Ring in 2018! Hard to believe, but we are beginning yet another new year. And while there may be some question about the real astronomical significance of New Year’s Day, the New Year certainly can signal an opportunity for us to resolve to explore and grow as professionals in areas that have the greatest potential impact on those we serve. I am proud to work at a company committed to delivering the very best professional development designed to improve conditions for students by strengthening the capacity of the school leaders and teachers who support them. Catapult’s professional development team reaches more [...]

In The Special Education Teacher Identity Crisis: Prescriptive or Pragmatic? Part I, I discussed the special education teacher “identity crisis” as it relates to taking a more diagnostic/prescriptive role to planning instruction versus a more pragmatic role. I also described my observations of two special education teachers at the same school: one a novice and the other a master teacher. There is a great deal the novice teacher can learn from a master teacher across all facets of the school day; however, the greatest gift the master teacher can give to the novice teacher striving to meet the needs [...]

As we look back at the blogs posted by our EduExperts over the last eleven months,  we notice several topics popular with our blogs readers throughout the 2015−16 school year. These topics range from the Every Student Succeeds Acts (ESSA) to differentiated instruction to special education and more. Following is a list of our 10 most read blogs of this past year. We hope that some or all of these blogs offer both introspection and inspiration as you reflect on this past year and look ahead to the 2016−17 school year. Have a great summer! 1. A Quick-Start Guide to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) by [...]

Preparing students for the real world is central to current education pedagogy. To do this, educators create problem- and project-based learning assignments, encourage students to work collaboratively, develop engaging lessons, and produce a myriad of learning opportunities and assessments.  Whether we are talking about project-based learning, inquiry learning, or another current methods buzz word, what we are really discussing is authentic learning for students. To prepare student for the real world, educators must provide authentic learning experiences. While usually the least supported or publicized method, creating school community partnerships can increase the quality and—most relevantly—the authenticity of a child’s [...]

Ahh . . . summer is here and for most students that means vacation, free time, swimming, and no more school work. For parents and teachers, though, there are concerns that students, while enjoying their summer freedom, will lose some of the academic gains made during the school year. Why should students learn over the summer? According to Cooper, a summer without learning means two months of math computational skills lost. For low income students, two months of reading comprehension skills are also lost. In addition, according to Entwistle and Olson, cumulative summer learning losses have consequences later in [...]