When most educators think about social emotional learning, they probably think first about preschool and kindergarten. These are the years when students learn to get along with each other, share toys, solve disputes, and work cooperatively. These are critical foundational skills that students need to not only function in a classroom, but to function in society.

Some students are hard to motivate. The methods we typically use for motivatation—things that work with most students—don’t work with this group. This can be really frustrating for teachers who work with these students, as the behaviors often don’t “make sense” to those of us in education. Why would a student with plenty of opportunity to learn, and therefore advance their stake in life, not take that opportunity? It just doesn’t make sense.

We’re on the verge of one of the largest education technology conferences in the United States. So, of course, everyone wants to know what the 2017 ISTE Conference & Expo will bring to the table.

Are you swamped throughout the school year? Do you get resources delivered to you, but just don’t have the time to look at them? How many sites have you bookmarked during the school day, never to go back to?

As our school year winds down, summer is usually the time we can take a break and relax. It is also the perfect time to catch up with some resources we found over the school year and just didn’t have a spare moment to peruse.

Here are some tools and resources to organize these educational finds we have stumbled across:

We are now at the time of the year when teachers are retiring or relocating to other schools. Administrators are looking to hire new teachers who will help take their schools to the next level in all aspects of education—especially in the area of technology.

What are some ways that principals can bring in educators who will be leaders in the area of technology? There are the basic ways to find out more about candidates, such as reference checks, resumes, applications, and cover letters. However, the traditional methods of exploring great candidates aren’t always enough to help find the right person. What are some other methods of discovering a candidate’s technical expertise and potential? Here are some ideas:

Looking at What Really Matters
If we truly value something, we measure it. This statement should be true, but too often in schools, it is not. Think about the things that we measure: state test scores, perfect attendance, grades, office referrals—the list goes on. It isn’t that these things aren’t important, it’s that they probably aren’t the most important.

When winding down from the school year, I always take a bit of time to reflect on the events of the past year—but I also make certain to keep a steady gaze toward the future. When it comes to education, a great deal never changes. Teachers remain laser-focused and dedicated to their students’ success, while students are eager to learn (albeit they sometimes conceal their enthusiasm). Yet every year, I marvel at the pace of change within the technology ecosystem of K-12 education.

The end of the school year is upon us, but that doesn’t mean the learning has to stop! Here are some fun lesson plans and activities for June to help keep your students engaged until summer break:

End of the Year Review: These renovated lessons offer the perfect opportunity to review math and language arts concepts covered during the school year. Choose from either K-2 elementary students or grades 3-5.

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The end of the school year can be tough. These weeks are often less productive than any other time of the school year—but it doesn’t need to be. Part of having a great end to the year is mindset.

Now that we are 17 years into the 21^st century, it is interesting to note that thus far, our 21^st century learning skills are still very relevant. When looking through the four elements of the Framework for 21^st Century Learning, we see the skills listed that our students continue to need through the first two decades of our century.

Within the first element, civic literacy is an area that many schools continue to need resources for. From kindergarten to high school, it is critical for students to have exposure to the role we play as citizens in the various governmental structures. There are some resources listed on the framework page, but what could a school do to move toward real-world, application-level learning for civics and citizenship?