With the launch of LASO Cycle 4, Texas is ushering in the next evolution of its grant and allotment programs, investing over $500 million to strengthen schools across the state. “Learning Acceleration Support Opportunities (LASO) is a single, consolidated application that combines grants, allotments, and in-kind supports, bundled around a few key strategies to accelerate […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
What to Teach: Why character education is important
It’s difficult to imagine an educator who would not be emotionally affected and professionally engaged by this excerpt from a letter to educators published in Teacher and Child by Haim Ginott. “I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no person should witness: gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned […]
Posted inEducational Apps
Is gamifying education really a good idea?
I grew up in the suburbs outside of Washington D.C., and I can remember hoping and wishing that my teachers had something fun planned for class each day. That being said, I knew that that “something fun” was highly dependent on how my classmates and I performed in class. If we were focused and finished […]
Posted inHistory
National History Day: Using choice to teach History in the English classroom
How do we empower students to retain skills and content? This is an ongoing struggle that ranges across grade levels. As educators, we have all had the conversation with students, “You learned this last year….” Over the last several years, I have incorporated an in-depth project-based learning approach, National History Day, into my writing curriculum, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Holding your kids back: Retention isn’t the problem
The idea that holding students back when they haven’t met grade-level standards does more harm than good is a widely held belief in education circles. This phrase is often repeated as if it were an unquestionable scientific fact. But few anti-retention advocates seem to understand how the foundational studies were conducted, what the data could […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Portraits of a Graduate: Changing the Picture of What Graduation Means
I’ll never forget the moment two students walked into my office for their usual morning check-in. One of them looked at me and said,“Come on, Dr. H — am I really gonna need to know how to use the periodic table to get a job?” Before I could answer, the other chimed in, chuckling,“Yeah, Miss… […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
A.I: Friend or Foe? Teacher’s Thinking Partner or Teacher’s Replacement?
With recent developments in technology, A.I. tools have emerged and firmly embedded themselves in the educational system. This evolution has sparked controversial debates: Will AI replace teachers? Will we lose our jobs? Will it enhance teaching and learning, or will students become overly dependent, leading to a decline in their critical and creative thinking skills? […]
Posted inTeacher Burnout
You Can’t Fill a Cup That’s Already Full: Why Emotion Comes Before Learning
Parents and educators alike often ask the same question: Why does it feel like so much classroom time is spent on behavior, emotions, and social skills instead of academics? The short answer is this: learning cannot happen until students are emotionally ready to learn. When Students Aren’t Ready to Learn When I was teaching in […]