k-12 education

I’ve long believed that the ancient Romans had it wrong when they assigned January 1 as the start of a new year. While I admit that I enjoy the extended holiday that takes place for many at year-end; for me, the “new year” really begins right about now, in the waning days of a New England summer and…

Store shelves are crammed with lunchboxes: Pokemon and Paw Patrol, Spirit and mermaids, and superheroes of every stripe. While the designs available have changed over time—my Josie and the Pussycats lunchbox definitely lacked bento-style compartments—the reason for their existence has not. It’…

Located in suburban Johnson County, Kansas (and just ten miles from Kansas City, Missouri), Shawnee Mission School District is the third largest school district in the state, with 33 elementary schools, five middle schools, five high schools, and one alternative high school, which combine to serve n…

When my children were younger, the first sign of summer—besides the longer days and warmer temperatures—was our annual trip to our local bookstore. We (me included!) always came home from these jaunts with arms full of books. A few were from their school’s ubiquitous “summer reading” list, but many…

1:00 pm: Students trickle back into class after a well-deserved lunch break. Eager to get started with their next lesson, they grab their school-issued laptop out of their emptying backpack, log on, and start their next assignment while patiently waiting for the teacher to bring attention to the fro…

We’re living during a time of major change in education, with next-generation digital environments transforming the way educators teach and students learn. Some say this is the Fourth Industrial Revolution—the connecting of the physical, digital, and biological worlds in ways that are more significa…

At a recent event in the Missouri state capitol, Cisco Networking Academy commemorated its 20-year anniversary with 120 graduates of Missouri programs. This anniversary marks a major milestone for the internationally recognized education program, which was launched in 1997 to help educate a workforc…

Setting up a 1:1 iPad initiative for 20,000 students In a rural public school district in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, Scott Miller, Director of Technology, had a vision: to set up a 1:1 iPad initiative for his students, flip his district’s classrooms, and ensure that every child had the same access to…

A comprehensive funding strategy is one of the most important elements of implementing a successful digital learning plan. E-rate will only fund certain technologies, and, as a discount program, it requires that schools and libraries provide matching funds for projects. Successful schools and librar…