Makerspaces are the latest educational movement that may disrupt the "grammar of schooling." Makerspaces may change the ways schools use technology; change the ways schools engage in learning and teaching; and change the forms of learning that count in schools. However, without deliberate professional learning and planning, the glamor of…

To help teachers implement new, research-based approaches for leveraging technology to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning, a systematic review of the research literature on the impact of integrating innovative digital technology in STEM and computer science curricula and classrooms was conducted. For purposes…

Not all schools are obsessed with ensuring high test scores for students. Some schools have designed themselves around a priority of creating safe, empathetic learning environments. The Chrysalis Charter School in Palo Cedro, California, has a mission of developing a culture of kindness. The Minnesota New Country School in Henderson, Minnesota,…

"Next Generation Learning Models for English Language Learners" seeks to highlight the promising practices and trends in new designs to advance learning for English language learner (ELL) students. This paper is designed for practitioners, including educators and education leaders, who want to advance next generation learning models to…

The May 2012 State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) report, "The Broadband Imperative: Recommendations to Address K-12 Education Infrastructure Needs," pushed educators and policy makers nationwide to increase high-speed broadband access in schools, with specific recommendations regarding access, funding, and policies…

There is considerable variation in how providers of digital education describe what they do, their services, how students access services, and what is delivered, complicating efforts to accurately assess its impact. We examine program characteristics of digital tutoring providers using rich, longitudinal observational and interview data and then…

There is a need for quality professional development programs and instructional models addressing the needs and challenges of K-12 technology integration in the geography classroom. This study used a mixed-methods design employing surveys and observations to evaluate teacher experiences within a professional development program focused on…

The purpose of the study was to (a) determine the design features of the physical learning environment that support collaborative, project-based learning, and (b) to gain an understanding of the rationale for the selection of the features. The literature review indicated a need for changing learning expectations to prepare learners for rapidly…

Designed to further the movement of Minnesota's schools toward an outcome-based system, this publication offers: (1) a definition of outcome-based education (OBE); (2) a brief history of Minnesota's involvement in the development of OBE; and (3) a set of terms and definitions for OBE in Minnesota. In addition, the document describes OBE as…

The Metropolitan Principals' Academy was formed in 1984 by eight suburban school districts in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in order to help administrators become more effective. The academy is described, and the research-based model of leadership which guides it is examined. (MT)

The Minnesota Plan offers the kinds of major structural and delivery reforms (many adopted by Minnesota's legislature) that public education must undertake to achieve significant improvement: the restructuring of secondary education, the deregulation of the curriculum and instruction, the redesign of instruction and instructional management, and…

This module explicates the concept of curriculum articulation, one of the instructional characteristics of effective schools set forth in the Minnesota School Effectiveness Program. Curriculum articulation and organization describe the scope and sequence of a curriculum, as it relates to the goals that a school district has for its students.…

Over the past 27 years, the influence of technology has revolutionized the professional practice of Design and its products produced. At the same time, technology has also created more advanced and complex pedagogy for design education. However regardless of technology's influence, critical thinking, problem solving, and presentation are still…

This document provides a structure within which teaching staff can improve students' learning experiences and predict specific learner outcomes in health education. The material is presented in four chapters followed by an appendix. Chapters 1-3 examine the system's values, learner values, philosophy of education, mission for public education and…

Eight Minnesota school districts took part in a Statewide career education program involving approximately 570 teachers and 20,000 students from grades 1-12. Alternative models were explored at each site and included orientation and in-service training for teachers, curriculum/instructional materials development, dissemination, and community…