Blended learning

The Nation’s Report Card delivered disappointing news in late October, revealing lower scores in math and mixed results in reading scores for students participating in the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The NAEP, which is sponsored by the Department of Education, produces the Nation’s Report Card to keep the public informed about the academic performance of elementary and secondary students in the United States.

Not every student is a skilled test taker. However, testing is necessary to assess whether students have mastered new concepts. It’s also something that will come up again and again in their adult lives.

Attending a conference is a great way to network and learn about what’s going on in the education industry, especially when it comes to edtech. By attending an event, or sending your teachers to one, you’ll also see a huge return on investment in terms of professional development.

One of the most important aspects of social and emotional learning (SEL) that educators must keep in mind is that these skills can be taught. According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), SEL programming is most effective when it begins in preschool and continues through high school.

It has been widely accepted that incorporating social and emotional learning (SEL) in the classroom can positively impact student behavior and outcomes. In fact, a growing body of research has shown that incorporating SEL competencies into teaching can result in improved social and emotional skills, attitudes, behavior, and academic performance.

Both educators and policymakers have come to agree that social and emotional learning (SEL) is a vital component of student development and can have a profound effect on academic performance. As students grow into adults, they must face a growing number of interactions with their peers and other adults, and their ability to navigate through these interactions can, in many ways, affect how successful they will be when they move on to college or career life.

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education is receiving a lot of attention lately, and for good reason. STEM education helps students understand the world around them, from the natural world of plants and animals, to computers and tablets, to balancing checkbooks and beyond.

More and more, educators are finding that successful academic performance is often a reflection of positive social behaviors and peer interactions in the classroom. By incorporating the tenets of social and emotional learning (SEL) into lesson planning and classroom management, educators can reduce behavioral problems and emotional distress and, in effect, raise grades and test scores.

Educators almost universally agree that time in the classroom should encompass more than simply teaching students how to perform academic tasks and recall information. Students should also be learning how to apply those tasks in their everyday lives and understand how the information they’re learning relates to the real world and the people around them.

If you want your students to succeed, first you have to teach them how to fail. The idea may seem counterintuitive, but stick with me and you’ll see why it makes perfect sense.