What should change about the current culture of mathematics instruction? We are preparing students who are in school today for jobs that we cannot yet imagine. We need to change school culture, including math instruction, to reflect societal change. We need to help students learn to use mathematics as a tool to recognize and respond […]
Students in seventh-grade math classes are not necessarily ready for seventh-grade math. They may be rusty in concepts taught in sixth grade, or ready for high-level applications covered in high school. That is why the ALEKS¬Á personalized learning program from McGraw-Hill Education is an integral part of the math curriculum in Oak Creek-Franklin middle schools, […]
Environmental science teacher Jamie Esler takes his Idaho high school students outdoors for hands-on learning about climate science and climate change. They take core samples from trees, measure declining snowpack and calculate carbon dioxide levels. This hands-on field work is more impactful than a slideshow packed with data and graphs, Esler says. Before students step […]
Colleges blame high schools. High schools blame middle schools. Middle schools blame elementaries—and everyone tends to blame funding, poverty, bad parenting and other factors for low student achievement. A new movement that promises closer cooperation between higher ed and K12 aims to end this legacy of passing the buck. Educators from New York City to […]
The Valley Day School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, a special education school, has introduced augmented reality to enhance students' social asset and science curriculum learning as well as to offset high frustration levels and emotional outbursts. When the school's computer lab was updated in 2017, included were prepared lessons that can be tailored to individual […]
Finding quality professional development for science teachers continues to be a challenge as school districts expand STEM programs. Many science centers and museums offer STEM-related PD, and want to partner with districts to develop programs that align with school curriculum and Next Generation Science Standards. "One thing we hear from teachers is they appreciate science […]
Rose L. Colby's book Competency-Based Education introduces educators to a new model for anytime, anywhere schooling, and provides curriculum resources for redesigning the traditional structures of our schools. Colby, a competency-based learning and assessment specialist, says seat time doesn't equal learning. A system based on demonstrating competencies does more to prepare students for higher education […]
BARTLETT, TENNESSEE—Only a handful of superintendents have launched a brand-new district. Even fewer have done it only months after being involved in a large-scale merger. Meet David Stephens, superintendent of Bartlett City Schools in a middle-class Memphis suburb. Stephens—whose father, grandfather, aunt and uncle all taught in Tennessee school districts—was chosen in 2013 to lead […]
School districts are elevating physical education standards and expanding athletic activities beyond traditional sports to provide a more well-rounded education as required by the Every Student Succeeds Act. Instead of old favorites such as dodgeball and basketball, many districts have introduced more individually focused activities such as rock climbing, cross-training and yoga. "We are seeing […]
With districts facing a shortage of bilingual teachers, paraprofessionals present a rich source of candidates. They often have strong ties to the community and already know students and parents, says Santiago Wood, executive director of the National Association for Bilingual Education. "I don't believe districts can continue to rely solely and perpetually on overseas recruitment […]
