Exciting students about learning is the No. 1 reason schools are experimenting with virtual reality. It's a rapidly advancing technology the most district expect to use in the near future. Other benefits educators have cited? It reduces the costs of field trips and encourages creativity. See the infographic at right—and this related story—for more details.
"When do you do what?" The counselors at Mooresville High School of Mooresville Graded Schools near Charlotte, North Carolina, heard that question often from college-bound students during the fall application season. The college planning software the district used prior to spring 2016 helped the 1,876 Mooresville students prepare documents, but did not provide information or […]
For centuries now, we have come to believe that there is only one way for students to learn—come to school, sit at a desk, be taught by a teacher, and be tested. We've operated schools as if they were industrial factories, with teaching and learning practices that mimic assembly-line and batch-processing manufacturing. But we can […]
High school math classes focus traditionally on solving equations. The world of mathematical modeling emphasizes creating equations. The nonprofit Association of Computational and Mathematical Modeling is developing a free mathematical modeling curriculum that it plans to share with teachers by early 2017. It will show students how to construct equations that solve complex real-world engineering, […]
The elementary school principal position in any district is an important role that all employees and students of the school rely on. Elementary schools differ in many ways—even within the same district—but new principals can follow leadership practices in keeping the focus on teaching and learning every school day. Have an open-door policy Make sure […]
State Sen. Julie Morrison of Illinois sponsored a law requiring students in all driver's ed classes to receive instruction on how to interact with a police officer during a traffic stop. The goal is to teach them how to respond properly when pulled over, and help them avoid panicking or doing anything that might escalate […]
A third-grader studying the Spanish settlement of California found a virtual tour online and shared the trip with her classmates by slipping a smartphone into a Google Cardboard viewing device. Such limitless online resources represent a big, blended leap beyond the essays students in Coalinga-Huron USD in Central California used to write. Blended learning for […]
Students can step inside an astronaut's' boots to experience life and research onboard the international space station with online science courses offered by the Virtual High School, which supplements public and private school instruction. One course, the Middle School Space Station Academy, teaches students about Earth science, life science, physical science and engineering. They learn […]
Although traditional projectors remain popular, many school districts now opt for ultra short-throw, interactive devicesall-in-one solutions that replace the costs and technological support once needed for whiteboards, flat screen monitors and other display technologies. Ultra short-throw projectors—which can be mounted above a blank surface or a whiteboard—provide bright, shadowless images and can be connected to […]
Apart from the sciences, there are few areas as heavily steeped in research as education. But, as Stanford University education professor says Linda Darling-Hammond says, "too often, important education research is left on the shelf and not used to inform policy decisions." Apart from the sciences, there are few areas as heavily steeped in research […]
