The iTeach Blog

Hey Coach, I work with early learners, and I’m worried about their abilities to manage technology-based learning experiences. How can I prepare my young students for the digital world? Sincerely, On Edge in Early Ed Dear On Edge in Early Ed, As a former kindergarten teacher, I can relate to your concern! When I first found out we had access to devices, I was very hesitant to use them. I was worried about proper handling, exposure to inappropriate material, and I didn’t think my kids would know how to operate the device. However, I was wrong ! Look around you; kids of all ages are using technology. It is everywhere! I have even seen toddlers navigate the PBS Kids website in order to watch their favorite characters. Clearly our students are using technology - It remains our job as educators to lead their technology use in productive ways that support our teaching and students’ learning. We can prepare students for this digital world in many different ways! To begin with,...

Hey Coach, I love using stations, voice, and choice in my classroom, but I am having trouble managing behavior. Do you have any suggestions? Sincerely, Struggling with Stations Dear Struggling with Stations, Kudos to you for giving your students voice and choice in how they learn! Managing behavior is a common issue teachers face when implementing stations, so know that you are not alone. Keep in mind that all behavior is a form of communication, so it’s important to reflect on why students are exhibiting a specific action. Figuring out why the behavior is occurring will help you determine how to address it. We know that’s hard to do in the moment, but we can train ourselves to be better at this. Some common messages your students might communicate during your stations are: I’m confused about this task. This is too hard/easy for me. I’m having a hard time working with my partner/group. I’m frustrated. I don’t know how to use this tool. Teaching executive function ...

Hey Coach, I’ve heard a lot about personalized learning, but what is it? Is personalized learning just another educational initiative? Sincerely, Not Another One Dear Not Another One, If you have been in education for more than a minute you’ve seen half a dozen educational initiatives come and go, so your question isn’t without merit. I want to give you a straightforward answer, but it gets a little tricky. If you haven’t already, check out the Personalized Learning white paper by Dr. Anissa Lokey-Vega and Stephanee Stephens. It explains personalized learning and breaks down the essential conditions for a personalized learning environment. Also important to note, as the authors do, the white paper is subject to iteration as research and experiences inform pedagogy and the vision of personalized learning becomes refined. Personalized learning has some core tenets that set it apart from the traditional educational model. You can see an overview of these tenets on our Essen...

Hey Coach, I have noticed a trend in my classroom - my students shy away from challenging tasks that require them to step out of their comfort zone! I want to create an environment where students feel comfortable taking risks and are willing to persevere through difficulties. What can I do to foster these skills in my students right from the start of the school year? Sincerely, Ready for Risk-Taking Dear Ready for Risk-Taking, Way to go! I like that you are thinking about how you can support your students as they build these important executive functioning skills! As you know, covering content and standards is just part of the equation. Building executive functioning skills like perseverance and risk-taking are a critical piece of academic success. Research shows that grit, or the ability to persevere when faced with obstacles, is one of the key principles that influence student learning and predict student success ( Duckworth & Peterson, 2007 ). Design cha...