Demand for skilled workers in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math) is constantly growing, so how do we prime today’s students for the jobs of tomorrow? Educators can take advantage of a wide range of informative websites, innovative games and apps, and engaging products—all created with STEM learning in mind. We’ve compiled this list of our Top 25 resources to help you learn more about how to best prepare students for careers in STEM fields.

Imagine that you give some students the following assignment: Take a number of rubber bands and tie them to a wagon, then try to pull the wagon across a room. In order to pull the wagon, the rubber bands need to be pulled tight, but if the student pulls too hard or too fast, the rubber bands will break.

You can apply this same concept to tech-resistant educators in the classroom. If we want to move teachers from one side of the room (hating technology) to the other side of the room (tech hero), we have to “stretch” them—but not too hard or too fast.

Add These to Your Reading List
It’s not just student learning that’s going digital. More and more professional learning resources for teachers are moving online. In fact, many popular print publications for educators, such as District Administration and Tech & Learning, now have digital versions. But other professional development periodicals are only available online, which means some may be overshadowed by flagship publications or just lost in the massive wave of information that the Internet offers.

Don’t let good resources go to waste! Take a look at the following list of online publications you should be reading – some for administrators and some for teachers.

If we could offer teachers something that would save them time, save the school money, communicate better with students and parents, help struggling learners, and impact the learning environment for students...would they consider using it? I’m guessing they would.

Our school district recently moved to the Google Apps for Education (GAFE) platform. Because I previously used GAFE, I knew the potential for improvement that this would bring to our school and our students.

GAFE Is Great
If you’ve been been using Google Classroom for the last few years, you’re probably already “sold” on why it’s a good thing to use. But if it’s new to you, you probably want to know the reasons why this change is a good thing for students. Here are some things to consider:

A couple of years ago I came across a documentary-type video about a boy named Caine. The video, Caine’s Arcade, was simple enough, and the boy was engaging and adorable. The boy’s father had given him an opportunity that is sadly missing from many students’ lives.

The Opportunity Was Freedom
Caine’s dad allowed his son to learn freely, to create independently, and to foster his passion and curiosity. To summarize the video won’t do it justice, but here’s my attempt:  Nine-year-old Caine uses his creativity and initiative to create an arcade in his dad’s shop over one summer. The arcade was made primarily out of cardboard. Caine created all types of arcade games, along with prizes to be purchased with tickets won from the games. His goal was to create an actual arcade to which people would come and spend money.

So what does this child, who lived in the city and made a building out of cardboard in his dad’s shop, teach us about motivation and learning? A great deal, actually! 

“Today, kids spend too much time on the scale and not enough time at the trough.” This analogy of students as farm animals isn’t a beautiful one, but it gets the point across. In the past decade, students have spent a great deal of class time taking assessments (being weighed), which reduces the time available for instruction and learning (eating at the trough). The reasons for this development vary, but the testing requirements of No Child Left Behind are a major reason behind it.

Many of us sometimes feel that our students are “over-assessed,” so it’s easy to have a negative attitude toward testing. But assessments are an essential part of teaching when they are used effectively. The descriptions below include information about what each assessment type is intended to accomplish, as well as some ideas for making it meaningful and effective in the classroom. 

“Another day, another educational policy that changes how we do things ... again.” That’s the way it feels at times, doesn’t it? And sometimes, past negative experiences can cause educators to ignore potential opportunities because it’s just such a relief not to have to make another change. Well, brace yourself. Here is a quick overview of how four very recent federal policies are significantly changing (or may have the potential to change) what and how students learn.

We Bought All This Technology—Now What!?!
A lot of time, resources, and budget dollars are spent evaluating, piloting, and implementing technology. Once all of that has been accomplished, how do you make sure the new technology is actually used by educators and students? And not just used, but incorporated in meaningful and effective ways that will really make a difference in student learning?

This is a journey for all involved that doesn’t just happen overnight. The commitment to effective integration involves much more than just purchasing the technology and holding typical introductory in-service training for staff. A culture of expectations must be established by all stakeholders to reach the full potential of the awesome set of new tools and resources available in your teaching toolbox. 

Much like many of the decisions that principals face every day, the world of “resources” isn’t as cut and dried as it used to be. A website offers a blog, a book has a hashtag, and some providers offer a little bit of everything: blogs, books, articles, conferences, twitter chats...you get the picture.

To cut to the chase, we offer the following list of 25 great resources for school administrators at all levels, in no particular order:

It’s back-to-school time in the US, and classrooms are getting spruced up for business. As we brush out the cobwebs and get things in order, let’s not forget to spend some time dusting off our classroom website, too.

Here are 10 tips to help you refresh your online site for the upcoming school year.