Blog
At-Home Distance Learning: Preserving Core Tenets and Best Practices
At-home distance schooling and a rethinking of how learning takes place are key outcomes of the global pandemic. What is learning? How does it happen? From a Piagetian perspective, learning is the assimilation and accomodation of new information into an existing framework. From a neurobiological perspective, learning shows up as changes in the structure…
Read MoreRead MoreTeaching Science Remotely During COVID-19
COVID-19 has completely changed the way most people work. Under the constraints of social distancing, which include bans on groups of more than 10 people, shelter-in-place requirements, and self-quarantines, many places of business are having employees work remotely. Some of these businesses are already seeing the benefits of a remote workforce, including increased productivity…
Read MoreRead MoreNGSS, COVID-19, and the Trolley Problem
For the past few weeks, politicians and the media around the world have been arguing over whether or not the civil liberties of the many should be infringed upon to save the lives of the few, which people should be saved when supplies are limited, and at what cost. The Guardian, The Harvard Crimson, The…
Read MoreRead MoreThe Science of the Australian Wildfires
Although wildfires in Australia have been burning for six months, there are still another three months before the fire season is over. And so far, this fire season has been particularly bad. By some estimates the fires have consumed an area of almost 100,000 square km; to put this in perspective, this is an area…
Read MoreRead MorePersonalized Learning, Critical Thinking, and Formative Assessment: What to Do?
The Trends of Personalized Learning and Critical Thinking Two key curriculum trends are affecting educational publishing: the movement toward personalized learning and the need for critical thinking lessons. Personalized learning is influencing how curriculum is being developed and also how students’ work and learning is being assessed. Since 2012, 15 states have incorporated personalized learning into…
Read MoreRead MoreCompetency-Based Learning at the State and District Level
When it comes to competency-based learning, New Hampshire is a trailblazer. In the words of one New Hampshire educator, “All students need to have certain skills and certain dispositions to be ready for whatever the future holds for them.” Along these lines, the state began launching competency-based learning pilots in 1998; by 2013, it had…
Read MoreRead MoreCompetency-Based Learning: An Overview
Formative assessment, personalized learning, critical thinking skills: these trends in education are all fueling the growth of competency-based learning. At the state, district, and local level, educators and students are embracing competency-based learning. Competency-based learning is a learning system that focuses on each student’s unique K-12 educational journey, taking into account their skills, mindsets, habits,…
Read MoreRead MoreThe Adoption Market
The current adoption market segment remains in flux and is continually adapting and changing. The 19 states that still adopt textbooks in a variety of curriculum areas are loosening their requirements. Some states, such as Florida, have passed laws that allow districts to purchase “off-list” materials. There are many factors disrupting the adoption market. The…
Read MoreRead MoreWhat’s Up with ESSA?
On December 10, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the country’s oldest national education law dedicated to providing equal opportunity to all students. ESSA scales back much of the federal government’s role in public education on everything from testing and…
Read MoreRead MoreUnderstanding Digital Literacy
The growing use of technology in education is forcing us to rethink our definition of literacy. The Cambridge Dictionary defines literacy as the ability to read and write and as a basic skill or knowledge of a subject. However, technological advances are radically changing the way students access content, interact with content, and share it…
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