How to Develop Savvy Consumers of Digital Media

Educators should pay special attention to ubiquitous video-watching, recommends a recent report from the American Psychological Association (APA), as reported by Education Week. Teaching students the skills to use video content and other digital media when it’s helpful—and recognize when it’s not—is crucial, says Richard Culatta, the CEO of the International Society for Technology in…
Significant 2024 Curriculum Trends & their Potential Impact in 2025

Education Week lists seven trends in curriculum in 2024, and how they might affect teaching and learning in 2025. 1) Teaching religion debate continues This year, the issue resurfaced in several state-level curriculum decisions. The Texas state board of education voted in November to approve a new curriculum that includes Bible stories in elementary school…
How to Use AI to Help Students Apply to College

High school counselors have a lot on their plates — holding individual meetings with students, developing connections with college admissions officers, writing letters of recommendation and more, according to Jeffrey Neill, director of college counseling at Graded: The American School of São Paulo in Brazil, a private school that serves students ages 3 through high…
4 Lessons for Superintendents to Drive Transformational Change

Superintendents committed to growth and change must shift from thinking their role is to put out fires to preventing fires in the first place, writes Neil Gupta, superintendent for Oakwood City Schools, Ohio, in eSchool News. “I’ve learned leadership is about using the privilege of our position to build collaborative teams of talented and motivated…
SEL Instruction Produces High Interest and Positive Cultures

A record number of K-12 schools are reporting social and emotional learning (SEL) instruction, according to research from CASEL and RAND, as reported in eSchool News. Most school principals (83%) report their schools use an SEL curriculum this school year – an increase from 76 percent in the 2021-22 school year and 46 percent in…
Discuss Learning Differences with Your Students

Teachers often lack the knowledge and training to discuss learning differences such as dyslexia and dyscalculia with their students, according to an Education Slice brief. These conversations should not be limited to special education teachers, says Holly Lane, director of the University of Florida Literacy Institute. Many educators feel overwhelmed and unprepared, leading to a…
How to Respond to an Increase in “Concerning Behavior”

Schools are on edge due to increased school shootings and violent threats, according to K-12 Dive. Here are keys to evaluate the credibility of potential at-risk student behavior, according to Guy Bliesner, a school safety and security analyst for the Idaho State Board of Education. First, schools should have in place a behavioral threat assessment…
How to Design and Teach Units that Combine STEM and Literacy

“I’ve witnessed firsthand how STEM education and literacy can work together to create powerful learning experiences,” writes Wendy W. Amato, the chief academic officer for K12 Coalition—Teaching Channel and former middle school math teacher, in an article in eSchool News. She has collaborated with Kathy Renfrew, once a self-proclaimed “science-phobic” classroom teacher who is now…
Give Students Clarity on Postsecondary Pathways

It’s critical today to emphasize career planning to help students learn what their futures may look like, according to an article in eSchool News. Too often, K-12 students aren’t exposed to career possibilities or career resources to form an idea of what their future may look like. “There’s a disconnect between what students know they…
How a Science Fair Builds Research, Public Speaking and Time Management Skills

At Skinner Middle School in Denver, CO, hundreds of students present their science research to dozens of judges who award passing grades and prize ribbons to top projects, according to an article in the Denver NorthStar. Christopher Martin, the school’s science department head, says the science fair is a huge effort that builds students’ science…