Who’s Who at SXSWedu 2015

The power of good professional development (PD) is no secret. But what is “good” PD? Research and surveys have shown that teachers respond best to interactive, robust, and personalized forms of PD where they are able to take control and ownership of their own learning. Often referred to as DIY PD, examples include engaging in social media communities, or attending community-build conferences and seminars. What’s even better is when you combine the two, resulting in SXSWedu.

Organizations for Special Education Teachers

Special Education is defined as the practice of educating students who are faced with developmental, physical, and/or neurological delays. These special needs are at a level of severity that they cannot be met in a typical general education classroom. Special education programs cover a wide range of disabilities and learning differences, including but not limited to:


  • Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Speech and/or Language Impairment
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Blindness / Visual Impairment
  • Deafness / Hard of Hearing
    • 


Click here to learn more about special education, as well as a complete list of disabilities recognized by the IDEA and DSM-IV.

Knowing and understanding special needs are only half the battle, especially if you’re a

 

10 Reasons to Blog as Professional Development

Professional development might mean a number of things to teachers — including participating in district meetings, attending a few conferences, earning a masters’ degree or networking with other education professionals on social media. These are all great options. However, an often overlooked way to expand and develop your teaching skills may be free, accessible to everyone, and right under your nose: starting a blog.

Blogging may require a bit more effort than other popular forms of professional development, but once you get the ball rolling, you may find blogging to be a very rewarding practice that helps build your career.

Our Teach100 bloggers speak out about the top 10 reasons to create and maintain a blog:


  • Think and write more clearly
    • …

 

7 Innovative Apps for Parent-Teacher Communication

For many parents, connecting with teachers and staying in the loop about their children’s progress in school is of the utmost importance. Studies show parental involvement helps foster and improve academic performance, while lessening children’s chances of developing behavioral problems. Simply put, involved parents help grow successful students, but in an increasingly digital age with increasingly busy parents, there is a demand for highly accessible ways for parents to connect with teachers and vice versa.

Here are seven innovative apps for smart phones/smart d…

 

Resolutions for a Happy, Healthy New Year: Teach100 Mentors Weigh In

A new year marks a new beginning — perhaps for some teachers more than others.

The Alliance for Excellent Education estimates that about half a million U.S. teachers either move or leave the profession each year. Research has shown that a range of factors affect teacher retention, especially administrative policies. But the fact that the rate of attrition is higher at high-poverty schools leads many people to hypothesize that heavy workloads and stress is a source of the problem.

So just how many teachers are feeling the pressure? A recent Gallup poll found that 46 percent of teachers report “a lot” of stress on a given day — as much as doctors and nurses, and more than executives, service workers and business owners. Makes sense when you consider that teachers “m…

 

The Drill vs. The Hole: The Importance of Being a Relevant Educator

In the earlier 20th century, educators had very few tools to use to accomplish their goal of educating students. Pens, pencils, markers, blackboards, notebooks, and construction paper were staples in every classroom. Eventually, technology evolved and better teaching tools emerged: overhead projectors, record players, filmstrips, movies, VCRs, tape recorders, Xerox printers, and four-function calculators. Each educator made a personal decision as to how much, or how little, they would use the aforementioned tools. Those were the same tools, although very primitive by today’s standards, that society used for curation, calculation, communication, collaboration, and, the ultimate goal of education.

Since all of the tools were commonplace and easy to …

 

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