School Specialty today announced the 2024 winners of its annual Crystal Apple Awards, which celebrate teachers who embody inspiration, leadership, and passion in teaching. Each year, students, parents, administrators, fellow teachers, family, and friends nominate teachers who go above and beyond to touch the lives of students every day. School Specialty selects 10 finalists from…
When students reach high school math, play typically disappears from the curriculum. But Kathy Sun is discovering new ways to bring play into high school math. A student’s math identity is usually focused on procedural proficiency rather than a broader view of mathematical contributions and community, said Sun, a researcher and professor at Santa Clara…
By: Lizette Valles Recently, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, served as a vibrant venue for the first-ever International Micro School Conference hosted by Microschools.com, Mysa, and Prenda. This event gathered a global community of microschool leaders, educators, researchers, social entrepreneurs, and innovators, all sharing a common goal: to explore…
There is a famous phrase amongst Indigenous people about walking in two worlds: one being a path of traditional teachings, and the other being a path in the western world. I’ve related to and reflected on this statement all throughout my educational journey, but especially as I’ve worked to instill Native language & culture in…
My decade-long involvement in shadowing projects across the country has taught me that the average percentage of time that multilingual learners (MLLs) are speaking is often 5–10%. This is in contrast to what researchers like Pauline Gibbons (2015) tell us—that MLLs should be spending at least 30% of their school day in academic talk. This…
Reading Time: 3 minutes How could developing intrinsic motivation improve student engagement, and how can teachers do it? Intrinsic motivation, pivotal in developmental psychology, refers to engaging in activities purely for the inherent satisfaction they provide, rather than external rewards. Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic motivation In the research paper, ‘What is intrinsic motivation? A typology of…
In Fall 2022, Whittier College’s Teacher Education program launched their online bilingual authorization program (BILA). In year 1, the program was initially fully asynchronous, but after surveying BILA students mid-way through the semester, they provided feedback that they wanted more synchronous instruction with their instructors. Whittier College students are used to personalized and small group…
Summer break is on the horizon, and with the 245th anniversary of the Constitutional Convention approaching on May 25th, it’s the perfect time to get a head start on planning engaging lessons for Constitution Day (September 17th). Khan Academy is here to support you with the launch of our exciting new Constitution 101 course, developed…
In the dynamic landscape of online education, the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications online graduate programs (UF CJC Online) stands at the forefront of innovation and quality. With a commitment to ensuring educational excellence and student success, in 2020, UF CJC Online developed a comprehensive course design strategy to elevate its online…
By: Abigail Swisher, Rural Impact Fellow, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Spanning 37,000 miles across Alaska, the Northwest Arctic Borough School District has struggled to hire and retain enough new teachers. The eleven villages within the district – many of them above the Arctic Circle – are sparsely populated and remote. The winters are…