In my recent blog, What Teachers Want: 6 Revealing Truths About Teacher Technology Needs, I outlined the findings from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation survey that unveiled what 21st century teachers want from digital instructional tools. The findings revealed a need for better resources to meet rigorous state standards such as the Common Core State…
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We are afraid of things that we don’t know. When I was a young, fresh faced, college grad, I applied to do two years of Peace Corps service. I figured this would be a way to really use my French language skills, have a grand adventure and get some work/life experience. I was accepted, got…
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Ensuring that learning doesn’t stop at the school gates is a particularly challenging task that most parents engage in on a regular basis. For those who choose to take the homeschooling route, it’s even more of a challenge. Finding the right content to suit a particular child, issues of trust with resources, and maintaining student engagement on a one-to-one…
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It can be argued that every teacher wants something different from technology. Some want better management of lessons and assessments, others want to facilitate differentiation and personalized instruction, while others want to deliver more diverse and varied lessons… One thing that teachers may not be aware of, is that technology can offer all of this,…
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One of the biggest challenges facing teachers today is allowing for differentiation in the classroom. With a class of thirty students, how can an individual teacher manage to ensure that each one of them is being challenged to the best of their ability? While assigning different homework and preparing varied assessments does help a student…
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New year, new beginning. This is the general consensus for every teacher returning after a long summer of much needed recharging. A fresh new outlook is always a positive way to begin a school year, ensuring every troublesome student gains a clean slate, and every burdened teacher can branch out and attempt something new. Forget…
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Like many educators, I simply can’t stop teaching. While I anticipate the end of the school year just as much as the next person, I always find myself back in teaching mode after a few weeks, tutoring all summer long. Like the students, I believe teachers also fall victims to the summer learning loss and…
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The implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) has been met with varied opinion. National PTA president, Betsy Landers, describes the introduction of the standards as “the single most important step towards raising the achievement bar for America’s students and improving academic performance”. Yet, critics suggest the CCSS will damage our education system by…
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I taught English for five years at a Title 1 school. 85% of students received free and reduced lunch. 11% were English Language Learners, and the school mobility rate was 22% (Nebraska Department of Education, 2013). These statistics are well above state averages and are some of the highest in the district. This combination brings…
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Despite popular opinion, note-taking has not disappeared, it has been revolutionized. For some, note-taking is an outdated concept, but its significance in learning is relentless. So why is it so important? “Researchers found that if important information was contained in notes, it had a 34 percent chance of being remembered. Information not found in notes…
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