First Lady Melania Trump convened the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) Education last week, bringing together Task Force members and private sector leaders to discuss the future of AI in American schools and industries. “I predict AI will represent the single largest growth category in our nation during the Trump Administration—and I […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Judge Restores $2 Billion in Federal Research Funds to Harvard
In a landmark victory, a federal judge has sided with Harvard University to restore more than $2 billion in frozen federal funding for research for the Ivy League school. US District Judge Allison Burroughs delivered a major victory to Harvard University and rejected the Trump administration’s argument that they froze the billions in research due to antisemitism […]
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American Laoshī: Lessons in Patience, Power, and a Boy Named Jerry
Arrival in Beijing: Teaching Without a Map Day one in China proved to be tougher than I expected. Commissioned to teach a class of first-graders English in the capital city, Beijing, I planned my teaching methods based on my years of experience in America. I created lessons “flawlessly” devoted to teaching Chinese kids English, even […]
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What do you see in 33 + 45? A case for visual math
When you hear or look at the math problem: 33 + 45… what do you see? I ask students and even adults this question fairly often. The numbers in the equation may change but the question is always about what they see. I teach middle school math and I am a visual math learner. I […]
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Why classroom placement matters: Lessons from a decade in Special Education
Ten years ago, I followed a fascination with how children think, feel, and learn into the world of special education. Since then, working across public school districts has been a journey full of challenges, growth, and purpose. And what a ride it’s been. Over the past decade, I have had the pleasure of encountering some […]
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We’re More Than a Break for Teachers: Why specialist teachers deserve a voice in school leadership
There’s this unspoken rule in schools that you learn pretty quickly when you’re a specials teacher: You’re here to give the “real teachers” a break. Whether you teach art, music, P.E, STEM, Language, or any enrichment class, you feel it. The unintentional (and let’s be honest – sometimes intentional) dismissal of your role as anything […]
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Assistive Technology to support reading using Google Read & Write
Imagine it is the last hour of the day. You have given directions for the students to start on their class reading assignment, but all of a sudden, you see 5 students raising their hands. You go over and address one student, and then another student raises their hand. Now you are overwhelmed because you […]
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Good Character Education is Good Education
“A child is the only known substance from which a responsible adult can be made.” –Tom Lickona, Raising Good Children The University School of Milwaukee (USM), where I am the Middle School Head, has a core set of values that we refer to as The Common Trust. Our core values are respect, trust, honesty, fairness, […]