When I talk about coding to other teachers, I always sense a fear that they too would have to one day do this in their classroom. The reason I have created this list is to help those teachers that are new to coding to relax a little and to just give it a go. Here
10 REASONS TO TRY CODING IN THE CLASSROOM Read More »
Most edtech tools are gorgeous: they feature a clean design, intuitive interface, and attractive graphics in a way that puts most textbooks to shame. It’s easy to make the understandable leap from appreciating the appealing presentation to assuming that the content is just as attractive. But that isn’t always the case. We can think about
ARE WE PLACING TOO MUCH TRUST ON EDTECH? Read More »
If you are interested in the field of educational technology, you have likely come across the phrase ‘cyberlearning’. If you are anything like me, you likely assumed that it was just another word for elearning among the ever-expanding array of edu-tech jargon. This is precisely what happened to me when I first came upon the word ‘cyberlearning’. I
WHAT IS CYBERLEARNING AND ELEARNING – IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? Read More »
The first attempt by the “nation’s report card” to measure students’ ability to think creatively and use technology found wide racial achievement gaps — and evidence that schools aren’t effectively teaching important skills. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, has long been the only way to compare student test scores in math and
HOW BLACK AND WHITE STUDENTS ARE RESPONDING TO TECHNOLOGY Read More »
Virtual reality has been the driving force behind Google’s Expeditions app since it launched three years ago. And recently it’s added another layer of “reality” to the virtual field trip tool—AR, or augmented reality to be precise, which take the form of features such as narration, annotations, and a new “solo mode,” going on virtual
CAN GOOGLE AR AND VR PROGRAM PREPARE KIDS FOR FUTURE CAREERS? Read More »
We don’t know what jobs today’s children are going to have when they become adults, but we do know that technology is going to play a major role in whatever jobs exist. According to research conducted by Dr. Marina Umaschi Bers at Tufts University, coding is fast becoming a form of literacy that students will need to
USING ROBOTS TO TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO CODE AND EXPLORE TECHNOLOGY Read More »
Having students participate in a peer review can be an extremely rewarding endeavor, but English teachers often run into issues during the process. Students may not feel comfortable or confident enough to provide feedback. Sometimes students are overwhelmed because their partners’ work has too many problems. Whatever the case, there are ways to make the
DOES IT PAY TO HAVE A STUDENT REVIEW ANOTHER STUDENT’S WORK? Read More »
Group work is a mode of learning I’ve struggled with for much of my teaching career. The concept of students working together to learn is valuable for many reasons, but creating a group activity where all students are engaged in the collective work can be challenging. Recently, I tried a group essay writing activity that
HOW GROUP WORK HELPS YOU ACHIEVE REAL GROWTH IN WRITING ABILITY Read More »
STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math) encourages investigation, hands-on learning, and creativity and incorporates interdisciplinary learning. I often say that STEAM education happens the most in early childhood, and has been for decades: Young students often gather for circle time and begin their day with songs that focus on academic content. Walls
Preserving the Early Excitement of STEAM Read More »
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education plays a critical role in preparing our youth for the future and their roles in our economy. Through STEM, they engage in experiences in which they learn from and with other people, and because of that, are encouraged to think critically, innovatively, and creatively. As we continue to
Making STEM Accessible to All! Read More »