Classroom Innovations
K-12 Curriculum news
Personalizing history for more impactful student learning
Social studies teachers can help students personalize history by embracing individualized pathways and oral or local history projects
Bill Gates: Better data mean better schools
The U.S. must improve its educational standing in the world by rewarding effective teaching and by developing better, universal measures of performance for students and teachers, Microsoft co-founder…
Trying to learn how learning works
Is our children learning? Bad grammar, but still a good question. Long before President George W. Bush posed his ungrammatical query on the 2000 campaign trail, debate simmered…
November: Drastically change ed-tech role
Author and longtime education technology advocate Alan November told educators and IT administrators last month that schools and colleges should reassess how they fund their ed-tech initiatives. Asking…
Software promotes a new way to learn math
This fall, researchers at the University of California-Irvine will implement an experimental program at 50 elementary schools in Orange County, Calif., that uses spatial reasoning to help teach…
46 states, D.C. plan to draft common education standards
Forty-six states and the District of Columbia have announced an effort to craft a single vision for what children should learn each year from kindergarten through high school…
Bonuses for struggling venture rile some
Ten employees of the University of Illinois's Global Campus were rewarded with performance bonuses while the online program struggled to attract and maintain students, according to reports that…
New iPod rules touch off heated debate
A new policy by the University of Missouri School of Journalism requiring incoming students to have an iPhone, iPod Touch, or similar device has touched off a heated…
Psst! Need the answer to No. 7? Click here.
As web sites like Cramster and SparkNotes are transforming the way undergraduates study, some are questioning whether they encourage cheating and undermine learning, reports the New York Times.
New York Times: Foresensic Science in Classrooms
Forensic science has grown into a popular choice for many students at New Rochelle High School in New York.
University teaches the keys to ‘viral video’
In a course that many believe to be the first of its kind, Northwestern University film students last winter learned the keys to creating online videos with the…
University teaches the keys to ‘viral video’
In a course that many believe to be the first of its kind, Northwestern University film students last winter learned the keys to creating online videos with the…
Reading, math scores show mixed results
United States students are improving in reading across the board and in math at the lower age levels, with low-achieving students making the biggest gains. But high school…
O’Connor touts civics lessons via online games
Former Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor didn't get a computer until she was in her 40s, and she doesn't have a Facebook or Twitter account. But using…
Career changers help fill teaching shortages
Thanks partly to the poor economy, and also to the rise in programs that encourage the transition, a growing number of people are leaving their chosen professions to…
NCTE defines writing for the 21st century
The prevalence of blogs, wikis, and social-networking web sites has changed the way students learn to write, according to the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)--and schools…
Teachers invite Wii Music into the classroom
Eileen Jahn, who teaches music at the St. Philip's Academy in Newark, N.J., is one of 60 music educators around the country that have begun to integrate "Wii…
New Jersey schools won’t require online classes … at least, not yet
New Jersey education officials are working on an ambitious redesign of the state's public high schools that is intended to better prepare students for college and the work…
College web design courses fail with bosses
Web site development experts said in a recent survey that colleges and universities lag behind in using the latest in web design technology and ignore foundational lessons that…
“This all sounds great … but does it work?”
That’s the question that John Mergendoller, executive director of the Buck Institute, hears often. His response is a resounding "yes." ... Read more
A sample project-planning form
1. Begin with the end in mind. Summarize the theme for the project. Why do this project? Identify the content ... Read more
Helping project-based learning take hold
The Buck Institute for Education, which focuses on professional development and materials to support project-based learning, believes that, as with ... Read more
Schools make inauguration a teachable moment
Schools across the country used the inauguration of President Barack Obama as a teaching opportunity, broadcasting the historic event live in their classrooms and using web sites and…
Resource Library:
The Complete Guide to Computer Science Education for Elementary Classrooms
Introducing computer science at the elementary level gives young learners a strong foundation for the future. By learning tech skills early, students are set up for success in school and…
Take measure of your mathematics practices
DNA Mathematics professional development empowers educators to master the mathematics being taught in classrooms. To exemplify the benefits of DNA Mathematics, download our FREE white paper now to learn a…
Enhance PreK-5 STEAM and CS Instruction with playful, screen-free robotics!
Research shows that young students learn STEAM and Computer Science best with hands-on, playful experiences. Meet KIBO, the screen-free robot, where students problem solve, engineer, collaborate, and develop their computational…