| The Data Primer: Using Data For Instructional Decision Making |  |
| The Data Primer is an instructional website designed to help educators become more comfortable with thinking about and using data for the purposes of instructional decision making. |  |
| Forum Guide To Decision Support Systems (PDF) | |
| This document was developed by educators for educators to remedy the lack of reliable, objective information available to the education community about decision support systems. | |
| Bookshare.org Library Now Free To All U.S. Students With Qualifying Disabilities | |
| The Bookshare.org library provides print disabled people in the United States with legal access to over 37,300 books and 150 periodicals that are converted to Braille, large print or digital formats for text to speech audio. | |
| Animating Dreams | |
| The ACME Animation Program is a school-based program where studnets connect with professional animators through teleconferencing technology and receive instant feedback from these experts on their animations. The program has also developed a website for anyone in the world to get similar feedback. This allows students to form relationships with professional mentors, which has improved the quality of their work. Teachers report that students produce better work when they know that professionals will be judging it, and that they also learn to work with deadlines in mind. | |
| A New Way To Teach: Begin With The End | |
| At the Marin School of Arts and Technology, teachers have implemented a project-based learning curriculum. Students work in the field, take their data back to the labs, and ultimately present their findings through digital media. School administrators believe that the students should be doing the learning work in project based learning, not the teachers. However, this curriculum requires teachers to brainstorm and work together to develop questions and projects for their students. | |
| Beginning The Journey: Five-Year-Olds Drive Their Own Project-Based Learning Projects | |
| At the Auburn Early Education Center, kindergarten students engage in learning by completing long term projects as a class. The kids decide on the theme of each project, based on their own curiosity and experiences. The teachers then guide them to resources, and the students learn how to cooperate, solve problems, and critically think and write about their solutions and experiences. The activities have meaning and value to the students, which makes them more engaging. The Center also incorporates technology into the classroom by using smartboards, which gives students access to a wide variety of information. | |
| Cinema Program: Cultivating A Career In Film | |
| At the Northeast School of the Arts, students are engaged in a filmaking class which instructors use a context for developing their thinking and writing skills. Students document school projects and trips in the class, and their films have been screened at festivals. The students learn how to write and develop a storyline, all while realizing that their stories do matter, and that the public is interested in what they have to say. | |
| Engineering Success: Students Build Understanding | |
| Freshmen at Aviation High School participated in a 6 month long project where they worked in teams of three to build an airplane wing. Project-based learning is prevalent in all subjects at Aviation High. This project was designed to make science and engineering seem more accessable to students. Local engineers analyzed their results and listened to student presentations, and there was time to provide feedback at the end, because the philosophy at Aviation High is that reflection is equated with retention. | |
| High Expectations: Students Learn To Rise To The Occasion | |
| The teachers at Faubion Elementary School are the ones responsible for the high performance exhibited by their students. Three quarters of the student population at Faubion qualify for free or reduced price lunch, however 97% of fifth grade students meet or exceed state expectations in reading and math. Teachers cite the fact that they set high expectations for all students, they engage parents as partners and visit students at home before the school year starts, the teachers work in grade level teams to plan lessons together or even teach together, they incorporate a social emotional learning curriculum called Life Skills into every grade in order to teach students how to be good citizens, and they enhance their lessons through technology use. | |
| Las Vegas: C.P. Squires Elementary | |
| The C.P. Squires Elementary School meets the needs of english language learners, both in school and out of school. About 90 percent of their student popoulation does not speak english, so reading is the main focus at the school. Teachers reinforce english language skills through a variety of methods, and by first grade, 98% of students demonstrate mastery of letters and sounds. Technology is an important part of the process; each student works on the computer and recieves individualized instruction. There are also many after school and adult programs to enrich the students and their families. | |
| No Gamer Left Behind | |
| Games and simulations are an effective way for students to learn the skills that they will need in the 21st century; however, many schools have not implemented these new technologies. Proponents of serious games argue that simulations tap into students' interests and allow them to channel their energy in a positive manner. The McKinley Technical High School in Washington DC is an example of a school which has turned itself around by incorporating games and simulations into its curriculum. Kids at McKinley see the connections between their academic subjects and the real world, and they have been very successful. Students enjoy the school atmosphere and report that the energy in their classrooms motivates them to learn more. | |
| The Global Dimension: Walter Payton High School | |
| Walter Payton College Prep in Chicago infuses a global perspective into every subject that they teach in order to achieve their goal of teaching students to be global citizens and leaders. Four years of language studies are recommended for students. The school hosts many international visitors to gain a global perspective. Technology plays a key role, both within the school and as a means to connect students to real-world experts and to their international sister schools. | |
| High School Classroom: Part Two (PDF) | |
| Short for web log, a blog is a website where individuals or groups share ideas, events, and insights with online audiences. A classroom blog is a way for teachers to communicate with students, parents, and the community in general. | |
| High School Classroom: Part Three (PDF) | |
| Digital portfolio is an electronic collection of student work that is assembled, managed, and shared by the student. Developing portfolios, students collect work products over time, so the students, teachers, mentors, and parents can see students' growth. Students can prepare portfolios for a variety of purposes, such as to include with college applications or to demonstrate their academic skills and community involvement. When students are allowed to manage the contents of their portfolio, they not only reflect on the elements of mastery but also learn to selectively choose the work that best displays their skills. | |
| High School Classroom: Part Five (PDF) | |
| Quality teaching is critical to using real-time classroom collaboration. Teaching a class that includes both local and remote students requires an awareness of the needs of both groups. Videoconferencing can be useful in giving both sets of students the feeling that they are in the same room, but for the teacher the ability to read faces, call on remote students for questions or responses, and include them in the discussions is vital to helping remote students feel they are truly part of the class. | |
| High School Library: Part One (PDF) | |
| Technology can provide students unprecedented opportunities to express their creativity and harness new media. From digital storytelling to movies, podcasts, presentations, games, and simulations, new technology tools are available that even young children can use effectively to share their ideas, explore art and expression, and demonstrate what they know. Because of the participatory nature of these projects, most require students to plan, design, and script or storyboard before they even begin production. They also almost always require students to work collaboratively, negotiating ideas and sharing responsibilities. | |
| Making Connections In Math: Part 2 | |
| Jason Kamras was the 2005 National Teacher of the Year. Mr. Kamras' goal is to raise awareness about the achievement gaps that result from inequalities. He shares his ideas regarding policy changes, teacher preparation, classroom management, and the benefits of uniforms. He also discusses his goals for the future and shares his advicoe for new teachers. | |
| Parents As Partners | |
| The role of parents in education is shifting, along with the traditional family structure of the United States. The authors discuss the importance of family support and offer strategies for building the relationship between teachers and parents. | |
| Reading Skills Remain Basis Of Success | |
| Discusses the importance of reading skills, and how teachers can leverage technology to develop reading proficiency in their students. | |
| Social Technology As A New Medium In The Classroom | |
| At the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) where I teach, students spend a lot of time on Facebook and other social networking sites. | |
| Technology Enhanced Learning In Science | |
| TELS develops instructional programs that use educational technology to help middle school and high school students master complex scientific concepts. | |
| NETS For Students: Profiles For Technology Literate Students (PDF) | |
| Profiles of technology literate students for grades preK-12, developed by ISTE's National Educational Technology Standards project. | |
| National Educational Technology Standards For Students: The Next Generation (PDF) | |
| ISTE's National Educational Technology Standards for Students. The standards describe what students should know and be able to do to learn effectively in a digital world. | |
| Pedagogy Technology Integration Rubrics | |
| A rubric to self-assess proficiency in various aspects of instruction, assessment, and effective integration of technology | |
| A Good Teaching Technique: WebQuests | |
| In this article, the author first introduces and describes a new teaching tool called WebQuests to practicing teachers. He then provides detailed information about the structure of a good WebQuest. Third, the author shows the strengths and weaknesses of using WebQuests in teaching and learning. Last, he points out the challenges for practicing teachers and administrators. Keywords: Internet, mathematics, teachers, WebQuests | |
| Cover the Material--Or Teach Students To Think? | |
| To move beyond rote memorization and use a full range of thinking skills, students need to tackle issues straight out of the complex world in which they live. | |
| Data Can Drive Development | |
| An article about the importance of teacher professional development in the areas of data management, data analysis, and discussing data and evidence. | |
| State Collaborative On Assessment And Student Standards | |
| A report on the progress of a CCSSO formative assessment working group. The report includes a definition of formative assessment and details of subgroup work | |
| Teacher's Guide To International Collaboration On The Internet | |
| The Teacher's Guide to International Collaboration was developed to help teachers use the Internet to "reach out" globally. These materials were prepared as part of the Department of Education's International Education Initiative. It provides helpful information for how to create quailty projects in cross-cultural settings. | |
| Middle School: Part Three (PDF) | |
| For teachers to successfully prepare students to be self-directed life-long learners, they must be self-directed life-long learners themselves. Teachers need time to explore the expanding digital landscape, to learn to use new digital tools, and to develop new ways to bring these experiences into their classrooms. If we want our children to become the innovators and inventors of the 21st century, we must allow our teachers to model experimentation and innovation. Time for personal exploration with technology promotes operational proficiency and can inspire creativity, innovation, and invention. | |
| MIT Orients Course Materials Online To K-12 | |
| The third-year teacher is just one of many science and mathematics educators across the country taking advantage of a Web site created by MIT, the famed research university located in Cambridge, Mass., which offers free video, audio, and print lectures and course material taken straight from the school's classes. Those resources target K-12 teachers and students. | |
| Technology's 'Greatest Potential': Personalizing Instruction | |
| An article reporting on a major educational conference's focus on the potential and importance of using technology to personalize instruction | |
| Welcome To Tapped In | |
| Tapped in provides a space for educators to provide and receive professional development around the subjects of technology and effective online learning. | |
| Teacher Tube | |
| This is YouTube for education--a user provided collection of videos that have been created by educators for educators. And like YouTube, the more famous site, the teachertube community votes on the best videos. The current collection contains a wide collection of videos, some are directed at teachers for professional development, others are designed for instructional use in the classroom, some are public service announcement and other appear to be the result of student projects. Teachers make their own lessons available for other teachers and students | |
| Guide To Using Data In School Improvement Efforts (PDF) | |
| This guide is designed for educators who are beginning to learn how to use data in their school improvement planning process. Because most educators are not trained in data-driven decision making and planning, it is necessary to begin with a foundation on which to build processes for data use. The guide offers some foundational information on types of data, strategies for analyzing and understanding data, and methods for determining how these efforts can influence goals and planning. There are additional resources in the Appendix. | |
| No Child Left Behind Issue Brief (PDF) | |
| A report on the impacts effects of NCLB, which focuses on how several exemplary districts are using data-driven decision making for improving school and student achievement. | |
| Maximize Your Mining: Part One | |
| An article (part 1 of 2) that describes the three stages schools go through as they begin to use data to drive decisions and improve school performance. | |
| Maximize Your Mining: Part Two | |
| An article (part 2 of 2) that challenges schools to move beyond a focus on improving the performance of 'bubble students' towards an approach that uses data to focus on each individual student's needs. | |
| The Edible Schoolyard | |
| The Edible Schoolyard is a program for middle school students at Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley, CA. This program was founded by Alice Waters in 1994 as a way to improve school lunches, but it has grown into a project-based learning program. Each day, students spend the first period of the day working in their garden and cooking the food that they grow. Teachers apply concepts from social studies, math, and science to the activities, so that the gardening serves as a hands-on learning lab. The school also feels that the gardening project teaches students about nutrition and important life skills. | |
| Factors Influencing The Effective Use Of Technology For Teaching And Learning | |
| This report provides technical assistance and professional development around eight factors that are key to effective use of technology in schools. | |
| High School: Part Three (PDF) | |
| By using such tools as e-mail and Web 2.0 information-sharing tools enhanced with video, students can connect with native-language-speaking teachers, mentors, and peers from around the world to share cultural information as well as conversational practice. These interactions offer opportunities for language learning, for increasing global awareness, and for modeling international collaboration. | |
| High School Classroom: Part Four (PDF) | |
| Technology can allow schools to connect with outside experts in real time. Whether it is a local businessperson or a university expert, technologies such as videoconferencing can link professionals and schools over long distances. By linking experts where they work with students in schools, opportunities for collaboration are expanded as no one has to travel and the expert can resume to work as soon as the session is over. By reducing the amount of time it takes to participate, more frequent collaborations may be possible. | |
| Leadership And Learning With ICT (PDF) | |
| A report from a study funded by the Australian government whose objective was to investigate how educational leadership supports learning with ICT in Australian schools. | |
| Instruments Of Learning | |
| At Bay Shore Schools, music is infused into the curriculum at every level, from first through 12th grade, because they believe that music education is important for development. Every student takes a general music class, where they use computer programs to play and experiment with virtual instruments. In High School, students use technology to compose music and create multimedia events. The technology at Bay Shore is simply a tool used to facilitate creativity. | |