A new report by LFA and Grunwald Associates, with support from AT&T, examines how parents perceive the value of mobile devices, how they see their children using mobiles, and what they think of the possibilities for mobile learning.
Technology and Learning
Blog Entries
Retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is teaming up with two law schools (and presumably a lot of twenty-something computer programmers) to create civics education video games. At the Games for Change conference yesterday, she announced a project to develop interactive on-line games that let students "engage in real legal issues"--and, in the process, learn how courts work. ...
As a third-year Interactive Media teacher at McKinley Technology High School in Washington, DC, I've learned an essential lesson: Students will do boring old math, and will even learn math on their own, if they do it for a purpose they find meaningful--such as creating a computer game, computer graphics or computer animation.
First, about our program: McKinley Technology High school is a public magnet school that aims to provide the best technology education to high school students in Washington DC. We have a Career and Technical Education program that allows students to take technical courses in addition to their core course work. One area where students can take extra course work is in Interactive Media, where students gain a mix of experience in 3-dimensional modeling, 3-d animation, and programming, using professional software. ...
Where There's a Will, There's a Way
If you haven't heard of Will Steger, you should have.
He mounted the first unsupported dogsled expedition to the North Pole, the longest unsupported dogsled trek
in history (1,600 miles through Greenland), the first dogsled expedition across Antarctica (all 3,471 miles) and the first Antarctic crossing on foot (!). Along the way, he has witnessed at close hand the dramatic effects of rapid climate change in some of the world's remotest places. He recently spoke with Public School Insights about his ongoing work to share the impact of climate change with K-12 teachers and students nationwide. ...
I recently interviewed Simon Hauger, a math teacher at West Philadelphia High School's Academy of Applied and Technical Sciences. Hauger and his students in the Academy have grabbed headlines over the past few years by building the world's first high-performance, environmentally-friendly cars. Their cars consistently win top honors at the Tour de Sol, a prestigious national green car competition. In fact, Hauger and his urban students have repeatedly bested teams from universities like MIT. Their story is incredibly inspiring. (Click here for PublicSchoolInsights.org's account about the Academy's program.)
In the interview, Hauger offers a ringing endorsement of programs that bring hands-on learning into the school day. He describes his own program's genesis, some of the obstacles it has faced, his work with community partners, and lessons he and his students have learned along the way. It's truly worth a listen.
Hauger also poses a very interesting question: If a bunch of high school students in impoverished West Philly can create a high-performance car that gets over 50 miles to the gallon, why won't the major car companies? ...
A group of phenomenally creative students at Fleming County High School In Flemingsburg, KY have created a downright lyrical public service announcement promoting the education profession. Their short animated film won a 2008 Public Service Announcement competition sponsored by the Future Educators Association, a division of Phi Delta Kappa International.
The PSA is both a moving celebration of the educator's calling and an example of sophisticated multimedia work high school students are doing around the country. Be sure to check it out and share it with others! ...
I recently spoke with Professor Yong Zhao from Michigan State University, a leading international education expert who worries that American fears for its economic competitiveness are actually fueling counterproductive education policies.
A native of China, Dr. Zhao is University Distinguished Professor of Education at Michigan State, the founding director of the US-China Center for Research on educational Excellence and a Phi Delta Kappa International Board Member. He and I spoke about the dangers of following in China's educational footsteps, the kinds of skills youth need in a global society, the promise of educational technology, and the importance of international education.
Listen to the following excerpts of our conversation, or read through the highlights below: ...
Success Stories
Flipping the Classroom: Homework in Class, Lessons at Home
Story posted October 7, 2011
Results:
- Dramatic decreases in student failure rates since 2009
- From 52% to 19% in English Language Arts
- From 44% to 13% in math
- From 41% to 19% in science
- From nearly 33% to less than 10% in social studies
- Dramatic decreases in discipline cases (from 736 for 165 students in 2009 down to 249 for 140 students)
Leo Tolstoy once said, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” That is until you meet Rob Townsend, a physical science teacher at Clintondale High School in Clinton Township, Michigan, and his school principal, Greg Green. It was Green who once asked Townsend why so many of his students fail his class the first semester.
Townsend’s initial response went something along the lines of “them not doing their homework, if they were in class at all.”
Built in 1959, in a solidly working class community, Clintondale High School had prided itself on its academic performance and its strong relationship with the community. A half century later, the reality for Clintondale had changed.
The 800-strong student body now comes from a diverse socio-economic background, with 73 percent qualifying for free or reduced lunch; the population mix went from 35 percent minority to 65 percent; and for the past nine years the school has been running at a budget deficit.
The climate and financial changes coupled with an increase in student need and decrease of school staff has contributed to the struggles of Clintondale. The result: In 2009, more than 50 percent of freshman students failed English, and ...
Leveling the Playing Field in Rural South Dakota
Story posted November 3, 2010
Results:
• 91.11% graduation rate, better than the state average
• Performance of high school students, and Native American students at the middle and high school levels, exceeds that of their peers statewide on standardized assessments
• Steadily increasing retention of Native American students at the high school level
We hear a lot about urban schools—their performance, the challenges they face, how we can make them better. We don’t hear nearly as much about rural schools, despite the fact that almost half of our public schools are rural and about a third of America's students attend these schools.
Rural schools face challenges similar to urban schools (such as poverty and high mobility rates), as well as unique challenges related to attracting and retaining staff, capacity to apply for large competitive grants, access (or lack thereof) to providers of supplemental educational services and more.
But there are a number of successful schools and districts that are overcoming these challenges and helping rural students meet their potential. South Dakota’s Wagner School District is one such place. The district, located next to the Yankton Sioux Reservation, has one school that serves grades pre-K through 12. Its diverse student population is overwhelmingly poor. It has a high mobility rate.
Yet students in Wagner graduate at a higher rate than others in South Dakota. And Native American and high school students outperform their peers across the state on standardized assessments.
Critical to the district’s success is technology. By embracing initiatives ranging from a one-to-one laptop program to online AP courses to iPod touches that help differentiate instruction for kindergarteners, this district is truly using technology to enhance student learning.
Wagner Superintendent Susan Smit recently told us more about this remarkable district.
Wagner: A Rural, Diverse District
Public School Insights: Tell me about the Wagner School District.
Smit: Wagner is located in rural South Dakota, along the Missouri River at the base of the state. It’s a beautiful part of the United States.
We get federal impact aid under Title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. We're right next to the Yankton Sioux Reservation, which is a checkerboard reservation. It was one land mass at one time, but pieces have been sold by different entities through the years and now it's a checkerboard. One piece of land may be reservation, the piece next to it may not be.
We're a rural community with changing demographics and a diverse population. The two primary demographics are Native American and ...
Rocket Launches and a Middle School that is Beating the Odds
Story posted July 16, 2009. Results updated March 5, 2013
Results:
- In 2012, more than 95% of 6th, 7th and 8th graders at Clark scored at or above proficient in reading
- Also in 2012, more than 95% of 6th, 7th and 8th graders at Clark scored at or above proficient in math.
With a stutter, then a whoosh, a pink glittered model rocket accelerates to the sky. It disappears into the sun, then wafts earthward under a plastic 
parachute. Two fifth-grade girls traipse after. A dozen other fifth-graders sit in a row ten feet behind the launching pad, each awaiting the call to launch his or her personally accented missile.
The rocket launch is great fun. Visitors chat with the assembled students, pausing to applaud each successful launch. Teacher Glen Mutchnick (a licensed professional engineer, former university instructor and Alabama Teacher of the Year) explains that the rocket launch accompanies a study of astronomy. For several lessons prior to the launch students learned about ...
From Fire Trucks to the Federal Court: An Academic Edge for Low-Income Students
Story posted October 30, 2008. Results updated October 25, 2011.
Results:
• In 2011, over 95% of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders met state standards in reading
• In 2011, over 95% of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders met state standards in math
• Named a 2008 Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education
"There's not a minute to be lost." That's the mantra in many high-needs schools today, where the pressures of high-stakes accountability have reduced the time spent on "untested" subjects and activities like art, music, drama and physical education. And perhaps no brand of school fun has taken the drubbing given to the venerable Field Trip in recent years. Trips away from school often take most or all of the day, and a day lost from intensive instruction (and test preparation) is no small matter to the principals of high-needs schools, where children often have a lot of catching up to do. ...
SIGN UP
Sign up for our e-newsletter on public school success.
A VISION FOR GREAT SCHOOLS
On this website, educators, parents and policymakers from coast to coast are sharing what's already working in public schools--and sparking a national conversation about how to make it work for children in every school. Join the conversation!
