In today’s classrooms, amplifying student voice isn’t just good practice; it is a necessity for engagement and equity. Research shows that when students see their identities and experiences reflected in their learning environment, achievement increases significantly. Digital storytelling offers a powerful way for students to share their experiences, ideas, and identities in meaningful, multimodal ways. … read more »
Interest in virtual school settings grew exponentially due to the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to influence educational models today. Recent statistics indicate that more than 562,659 students were enrolled in virtual schools in the United States during the 2022-2023 school year. This viable learning option offers unique opportunities, such as greater flexibility to address the specific needs … read more »
The Transformational Learning Principles™ https://iste-ascd.org/tlps In an age where education is evolving faster than ever, K–12 educators are expected to prepare students for a rapidly changing, tech-integrated world. The ISTE+ASCD Transformational Learning Principles are a powerful framework designed to guide educators in creating meaningful, equitable, and future-ready learning experiences. Whether you’re teaching kindergarteners how to … read more »
Whether planned or unexpected, virtual learning days often fill teachers with anxiety or dread. At the same time, students may discount virtual learning and not view it as a “real” school day. But if we can think of virtual days as opportunities, they have tremendous potential to offer powerful learning experiences for students. The key … read more »
In parts one and two of this series, we discussed how to build strong relationships in virtual learning environments and how to optimize live instructional time for maximum student engagement. Now it’s time to turn our attention to where virtual learners spend the majority of their time: asynchronous learning activities. The challenge and opportunity for … read more »
In the constantly evolving educational landscape, the traditional model of instruction is transforming into a dynamic, collaborative, and hands-on experience for both teachers and students. The integration of phenomena-based learning has taken science instruction by storm and is the new expectation for the modern classroom. We’ve discussed this approach in several recent posts that emphasize … read more »
Establishing strong teacher-student relationships in a virtual learning environment can be challenging. Students may sometimes feel their teacher is just a name on their gradebook, or they may think the computer is their teacher instead, particularly in canned curriculum situations. Research on learning and development emphasizes that student success is contingent upon learning conditions that … read more »
Finding a resource that works for all grade levels and subjects to promote student learning is rare. Project Zero’s Thinking Routines Toolbox (reviewed here) is one of those unicorns. It offers strategies that enhance critical thinking skills in many ways that apply to real-world situations, using research-based strategies that scaffold and support student thinking. Why … read more »
Every minute spent studying should strengthen a student’s grasp of the material, yet many common review techniques leave learners with a false sense of mastery while doing little to cement long-term understanding. In this post, we’ll explore how retrieval practice—a research-backed learning strategy that asks students to actively recall information—boosts retention, and we’ll share practical … read more »
“Here’s to strong women; may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.” Author Unknown As Women’s History Month draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the remarkable women we’ve learned about over the past few weeks. An engaging way for students to showcase their learning is to … read more »