Recent articles

Virtual reality in the classroom just got affordable
11/27/2015
Topics:
What could your students learn if you took them to the Great Wall of China? To the bottom of the ocean? To Mars? Or inside the human body?
With advancements in virtual reality (VR) technology, it’s not only possible to experience such places in precise 3D detail, it’s…

Turn screen time into learning time
08/19/2019
Topics: ISTE Standards, Screen time
Screen time gets more bad press than a Hollywood star in rehab. But the fact is, not all screen time is the same. Screen time is like food: Some of it’s bad for you and some of it’s good for you, and moderation…

Infographic: Create a school makerspace in 3 easy steps
12/29/2015
Topics:
This is an updated version of a post that published on June 24, 2014.
As maker education gains steam, many educators are looking for ways to incorporate making and tinkering into…

Infographic: Design engaging learning spaces
01/15/2016
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If you want evidence that educators care about the physical setup of their classrooms, look no further than Pinterest, where you’ll find…

Learn one secret for flipping your elementary classroom
02/02/2016
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Four years ago, before the concept of flipped learning really took off, I wrote a blog post about flipping the elementary classroom. It resonated with a lot of people, and to this day it is one of the most-read blog posts…

Google Expeditions offers stunning field trips without leaving school
02/05/2016
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Have you ever taught a science lesson on animal adaptations and wished you could show something more compelling than a photograph or labeled diagram in a textbook? Have you dreamed of teaching about fragile coral reef ecosystems by going for a dive and really looking closely at these…

4 strategies for boosting creativity
02/19/2019
Topics: Creativity
Creativity is more important than ever in the innovation age, where it’s not so much what we know but how we use what we know.
At San Lorenzo Unified School District, our 12-hour teacher tech academies are centered on the 4 C’s: collaboration, communication, creativity and critical…

5 resources to connect your students to real scientists
02/11/2016
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A challenge that science educators face is the need to create meaningful and relevant connections between their content and the scientific community. The task is neither new nor any more important than it was decades ago. In the past, teachers organized field trips or invited class speakers…

Start small when integrating ed tech
02/12/2016
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My sister, a first-year fifth grade teacher, just received a class set of iPads from her school district. When I heard this news, I was thrilled for her — after all, there is so much you can do! The possibilities are truly endless!
Sarah’s reaction, though, was filled with…

Do digital learning right
02/16/2016
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We all know it’s not about the technology but about what you do with it — or more specifically, what your students do with it to bolster critical thinking, collaboration and communication.
What’s not as easy to grok is knowing how to use ed tech to achieve that deeper…