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Low Tech Lessons to Make Your Class Ready for the High Tech World

By Brian Cleary Instructional Coach- Hearthwood Elementary Evergreen School District   Underneath the flash and dazzle flowing into classrooms on the currents that feeds 21st-century technology is a newly important skill.  A singular skill made more important in the digital age but developed independently from the devices and digital tools that define it.  Fake news, media hyperbole, and the seeming end of simple answers have all contributed to the increased importance of all of us to ask better questions. Questioning is perhaps the single most important skill we can teach our students.  It crosses all curriculum, it plays directly into …

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4 Reasons Why Classrooms Need Diversity Education

School climate and school culture directly impact student success. As a result, it is particularly important for the school culture (and the classroom culture) to reflect, acknowledge, and celebrate diversity. Taking these feel-good ideals and making them a reality can be tough for educators, especially with so many other initiatives on their ever-tighter schedules. But I think that this is so important that as an educator, you must take the time to do it. How to celebrate diversity in the classroom is another article, but for now, I want you to begin your journey with knowing exactly why it’s important. …

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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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4 Tips Cash-Strapped Districts Can Use to Pay Teachers What They Deserve

It’s no secret that teachers in the United States receive little recognition and a salary below their abilities, and that their training after hire consists of professional development that rarely leads to much growth. There is also little incentive for teachers to strive to earn more because pay isn’t based on excellence, but on time on the job. This can lead to quality teachers feeling burned out, with no recourse for better pay for their efforts. But with a little creativity, this truth can be reversed—even for districts on a tight budget. Without further ado, here are some things to …

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Scientific Learning Releases New Resources for Teachers to Accelerate Language Acquisition for English Learners

Oakland, Calif. — Oct. 12, 2016 — With Build English Fast™, neuroscience-designed software from Scientific Learning Corp. (OTC PINK:SCIL), K-12 schools are taking advantage of the latest research on how the brain learns and the latest technology to accelerate English language acquisition for English language learners (ELLs). Of course, students who are not familiar with English idioms, cultural references, and vocabulary may need extra support when learning the language. To help teachers provide targeted support, Scientific Learning has released the Build English Fast Offline Resources for English Learners. Offline Resources The Build English Fast solution is a combination of Fast …

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Designer Learning Experiences: Bridging the Gap for Low-Income and Minority Students

The number of minority students outweighs the number of white students—yet underrepresented minorities still often face a worse quality education than their white counterparts. It’s prime time to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population, and fortunately, as a society, we are actively looking for ways to do just that. As of 2014, minorities have been projected to be over 50 percent of the K-12 student population, according to the U.S. Education Department’s Nation Center for Education Statistics. In the fall of 2014, about 49.8 million students attended public elementary and secondary schools. Of these students, 35.1 million were …

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Hope for High School Dropouts: How Increasing Graduation Rates Will Transform Our Country

Are math and science killing our high school graduation rates? More rigorous math and science requirements for high school graduation are in place. At the same time, dropout rates in this country are up. Is this a coincidence? Research back to 1990 showed that the US dropout rate rose to a high of 11.4 percent when students were required to take six math and science courses, compared with 8.6 percent for students who needed less math and science courses to graduate. The dropout rate is up to 5 percentage points higher when gender, race, and ethnicity are considered. Andrew Plunk, …

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Saving School Libraries: How Technology and Innovation Help Them Stay Relevant

School libraries today have to be different from libraries of the past—or they will just lose their value completely. Stay tuned to figure out some of the changes libraries are making to become more worthwhile than ever before. Public school libraries have always served an admirable purpose in education. In their indirect way, they’ve given students support in learning endeavors and been a go-to spot for information. That said, the first Internet generation now is now rising through the public school ranks. Students now rely on the Internet for more of their information than ever before. Libraries need big changes …

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Reviving Creativity: How to Bring Art Back to Schools

As schools look for ways to slash their budgets, it’s become en vogue to treat art programs as disposable. After all, children need to be prepared for the future, and the future is in STEM, not in the arts, right? Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. Some schools find the arts unnecessary, but advocates are fighting to show America that art is still a subject that needs to be taught in schools. What’s the solution? Many schools have to cut their arts programs, and there is simply nothing they can do about that. Budget concerns and testing concerns are often …

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How can parental involvement in schools improve?

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.** A guest post by Michael J. Ryan During this season of public school awards and recognition ceremonies, I am reminded of a middle school principal who at one awards ceremony finger-wagged at families. She first thanked everyone for attending. Then, with obvious disappointment, she highlighted that she had not seen most of the adults at …

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