We made it—summer is finally here! Sometimes I feel like the Energizer Bunny throughout the year since I just keep going and going and going. While everyone is excited to have a break, it does seem like our summers keep getting shorter and shorter, so we need to make the most out of the time we have. And just like the Energizer Bunny, every battery needs a little recharging. Here are some tips to help you recharge this summer:

The school year is off to a great start and all school teams are working together without issues. Everyone has a positive attitude each and every day. Teachers leave meetings with a sense of efficacy and support all the decisions that come from administration.

Well, maybe not exactly. But we can dream, right? I have been part of 18 different school years thus far in my career, and each year is filled with highs and lows. At times, there is a positive energy in the school and the culture is great. Other times, it feels a little more like “work” and there are top-down decisions that are hard to support. 

Clayton County Public Schools and Boxlight Take Tech Transformation to New Heights

Focused on improving student outcomes and teacher efficiency, the fifth largest school district in Georgia is installing Boxlight’s innovative technology in approximately 3,200 classrooms.

Congrats, graduate—you did it! All those long nights, hard work, and blood, sweat, and tears. This is the moment you have been waiting for: College life ending and your teaching career beginning. As you get ready to enter this next phase of life, here are some tips to help you with your first year of teaching.

Cars must have gasoline to run, and in a similar way, school teams must have trust to operate effectively. In both cases, any momentum will come to a screeching halt if the “fuel” that drives the system isn’t present. 

Why does trust matter so much in schools? The answer is complex. Teachers tend to operate in their own classrooms to teach finite sets of students. We know that this isn’t always best for student learning, but it is the defacto manner in which most schools operate. School leaders know that collaboration between teachers helps to improve outcomes. When best practices are shared from classroom to classroom, teachers improve and so does student learning. But this isn’t natural for most teachers—and this is why trust is so critical.

Just weeks away from one of the country’s largest education technology conferences, everyone is eagerly awaiting ISTE 2018 and all of the opportunities it offers. ISTE is an amazing place for educators and administrators alike to discover new EdTech trends and products, network with fellow education professionals, and brainstorm and share creative ideas and best practices for implementing technology into the classroom. 

This year’s conference and expo will take place in the third largest city in the US: Chicago, Illinois. Between the workshops and expo offered at the conference and the opportunities to explore the Windy City, here are the experiences you won’t want to miss to get the most out of ISTE 2018:

For all the time, energy, and money we put into books, technology, and curriculum, it’s easy to forget about the importance our school facilities play in student learning. The spaces we provide for students to learn in create an environment that is conducive—or not conducive—to deep learning. And while it might feel that as teachers we can’t impact our physical classroom too much, we can have a greater impact than we may think.

Thinking about purchasing new interactive tools for your school? There are many factors you should consider before taking the leap to ensure that you choose the right solution to best suit your needs. Here’s where you should start: 

1. “What Do I Buy?” vs. “Why Should I Buy?”

Planning for many technologies often seems to start with asking, “How many should we buy and which brand?” But it’s usually better to begin by asking, “Why are we thinking about buying these?” and “Are we buying tools to help the teacher do an even better job, or are we focused on tools to equip the students with new skills?” A well-considered purpose can provide strong guidance for subsequent decisions about choosing, implementing, and adopting any technology, including interactive flat panel displays, touch projectors, and student handheld devices such as iPads, Chromebooks, and Android tablets.

Every teacher’s goal is for students to use critical thinking in the work they do. Students who can think critically grow into lifelong problem solvers. Critical thinking with students means that they can take information and analyze it, draw conclusions, form and defend opinions with data to back it up, reflect on their work, and approach problems in a systematic way. Where does that begin in the classroom? And how do we promote critical thinking in the lessons we do with students? Here are a few suggestions:

It's the age of STEM—and many toy companies have taken note. Well-established toy makers now offer a variety of devices and kits to help you build an innovative makerspace in your classroom. Whether you have already set up a hands-on activity space for your students or are looking to create one in the future, these seven toy companies will help you build an engaging and fun collaborative workspace to help your students exercise their creativity and learn fundamental STEM skills.