Common Misunderstandings of Educators who Fear Technology

Education is currently at a crossroads as traditional methods and tools are changing as a result of advances in technology and learning theory. We are beginning to see some schools across the country take the lead in merging sound pedagogy with the effective integration of technology. These schools and educators, whether they realize it or not, are not only enhancing the teaching and learning process, but they are also providing their learners with essential skill sets pivotal for success in today’s society. These skill sets include critical thinking/problem solving, media literacy, collaboration, creativity, technological proficiency and global awareness. The ultimate result with this shift has been increases in engagement as well as a sense of relevancy and meaning amongst learners, all of which are foundations for improving achievement.

Even as we are seeing more schools and educators transform the way they teach and learn with technology, many more are not.  Technol…

 

Education News Round-Up

April has been a busy month for education reform, and this week’s news round-up covers recent legislation aiming to make important changes.

The 2012 Race to the Top Fund Invests in Early Education Reform

The Race to the Top Fund is an initiative by the Obama Administration that allocated over $4 billion in grants to education reform and invites states to apply for funding to create their own education improvement plans. On Apr…

Super Base and All I Do is Solve: Parody Raps That Teach You Math

The Westerville South High School math department has been creating a stir on the Internet with their autotuned math raps.  Last year, math teacher Tracey Kearnes created a parody to Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" with the help of her students from Westerville South High School in Westerville, OH which has gotten over 200,000 views. The parody's revised lyrics highlight the basic algebraic principles behind exponents and how to calculate them. The video features visuals that reinforce these rul…

Interview with Taylor Mali

What do poetry and the recruitment of 1,000 new teachers have in common? Taylor Mali. After working as a teacher for nine years, Mali decided to step out of the classroom to make his living as a full-time poet and performance artist. He is a vocal advocate for teachers and for the nobility of the teaching profession. Drawing on his experience in the poetry slam movement, Mali has combined perseverance, eloquent powers of persuasion and a passion for education to motivate at least 1,000 people to embark on the adventure of teaching.

In 2000, Mali committed himself to what he called The New Teacher Project (since renamed the Quest for 1,000 Teachers). Why does Taylor Mali want to bring so many people into the te…

MathAlive!

Math is all around us. It is in everything we do, from sports and exercise to video games and design concepts.

MathAlive! is an exhibit designed with that principal in mind. It aims to show students just how fundamental math is and how fun it can be. MathAlive! brings mathematics education to kids in interactive, imaginative and enjoyable ways. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (known as STEM) all come together in MathAlive! exhibits: 40 unique interactive experiences for children of all ages. Visitors will be able to ride snowboards, program robotic arms, design and play with their own video came characters, toy with camera lenses and design a ska…

STEM Initiatives in New York

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education, also known as STEM education, affects all aspects of society, but during the last two decades, there has been an overall decline STEM interest among American students. STEM is an important part of an advanced economy, and it is essential that today’s students become tomorrow’s leaders in STEM.

Each state has responded to this STEM crisis in their own way. New York has enacted several initiatives to improve the quality of STEM education in the state and to further engage students in an attempt to inspire the…