Technology defines modern society. From the recent introduction of AI and the indispensable tools that provide student progress data, augment instruction, and enable both students and teachers to work more efficiently, technology innovation has become fundamental to learning and effective instruction. “It’s almost a civil rights issue for our students to be able to have access to technology,” said Krestin Bahr, Superintendent of Peninsula School District 401 in Washington.
Educators constantly strive for student success, but there is still an achievement gap. To help combat this, students need educational resources outside of the classroom, and home libraries can be just the thing.
Sometimes, educators just get stuck. They might be learning and struggling with something new or at the same level of expertise that keeps them on track without opportunities to expand their skills. They become trapped in the “Learning Pit,” a metaphor for the struggle and growth that occur when grappling with complex concepts and situations.
As educators, we know the importance of differentiated instruction for students. Each learner comes to the classroom with unique strengths, challenges, and needs.
Check out the top 2024 edWebinars and edLeader Panels of the year! edWeb presented over 400 new programs in 2024 on so many timely topics in PreK-12 education.
Keeping students focused is the eternal struggle of teaching. About 30 hours of instructional time is lost to distraction annually, and most teachers have to pause instruction multiple times a day to repeat information and demonstrations that students missed. Fortunately, technology can be used to reduce and recover lost time. But how does one pick and maintain the right tools?
Principals are not only building managers. They not only shape instructional leaders, support teachers, and drive student achievement, but they also propel sustainable school improvement. Doing this work calls for regularly revisiting, refining, and enhancing practice, and a willingness to learn along the way.
Generation Alpha: Digital natives, visual learners, short attention spans, struggles with face-to-face skills. These are just a few characteristics of the current generation of students that educators must consider as they develop their lessons. But now that AI has become ubiquitous in both home and work environments, administrators need to think about how their schools will integrate AI into their classrooms so that students are prepared for jobs of the future.
“This new generation doesn’t have the same work ethic.” “My grandparents just don’t get the new technology.” It’s common to hear people talk about generations and how they differ from each other. And while administrators should avoid blanket stereotypes, research shows that there are generational trends and attitudes formed by significant events and changes in technology.
There is a reading crisis in America. Reading scores are dropping and 40% of students nationwide don’t read at grade level. Something must urgently be done.