An effective Response to Intervention (RTI) program should allow educators to quickly differentiate between students who are at-risk or struggling and those who genuinely have special needs. However, many RTI models have come under criticism for not making this distinction fast enough, lengthening the time it takes for special needs students to get the support they need.
The choice to use social media in the classroom can be an intimidating prospect, but you may find it to be well worth the effort when you consider the multifaceted benefit of engaging with students in a format that is already familiar to them. Social media is an integral communication tool for many of today’s youth, and as students transition into their adult lives, proper social media etiquette as well as knowledge of how to use social media effectively could even have an impact on how successful they are in their future careers.
Since President Barak Obama’s announcement on January 12 that he would propose legislation aimed at protecting student privacy, the issue of how student information is being used outside of the classroom has taken center stage in a national discussion about data and technology. But what makes this issue so important?
While President Obama has taken steps to create stronger federal protections for students’ online privacy with the Student Digital Privacy Act, some schools and districts are looking for ways to get out in front of the issue. At the same time, parents and guardians are seeking outlets to address their own concerns about how schools are using their students’ personal information.
Common Core State Standards were implemented in schools across the country beginning in the 2014-2015 school year. And with its implementation, schools also rolled out two new standardized tests designed to assess the effectiveness of the new standards.
English language learners (ELLs) represent one of the fastest growing student populations today, but educators still have a lot of questions about the best strategies for helping these students excel academically. Although this diverse group faces unique academic challenges, they are expected to master more advanced concepts than ever before.
Educators are often so focused on getting technology into the classroom that once it’s there, they’re not sure what to do with it. This TED article by Laura Moorhead offers eight ways that teachers can think about using technology in the classroom to make it more effective as a tool for learning.
How to close the achievement gap between English language learners (ELL) or English as a second language (ESL) learners and native English speakers has been the subject of a growing national debate. And with these students now making up one of the fastest growing student populations, finding the right solution has become more crucial than ever.
While it’s important to have the support of parents and teachers in transitioning to a blended learning model, the most vital participants are the students themselves. After all, schools are there for the sole purpose of serving students’ interests, and even though they may not realize it yet, students are the ones with the most at stake.
Unless you’re a lexicographer, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of National Dictionary Day, but it’s celebrated by word nerds every year on October 16, the birthday of Noah Webster. Webster’s name has become synonymous with the word “dictionary” because he actually wrote the first American dictionary, an arduous task that took him more than twenty years to complete.
