Two of my students stared at me, and then at each other. Each held up a sheet of graph paper, but their graphs were different. And then, one of them asked the question I knew was coming.
“But, who is right?”
I looked at them and said, “You tell me.”
The activity I had planned for that day i

The New Classrooms version of reinventing high school and junior highs leverages technology to target lessons to every student every day, explained New Classrooms’ Rose.

Watching screens with lists like an airport departure schedule, kids find the stations they go to each day. It will be a mix of time at a computer table, time with a study group, project time and tutoring time with a teacher when needed. Each day the staff meets after school and, using online coursework and teacher reads, lays out the next day’s lineups.

It sounds a little manic, but here are the results: Overall their students learned a year and a half’s worth of material in one year. English learners, probably coming from behind, averaged 1.7 years’ growth in one year.

And here’s the wild one: Special-education students, rarely expected to even make one year’s growth, averaged 1.4 years in New Classrooms.

The How Games Affect The Brain Infographic examines the neurology of gaming.

The Gamification of Training Infographic presents how gamification can be a highly engaging method of training employees and how it is being used to support performance initiatives.

These days, your online presence is your resume. It’s also the best way to promote your personal and professional brand. Haven’t yet jumped on the social media bandwagon? Now is the time.




Together, the elements that create your brand should communicate a distinct, cohesive story.

Online classes can be rewarding if students are highly engaged, self-motivated, and performing to the best of their capabilities. What makes online teaching challenging is the lack of visually watching students, which means an instructor does not have the benefit of visually assessing them as they attempt to complete the learning activities and course requirements.

That's not the only challenge an online instructor may face. There may be technological issues with the online classroom platform or challenges related to managing a class while meeting the facilitation requirements. What makes online teaching even more challenging are difficult students, which includes students who don't seem to review their feedback and are unreceptive to constructive criticism, along with students who fail to communicate in a respectful tone. Working with difficult students usually requires spending additional time and may create feelings of frustration for the instructor, especially if the students are not responsive.

Even if an instructor is highly visible and engaged in their online class, and offers multiple methods of contact for students, it still may be difficult to pinpoint the underlying causes of student issues. Inappropriate communication must be addressed right away through corrective methods; however, knowing something about the student and the reason for their frustrations can have a positive impact on the situation. Unfortunately, some students rely upon anonymity and do not respond to outreach attempts.

Online students are known primarily through their classroom posts, papers, and messages, which means an instructor may not learn much about them if they are not actively involved in the class – and that makes understanding their developmental needs much more challenging. There are methods an instructor can use as part of their instructional practice to work with difficult students, which means that excellence in online teaching can be maintained during the best and worst of classroom circumstances.

Don't Let Time Be an Issue

A majority of online classes are taught by adjunct instructors. This means that those instructors who are teaching these classes are likely maintaining other responsibilities, similar to their students. Also like their students they may have a specific amount of time devoted for involvement in their classes and when they are online and working there are specific tasks that must be accomplished. Every instructor hopes that students will be highly motivated, fully present when they are in class, and have a mindset that is receptive towards learning. The reality is that students aren't always performing in that manner or have a positive disposition. Whenever a student issue does arise it can cause some facilitation duties to be pushed back. While it is not possible to predict when student issues will occur, an instructor can develop a time management plan for completing the required duties, and have additional time built in to address developmental needs and challenges.

If you are set on mastering assessment language, here are some tips and resources to help you use the best words at the right times.

What follows is the If...Then of professional learning. If school leaders want teachers to be innovative, then they have to offer experiences that inspire innovation. Here are ideas that have worked, with concrete examples.

If you are in Learning and Development the The Top 10 Reasons to Switch to Serious Games Infographic will give you all the arguments you need to get buy-in from stakeholders.

The Gamification in eLearning Infographic presents information on new gamification trends, benefits of gamification and how to motivate your learners.

This visual presentation shows you the 8 types of infographics, and which one is the most effective to use depending on the content you are developing.

This collection of blogs, articles, and videos aims to help educators deploy social-media tools to develop professionally, connect with parents and communities, and engage students in 21st-century learning.