In an effort to boost achievement and better prepare students for the workforce, President Obama is spearheading a program that will bring high-speed Internet access to 99 percent of America's K-12 schools.
Dubbed ConnectED, the program aims to accomplish its goal in the next five years. In addition to bringing Internet speeds of at least 100 Mbps and as high as 1Gbps, the program will provide comprehensive training to teachers so that they are up-to-speed on best practices for using the Web in class.
A particular focus of ConnectED will be rural schools that have difficulty accessing the Internet. In a statement, Obama was clear that getting students connected and teachers trained is a priority. "We are living in a digital age, and to help our students get ahead, we must make sure they have access to cutting-edge technology," he said. "So today, I'm issuing a new challenge for America -- one that families, businesses, school districts and the federal government can rally around together -- to connect virtually every student in America's classrooms to high-speed broadband Internet within five years, and equip them with the tools to make the most of it."
Note: The following blog is the final installment of a three-part series on teacher inquiry.
In previous blogs, we covered how to design and launch a teacher inquiry and ways to collect data. In this final blog of the series, I will recommend various methods to analyze your data or findings. The purpose of this phase is to make sense of what you have found so you can then take action on your new knowledge. Gathering lots of data and trying to study it can be confusing and...
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In an uncertain and rapidly changing world, Charles Fadel, founder of the Center...
Note: The following blog is the second of a three-part series on teacher inquiry.
In last week’s blog, I discussed the value of engaging in inquiry and how to develop questions or wonderings to guide your research. In this blog, I will cover some ways to collect data to inform your inquiry. Data essentially exists everywhere in your classroom and school—you just need to know where to look and possess strategies for accurately collecting it. What follows is a list of...
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I wanted to share this "In the News" story. Perhaps, you can find it of use with your students. If, not, at least it should bring a smile to your face!
There are therapy dogs, cats, rabbits, and even a miniature horse. Now, the San Francisco International Airport has the first-ever therapy PIG. LiLou wears a vest which says, “Pet Me!” and wears different...
Note: The following blog is the first of a three-part series on teacher inquiry.
It might sound cliché but you’ve likely heard the phrase that a teacher should be a life-long learner. Ayres (1989) wrote that “teaching involves a search for meaning in the world. Teaching is a life-long project, a calling, a vocation that is an organizing center for all other activities.” Whatever your philosophy, it’s hard to argue that engaging in teacher inquiry provides many...

This year's tree was especially of interest to me because it came from a town near me and where I went to college . . . Oneonta, New...
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Americans chose to elect a billionaire businessman, an outsider with no government experience, over Hillary Clinton, the candidate of the establishment. What economic and social forces might have prompted this upset in...

“The biggest surprise has been how little importance large portions of the electorate placed on whether statements made by candidates (or their surrogates) accord with the facts.” — Howard Gardner
Ever since he went to Wyoming Seminary secondary school, Howard Gardner says he has been captivated with...