Earlier this month, the SXSWedu Conference in Austin brought together experts from K-12 and higher education on a number of topics, including how a district can transform when teachers are given more input and agency (we’ll be covering more highlights from SXSWedu later this week). Also, read about this week’s top stories on the decline of Apple devices in the classroom, what policymakers ignore about achievement gaps, the fastest growing segments in ed tech, and more below.
Are Teachers K-12’s Greatest Untapped Innovation Engines?
At SXSWedu, two K-12 administrators and a district leader from Texas shared their insights on how to facilitate game-changing ideas in today’s classroom. Find out what what they learned in empowering teachers as innovators. Read more
Apple’s Devices Lose Luster in American Classrooms
Over the last three years, Apple’s iPads and Mac notebooks – making up half of the mobile devices shipped to schools in the U.S. in 2013 – were replaced by Chromebooks as an inexpensive alternative. Read more
Literacy Is the Low-Hanging Fruit in Improving Education
There is a troubling connection between the lack of high school diplomas and low literacy in America. The problem quite literally is on the doorstep of Betsy DeVos, the new education secretary. Read more
What Educators Know About Teaching Young Children – but Policymakers Ignore
Last week, The Washington Post examines a new study from the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Public Policy Forum, which talks about the divide between what educators know about achievement gaps for young learners and what policymakers wrongly assume when creating policy. Read more
Successful Online Education in K-12 Requires Accountability
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe is hoping to unlock the potential of online education to increase access to education in their state’s schools. Though only Florida has enacted a law like the one they’re proposing, many states offer full-time online education. Read more
English-Language Learners: How Schools Can Drive or Derail Their Success
According to Michigan State University researchers, schools in Texas vary widely in how they determine if students should be reclassified as English proficient. They found that reclassification seemed to be linked to how well educators understand state policies – which ultimately would impact the student’s chances of success in school and beyond. Read more
Experts Warn Against Teaching to Learning Styles in K-12
According to experts in education, neuroscience, and psychology, the practice of teaching to learning styles may limit students’ mindsets, teaching them to believe they can only learn in a particular way or only with certain materials. Read more
Eduventures Releases 2017 Report on the New Higher Education Technology Landscape
Eduventures, the research division of NRCCUA, recently released a new report focused on the dynamic technology landscape, which found major increases in competition for digital portfolio solutions, student success and retention solutions, business analytics platforms, and online program managers. Read more
