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SOM Turns Tutorials on Their Ear

SOMWant to dip your toe into the "flipped classroom" water without a big investment or learning curve? A free online tool that records actions on one's computer is winning fans among educators. Screencast-O-Matic, which allows users to create narrated videos of the actions that appear on their computer screens, is being hailed by some as the next level of digital learning.

Because Screencast-O-Matic allows the user to record up to 15 minutes of every action performed on his/her computer, complete with audio narration and visual effects, absent students can receive personalized versions of missed lessons. The recordings can be saved in mp4 format and shared in any number of ways, including email.

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The Global Search for Education: Wanted...

“While the gap between what our societies need and what education systems provide continues to grow wider, the world provides so many good examples of educational success. Human beings need not be passive or inert. We have agency, the ability to anticipate and the power to frame our actions with purpose.” — Andreas Schleicher...

The Global Search for Education:...

Many experts believe deepening unemployment in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) as robots and artificial intelligence transform global production will widen inequities and deepen social fragmentation.  It is a nation’s duty to provide the necessary education, information and skills to its future generations.  Are education systems investing...

The Global Search for Education: Is Now...

“Dance is an art form that triggers emotions and feelings like no other. It provides an opportunity to explore important issues viscerally and emotionally, through the best language on the planet, the movement of the body.”  ––  Rob Fruchtman

As our global population continues to grow, migration and increasing social...

The Global Search for Education: The...

There are now numerous studies which point to the fact that world-ready kids will require a holistic education.  Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes and Values are all important when we talk about creating a holistic approach to learning.  Quality schools with plenty of resources are creating frameworks needed to ensure kids are...

7 Tips to Prevent Summer Slide + Free...

With the end of the school year right around the corner, summer learning loss is a weighty topic on every educator's mind. Even in the absence of a formal reading intervention program, there are recommendations that can help families support children's reading development over the summer months. We've compiled a list of 7 tips you can share to help prevent summer slide!

Make it a point to read in front of...

A Four-Point Plan for Transforming U.S...

Let me start by saying I certainly don’t have all the answers when it comes to education. I, do, think, however, after spending many years working as an educator, writing, and researching about the topic, I have some ideas. We don’t have to search far to know that the United States education system has its challenges.

Globally, we continue to slip behind other countries. We are no longer the model, as countries like Finland and South Korea have gained the spotlight. At the risk of...

Coach Me, Don’t Evaluate Me

I never saw great value in being formally observed by an administrator or peer-evaluator, receiving some feedback and never hearing from them again. As an elementary teacher, that just didn’t feel like the best approach.

Sure, I received direct feedback and benefited from having an outside person “objectively” observe my teaching practices—but it felt flat, like something was missing. What was missing, in my opinion, was the coaching aspect. Someone to work alongside me, to guide me...

Do YOU Use a Plastic Straw?

You are sitting in a restaurant and a server brings over a glass of water and drops a plastic straw...

Are We Being Fair to Students? Opening...

I often believe we are academically restricting students on a daily basis. In our efforts to make learning gains and boost test scores, we have narrowed our view of learning and understanding, and thus, severely restricted the ways students can demonstrate learning.

Think about it. How often our students given a paper-and-pencil test (in this highly digital age)? How many essays or written response exams do students take each school year? Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with...

Listening Centers in the Classroom –...

Listening to reading helps students develop fluency, expression, and comprehension skills. Creating a Listening Center in your classroom can help support reader focus and build student confidence, which translates to success.

Organizing and maintaining listening centers that keep students independently engaged can be tricky.

Our friends over at Primary Paradise share some simple but highly...

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