Helping Students to Build Digital Literacy Skills

We have access to billions of resources in less than a second. With all of this power through technology, as educators, we must be able to sort through the information and develop our own digital literacy skills in our work. But more importantly, we […]

STEM Apps for a Rainy Day

Sometimes a hot summer day gives way to a thunderstorm which may have you stuck inside for hours. While summer should be a time for playing outside and enjoying the weather, you may need some STEM apps to try on a rainy day. There are lots of apps […]

4 Ways to Help Students Develop SEL Skills

Throughout the past couple of years, it has become increasingly important to focus on the mental health and wellness of our students and ourselves. As educators, it can be a challenge to find balance in our days and it is important that we do so […]

Where Performance Tasks Fit in the PBL Spectrum

Teachers often joke about the jargon in education—I’ve heard it called “edu-speak.” It can be mysterious to non-educators, and confusing and off-putting even to those of us on the inside. Have you run across, for example… authentic assessment? […]

How to Connect with Students at the Start of the School Year

The start of the school year is an exciting and important time for educators and students. Read these tips for planning and creating a welcoming classroom environment focused on student success to set the stage for a supportive learning atmosphere […]

STEM for All Through Meaningful Project Based Learning

On March 9, 2021, Defined Learning hosted a virtual PBL & STEM Summit. With over 2000 participants from across the nation, the summit featured a session by Tabitha Branum, Deputy Superintendent of Schools and Kyndra Johnson, Executive Director of […]

Outdoor STEM for the Summertime

Summer is a great time to get outside and enjoy your surroundings. Kids and families can take advantage of summer weather by finding the science, technology, engineering, and math in the outdoors. Just because there is no school doesn’t mean we […]

Professional Development That Changed My Teaching and Inspired My Students

Educators have many options to hone their craft in the quest of becoming better teachers. Professional development (PD) opportunities include: 1) improving teachers’ content knowledge; 2) updating teaching practices; 3) learning how to work with new […]

How to Plan Well-Designed, Innovative Lessons that Boost Student Engagement

The past school year has taught us all a lot of valuable lessons. In spite of the challenges that came with a year of “non-traditional” school and experiencing a “new normal,” we also saw tremendous gains in our professional skills and in our […]

Changing the Culture of Professional Learning Through Micro-Credentialing

A deputy superintendent at a large district in Texas explains how her district is transforming professional learning through micro-credentialing.

With 54 school campuses and nearly 40,000 students, Richardson ISD has been recognized in Texas and […]