Why teachers should be valued over classroom technology In education -- and in other industries -- it is easy to give in to the idea that technology will help turn around achievement, writes Wendy Kopp, CEO of Teach for All and founder and board chairwoman of Teach for America. However, Kopp writes that students' success is tied to the quality of their teachers, not the devices in their hands. "We can't outsource the human connections at the heart of the learning experience," she writes. "Transforming the lives and learning of our children will take more than machines. It will take the best of our human resources." CNN (4/8)
 | Summer School Registration… Simplified Place Summer School registration and payment online to simplify the process for your staff and the parents in your district. MyPaymentsPlus, K-12 online registration & payment solution, reduces time spent on paperwork & payment handling. Post course offerings online, define enrollment limits, track counselor approval, and more. View the details. | | What to do when middle-schoolers struggle with technology Not every student can use the latest digital tools with ease, so teachers should focus on just a few tools and those that students use best, Israel-based online educator Smadar Goldstein writes in this blog post. "It's better to start small -– simply, neatly and in an organized fashion, rather than jump around from tech tool to tech tool, just because something looks good or sounds cool (that can be so tempting, we all know)," Goldstein writes. Powerful Learning Practice (4/5) Other News  |
Poetry Mentor Texts shows you how to leverage students' natural love of poetry to strengthen reading as well as writing. Each chapter features 5 mentor poems that focus on student-friendly forms such as the list poem, acrostic poem, and poem for two voices. Student samples and mini-lessons help translate the ideas into your classroom. Click here now to preview the entire book! |
 | Can online instruction transform education in India? While education in India has remained largely unchanged, there are early indicators that online learning could be making inroads in the country, suggests Niranjan Rajadhyaksha, executive editor of Mint. In India, where there has been a historic focus on physical infrastructure and students in some parts of the country lack necessary resources, Rajadhyaksha writes in this opinion piece about the possibility of online education. LiveMint.com/The Wall Street Journal (India) (4/6)
| S.D. district plans long-term investment in technology A South Dakota school district has used technology grants to test the use of iPads and other technology in the classroom. Now, the Sioux Falls School District is working to launch a one-to-one program, in which within two years every student in kindergarten through second grade will be assigned an iPad, at $499 each, and students in grades 3-12 will receive Google Chromebooks, at $279 each. The total cost of the program is expected to be about $7.3 million, with additional costs coming later as the devices need to be replaced. Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, S.D.) (tiered subscription model) (4/8)
| Educator: How blogging can help meet multiple objectives After realizing she was not having her students write often enough, Michelle Lampinen, a high-school English teacher in New Jersey, writes in this blog post that she established weekly blogging exercises. Among other things, Lampinen writes that she asked her students to blog about topics covered in other classes -- giving them an authentic audience for their writing, helping students improve their writing skills and aligning lessons with the Common Core State Standards. Edutopia.org/Michelle Lampinen's blog (4/8) First-grade students get reading lesson from Afghanistan First-grade students at an elementary school in Pennsylvania recently spoke via Skype with Army Maj. Kyriakos Sarafis, who currently is serving in Afghanistan. Sarafis and the class communicate monthly using the online video-calling website. During the most recent session, he read a story to the students and asked them reading-comprehension questions. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (4/8)  | Webinar: RTI & Special Ed — How Are We Doing?
Join Dr. Weber, RTI expert, for a free webinar as he shares the current state of RTI & special ed in the US today. He'll share how schools have reduced special ed referrals and maximized instructional resources for all students. Click here to sign up! |
 | New solar-powered research drones to take to the seas Scientists will vastly expand their knowledge of the world's oceans thanks to unmanned, sea-going drones that can travel for thousands of miles shooting photographs and collecting observational data. The Wave Glider SV3 from Liquid Robotics runs on solar power and lithium-ion batteries, with solar cells that are 50% more efficient than those on the earlier SV2 robots, which have traveled more than 300,000 nautical miles and survived 10 hurricanes. VentureBeat (4/8) |  | He conquers who endures." -- Persius, Roman poet and satirist | | Please contact one of our specialists for advertising opportunities, editorial inquiries, job placements, or any other questions. | | Publisher, Education Group: Joe Riddle P: 202.407.7857 ext. 228 | | | | |
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