabado

Tammy’s Technology Tips for Teachers

Tammy Worcester works independently as an instructional technology specialist and curates hundreds of tools, tips, and ideas on her website. She is especially savvy at tricks for using Google apps in unique ways in the classroom.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 18, Helpfulness 18, Authority 17.9

Total Score: 78.9

Email: tammy@tammytang.com

Twitter: @tammyworcester

TCEA

Officially the blog for the Texas Computer Education Association, this website is crammed with great ideas and resources for educators everywhere. Most recently, it offers tips on photo editing and a roundup of leadership courses.

Score: Activity 24, Originality 17, Helpfulness 21.9, Authority 21

Total Score: 83.9

Email: tceaoffice@tcea.org

Twitter: @TCEA

Tchers’ Voice

The slogan for this blog, posted on the Teaching Channel, reads: “Our blog is filled with great ideas from passionate educators just like you. Let’s get better together!” and that pretty much sums it up. Here a squad of teachers share techniques to implement in the classroom as well as thoughts worth pondering around education.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 24, Helpfulness 23, Authority 23

Total Score: 95

Twitter: @TeachingChannel

Well, that’s it for letters S-TC. Did we miss any?

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The A-Z of Education Blogs: Letters M-Q

In this multi-part series, we are profiling the best of the best blogs in education, in alphabetical order. In the previous article, I introduced letters I-L and in this one, I will discuss letters M-Q.

Click here to access all of the articles in this series.

Magical Maths

What started out as a blog about maths has become a blog for teachers to post various opinion pieces, as well as practical ideas and exercises to implement in the classroom.

Score: Activity 18, Originality 18, Helpfulness 20, Authority 25

Total Score: 81

Twitter: @magicalmaths

MiddleWeb

MiddleWeb provides resources for the middle grades. They focus on five streams of content: Resource Roundups, Themed Blogs, Articles, Interviews and Book Reviews. Co-teaching, how to help students crush math anxiety, and opening your classroom doors to family audiences are all recent topics that have been covered on their very active blog.

Score: Activity 19, Originality 19, Helpfulness 20, Authority 20

Total Score: 78

Email: ask.middleweb@gmail.com

Twitter: @middleweb

MindShift

This is an extremely exciting blog as it explores anything and everything that is proven to help learning, be it technology, games, or new teaching methods. For teachers looking to incorporate helpful tools and techniques in the classroom, this is blog is a must read.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 25, Helpfulness 25, Authority 24

Total Score: 99

Twitter: @MindShiftKQED

Email: MindShift@KQED.org

Moving at the Speed of Creativity

If you’re very into edtech, then this is a blog by Wesley Fryer is for you. Engaging posts about advancement in edtech and how to use various tools, as well as book reviews.

Score: Activity 20, Originality 24, Helpfulness 20, Authority 25

Total Score: 89

Email: wfryer@pobox.com

Twitter: @wfryer

Ms. Cassidy’s Classroom Blog

Ms. Cassidy has a love of teaching that comes across in her blog posts, which describe activities she’s done with her class. It will provide you with doses of inspiration and ideas for activities you can use in the classroom.

Score: Activity 20, Originality 18, Helpfulness 18, Authority 20

Total Score: 76

Twitter: @mscassidysclass

My Paperless Classroom

A tech integration specialist presents his real-life trials and triumphs. He also shares ideas for unique Makerspace projects.

Score: Activity 17, Originality 18.5, Helpfulness 18.7, Authority 20

Total Score: 81.2%

Twitter: @SamPatue

NACAC Admitted

The NACAC (or National Association for College Admission Counseling) is the place to go if you work in admission, or if you (or your kids) are getting ready to take the plunge into the admissions process.

Score:  Active 25, Original 22, Helpfulness 24, Authority 23

Total: 94

Twitter: @NACAC

NAFSA: Association of International Educators

NAFSA focuses on the latest in news, from politics to holidays, around the world. They also offer advice on a number of different topics through guest bloggers.

Score:  Active 22, Original 24, Helpfulness 22.5, Authority 25

Total: 93.5

Twitter: @NAFSA

NEA Today

NEA Today provides News and features from the National Education Association. If you like to keep up to date on what’s going on in the field of education, including research and some theories and ideas to implement in the classroom, then this is an excellent blog.

Score: Activity 24, Originality 25, Helpfulness 23.5, Authority 25

Total Score: 97.5

Twitter: @NEAToday

On an e-Journey With Generation Y

An Australian Information Technology teacher shares her ideas and experiences around fostering global connections in the classroom. She is especially masterful in her use of Skype as a tool to teach about culture.

Score: Activity 18, Originality 20, Helpfulness 19, Authority 19

Total Score: 76

Email: mirtschin@gmail.com

Twitter: @murcha

On Campus

Covering the latest information on campus, this blog is a treasure trove of the latest news, trends, and statistics. It is a great resource for students, professors, and staff, and gives you a way to connect with others to get more information.

Score:  Active 22, Original 16, Help 22, Authority 17

Total: 77

Twitter: @OnCampusWGBH

Prof Hacker

This blog focuses on teaching, technology, and productivity within academia, but it does occasionally stray into politics when the latest news affects higher education.

Score:  Active 25, Original 24, Helpfulness 22, Authority 25

Total: 96

Twitter: @ProfHacker

Pearson Teaching & Learning Blog

Pearson provides products and services in the educational field and their Teaching & Learning PreK-12 Education blog is very informative, with useful tips and thoughts to ponder.

Score: Activity 23, Originality 20, Helpfulness 20, Authority 22.5

Total Score: 85.5

Twitter: @PearsonNorthAm

Q&A with Larry Ferlazzo

Larry Ferlazzo is an award-winning English and Social Studies teacher at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, Calif. He’s also an author of several books related to teaching and is big on using goal setting to motivate students. His blog often offers Q&As with other writers on topics surrounding education. It’s a blog that definitively provides a fresh look at teaching and education as a whole. As Larry also answers readers questions regarding teaching, you’re welcome to contact him.

Score: Activity 24, Originality 23, Helpfulness 21, Authority 25

Total Score: 93

Email: lferlazzo@epe.org

Twitter: @Larryferlazzo

Well, that’s it for letters M-Q. Did we miss any?

 

 

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The A-Z of Education Blogs: Letters I-L

In this multi-part series, we are profiling the best of the best education blogs, in alphabetical order. In the previous article, I introduced letters F-H and in this one, I will discuss letters I-L.

Click here to access all of the articles in this series.

IIE Opening Minds

The focus of this particular blog is on the various international learning experiences, such as studying abroad and latest learning theories around the globe. It takes a unique look at how to open minds through higher education on the international stage.

Score:  Active 16.9, Original 23, Helpfulness 22, Authority 24

Total: 85.9

Twitter: @IIEglobal

Email: iste@iste.org

iLearn Technology

Kelly Tenkely started out as a teacher and turned into a technology integration specialist who started her own school, implementing all the inspirational new educational techniques available. The blog focuses mainly on implementing technology in the classroom using various tools, but also ideas around education. As with any blog you will use whatever material and ideas you see fit to implement in your classroom.

Score: Activity 21, Originality 21, Helpfulness 21.5, Authority 21

Total Score: 83.5

Twitter: @ktenkeley

I’m a Girl Who Codes

The site is full of inspiring stories about young women who have found success in the world of coding. You will find stories of young women who used coding to start businesses or to find hope in homelessness.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 24, Helpfulness 24, Authority 25

Total Score: 98

Email: communications@girlswhocode.com

Twitter: @GirlsWhoCode

Instructional Tech Talk

Jeff Herb presents a potpourri of videos, podcasts, and articles about the effective use of technology tools. Recently he has shared strategies for using Ozobot, as well as tips for the use of online videos in the classroom.

Score: Activity 17, Originality 21.5, Helpfulness 21.5, Authority 20.5

Total Score: 80.5

Email: jeff@lightupedu.com

Twitter: @jeffherb

Inside Higher Ed

This is a site that everyone in higher education should bookmark because it has posts about virtually everything in the field. With an area that goes to other blogs and articles, it is like a search engine just for those in the industry.

Score:  Active 25, Original 20., Helpfulness 21, Authority 22

Total: 88.5

Twitter: @InsideHigherEd

Inspired Instruction: Videos from the Teaching Channel  

This excellent blog shares useful videos from the teaching channel, offering ideas for what to incorporate into your classroom. One of the best blogs for easy implementation of tools shared thanks to the videos that make it easy to see exactly how to implement it.

Score: Activity 18, Originality 18, Helpfulness 18, Authority 18

Total Score: 72

International Student Blog

Designed to help international students, this blog focuses on the issues, concerns, and news specific to the niche. Whether you need advice on socializing in a new country, tips on traveling, or what to expect over the various holidays around the world, it is a great place for those who are learning outside of their home country.

Score:  Active 22, Original 23, Helpfulness 21, Authority 19.7

Total: 85.7

Twitter: @IntStudent

ISTE EdTekHub

A recognized leader in educational technology, ISTE analyzes current trends in areas such as coding and Virtual Reality. Updated daily, the blog will keep you up-to-date on the changing world of edtech.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 23, Helpfulness 23, Authority 24.5

Total Score: 95.5

Twitter: @isteconnects

Kathy Schrock’s Kaffeeklatsch

Educational technologist Kathy Schrock shares her discoveries and insights about educational technology and its impact in the classroom. Recent blog posts offer ideas for using Pokemon Go in the classroom and for creating 360° images with a cell phone.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 21, Helpfulness 21.5, Authority 23

Total Score: 90.5

Twitter: @kathyschrock

Email: kathy@kathyschrock.net

Kleinspiration

Author and award-winning educator Erin Klein provides practical strategies to increase student achievement and engagement with technology. She earns top marks for her engaging and relevant website.

Score: Activity 22, Originality 23, Helpfulness 22.9, Authority 24

Total Score: 92%

Twitter: @KleinErin

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day

Larry Ferlazzo has another blog and this one, too, is helpful for teachers. Especially if you want to stay up to date with the latest news regarding teaching practices and studies on what’s effective in the classroom as Ferlazzo scours the net on an almost daily basis for news to share and also expresses his own opinions. The focus is ESL, ELL and EFL.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 21, Helpfulness 21, Authority 25

Total Score: 92

Twitter: @larryferlazzo

Learning in Hand

Tony Vincent’s technology blog has been around since the 1990s, and it’s still a treasure trove of advice and resources today. Recently he provides tips for teacher iPad use and formative assessment tools.

Score: Activity 24, Originality 20.5, Helpfulness 21, Authority 22

Total Score: 87.5

Email: tony@learninginhand.com

Twitter: @tonyvincent

Learning with ‘e’s

Steve Wheeler, a professor of educational technology, explores our changing culture and the ways teachers must adapt to it. His blog features periodic interviews with education influencers.

Score: Activity 20, Originality 20, Helpfulness 22.5, Authority 23

Total Score: 85.5

Twitter: @timbuckteeth

Logorrhea

As the name suggests, this is a blog that tends to go all over the place, hitting both high profile and more obscure topics in higher education. There is a lot of advice in that can help you keep things in perspective through some of the most difficult situations.

Score:  Active 17, Original 23, Help 18, Authority 17.5

Total: 75.5

Twitter: @DavidJHinson

Well, that’s it for letters I-L. Did we miss any?

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The A-Z of Education Blogs: Letters D-E

In this multi-part series, we are profiling the best of the best education blogs, in alphabetical order. In the previous article, I introduced the letter C and in this one, I will discuss letters D-E.

Click here to access all of the articles in this series.

Daily Edventures

Anthony Salcito is the Vice President of Education for Microsoft Corporation’s Worldwide Public Sector and he’s the man behind Daily Edventures – a 365-day look at global heroes in education. You will find thoughts about education and technology from teachers all over the world on this blog, which is a unique and interesting concept. Possibly a bit biased in favor of Microsoft, but an all-round amazing blog.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 25, Helpfulness 23.5, Authority 25

Total Score: 98.5

Twitter: @MicrosoftEDU

Dangerously Irrelevant

This blog addresses issues of social and ethical concern as they relate to the use of technology in the classroom. Frequent topics include the development of self-actualization and leadership.

Score: Activity 24, Originality 21, Helpfulness 21, Authority 22

Total Score: 88

Twitter: @mcleod

Email: dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com

Discovery Education

As the name implies this blog covers various topics about educational development, including practices to implement in the classroom and digital content. As with so many other blogs there’s a strong focus on edtech and STEM. A big plus is that they have free teacher resources – from lesson plans to brain boosters.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 24.5, Helpfulness 25, Authority 25

Total Score: 99.5

Twitter: @DiscoveryEd

Ditch That Textbook

Ditch That Textbook is Google certified innovator and teacher Matt Miller’s take on how to implement tech in the classroom. The focus seems to be on high school and up.

Score: Activity 22, Originality 20, Helpfulness 20, Authority 24

Total Score: 86

Twitter: @mattmiller

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

This blog provides a look at diversity in higher education from many different angles. As the name suggests, it highlights the issues of concern to minorities in education.

Score:  Active 24, Original 25, Helpfulness 24, Authority 24

Total: 97

Twitter: @DiverseIssues

Dr. Doug Green

After over 30 years in education Dr. Doug Green left his job as an elementary principal to care for his ailing wife. After her death he decided to do something to help parents and educators and started scouring the net and reading books, which he then summarized in bite sized nuggets.

Score: Activity 16, Originality 17, Helpfulness 17, Authority 17

Total Score: 67

Twitter: @DrDougGreen

EdTech for Beginners

This blog by Neil Jarrett, a Google certified teacher who teaches at an international school in Thailand, does what it says on the label: teaches edtech for beginners. It also offers tools and updates for teachers already well versed in edtech however and is worth a visit if you’re looking for new edtech tools for your classroom.

Score: Activity 16, Originality 17, Helpfulness 18, Authority 18

Total Score: 69

Email: neilmjarrett@gmail.com

Twitter: @edtechneil

Ed Tech Review

The EdTechReview, not surprisingly, reviews anything to do with edtech. They also offer reports, studies, insights, webinars, etc. It’s one of the best resources for all things edtech and how to incorporate it in your classroom. However, not all content is for K-12 as they also cater to higher ed.

Score: Activity 20, Originality 20, Helpfulness 20, Authority 21

Total Score:

Email: info@edtechreview.in

Twitter: @etr_in

EdTech Roundup

Just as its name implies, this is a weekly “roundup” of all the latest edtech news and developments. This blog is ideal simply for staying informed about breakthroughs and trends.

Score: Activity 24, Originality 17.5, Helpfulness 16.5, Authority 17.5

Total Score: 75%

Email: mike.carlin@gmail.com

Twitter: @ETRoundup

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

This blog covers everything and some when it comes to teaching using technology. It doesn’t follow some sort of set how to guide focusing on one thing, but rather anything covering educational technology and how to incorporate it in the classroom.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 23, Helpfulness 21, Authority 18

Total Score: 87

Email: info@educatorstechnology.com

Twitter: @medkh8

Ed Tech Strategies

Doug Levin blogs about the current legal and political scene, and how policy affects the availability of technology in the classroom. Most recently, he discussed possible FCC changes and how schools will be affected.

Score: Activity 15, Originality 20, Helpfulness 21, Authority 21

Total Score: 77

Email: dlevin@edtechstrategies.com

Twitter: @douglevin

EdSurge

This blog is updated daily with the current edtech news. Recent articles explored the role of teachers in the evaluation of technology and the role of edtech in educational research.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 24, Helpfulness 25, Authority 25

Total Score: 99

Twitter: @EdSurge

Email: feedback@edsurge.com

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

Med Kharbach shares free tutorials and reviews of apps and tools. Topics include how to convert PDFs to editable text and basic Google Classroom tips.

Score: Activity 24, Originality 18, Helpfulness 21, Authority 21.5

Total Score: 84.5

Twitter: @medkh9

Educational Technology Guy

David Andrade shows teachers a variety of options to access free tools and resources for effective technology use in the classroom. Recently he shared a framework to help education leaders pilot new technology.

Score: Activity 23, Originality 18, Helpfulness 16.8, Authority 17.5

Total Score: 75.3

Twitter: @daveandcori

EDUCAUSE Blogs

This blog has a focus on legal and administrative concerns. There is a hefty dose of privacy related information posted on a regular basis, which is great as it is one of the fastest changing areas of technology. There is also a considerable amount of policy issues addressed, making it a great site for admin and staff.

Score:  Active 22, Original 21, Helpfulness 15, Authority 23
Total: 81

Twitter: @EDUCAUSEreview

Edudemic

This blog contains topics both for teachers and students and is an awesome resource when it comes for anything related to technology and teaching. There are also certain other topics discussed on the blog from time to time. There are several “teacher guides” also available, such as The Teacher’s Guide to Twitter, the Teacher’s Guide to Flipped Classrooms, etc.

Score: Activity 23.5, Originality 24.5, Helpfulness 25, Authority 25

Total Score: 98

Email: contact@edudemic.com

Twitter: @Edudemic

Edutopia

In their own words: “You’ll find practical classroom strategies and tips from real educators, as well as lesson ideas, personal stories, and innovative approaches to improving your teaching practice.” And those words are accurate indeed – if you’re looking for interesting articles raging from helping students improve their mindset to high school book recommendations, this is an excellent blog to visit. What’s more, it’s well designed.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 25, Helpfulness 25, Authority 25

Total Score: 100

Email: community@edutopia.org

Twitter: @edutopia

edX Blog

The blog provides free courses and other professional development resources for technology leaders. Recent topics include the future of artificial intelligence and the use of social media in job searches.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 24, Helpfulness 24.5, Authority 25

Total Score: 98.5

Twitter: @edXOnline

E-learning Provocateur

Australian e-learning manager Ryan Tracy blogs about e-learning as a route to deeper thinking. He frequently ponders “cognitive reality” and the influence and potential of Virtual and Augmented Reality.

Score: Activity 18, Originality 20.5, Helpfulness 20, Authority 20.5

Total Score: 79%

Twitter: @ryantracey

e-Literate

For the latest in initiatives, news, edtech, and other concerns in higher education, this is a great blog to visit often. With daily posts, there is a wealth of information on this site. When you have some extra time, dig into the archives for some additional learning.

Score:  Active 22, Original 18, Help 19, Authority 17.5
Total: 76.5

Twitter: @mfeldstein67

Emerging Ed Tech

Daily posts include thoughts on how to use technology to improve reading. Articles focus on edtech as a vehicle to drive meaningful learning.

Score: Activity 24, Originality 18.5, Helpfulness 19, Authority 18.5

Total Score: 80

Twitter: @EmergingEdTech

EricStoller.com

This blog highlights many different conferences, technologies, and methods that are instrumental to being successful in the academic world. As it is managed by a consultant in the UK, you can also find some wisdom and words about how to successful work for others around the globe. There is a nice dovetail between the two areas, making it a blog that is great for educators and business professionals.

Score:  Active 18, Original 25, Helpfulness 18, Authority 23
Total: 84

Twitter: @EricStoller

Erin Klein

Whilst the blog isn’t terribly prolific, it’s terribly well known and there’s a live streaming every first Tuesday of the month. The focus of the blog is the power of student voice, how technology can positively influence teaching and how classroom design impacts teaching.

Score: Activity 20, Originality 24, Helpfulness 24, Authority 25

Total Score: 93

Email: erinklein12@gmail.com

Twitter: @KleinErin

eSchool News

Their slogan reads “daily tech news and innovation” and that pretty much sums it up, though not all articles are related to tech and innovation, but simply education in general. Definitively a great news feed for interesting articles/blog posts about education and various tools to implement in the classroom.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 23, Helpfulness 23, Authority 23

Total Score: 94

Twitter: @eschoolnews

Well, that’s it for letters D-E. Did we miss any?

Posted on

Understanding Academic Language and its Connection to School Success

Carlyn Friedberg, MS, CCC-SLP, Assessment Specialist, Lexia Learning

Alison Mitchell, Ph.D., NCSP, Director of Assessment, Lexia Learning

Elizabeth Brooke, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Chief Education Officer, Lexia Learning

As students progress through school, they are expected to demonstrate increasing levels of sophistication in their language and reading skills across all content areas. In order to gain knowledge through independent reading and participate in meaningful discussions in the classroom, students must master the complex words and phrases that characterize the language of school. Proficiency in these skills, otherwise known as academic language, is critical for reading comprehension and overall academic success.

Across the country, educators and policymakers have begun to acknowledge the importance of academic language, as well as its notable absence from curriculum and assessment. Recent national and state standards reflect a shift towards academic language by calling for instructional focus on words that appear across content areas, as well as opportunities for students to develop knowledge of words and concepts through discussion and reading (Baker et al, 2014). Students must be able to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, understand nuances in word meanings and multiple meaning words, and utilize sophisticated words and phrases, including transitions and precise word choice (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010). These demands are particularly challenging for students with impoverished experience or limited exposure to English.

Many students struggle with academic language because their exposure to language outside of school does not include advanced words and phrases. The transition to “school talk” poses a particular challenge for English Language Learners (ELLs) since they must simultaneously develop everyday language already familiar to their monolingual peers, along with academic language skills (O’Brien and Leighton, 2015). Without exposure to advanced English language skills at home, ELLs face double the demands of language learning. Increasing numbers of ELL students attending schools across the country, as well as significant numbers of students from low income backgrounds and those with learning disabilities, have made it an educational imperative that instruction and assessment directly promote students’ academic language proficiency.

What is Academic Language?

The term academic language may be used to refer to formal English rules, structure, and content for academic dialogue and text, and the communicative conventions that allow students to meet the demands of school environments. A concise definition refers to academic language as “the specialized language, both oral and written, of academic settings that facilitates communication and thinking about disciplinary content” (Nagy & Townsend, 2012). For actionable, instructional purposes, these specialized language skills include advanced vocabulary and syntax that help students unlock key elements of both oral and written language. These skills support the listener or reader in gaining a rich understanding of the message being delivered.

What are key elements of Academic Language?

Vocabulary and syntactic knowledge in oral and written language encompass specific skills that allow students to meet academic demands across the curriculum. Though commonly used to denote breadth of knowledge of word definitions (i.e., how many words a student knows), vocabulary knowledge also refers to depth of understanding of word parts (prefixes, suffixes, roots), multiple meanings, and figurative language that shape the subtleties of vocabulary use. Proficiency in word parts and relationships helps students acquire new vocabulary, reason about the meaning of unfamiliar words, and comprehend the sophisticated vocabulary that characterizes academic language, including:

  • Morphologically complex words (words with multiple parts, including prefixes and suffixes) e.g., comfortable; prediction; reconciliation
  • General-academic words that are high frequency and may be abstract or have multiple meanings, e.g., investigate; principle; asylum
  • Discipline-specific words that typically contain Greek combining forms, e.g., ecosystem; longitude; integer

Syntactic knowledge refers to the understanding of parts of speech and rules that govern how words and phrases combine into sentences, and how sentences combine into paragraphs. To comprehend connected text, students must master basic grammatical rules as well as sophisticated knowledge of words and phrases that are used to establish referents, organize ideas, denote relationships between concepts, and develop text cohesion, including:

  • Use of connective words requiring sentence-level inferencing, e.g., consequently; whereas; similarly
  • Resolution of pronoun reference, e.g., We examined the extent to which native plants in coastal regions adapted to climatic changes in their (The reader needs to connect the pronoun their to the noun native plants)
  • Grammatical agreement between subjects, verbs, and tense, e.g., All of the candidates, as well as the current President, are attending the televised debate.

Given the increasing emphasis on students’ abilities to independently engage with complex text, perhaps the domain most impacted by students’ academic language skills as they progress through school is reading comprehension. In fact, researchers have shown that reading comprehension difficulties are in large part due to students’ challenges in understanding the academic language of school texts (Uccelli et al, 2015). Vocabulary knowledge particularly predicts students’ literacy achievement, because it contributes significantly to both word identification and reading comprehension skills. In addition, vocabulary and syntactic knowledge have been shown to account for the majority of individual differences in reading comprehension performance for students in upper elementary school through high school (Foorman, Koon, Petscher, Mitchell, & Truckenmiller, 2015). Vocabulary knowledge and syntactic knowledge help students engage with text and progress towards deep reading comprehension with increasing independence by supporting their abilities to:

  • Acquire knowledge through reading and synthesize it with previously learned material
  • Analyze audience, structure, purpose, and tone of texts
  • Evaluate evidence, main ideas, and details in what they read

How do you teach Academic Language?

Instruction in academic language supports students’ access to content across all subject areas. Because the functions and structures of students’ home languages can significantly affect their reading comprehension, even when their first language is English (Westby, 2005), this instruction must be explicit and structured. Using language from the curriculum, educators of all disciplines can provide students with repeated exposure to and application of high-utility vocabulary words, both general-academic and discipline-specific, instruction in word-learning strategies and word relationships, and practice with complex syntactic forms.

In order to maximize the impact of academic language instruction, educators need to first understand their students’ specific language competencies. Educators should assess students’ knowledge of word associations, use of structural analysis, and abilities to make connections and inferences within and across sentences. In addition, evaluating both academic language and reading comprehension skills through use of authentic academic texts will help educators to identify students who need support coordinating vocabulary and syntactic knowledge with comprehension strategies.  By assessing students’ skills before, during, and after teaching academic language, educators can collect actionable data that helps identify which students are likely to be successful or at risk for academic difficulty and what areas to target in instruction.

Academic Language Instruction for Early Elementary Students

Students need a strong foundation in age-appropriate language to aid their comprehension and expression in the classroom and support them towards engaging with more complex language as they progress through school. For early elementary students who are learning to read, academic language can be taught via oral language instruction. As students’ reading skills develop, they can apply their knowledge to text. Educators can leverage younger students’ natural enthusiasm for learning new words and participating in discussions to teach vocabulary and syntactic skills using the following strategies:

  • Foster a language-rich classroom that includes opportunities for students to learn and apply new vocabulary when following directions, describing, participating in conversations, and listening and responding to stories.
  • Provide explicit instruction in word relationships and categories, high-utility vocabulary (e.g., spatial, relational, temporal, and descriptive words), and content-area words.
  • Teach word-learning strategies for acquiring new vocabulary, including the use of sentence-level context clues and word analysis skills.
  • Demonstrate self-monitoring of comprehension when encountering complex language and ideas in texts read aloud.

Academic Language Instruction for Upper Elementary and Secondary Students

As students approach third grade and beyond, extracting relevant meaning while reading becomes more essential but challenging as students encounter texts that are increasingly complex and diverse (Nagy & Anderson, 1984). To meet these challenges, upper elementary and secondary students need instruction in more sophisticated academic language skills, including advanced vocabulary and grammatical structures. In particular, instruction in words and phrases that contain Greek and Latin word parts are essential to academic success (Corson, 1997), as 60–90% of words found in academic contexts contain these forms. Illuminating the connection between the root “struct” and the words “instruct,” “construct,” and “destruction” not only provides a key to the meaning of those words, but may also inspire students to engage with future novel words in an inquiring manner. Educators can help older students build their vocabularies, learn ways to reason about unfamiliar words, and think critically about what they have read with the following strategies:

  • Teach students about the morphological structure of words (prefixes, suffixes, and base/root words) and how words are joined together. Transitioning students’ thinking from “I don’t know the meaning of this word” to “What parts of this word do I recognize?” has the potential to generate a more active approach in a student’s response to spoken and written language.
  • Before students read class selections, preview and pre-teach vocabulary that will be important for their comprehension of the text, and provide semantic maps (graphic organizers or “webs” that connect new vocabulary to related words and concepts) when teaching new words.
  • Combine exposure and modeling with guided practice and independent, repeated oral and written application.

In addition to developing vocabulary, students need explicit instruction in the ways that words connect to other words, phrases, and concepts; new words must be learned and applied alongside the language structures within which they appear (Nagy and Townsend, 2012). With opportunities to read, write, say, and hear language that varies in form and function across contexts, students can internalize syntactic knowledge skills. In particular, focusing on connective (or “signal”) words and phrases in text can help students interpret relationships between ideas within and across sentences, clarify what they have already read, and provide clues to what they will read.  To teach syntax skills, educators can use the following strategies:

  • When discussing texts, coach students through the meaning of sentences that require careful interpretation, especially those that require connections or inferences about multiple ideas.
  • Provide students with sentence frames that chunk complex sentences into meaningful phrases and demonstrate how changes in word choice and order affect meaning, subject-verb agreement, and pronoun usage.
  • Enhance lessons and conversations using academic language with pictures, video, and other multimedia to help students with language weaknesses connect definition and function to concepts and their current background knowledge.

Summary

Through targeted assessment and explicit instruction in academic language, educators have the power to impact students’ vocabulary knowledge, syntactic knowledge, and, subsequently, their reading comprehension. Although this instruction is particularly critical for struggling readers and English Language Learners, all students will benefit from targeted instruction in the words, phrases, and forms that constitute academic texts and discussions. While teachers’ classroom practices support students individually, school leaders can bolster language gains through selection of curriculum, assessment, and professional development opportunities that target this goal.  A unified mission around academic language helps districts and schools improve students’ likelihood of educational success and provides students with the tools they need to comprehend their world, in school and beyondReferences:

Click here to access the references for this whitepaper.

 

 

 

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The A-Z of Education Blogs: The Letter C

In this multi-part series, we are profiling the best of the best education blogs, in alphabetical order. In the previous article, I introduced letters A-B and in this one, I will discuss the letter C.

Click here to access all of the articles in this series.

Catlin Tucker

This blog offers a candid exploration of different solutions for blended learning. Recent offerings explore the pros and cons of co-teaching.

Score: Activity 19, Originality 22, Helpfulness 20.5, Authority 22

Total Score: 83.5

Twitter: @Catlin_Tucker

Campus Grotto

A great blog for students and educators, this site provides a lot of information on pretty much anything related to higher education. It is geared more towards those who are new to the arena, but it can give you some great insight no matter how long you have been in academia.

Score:  Active 19, Original 20, Help 20, Authority 15
Total: 70

Twitter: @CampusGrotto

Email form:  http://campusgrotto.com/contact-us

Campus Overload

This is the site to bookmark if you want to stay current on any news that is either related to higher education or that can have a serious effect on the field. Many of the issues posted are related to activism and concerns on campuses across the country.

Score:  Active 24, Original 15, Help 22, Authority 15
Total: 76

Email:  jenna.johnson@washpost.com

Campus Technology

For the latest in news about available and upcoming technology on campus, you should have this blog bookmarked. Multiple posts are added daily, making it something you can make part of your regular routine.

Score:  Active 21, Original 24, Helpfulness 23, Authority 25
Total: 93

Twitter: @Campus_Tech

Center for Digital Education

This blog offers regular updates to news about efforts to implement technology in public and private schools. Warnings about email scams and posts about mobile devices in schools will keep you up-to-date on issues affecting edtech.

Score: Activity 23, Originality18, Helpfulness 18, Authority 17.5

Total Score: 76.5

Twitter: @centerdigitaled

Christensen Institute

The Christensen Institute is a think tank on the topics of education, healthcare and economy. They post several interesting blogs about development in education and how it applies to teachers.

Score: Activity 21, Originality 21, Helpfulness 16, Authority 25

Total Score: 83

Email: info@christenseninstitute.org

Twitter: @ChristensenInst

Class Tech Tips

Edtech consultant Dr. Monica Burns provides a rundown of all the latest technology tips and tricks. Recently she demonstrated an app called Kinvolved for taking attendance, as well as the annotation of images using an iPad.

Score: Activity 22, Originality 20, Helpfulness 21.5, Authority 22.5

Total Score: 86

Email: info@classtechtips.com

Twitter: @ClassTechTips

Competency Works

This blog, as the name suggests, is about competency education and how to transform your teaching to take this into account. They post almost daily and the blogs, if nothing else, will make you contemplate how education is constantly being transformed and how you can participate in the transformation.

Score: Activity 17, Originality 18, Helpfulness 18, Authority 18

Total Score: 71

Twitter: @CompetencyWorks

Confessions of a Community College Dean

Followers of this blog get a look into the life and experiences of a dean. With facts, answers, tips, tricks, and the occasional touching tribute, this blog is great for anyone in academia. There are also details about how he balances work with family life so you will get a look into his wit and witticisms on a wide range of subjects. It is done somewhat anonymously, so if you want to contact the blogger, you will have to go through the comments section of the blog.

Score:  Active 25, Original 25, Helpfulness 15, Authority 23
Total: 88

Cool Cat Teacher

Vicki Davis interweaves her practical suggestions for student engagement with profound reflections on what it means to be a teacher. For a shot of affirmation, this is the blog to visit.

Score: Activity 25, Originality 23, Helpfulness 23.9, Authority 25

Total Score: 96.9

Twitter: @coolcatteacher

CoSN Blog

The official blog of the Consortium for School Networking presents occasional “Trusted Learning Environment” articles, in which they focus on the technology implementation efforts of member school districts. This will inspire you to think of ways you can make your own school a “Trusted Learning Environment.”

Score: Activity 18, Originality 21.5, Helpfulness 20.5, Authority 21.5

Total Score: 81.5

Email: membership@cosn.org

Twitter: @CoSN

Coursera Blog

Though not specific to higher education, this site covers a lot of related areas (as well as a lot that specifically address higher education issues and ideas).

Score:  Active 23, Original 20, Helpfulness 23, Authority 20.8

Total: 86.8

Twitter: @Coursera

Curriculum Matters  

As the blog suggests the focus is on how curriculum changes are affecting classrooms. Two classroom teachers turn educational journalists, Liana Heitin and Jaclyn Zubrzycki, run this blog on Education Week and also include topics coving social media and STEM. It will certainly provide you with food for thought about what should and shouldn’t be included in your curriculum.

Score: Activity 19, Originality 17.5, Helpfulness 18, Authority 19

Total Score: 73.5

Email: jzubrzycki@epe.org and lheitin@epe.org

Twitter: @LianaHeitin

Cult of Pedagogy

An excellent blog with up to date information about teaching and easy to implement tips for the classroom. The topics covered are very varied – from dealing with youth running away from home from a teacher’s perspective to edtech tools you need to try. The blog was developed due to the author, Jennifer Gonzales, thinking it takes too much time for the average teacher to stay up to date with everything happening in the educational field, so she wanted to pull together the information on one site.

Score: Activity 20, Originality 21, Helpfulness 23, Authority 21

Total Score: 85

Twitter: @cultofpedagogy

Cycles of Learning

Ramsay Musallam relates how he uses unique approaches to technology to make instruction more meaningful to students. Definitely a blog worth checking out.

Score: Activity 18, Originality 20, Helpfulness 20, Authority 20.5

Total Score: 78.5%

Twitter: @mneedleman

Well that does it for the letter C. Did we miss any?