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"Most educators, policymakers, and parents agree that today's students need a mix of knowledge, skills, and dispositions to prepare them to be successful and engaged citizens. Given that students need a mix of these things, iknowledge, educators, policymakers, and parents are also askng, "How do we know if students are learning both what we are teaching and what they need to know to succeed?""

"True Project Based Learning (PBL) challenges students to acquire deeper knowledge of a concept by establishing connections outside their classroom. According to the research on PBL, the main tenets are to create real world connections, develop critical thinking skills, foster structured collaboration, motivate student driven work, and enable a multifaceted approach. Similarly, coding applies all of these core tenets as programs require logical thinking, team work, a variety of tools, and - most importantly - perseverance on the part of the student. Consider the potential of applying the challenges of coding to the proven successful tenets of PBL."

"Many schools are moving to project-based learning as a way to help students make meaning about content in deeper and more lasting ways than a lecture can provide. While those goals are clear to educators, and inspiring examples of schools successfully implementing the pedagogy exist, it can still be a challenging shift for many teachers. It is difficult to design projects that both help students learn required content and that genuinely interest them. Some educators are finding that connecting projects to a global community is a powerful way to make a project feel meaningful to students."

"Ultimately, one question always arises. "There's so many apps on the ipad - just how do you expect me to learn it all!!" Here's my quick answer: Don't! While it is important to attach deeper understanding to specific apps for specific purposes, sometimes the introduction can be offered within a framework of "discovery learning". For those of you who have access to an ipad cart or a group of iPads, here's an introductory process for both you and your class:"

"We know there's no silver bullet for improving learning outcomes for kids, and Stanford researcher Carol Dweck, who originated the concept of growth mindset, has spoken out recently against the misapplication of her findings. But with a deeper understanding of the idea, and more exploration around what proper implementation looks like, growth mindset has a lot of potential. If you'd like to learn more, or want to clarify the idea for the people around you, these five videos offer something for every audience-from preschoolers to parents and colleagues to college kids."

"Augmented reality (AR) is a tool educators should consider using as it provides discovery and experiential experiences creating more opportunities for students to make deeper connections and understandings. Additionally the 2010 and 2011 Horizon Reports, predict that the use of augmented reality in education will be widespread within two to three years. "

"With the rise of new trends such as a flipped classroom and whole brain teaching, there is an emphasis on getting students more actively involved in learning in the classroom. And whether or not you choose to fully embrace either of these methods, we can all agree that we want students participating as much as possible. When students are actively participating, they are learning. In math classes we typically involve students in the problem-solving side, but we don't often expect them to provide explanations."

"In the first installment of Rick Wormeli's homework advice, he made the case for take-home assignments that matter for learning and engage student interest. In Part 2, Rick offers some guiding principles that can help teachers create homework challenges that motivate kids and spark deeper learning in and out of school. These articles are adapted and updated from Rick's seminal book about teaching in the middle grades, Day One & Beyond: Practical Matters for New Middle Level Teachers. Rick continues to offer great advice about homework, differentiation, assessment and many other topics in workshops and presentations across North America. Check back in Part 1 for some additional homework resources."

"Create. Collaborate. Iterate. Dream. Reflect. Design. Take risks. It's the stuff learning is made of. Not the kind you find in a textbook or in testing practice. The kind you find in the world. The kind that grabs a hold of your interests, ignites your passions, and launches you into a space where there are possibilities. The kind that is messy and tangled and amazing. We all need to be reminded of what true, authentic learning really is. Deeper than standards, into a space where connections are made with each other and with the world. Let's make that happen. Or you could just turn to page 26 and continue following the textbook company's idea of what will engage your learners."

"After weeks of poring over reviews and testing the app in my classroom, I can say with confidence that instaGrok offers the best research engine experience for education of any app for tablets running iOS or Android. The instaGrok app is more classroom-friendly than its competitors, and its visual presentation of results is unparalleled. With instaGrok, teachers can encourage self-directed learning, empowering students to hone research, critical thinking, and writing skills. The search results engage students and encourage them to dig deeper in research projects. Read on to learn why instaGrok is the ideal classroom research app."

" If student engagement equals deeper learning, then making school fun might just be the key to improved learning.  Imagine the looks on students' faces when you tell them that today, right there at school, their job is to become toymakers. Once they get over the shock, they'll be thrilled to create their own toys and channel their creative energy with an added bonus of fun. It may be the best head-fake technique ever for embedding the problem-solving and creative thinking skills that students will need for digital age jobs. Thanks to 3D printing and other maker tools, students can gain valuable STEM and technology skills while engaging their brains instantly and in new ways. And this will help them as they get older, according to Glen Bull, co-director of the Center for Technology & Teacher Education at the University of Virginia."

"Ever want your students to slow down and notice details when they read - whether they're perusing a book, a poem, a map or a political cartoon? Young people often want to hurry up and make meaning via a quick skim or a cursory glance when a text can demand patience and focus. Closely reading any text, whether written or visual, requires that students proceed more slowly and methodically, noticing details, making connections and asking questions. This takes practice. But it certainly helps when students want to read the text. We've selected 10 photos from The Times that we've used previously in our weekly "What's Going On in This Picture?" and that have already successfully caught students' and teachers' attention. These are some of our most popular images - ones that may make viewers say "huh?" on first glance, but that spark enough curiosity to make them want to dig deeper. (Please Note: You can quickly learn the backstory about any of these photos by clicking the link in each caption that takes you to the original post, then scrolling down to find the "reveal.") Below, we offer ideas from students and teachers who have engaged with these images for ways to use them, or images like them, to teach close reading and visual thinking skills."

"Several teachers now have already stated using the flipped classroom model in their teaching and some are still thinking about how to do it. If you are one of those who are keen on applying this learning/teaching strategy with your students then this resourceful section will provide you with all the materials, tips, ideas, and tools to flip your classroom. A flipped classroom is a model in which the ordinary teaching activities which are done in class like lecturing or demonstrations are recorded in videos and podcasts for students to access at home. The in-class time is used instead for deeper class discussions, students projects, one-one-one interventions, peer collaboration, and many more."

"Learn how to recognize and count with coins using the MaKey MaKey. Anyone with a MaKey MaKey can create this educational tool for kids. The software is written in Scratch, which can be modified in order to go deeper in using coins as well as Scratch programming. We hope that you have fun!"

"By recognizing that our prior experience with ICT had created paradigms that constrained our thinking, we are starting to glimpse new learning opportunities made possible by one-to-one integration of iPads. Rather than viewing iPads as substitutes for other technologies (including paper), it is our view that iPads can be used as tools and environments for learning that allow for deeper and more diverse engagements.  Our journey with iPads in learning continues."