Technology has transformed many sectors over the past decade.. Including education. Schools now use a lot of modern technology to teach students. Special needs kids are not exempted from the benefits of technology. This article covers five technology trends that are growing in importance for special needs kids. Five technological trends in special education Virtual… Read More

If there’s ever been a time when school-to-home communication needs to be strong, it’s now. With many schools moving to distance learning, parents are the key in supporting students with successful at-home learning. And we know that strong parent engagement drives improved student outcomes and performance (WestEd, Parent Involvement Project). But nowadays, family engagement looks… Read More

We know that education loves its acronyms, and yet sometimes the hardest part is remembering what each stands for, never mind what each means! Recently we dived into the SAMR Model (pronounced “sammer”), to learn how technology can be used as a Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, or Redefinition when designing learning experiences. TPACK, which stands for… Read More

One of my favorite TV ads — one where I actually would laugh out loud — was from Best Buy a couple of years ago. In a snappy montage, they showed adults’ dismay at being behind the technology curve with outdated devices: one woman laments, “I just bought this one” as a new phone is… Read More

While Jan 1 marks the New Year for most, it kicks off the second half of the school year for teachers and students. Within the first month back, many schools celebrate with the 100th day of school. Around this same time, due to the cyclical buying cycles of schools, some of the larger education conferences… Read More

We know that many New Year’s resolutions center around the idea of balance: How can I have a more balanced life? How can I balance my personal and professional lives? How can I balance my screen time? Yep, that last one is not just an issue for kids. Guilty as charged! The statistics about screen… Read More

In the world of technology, it can be easy to gravitate towards what is new and shiny. The latest and greatest gadgets, apps, and platforms captivate us with updated features and functionality, just-in-time content, and oh-so-clever design. It’s hard to ignore the buzzes, chirps, and flashes! The same can be said of edtech in the… Read More

We’ve all seen the black and white images of the one-room schoolhouse. Students sit in perfect rows that face a teacher who’s writing on a chalkboard. Up until the last decade, our classrooms haven’t drastically differed from those 100-year-old images. We are so fortunate to be living and teaching in a time of rapid educational… Read More

If a time traveler from 1990 came to 2018, they’d most certainly ask: “What is everyone carrying around and staring at?” Smartphones, tablets, laptops — the world is so immersed in technology; it’s hard to believe that even 20 years ago things were extremely different. As some of today’s teachers represent the last of the… Read More

Reading, writing, arithmetic… Isn’t it time for a modern shift — one that truly meets the needs of today’s tech-savvy learners? That’s the idea behind the current shift toward teaching 21st-century skills. A new book from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), The i5 Approach, provides a systematic approach to modernizing existing lessons… Read More

In this digital age of apps, social media, and ever-changing trends, it can be difficult to keep up with our students, spark their interest, and connect the curriculum to their often tech-centered lives. But there are ways to stay relevant without requiring you to research every app and trend out there. Here a few approaches… Read More

With technology in the classroom on the rise, kids’ exposure to the internet is increasing dramatically. Technology in the classroom is definitely an effective learning tool, but it comes with lots of precautions.   That’s the entire premise of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Since 2000, this act has provided filtering guidelines for schools… Read More

Educators face a number of challenges when designing programs that match technology with English Language Learners (ELL)—also referred to as ESOL, English for Students of Other Languages—students’ capabilities. Computer literacy levels among ELL students run from having no experience at all to being able to reprogram or optimize a system for greater efficiency. Fortunately, there are… Read More

While many parents allow children free reign of the internet at home, it’s a common debate in education circles on how—and if—digital devices should be allowed at school. Supporters of technology in the classroom say that using laptops, tablets, and cellphones in the classroom can keep students engaged. Technology is what they know. Most students today… Read More