edWeb has just released a new edWeb 2018 Early Learning PD Survey which provides a valuable extension of the information gathered in the Professional Learning Survey: K-12 that was conducted in March 2018. The results are a strong endorsement for the collaborative, anytime anywhere, free professional learning that edWeb provides – for educators in all roles and at all levels. Since early learning educators are 25% of our members, we wanted… read more →
edWeb.net is delighted to announce that it was selected by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) as one of the 2018 Best Websites for Teaching & Learning. The Best Websites for Teaching & Learning recognizes websites of exceptional value to inquiry-based teaching and learning as embodied in the AASL learning standards. Websites selected for this prestigious recognition are free, web-based sites that are user friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover, and foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration.
edWeb.net is excited to announce that it was named a 2018 SIIA CODiE Award winner for Best Collaborative Social Media Solution for Educators and Best Professional Learning Solution for Faculty & Administrative Staff, and also won the top award of Best Overall Education Solution. The Best Overall Education Solution represents the product with the highest scores of both rounds of judging out of all finalists.
Questioning the quality of instructional materials isn’t new to the digital education era. But with the rise of OER, growing use of supplemental resources over core textbooks, and the increasing flexibility of state funding, more purchasing decisions have moved to the school and district level. Thus, there is the potential for more disparity in the quality of materials from school to school. Confronted by concerns from their members that schools and districts might not be buying the best quality resources, SETDA updated its Guide to Quality Instructional Materials, which was introduced during the edWebinar “From Print to Digital: Discover and Implement Quality Instructional Materials for Learning.” The emphasis of the Guide, said Christine Fox, Deputy Executive Director for SETDA, is not on critiquing specific content but in helping educators develop an ongoing review process and giving content providers a concrete outline for how the process should work.
With 10 million students in grades K-12 struggling to read, taking those struggling readers from disengaged to enthused may seem like a huge feat. However, doing just one thing to take action can cause a wave of reaction throughout the entire school. In a recent edWebinar, Nelda Reyes, a dyslexia interventionist at De Zavala Elementary in San Marcos CISD, TX, shared how she was able to establish a culture of reading at her school by creating a sense of belonging, building awareness, and never taking no for an answer.
Data-driven instruction may be the popular catchphrase in education, but in a recent edWebinar, the speakers advocated for data-driven learning. The student, they said, should be at the center of all educational efforts, especially when the goal is to improve outcomes. “Using Student Learning Data to Foster a Growth Culture,” featuring Amy Trees Dodson, M.Ed., Director of Instruction, Cisco Independent School District (CISD), TX; David Woods, Director of Curriculum and Reporting, DreamBox Learning; and Robyn Sturgeon, Professional Learning Consultant, NWEA, focused not just on the idea of collecting data, but on only collecting the data that is actionable. Instead of teaching to the middle, they said, educators and students can use data to attack learning.
When polled about public perception of K-12 schools in the United States, attendees of the recent edWebinar, “Transform Your School’s Brand by Becoming a Storyteller-In-Chief,” offered mixed results. While there are some positive stories, many seemed to think that there isn’t much faith in public education. Trish Rubin, founder of Trish Rubin Ltd. and co-author with Eric Sheninger of BrandED: Tell Your Story, Build Relationships, and Empower Learning, explained that much of the issue stems from how school leaders tell their story and communicate their brand.
Too often when teachers say they are teaching writing, they mean that they are assigning writing work to their students, but they aren’t actually helping students master the fundamentals. From grammar and spelling basics to writing thesis statements and revising drafts, every step of the process is essential for developing confident writers who can effectively communicate their ideas. Based on several research reports, Jenny Hamilton, M.Ed., an independent literacy consultant, has identified best practices for writing education, which she shared in the recent edWebinar, “Strategies for Building Proficient K–12 Writers.” Overall, the goal is to break down writing into its essential elements, giving students the opportunity to master them before drafting essays and reports.
Today’s school districts have just only begun to scratch the surface of how the cloud can be used to support their data center strategies. Making use of this technology can also help IT staff with the problems they face. In a recent edWebinar, Simone Welter, ENA Product Manager Cloud Solutions, and Alan Greenberg, Senior Analyst & Partner for Wainhouse Research, reviewed how the cloud can be used to address some of the challenges in school districts today.
SETDA’s latest research, Navigating the Digital Shift 2018: Broadening Student Learning Opportunities, highlights how state policies are supporting the transformation to digital learning. Many states provide guidance for the implementation of digital materials in districts to help ensure that they are available to all learners. However, some districts may not have any state guidance at all. In a recent webinar, presenters from Idaho and Pennsylvania discussed how state and district leadership support digital learning opportunities and implement digital materials.