U.S. Department of Education Recognizes 13 States and 40 Districts Committing to #GoOpen with Open Educational Resources: OpenEd.com. Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced a new cohort of statewide #GoOpen initiatives: 13 states have committed to support school districts and educators as they shift to high-quality, openly-licensed educational resources. These statewide efforts join an … Read more

Written by: Robyn Shulman, Follow me on Google The Priority List was written by David Menasche; he is a former high school teacher who made a lasting difference in the classroom—even when the odds were not in his favor. Do you have a priority list?David Menasche does. When we reflect on our school years, the … Read more

By Tamara Fyke Recent research shows that six in ten parents are more concerned about their children’s emotional wellbeing now than before the pandemic. Their top worry is their children’s social connections and friendships, and many parents are actively seeking safe, affordable ways for kids to spend time with peers after the school day ends. … Read more

Advances in classroom technology are making it easier for educators to create engaging, interactive lesson plans while streamlining the administrative tasks that take up so much of their time. New devices and software arrive each year, and schools increasingly adopt tools that support collaboration, personalized learning, and efficient management. Below are five widely used classroom … Read more

By LeiLani Cauthen U.S. K–12 educational technology spending is projected to rise by roughly $2.4 billion in 2021, increasing total annual expenditure from an estimated $35.8 billion to $38.2 billion. The Learning Counsel’s 2020 Digital Transition Survey captured much of the prior year’s spending patterns and provides the foundation for these projections. Technology Spend Increase … Read more

By Barbara Blackburn and Ron Williamson Closing the Achievement Gap: Principals Leading Change One of the central responsibilities of instructional leaders is to address and close the achievement gap. Principals should lead this effort for two main reasons: first, it is fundamentally the right thing to do—every child who walks through a school’s doors deserves … Read more

By Robyn Shulman, M.Ed. Who are ELL Students? Over the past two decades, the number of English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools has grown significantly. ELL students are a highly diverse group that includes children and adults from many cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Their academic, social, and emotional needs vary widely, and meeting those … Read more

By James Sanders One of the simple joys of in-person teaching was handing out colorful reward stickers to students. Those small tokens of recognition were fun, motivating, and often helped encourage learners who needed a little boost. Even though remote and hybrid classrooms have changed how we interact, virtual reward stickers bring that same encouragement … Read more

“It’s the teacher that makes the difference, not the classroom.” – Michael Morpurgo Welcome to the Summie Awards! A promotional video for The Summies 2024 highlights the spirit of these awards and the educators they honor. Effective teachers deserve greater recognition. They are the architects of our future—shaping minds, building character, and guiding the next … Read more

By Mac Bogert “True leadership only exists if people follow when they have the freedom not to.” – Jim Collins What does leadership look like? When I worked on leadership development with the Defense Logistics Agency, my audiences were mostly men, many retired from the military, and strikingly direct. I never had to guess what … Read more