Using social media in education requires putting some building blocks for success in place. A strong foundation for successful use of social networking in education starts by securing parent/guardian and student agreements. Social networking provides a powerful platform for learning and connecting. Facebook is not just for sharing status updates…

Kenneth Grover, the principal at Innovations Early College High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, describes a student he calls Jessica who is, unfortunately, one of thousands of students across the country entering and walking away from high school during their first year. These students' efforts are sincere, their attendance superb, and their…

The Most Hopeful Teacher in America--the author never imagined that her name would follow such a title. During her 23 years in education, the author has had the opportunity to share in spreading this hope to many students, thanks to another ripple of hope that started with a teacher's selfless act during her first year of teaching.…

The co-CEO of Archie Comics, a former elementary school art teacher, knows from personal experience that comics should be a tool in a teacher's toolbox. Comics can hook students on the love of reading. The author shares her experience of not enjoying to read, and even struggling with reading, to becoming the co-CEO of Archie Comics, which has…

Field experiences, also referred to as practicums or clinical experiences, are part of every accredited teacher preparation program. These pre-student teaching experiences place future teachers in a preK-12 classroom where they have the opportunity not just to observe, but also to learn about teaching by interacting with teachers and students. The…

This eighth-grade social studies teacher tells the story of how he began to flip his classroom so that students watched videos at home and had more time for discussion in class. He explains the benefits of this teaching approach, discusses the challenges he encountered, and describes how he solved them.

Students and teachers predict technology's impact on the future of education. What will classrooms look like in 20 years?

What is a makerspace? Makerspaces are community-operated physical spaces where people (makers) create do-it-yourself projects together. These membership spaces serve as community labs where people learn together and collaborate on projects. Makerspaces often have tools and equipment like 3-D printers, laser cutters, and soldering irons.…

The potential for using various apps to improve student learning is tremendous. Yet, despite the iPad's possibilities, apps are often limited in their functionality. No one has created that magical, one-size-fits-all app that accomplishes all of the tasks that you had in mind. Luckily, there is an answer to this common problem: app smashing.…

Pat Yongpradit is the director of education at Code.org. He leads all education efforts, including professional development and curriculum creation, and he builds relationships with school districts. Pat joined "Educational Horizons" to talk about why it is important to teach computer science--even for non-computer science teachers. This…

It's the season for the job hunt, whether one is looking for their first job or taking the next step along their career path. This article presents first-person accounts to see how teachers balance the rewards and challenges of working in different types of schools. Tamica Lewis, a third-grade teacher, states that faculty at her school is…

Mary Mobley teaches English and Michael Chambers teaches world history at Manor New Technology High School, a STEM school, in Manor, Texas. In this article, they talk about how they used "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins to teach their students about forms of government between World War I and World War II, and "Edutopia"…

In this article, the author shares what she has learned about interactive field trips to the local museum and offers tips for success.

The author of this article, a middle school science teacher, reflects on her teaching profession and how she connected to other teachers which helped fuel her students' love of learning. She describes her traditional teaching practice and the facilities of her school's middle science laboratory facilities. She explains how social media…

The conventional wisdom -- and a reality for many -- is that one can advance only by becoming an administrator, pursuing a coaching position, or taking a job in the central office; which often means moving away from the students teachers entered the profession to serve. Fortunately, new career paths are emerging for teachers, and they can advance…