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Play is a vital tool for learning. It should be vital part of every child's learning; the norm rather than the exception and we leave it behind as we become adults to our own peril. 

"At the end of 2016, I found myself mentally exhausted and barely able to string together a coherent thought or formulate an original idea. As I swiped through my social media feeds for inspiration-or maybe procrastination-a nagging feeling hit. I needed a break from screen time. Pediatricians, psychologists, and neuroscientists warn of potential negative consequences associated with constant mental stimulation as a result of interacting with our devices. Without a screen-free space for my brain to relax, stop firing, and just think, I felt incapable of significant mental processing. I could blame the technology for thwarting my attempts at creative thought, or I could blame myself for taking the easy route and using my devices to constantly stimulate my brain. Though I chose to blame myself, I am finding a lot of support for the idea of blaming technology when discussing the idea of screen time. Get the best of Edutopia in your inbox each week. Mobile devices have the potential to provide amazing learning opportunities as well as great distractions. They can further social interactions to help us build stronger connections in our communities, or allow us to destroy relationships by hiding behind a screen. In the book The Triple Focus: A New Approach to Education, authors Daniel Goleman and Peter Senge describe three essential skills for surviving in a society increasingly dominated by internet-enabled devices: focusing on ourselves, tuning in to others, and understanding the larger world. While the authors apply these concepts to the broader field of social and emotional learning, these same foci also apply as we address the issue of screen time with our students and children."

"In A Story of a Young Life Turned Around by Great Teachers, Kevin Honeycutt shared, "I believe you can flip a kid on any given day in one hour." I've been thinking. Can you? Well, when something horrific happens: death in the family or other trauma - maybe not. But on most days with most kids, I think this is true. I had an upset child just yesterday. We had a private talk as she was coming into the classroom (straggling behind everyone else). And yes, she was flipped. My words and our interaction FLIPPED HER and changed her day. When I saw that happen, I realized that it is true. We can flip kids (and perhaps each other) if we pay attention and notice. Here are some ways you can flip a kid. Please share yours in the comments. Let's get this kid flipping conversation going!"

"As I wrap up my first month of consulting, I have one overarching takeaway: in every building, in every district, in every city, in every state, there are administrators, teachers, and students who are so passionate about learning that you can feel the positive energy in the room. It's humbling. It's heartwarming. It's inspiring. Yet, what I also see are lots of educators and students who frequently second guess themselves, continuously ask for permission to do anything, or who render themselves silent in large groups and appear to have "given up." However, behind closed doors, these are the same educators and students who are overflowing with enthusiasm and have a wealth of knowledge. Naturally, I have been doing a lot of thinking about the strikingly similar behaviors both adult educators and student learners demonstrate in our current educational system. What causes passionate learners to become apathetic toward their passion? Why do students and adults alike ask for permission to learn? And, I keep coming back to one simple conclusion. THE DEFICIT MODEL OF EDUCATION HAS WORN US ALL DOWN"

"Asked to name important inventors and you might start with Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell or Leonardo da Vinci. But what about Mary Anderson? Or Ann Tsukamoto? You might not know their names, but they are just two of the female inventors behind everyday objects and scientific innovations."

"Chances are you've heard a lot about digital citizenship  by now. Many reputable and respectable organizations have devoted their life's work to developing digital citizenship resources to promote its values in educators and learners worldwide. We at the Global Digital Citizen Foundation are proud to be among them. We all know the world is different now. We're all globally connected by technology, so making the world a better place by fostering a compassionate and mindful citizenry isn't just the responsibility of a chosen few. Now, it's on all of us. Don't be worried, be overjoyed-especially if you're a teacher. You are in the perfect position to be the best source of digital citizenship development any student could hope for. You're not alone, either-we've gathered a list of digital citizenship resources and websites from people who are just like you, and that are behind you all the way."

"The popularity of mindfulness in the western world has skyrocketed in recent years. It's on the cover of magazines and appears on the evening news. Celebrities swear by it, scientists study it, monks still practice it and business leaders use it to thwart burnout. "

"Dear Parent: I know. You're worried. Every day, your child comes home with a story about THAT kid. The one who is always hitting shoving pinching scratching maybe even biting other children. The one who always has to hold my hand in the hallway. The one who has a special spot at the carpet, and sometimes sits on a chair rather than the floor. The one who had to leave the block centre because blocks are not for throwing. The one who climbed over the playground fence right exactly as I was telling her to stop. The one who poured his neighbour's milk onto the floor in a fit of anger. On purpose. While I was watching.  And then, when I asked him to clean it up, emptied the ENTIRE paper towel dispenser. On purpose. While I was watching. The one who dropped the REAL ACTUAL F-word in gym class. You're worried that THAT child is detracting from your child's learning experience. You're worried that he takes up too much of my time and energy, and that your child won't get his fair share. You're worried that she is really going to hurt someone some day. You're worried that "someone" might be your child. You're worried that your child is going to start using aggression to get what she wants. You're worried your child is going to fall behind academically because I might not notice that he is struggling to hold a pencil. I know. Your child, this year, in this classroom, at this age, is not THAT child. Your child is not perfect, but she generally follows rules. He is able to share toys peaceably. She does not throw furniture. He raises his hand to speak. She works when it is time to work, and  plays when it is time to play. He can be trusted to go straight to the bathroom and straight back again with no shenanigans. She thinks that the S-word is "stupid" and the C-word is "crap." I know."

"Kahoot! on Wednesday launched Kahoot! Studio, a new library of free, curriculum-aligned games designed primarily for K-12 classrooms. The game-based learning platform offers a library of 20 million public "kahoots," or learning games and quizzes, created by more than 50 million active Kahoot! users worldwide. Many teachers in the United States use kahoots during class, but the company heard that creating or finding usable kahoots would take a while. "Kahoot! is at the intersection of education, technology and entertainment and we felt that we had a responsibility and duty to offer original content in order to make the lives of teachers much easier," CEO Erik Harrell said in a prepared statement. "Teachers have told us that they don't always have the time to produce their own content and this was the ultimate impetus behind Kahoot! Studio.""

"With Computer Science in Education (CSED) Week and Hour of Code right around the corner, we have a simple request: Don't teach coding. Instead, we suggest that you introduce computational thinking and creative problem solving into your classroom. This way, you can get at the big ideas behind computer science rather than focus on a single activity or lesson involving "code.""

"Problem Solving through Computational Thinking for Educators, provides teachers with an understanding of what CT is, why it is important, and ways you can incorporate CT skills into your classrooms. Comprised of five distinct "bite-sized" learning modules that introduce the concepts behind CT will spark new ideas, expand teachers' skill sets, and provide concrete ways to help their students excel at critical thinking and problem solving. "

"A FREE Online Conference For Teachers To Help Encourage, Inspire, and Equip You For Success. Go behind the scenes and learn from over 60 amazing educators and speakers. Never before has this line up of speakers ever been assembled together for one event.  October 28 - November 2, 2019"

"While teachers may always be the best line of defense for students falling behind, busy schedules don't always permit the special attention and feedback that students need. That's where artificial intelligence-powered teaching assistants might come in handy. "These intelligent tools can adapt pacing based on the student's ability … and provide targeted, corrective feedback in case the student makes mistakes, so that the student can learn from them," states an eSchool News report released earlier this year. "These tools also gather actionable insights and information about a student's progress and report the data back to the teacher." Understandably, there is still some hesitation at the idea of using this technology, as education professionals fear the day robots will replace teachers. However, as Thomas Arnett, a writer at the Christensen Institute, explains in his report, Teaching in the Machine Age, these advances are not meant to replace teachers but help them bring students to new heights. "Innovations that commoditize some elements of teacher expertise also supply the tools to raise the effectiveness of both non-experts and expert teachers to new heights and to adapt to the new priorities of a 21st-century workforce and education system," writes Arnett. Schools have already begun to adopt machine learning initiatives to help teachers and students fill learning gaps, and the results have been received well so far."

"Laurie Santos wants to help teenagers, and the rest of the world, feel happier. Santos, the psychology professor behind Yale University's most popular course, recently launched a free six-week version of the class aimed at teenagers, called "The Science of Well-Being for Teens." It was developed to address rising rates of anxiety, depression and suicide rates for kids between ninth and 12th grade, Santos says. Lesson No. 1, she preaches in one of the course's pre-recorded lectures: Our brains lie to us about what makes us happy."

"You don't mean to bore students. In fact, sometimes you're downright interesting-the students are engaged, the buzz in the room is palpable, and even the hesitant students are asking questions. But the fact of the matter is, even the most charismatic and experienced teachers bore students sometimes. But the good news is, it may not be your fault. Judy Willis explains the neuroscience behind it all, and offers some simply tricks to help mitigate the reality that you and your content are instinctively low on a student's neuro totem pole. "