Future of the Classroom report: Thinking, connecting, innovating

To research the current state of K-12 education, to do it globally, and to create a thoughtful and fact-based prediction of what the future holds would take a lot of resources. But if there’s one thing Google has plenty of, it’s resources. And they put some of ...

Why and How to Create a Makerspace in Your School

Think about the elementary school library of your childhood: shelves, books, table, and a librarian who focused a lot of her time keeping kids quiet! Now, imagine if a corner of that library had been set up for the best of exploration, tinkering and discovery by you and your classmates. ...

Teaching with Video: A Classroom Tool that Works

(Photo Credit © Highwaystarz via iStock) Teaching with video can be controversial. Decisions about whether a video is appropriate for the classroom can be subjective. And arguments for and against the practice are common; does a student learn more from a video or from a lecture? Despite the issues, the ...

STEM teaching: The key to the future can be a challenge for teachers

(Photo Credit © Kerkez via iStock) It’s hard to have any conversation about education today in which STEM teaching doesn’t come up. The acronym, used to refer to “science, technology, engineering, math,” pops up on education blogs, websites, teacher newsletters and career boards everywhere. Visionaries see bold, flexible ...

Edmodo: It’s Facebook for Education

If you don’t know what Edmodo is, or haven’t used Edmodo in your classroom, the easiest way to think about it is Facebook for teachers. And even if the thought of using Facebook – either personally or professionally – makes you cringe, chances ...

The Elements of Digital Citizenship

Technology today is flying at a pace never seen before, so becoming a digital citizen is of paramount importance. Teaching students – and parents – how to use technology responsibly is becoming tough as schools and in society become more intertwined with digital technology.

What is a digital citizen?

Digital ...

Makerspaces Promote Creativity

Makerspaces promote learning through tinkering and creating and are as unique and diverse as the learners themselves. A mixture of arts and crafts, science, and technology with creativity, innovation and play, they are fast becoming a critical part of every school, especially school libraries. Similar to hacker labs and other ...

Top Tech Tools Teachers Must Understand Today

It’s a world of tech tools like smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops and notebooks, Clouds, collaboration, social networks, ePublishing, eBooks and blended learning. And teachers now, more than ever, need an overview of the application that such tools present to a curriculum. These tech tools, while taking some willingness to ...