5 Worthwhile Augmented and Virtual Reality Tools
This article presents 5 free tools teachers can use to integrate AR and VR in the classroom to create engaging learning experiences without the addition of extra equipment or cost. With these tools, students can take a virtual reality tour of a national historic site or make their own VR or AR experience to share… Read More ›
What to Teach Today to Prepare Students for Tomorrow’s Workplace
This online conference will feature Education Week reporters and their expert guests discussing the 21st century skills students will need for tomorrow’s workplace. Participants will have an opportunity to participate in one of several online conversations on a variety of related themes. In particular these sessions will tackle the following questions: • What exactly are… Read More ›
This District Uses Micro-Credentials to Boost PL
This article describes the work of the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative (KVEC) education technology to provide more than 3,000 rural educators from southeastern Kentucky with personalized professional development. The article describes the unique challenges of rural communities and describes how their suite of micro-credentials has been used to meet the unique needs of the community.… Read More ›
Better PD through Design Thinking
This article describes Martin County School District’s innovative professional development series, CampTEACH (Technology Empowering Academic Change), which helps teachers more effectively leverage technology to foster learning. During two-day workshops teacher teams redesign a specific lesson plan using a design thinking approach to empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test their ideas. This engaging type of learner-centered… Read More ›
Black Girls CODE
Since 2011, Black Girls CODE has been empowering young women of color to learn the technology and computer science skills needed to become leaders in the field. Girls age 7-17 learn coding skills at workshops and after school programs. Black Girls CODE’s is committed to providing African-American youth with the skills to occupy some of… Read More ›
Teaching Tolerance
This website is full of resources to promote diversity and inclusion, including classroom activities and lesson plans, as well as professional development activities and readings. The well organized site includes a section on classroom resources which are aligned with common core standards as well as Teaching Tolerance’s Social Justice Standards. This section includes a large database… Read More ›
Tapping Students’ Interests to Develop Literary Analysis Skills
This article introduces a strategy for increasing student voice in English Language Arts (ELA) classes. A veteran teacher shares how passion blogging on topics of their choice helped students develop key analytical skills such as argument design, and use of evidence. This exercise provided scaffolding before moving on to analysis of complex literary texts, while… Read More ›
Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)
CAST is a nonprofit research and development organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals, especially those with disabilities, through Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Developed by CAST, UDL is a widely recognized framework to guide the design of learning experiences to proactively meet the needs of all learners. The organization conducts research… Read More ›
Building Support for Student-Centered Learning: A Toolkit
This toolkit provides strategies, resources, and tools for those who would like to build public understanding and engagement around student-centered learning or other education reform efforts. The toolkit is organized around a theory of change that includes three elements: a compelling public story, deep dialogue and conversation, and real youth engagement. The toolkit draws on… Read More ›
Young Organizers United
This organization, Young Organizers United, is the only organized group of students focused on addressing systemic education issues in New Hampshire. YOU is a group of students attending high school in Manchester, New Hampshire, who believe that student voice is crucial in shaping and implementing policies that concern their education. YOU also believes that immigrant… Read More ›
Assessment Resources Bundle
Since the Students at the Center (SATC) research paper Assessing Learning was released, the literature on student-centered assessment practices has continued to grow. More and more, schools, districts, and states are using assessment as an opportunity for growth and learning, as well as a way to elevate student voice and leadership. This selection of resources… Read More ›
Developing “Assessment Capable” Learners
This article in the Measuring What Matters issue of ASCD’s Educational Leadership magazine looks at the importance of including students deeply in the assessment process. The authors discuss the idea of “assessment-capable learners” who are aware of their own progress and can navigate their learning path. Teachers can foster “assessment-capable learners” by building student’s motivation,… Read More ›