TRANSFORMING LEARNING FROM THE GROUND UP
Indiana teachers work tirelessly to spark students’ imagination and empower them as learners, all while wearing the weight of a 1,000 hats. However, many of our projects and activities that worked pre-COVID are a no-go now due to social distancing, students being fully virtual, or having an endless combination of in-person, remote, and quarantined students.
Ahhh, the sweet, sweet indicators that summer will soon be here: robins and cardinals flitting about singing happily, the grass growing and trees budding. Bees buzzing and weather warming. Students lose focus and smile as they stare out the classroom windows.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has become a new focus in many public school districts across the country. Once dubbed “soft skills,” school leaders are becoming more aware of the importance of SEL within the framework of both school culture and school curriculum.
Calling all early-childhood superstars: teachers, para-pro’s, assistants, directors, yes you! Is it an understatement to say that the early-childhood world is unlike anything else in education? I know, silly question, right? Welcome!
There is an explosion of data and graphs all around us—on the news, in our social media feeds, on our phones, etc. And it is becoming increasingly clear that our students need to build their data skills to succeed in the 21st century (be it at a future job or paying their electricity bills).
Relationships with our students are key. As educators, we know this is vital to student success. Research tells us there is a positive correlation between student engagement and academic success.
You have the perfect lesson for a global connection. You have reached out and found an opportunity that would enrich your students’ depth of knowledge. You want to do things correctly and feel overwhelmed with this new process.
A recent conversation I had regarding digital citizenship for the first episode of our Keep Indiana Learning Home Grown podcast got me thinking. In my more than 10 years working in the EdTech world, I’ve had plenty of time to consider what digital citizenship means, and how it impacts our work as educators in a digital world.
Financial decisions have always been complex—made even more so by a global pandemic. However, many students are not prepared to make informed financial choices as they move into adulthood.
Professional development has always come in all shapes and sizes. From large formal conferences with thousands of attendees, to small book studies, there is PD to match the needs of every educator. Recently, the way educators are accessing professional development looks different.
I remember it like it was yesterday: 5th grade, Mr. Morgan’s Math and Science class: We were talking about dissolving solids in solutions. He asked, “Will sugar dissolve faster in cold water or hot water?”
