Over a year ago, Sarah Walters* was a well‐liked virtual school teacher living in a small community in Colorado. Sarah had taught at a suburban school in her close knit community for more than five years, and then transferred to new virtual school for increased career flexibility where she received many awards. It was in this position that the rug was swiftly pulled from under her after she was fired for contact deemed "inappropriate" by school administrators.   Continue Reading...

Violent crimes in public schools have been a hot topic in the American discourse for years. From Columbine to Virginia Tech, communities have realized that violent incidents can strike anywhere. Just this past January, Education Matters featured a story on the warning signs of school violence for educators. Although violence in schools remains a threat, a new report illustrates that violent crimes in the nation's schools have declined in recent years, while cyber bulling and youth suicides have risen.   Continue Reading...

Do you or a colleague have a great idea for a children's book? If so, don't forget to enter the National Association for Elementary Schools Principals Children's Book of the Year Contest. There are just two weeks left to enter this 2nd annual event that seeks to discover, publish, and launch two aspiring writer's careers. Two winners will be selected–one children's picture book and one children's chapter book.   Continue Reading...

Check out these great resources from Best Practices Weekly. Have a great February!   Continue Reading...

February is Black History Month, or National African American History Month, an annual celebration of achievements by black Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S. history. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially recognized the occasion, and interestingly both Canada and the United Kingdom share in devoting the month to celebrating Black history.   Continue Reading...

Over the past few years, education reform has been a hot topic nearly nationwide. While the examination of our system is prudent  it is critical to recognize the amazing work our educators are doing across the country. For the second year in a row, GOOD and University of Phoenix are launching The Great American Teach-Off—a nationwide competition that will identify classroom heroes and reward one with a $10,000 grant to use towards his or her classroom.   Continue Reading...

Ms. Ashley Favorite, a teacher at the Lac du Flambeau Public School in Wisconsin, has been awarded a scholarship by the Association of American Educators Foundation to supplement the cost of tuition for graduate courses at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Ms. Favorite is pursuing a Master of Science Degree in Education with a focus on reading education; while both teaching fulltime and maintaining a 4.0 grade point average.   Continue Reading...

As a growing number of teachers see the need to make their teaching more relevant to today's technology generation, there's a good chance that one of the most popular education buzz-phrases this year will be "flipped classroom." This increasingly popular educational trend reverses the traditional pattern of classroom instruction followed by homework activities. With the flipped classroom model, students gain insight into the material—and control the pace of their learning—through viewing introductory videos of the information at home. Students then come to the classroom prepared to tackle an activity related to what they learned the night before. In the classroom, students have more time for hands-on activities, and they are able to get immediate assistance from the instructor and their peers when they face challenges in solving complex problems.   Continue Reading...

We came across a great (and free) resource for teachers and thought we should share. A company called ACALETICS® is offering free web-based math flashcards to help students improve their computational fluency.   Continue Reading...

Happy New Year from Best Practices Weekly! Start your year off right with some great professional resources.   Continue Reading...

Let's face it, budgets are tight and after an expensive holiday season, there are no shortages of "penniless teachers" across the country. In examining the resolutions of countless teachers this new year, saving money seems to top many lists. While most educators often foot the bill for classroom projects and supplies, a new blog called Penniless Teacher, provides a one-stop-shop for classroom teachers seeking easy funding opportunities via current listings of teacher scholarships and grants, teacher contests, and teacher giveaways.   Continue Reading...

Keeping parents informed has become rather easy in the 21st century. There are all kinds of tools for educators can use. I've personally tried blogs, wikis, and specifically designed web pages, but the bottom line is you just have to find what works best for your parents. My parents are email users. I have told them that the best way to contact me is through email, so they often use that first. It also means it is the quickest way I can get information out to them. My parent communications have become entirely paperless, so the forests can rest at ease. Central to my 21st century parent communication plan are the following:   Continue Reading...

Christmas break is just around the corner and you are no doubt busy with countless parties and errands, all while trying to wrap up loose ends in the classroom. While many teachers see the holiday season as time of relaxation for students, capitalizing on the season's teachable moments can be memorable for both teachers and students alike.   Continue Reading...

The Association of American Educators Foundation (AAEF) would like to extend our congratulations to the winners of the fall 2011 National Scholarships and Grants competition!   Continue Reading...

As young students, everyone remembers bringing their teacher a gift during the holiday season. Everything from tins of holiday cookies to homemade paper weights are given every year from students across the country without fail. This year, however, a law in Alabama is making waves for its harsh penalties for teachers who accept gifts from students over a mere $25, raising questions nationwide about holiday giving and whether accepting gifts as an educator is appropriate.   Continue Reading...

Happy Holidays from Best Practices Weekly! We hope these resources make your December merrier.   Continue Reading...

I decided to request Dr. Robinson's permission to repost his piece on the AAE blog because we all probably know an administrator who wants to get going with technology but who doesn't know where to start. Of course, s/he better get going because some of the items below will probably be out-of-date in no more than a year—that includes Facebook going through three more major facelifts. And don't let any beloved administrator (or teacher for that matter) use that last sentence as an excuse not to start. We all have to start somewhere with technology implementation—for our own professional development and for the benefit of student-centric learning.   Continue Reading...

I experienced my first Virtual Schools Symposium last week in Indianapolis (It snowed). The International Association for K-12 Online Learning, iNACOL, organizes the event every year. What a quality experience! Let me count the ways:   Continue Reading...

Today is Veterans Day, a federal holiday commemorating and honoring the service of American men and women in uniform. In recognition, Congress has mandated that every educational institution receiving federal funds take a day to teach about our country's heroes. If you are planning on discussing the importance of our military with your students, today or in the coming weeks, there are some fantastic resources for reading, sharing and contributing.   Continue Reading...

Thanksgiving time is almost here and no doubt you’re already knee-deep in planning.  Now, I’m fond of hand-turkeys and trust me when I say I appreciate the classroom Thanksgiving feast, but as a social studies educator, I believe there’s more we gain through teaching about the historical significance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Not only do we have a chance to teach our students something about the history of our country, but it’s also a way we can spark an interest in the subject.

  Continue Reading...