Expert Perspectives


Here’s How to Manage the Full Lifecycle of Your Digital Lessons

Deeply digital, highly interactive curricula are fast becoming the new normal; such materials are needed in order to take advantage of those newly minted 1-to-1 classrooms. The Collabrify Roadmap Platform at http://roadmap.center is a free resource designed to take the burden out of creating and using this new generation of curricula.

4 Design Ideas to Create an Engaging and Comfortable Classroom Environment

Teaching isn't just about transferring knowledge to students. It's also important to create an atmosphere in which kids feel understood, comfortable and supported on their educational journey.

Collaboration: It's Got to be Taught (and How to Do It)!

Some students can naturally problem solve, but for those who are less communicative or social, the benefits of collaboration (establishing leadership roles, delegation of tasks, the scheduling of team communication, listening, debating and the re-delegation of new tasks, all to make the final piece richer as a result of multiple minds working together, rather than one) are lost on them. It's just onerous.

How Rural Teachers Can Use Technology to Upgrade Their Classrooms

When it comes to rural schools, there are many challenges that educators face. Some of them — lower salaries, high turnover, and lack of resources — have no easy answer. However, new technology is making it easier than ever for teachers to combat one of the most prevalent challenges of teaching in a rural environment: the multitude of roles and responsibilities educators need to juggle.

The Holy Grail of Ed Tech Apps: Require Minimal Teacher Investment and Provide Maximal Student Impact

Why don’t techies typically understand how to reach the Holy Grail of ed tech with their apps? In this week’s blog post we look to Kahoot! — a Jeopardy-style game — to better understand the value of making a teacher’s life easier!

Using GIS and Smart Maps to Streamline School Communication

A school transportation director shares his experience in using GIS technology to enhance school-parent communication and plan for the future.

Mobile Learning: 1998, 2008, 2018

In its first decade, 1998-2008, "mobile learning" was all about getting devices into the hands of K-12 students and teachers. Palms initially proliferated; then Pocket PCs. In those early days, there was plenty of excitement and energy — for good reason — amongst the early adopters. Why didn’t mobile learning catch on, then?

TV Is (Finally) an App: The Goods, The Bads and the Uglies for Learning

TV – live shows (news, documentaries, etc.), not just YouTubes – is now available on all devices as an app. And, TV as an app makes absolutely unique resources readily available in the palm of a learner’s hand. However, as we discuss in this week’s blog post: if only it were that simple!

Use Computers in the Classroom for Personalized Learning and Social Learning

Personal computing devices are entering the K-12 classroom at a dramatically increased rate. Using those computers to support personalized learning is definitely in the cards. However, we urge those in charge: remember your Dewey — "education is a social process" — and use those computers for social learning as well!

Students Write More, Write Better on the Computer: Rigorously Supported!

Singer and Ivory, in their Nov. 4 New York Times article, made a major mis-speak: "... there is little rigorous evidence so far to indicate that using computers in class improves educational results." In this week’s blog post we identify research that addresses Singer and Ivory’s concern, as well as documenting the fact that K-12 students write more and write better when using a computer.

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