According to a report released by education nonprofit Project Tomorrow, teachers are more likely to use personal mobile devices, including smartphones and tablet computers, than the general public.  While 64% of principals and 54% of teachers have regular personal access to mobile devices, only 40% of the general public has access to personal mobile devices according to the data.

  Continue Reading...

According to recent statistics, cell phone usage among American students has exploded in the last two years. Once strictly limited during school hours, cell phones are now commonly used by students throughout the school day. While some stakeholders believe cell phone technology can enrich the classroom experience or provide students a level of security, others are finding them to be a distraction, leaving administrators searching for policies that balance technology needs with a structured environment conducive to student learning.   Continue Reading...

The AAE blog often features stories on how the internet has revolutionized the teaching profession. From social networking to curriculum blogs and educator forums, tech-savvy teachers are able to connect on an entirely new level using online tools. While there are plenty of free resources available on the internet, a new website called Teachers Pay Teachers is making waves for its ability to allow teachers to sell their go-to lesson plans via an innovative online marketplace.   Continue Reading...

With the rise of social networking and personal blogs, sharing teacher tips and tricks can be easier than ever. With just a quick search, educators can connect with tech-savvy bloggers from across the country to read, share, and collaborate on new and exciting curriculum ideas. Whether you teach elementary school art, high school math, or anything in between–there is a blog that caters to YOU! Check out some of AAE's favorite teacher blogs:   Continue Reading...

AAE is pleased to announce the launch of our charter-focused website: www.AAECharters.org just in time for National Charter Schools Week. The new site is geared toward charter school administrators, leaders, teachers, and associations searching for timely updates and research on issues affecting the public charter school community.   Continue Reading...

Every teacher has found themselves spending countless hours grading papers and organizing their gradebook. While many see grading as tedious work, with the rise of the iPad and iPhone technology, apps designed to help teachers grade student work are well on their way to the mainstream. Some of these apps can even do more than just mark work. Check out the list and see if any would work for you and your students:   Continue Reading...

It's official: AAE has joined Pinterest! Described as a teacher's "new best friend," the new online bulletin board is a great way to organize ideas ranging from professional development resources, to fun quotes, and teacher tips. AAE's new Pinterest page will host boards featuring technology, professional development, classroom ideas, and fun inspirational tools.   Continue Reading...

According to a new study by the University of Akron, computer grading software is just as effective in grading essays on standardized tests as live human scoring. After testing 16,000 middle school and high school test essays graded by both humans and computers, the study found virtually identical levels of accuracy, with the software in some cases proving to be more reliable than human grading. While the results are a blow to technology naysayers, the software is still controversial among certain education advocates who claim the software is not a cure-all for grading student essays.   Continue Reading...

Funds for Early Learning Earmarked in Competitive Grant Program The Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services

announced last week that $133 million from the 2012 Race to the Top program will be available so that additional states can make investments in comprehensive early learning education reform.   Continue Reading...

For the first time in the state's history, New Jersey is set to welcome their first online public charter school this fall. The New Jersey Virtual Academy Charter School (NJVACS), operating in partnership with the online education company, K12 Inc., has already begun to spread the word about their offerings statewide and currently boasts 300 enrolled students for the fall term. The opening of the school marks New Jersey's first big step into full-time online instruction, part of a new trend that has become commonplace in states across the country.   Continue Reading...

As we highlighted recently on the AAE blog, video clips and online resources are changing the face of education, particularly mathematics instruction. While states and districts struggle to keep up with new and emerging technologies, teachers can keep up-to-date with the help of some great online tools.   Continue Reading...

In 2008, Salman Khan, a graduate of MIT and Harvard Business School, was a successful finance executive when he began posting math tutoring videos on YouTube for his family and friends. In the years that followed, Khan's idea has grown into the Khan Academy, a nonprofit organization that has built a free, online database of thousands of digital lessons and lectures on topics ranging from microbiology to economics.   Continue Reading...

While you may think of YouTube as a storehouse for time-wasting videos and tutorials, the internet clip website is going through a definite rebranding for K-12 educators. Since December, Google, YouTube's parent company, has been developing a portal that lets schools filter content for teachers and students. YouTube EDU offers schools the ability to pluck only the videos they want, free from controversial comments–all while blocking the general site content.   Continue Reading...

With social media and technology expanding daily, students and the general public are beginning to embrace shortened "text-speak" as part of an overall trend of using bad grammar, bad punctuation and bad spelling–all for the sake of convenience and speed. While social media lingo may send English teachers into a tailspin, experts have pondered whether proper English grammar may be on a road to extinction in the brave new world of emoticons, texts, tweets, and short Facebook posts.   Continue Reading...

Teachers in the classroom today all remember being issued their textbooks in grade school year after year. Decades old charts and graphs accompanied by the occasional pencil drawing have been standard issue for generations. Currently the textbook business is a $4 billion-a-year industry; however, with dawn of new technologies and new insight into their true effectiveness, paper textbooks are on the fast track to possible extinction.   Continue Reading...

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...

Today, February 1, 2012, students, parents, teachers, state leaders and education advocates from across the country are celebrating the first ever Digital Learning Day! This day recognizes the power of digital learning to improve student achievement and transform education for the 21st century. As part of the festivities, governors, education chiefs, lawmakers and policymakers across the nation are marking this day by making a commitment to fostering digital learning for students.   Continue Reading...

AAE Executive Director Gary Beckner op-ed on school choice options as featured on the Washington Times website:   Continue Reading...

With the push for online learning gaining traction in states across the country, educators coast to coast are capitalizing on new social media sites like Facebook and Twitter for classroom purposes. While tech-savvy educators tout these websites as innovative ways of keeping classroom activities going well after the school bell rings, safety concerns over bullying and inappropriate use of social media have been dominating headlines and after-school specials for months. As the controversy heightens, one middle school is taking the matter into their own hands by addressing the appropriate use of social media in their social studies curriculum.   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...