As I continue my journey as a parent consumer of public education and an educator, I am noticing that effective education is becoming increasingly more dependent on how I model my learning experiences and how I work with technology.  In fact, I believe those two areas impact how my daughter thinks about learning and the…

During the Civil War, women took on a variety of jobs that were an important part of the overall war effort. During the mid-1800s the woman was the centerpiece of the home. In addition to cooking, cleaning and raising the children, she would often help with small jobs around the home or farm. Etiquette manuals of the…

I want to know how technology can make us better environmental stewards vimeo.com/60583551 #vimeo @knovation @edsurge

— Kristen Olson (@knemzek) March 15, 2013

In times like these it is more important than ever to reach into the lives of your students and better understand where they are each day. With increasing demands on time, changing schedules, and more students on your roster than ever, finding ways to reach out and understand their mood can be a challenge. Do you have an effective way to measure your classroom temperature? Allow me to share a great idea I recently discovered.

I have always had the privilege of working with some…

When one thinks of a traditional social studies classroom, they probably think of the teacher standing in front of the room lecturing about historical facts and figures. The students are sitting quietly taking notes and are expected to recall the information for tests. Today’s classrooms are digital environments with computers, projectors, applications and in some cases mobile devices. How can we take some of the traditional ideas of a social studies classroom, combine them with technology…

New Year’s Eve is always a day to look back and reflect on the past.  As an educator, I have found this time to be critical also to reflect on the first half of the school year.  It is always good to take stock of how things are going.  It is even appropriate to journal or jot down some notes during this reflective period.  We all know that WE ACT ON THE THINGS WE WRITE DOWN.

Ask yourself these tough questions:

1)  Which students are finding great success…

What can we learn from looking in the door of the next classroom, or visiting a nearby school, or by leaving the…

In late August, I had the delightful opportunity to present to educators at Lake Superior State University during an inservice day planned by our friends at the Eastern Upper Peninsula (EUP) ISD in Michigan. After the session, a couple of new acquaintances suggested I enjoy the beautiful…

Got direction?

“Create a classroom learning environment that does not repeat the mistakes of the past”, said my cooperating teacher in 1970. 

So, I vowed...My students would have to do more than just process information.  They would problem solve by doing relevant projects that challenged them academically and creatively.  Our students would learn about cultural diversity, and marvel at the similarities.  I would adapt…

In recent years, the instructional framework of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has received growing attention, yet many do not understand what UDL is or how to actually implement it in their learning environment.  In…

How will YOU use games in YOUR classroom this school year?

Game-Based Learning

BrainPOP's approach to the use of use of games as teaching, learning, and assessment tools is one way we’re working to rewrite “the laws of learning.”  Last summer, we launched GameUp™, featuring top online game titles that tie right in to your curriculum. Our GameUp partners include:

• American Public Media/The Wilson…

You entered the educational field for many reasons. Maybe you are passionate about working with children. Perhaps a great teacher inspired you. Maybe you want to influence the next generation of leaders. Whatever your motivation, you focus on your craft, your skill and your profession. You don’t likely focus on your reputation.…

How do you know when the vision of personalized learning is advancing?  Well, believe it or not, recent news coverage in USA Today and eSchoolNews about Autism is one indication.  At this point, you might be saying, “Huh, not sure I follow you.”  It’s not that…

As a teacher, I was always concerned about time.  How much time do I have to cover a topic?  How much material can I cover in one quarter or one school year?  What if I run out of time to get it all done? 

What if TIME isn't the core issue?  What if the problem was HOW I was spending my time? …

Depth and rigor, text complexity, close reading and re-reading are all high priorities in the Common Core English Language Arts Standards.  How can we…

     Our K12 education system is shifting from over-dependence on infrequent, high-stakes assessments toward frequent, lower-stakes assessments.  This is a great trend.  In fact, Knovation and our solutions have integrated with several formative assessment applications to support the “what’s next?” When teachers review item analysis reports from tests and quizzes in these assessment applications they can connect directly to learning resources aligned to the same academic standard.  This is a…

I loved this post from Valerie Strauss at the Washington Post about seven misconceptions in the area of learning - some of them coming from the norms of traditional education and some of them are perpetuated even in some education 'reform' discussions:

1. Basic facts come before deep learning
   
   
   
   The idea that…

Can Your Students…

1. Benchmark a process?
2. Communicate clearly?
3. Connect globally?
4. Cope with change?
5. Demonstrate innovativeness?
6. Distinguish fact from opinion?
7. Frame problems and solutions?
8. Give an effective presentation?
9. Lead a team?
10. Learn outside the classroom?
11. Make complex choices?
12. Manage a negotiation?
13. Motivate others?
14. Organize…