After several years of collaboration and coordination with over thirty two authors, I’m pleased to announce that “Designing Effective Blended and Distance Learning Environments in K-12" is officially published!
I’m excited to announce our new monthly EdTechTeacher show “What’s Next in EdTech” streaming live on Youtube! In each episode, we will highlight excited news and resources in the world of educational technology. Each fast-paced episode will be 15-20 minutes and include a show notes document that curates all of the resources mentioned during the episode.
I had the fortunate opportunity to engage in a fascinating discussion with Digital Learning Coach and Innovation Connection presenter Jed Stefanowicz. Jed shares his thoughts on his role as a digital learning coach and strategies to help students develop computational thinking skills through hands-on projects and robotics.
I recently had the opportunity to engage in a discussion with Kyle Wilson, a long-time friend, math coach and presenter at the upcoming Innovation Connection Conference on November 1st, 2021.
I’m looking forward to teaming up with EdTechTeacher colleague and elementary instruction expert Avra Robinson to host a free “SeeSaw in the Elementary Classroom” webinar next Wednesday! You can join us by registering at EdTechTeacher.org.
I am excited to share the we at EdTechTeacher are hosting another innovation event scheduled for March 27 & 28, 2020 in MONTREAL! Join us at the Collège de Montréal. This event is designed to provide differing approaches to foster innovation in schools. Attendees will participate in collaborative and hands-on workshops within a designated strand/topic. Educators will explore new ideas while learning how to integrate the strand concepts into their educational environment.
I recently had the opportunity to work with an incredible group of elementary educators from Nauset Schools on Cape Cod. We capped off our PBL workshop by designing project sketches that the teachers would implement later this school year. They were so great, I asked the group if they could share their ideas. The teachers generously agreed, and below are their examples of inspiring yet practical examples of project-based learning at the K-5 level!
I am excited to share that the book chapter I co-authored with Shawn McCusker, “Innovation in Civic Education: Preparing Citizens for a Modern World,” has recently been published. It is included in the new book “Emerging Techniques and Applications for Blended Learning in K-20 Classrooms.”
Later this month, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to once again team up with the incredible instructors at EdTechTeacher to lead an Innovation Summit. Based upon feedback from participants at our events over the last several years, teachers sought an opportunity to take a deeper dive into the concepts. In response, we created a new format that features morning Keynotes and Ignite sessions, followed by an immersive 2-day experience focusing in-depth on a key theme or topic.
Most of the current research and classroom innovation around deeper learning point to a recurring, if not central theme: authenticity and real-world experience. Let’s begin with a quick overview of these findings, then dive into practical resources and technologies that can help us enhance authentic experiences to deeper student learning.
How might educators and school leaders design experiences that spark and sustain deeper student learning? As an unprecedented emphasis on deeper learning has developed across the nation, we are tackling this complex challenge with a new level of urgency. Fortunately, new research, frameworks, design resources and practical examples have emerged that can help all of us chart new paths in our own contexts. In this four-part series, we will explore the highest quality research and practical resources out there to help educators design for deeper learning.
We are experiencing a rising tide of advocacy for high quality civic education across the nation. There is also increasing interest and promising research around the impact that gamification can play in instructional design. Therefore, how might we leverage the power of gamification and game-based learning to enhance civic education?
A core element of personalized learning involves tailoring students’ path and pace to their specific needs and interests. This practice is often coupled with the overarching philosophy of mastery learning, sometimes referred to as competency-based education. One of the most effective ways to personalize the path and pace of student learning is to build a strong foundation of competency based learning in your classroom or institution.
The EdTechTeacher Summer Workshop Series is back and I’m excited to be leading three different workshops in two cities (Boston / SF) this year. Check out the sessions below to learn more about each topic as well as the specific date & location. You can learn about all of our summer offerings here: edtechteacher.org/summer.
Originally posted on the Modern Civics Project blog.
Civic engagement has been a foundational element of our nation since its inception. But it is undeniable that the rapid shifts in our world have also shifted what civic engagement means and looks like. These changes have created exciting new opportunities to learn, connect and engage with others, yet have also surfaced new challenges in navigating our complex, hyperconnected and rapidly changing world.
Innovation in education has accelerated, in large part, due to the tremendous changes in digital technologies. Each one of these innovations have, in various degrees, shifted teaching practices in schools across the nation. But as we navigate the current wave of emerging educational technology tools and practices, we need to discuss what the end result of these innovations actually are, or at least aim to be. In other words, what is the end game for these innovations?
Next Thursday at 8pm ET, I will be conducting a webinar as part of the EdTechTeacher Winter Webinar Series titled “Designing for Deeper Learning.” I am excited to announce that I will be joined by author and educational consultant Julie Graber. She will be discussing ideas shared in her new book Harnessing Technology for Deeper Learning, co-authored with Dr. Scott McLeod.
I’m excited to be presenting with EdTechTeacher colleague Shawn McCusker next month at MASSCUE/MASCD. Based upon our work collaborating on the Modern Civics Project, we will be running a session titled “Leading Innovation in Civic Education: Preparing Citizens for a Modern World.”
As next-generation assessments and instructional data can help educators gain a deeper understanding of students, the sheer amount of information available can prove challenging. As discussed in a prior post, educational technologies can amplify the impact of proven formative assessment strategies. But in doing so, educators must often navigate various platforms and other sources of student information that, in many cases, do not seamlessly align or integrate together.
We all strive to help history come alive for our students. One proven strategy is to have students engage in experiences that put them right in the action, whether it’s ancient ruins of great civilizations or those more aligned with modern historical developments. The constraint that we face, however, is the ability to have students actually travel to these places. Virtual tours make that possible. Teachers have never before had the opportunity for students to engage in virtual tours like they do today. Not only can students visit historically relevant locations, but also enter and explore many of the world's most exclusive museum and cultural centers, right from a device! Let’s take a close look at practical ways that history teachers can help foster student engagement through virtual tours.
This week, I had the pleasure of working with many of the staff at Old Rochester Regional School District (MA) where we explored the intersection and interconnectedness between Project-Based Learning and Social Emotional Learning. Below are several resources that I shared during the session that I believe are worth a look for those interested in student-centered approaches (PBL, Personalized Learning, Design Thinking) and want to learn how we can scaffold and support students’ SEL development throughout the learning process.
A foundational piece of any learner-centered approach involves gaining a deeper understanding of our students. We know that learner variability exists, and research suggests it is growing in classrooms across the nation. It is therefore essential to personalize instruction based upon learner differences if we are going to ensure that all students thrive in our schools. To do this effectively, we must develop a more nuanced understanding of each students’ particular abilities and needs.
Big thanks to Nicole Galipeau (@guiteraslibrary) and Kahley Gerrior from my school district (BWRSD) for creating and compiling the resources below for the iOS app Green Screen by DoInk!
