SB 179, drafted by José Menéndez, cleared both House and Senate with bipartisan support in late May 2017. Menéndez claims it would “empower schools, parents, and law enforcement to tackle cyberbullying.” The bill, known as David’s Law, honors a high school student from Alamo Heights who was subjected to fierce cyberbullying before he took his own life last year. The bill will take effect Sept. 1 and Texas schools and districts are taking note of the implications it has on their policies and procedures. At a high level, the bill requires better reporting procedures, notification of parents within a specific timeframe, and district-wide policies. Although some of the sections might be difficult to interpret, some of the main points include District-wide anti-cyberbullying policies ...
There’s no doubt that the Student Information System (SIS) sits at the center of a school or district’s technological toolbox. The SIS tracks everything from grades to attendance to emergency contact information for students and more. The SIS in many districts serves as the central data warehouse where all information passes through. Integrations through Single Sign On (SSO) and Application Program Interfaces (APIs) help partnering tools hook into the SIS to update student records and tie various technology tools together. This helps teachers, administrators, and parents easily access information in a central place. Everything about the school operations and the students can easily be accessed in one place. But can this SIS get too big and too powerful? Who are ...
What’s your name and in which school and/or district do you work? Brandi Augenstein, Santa Ana Unified School District How long have you been working in education and what drove you to your profession? Officially or Unofficially? Unofficially I started working in education when I was about 14, yes I understand child labor laws, but it was an experience that started my career in schools. My best friend’s mom was an elementary school principal and we’d go to work with every day during the summer to help around the school, play with the kids during recess, help in classrooms during the day, hang bulletin board paper for teachers, and tutor and coach after school. We worked for clothing and other ...
G Suite for Education (formerly called Google Apps for Education) provides all of Google’s core offerings to schools. Products like Google Forms, Google Drive, and Google Sheets typically used for personal and business use are available to schools. It also includes a whole lot more custom tools built specifically for schools. Google Forms, for instance, are great for sending out student surveys and even online assessments. Some schools and districts use Google Forms for their bully and incident reporting forms. While Google Forms might seem like a good option here we have actually found several significant pitfalls. We would like for you to consider them as you evaluate your reporting process. Granted, Google Forms are a step in the right direction ...
What’s your name and what school and/or district do you work at? Victoria Woelders Dorothy Peacock Elementary School in Langley, British Columbia, Canada Langley School District in British Columbia, Canada Just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada How long have you been working in education and what drove you to your profession? I have been working in education for over 17 years, and I was driven to this profession when I was 10 years old. My mother was an elementary school teacher and I remember vividly walking into her classroom and thinking to myself I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. Helping and encouraging others is my strong suit and I enjoy the process of seeing children being ...
Be Strong of Deerfield Beach, FL works with students and communities across the country in an effort to end bullying. Their first step is providing help for students and parents who need help after hearing anti-bullying messages inside their schools. Many schools have anti-bullying assemblies, but what happens after those assemblies is what matters most. Be Strong’s set of digital tools connect people of all ages with one-touch resources like a bullying lifeline, suicide lifeline, text line, and trusted friends alert, a Smartphone App, and an information portal. These tools along with increased access to social resources are backed by a growing team of volunteers prepared to spread the message of help and understanding to young people in need. Be Strong’s support ...
The new school year means new students entering your school. Whether your school or district is large or small, bullying is unfortunately an aspect of every school’s student community. Luckily many teachers and students are ready to stand up against bullying when it does occur. For the benefit of both new and returning students and parents, it’s critical to roll-out your school’s bullying reporting policy to your students and parents at the start of every school year. Then, remind them throughout the year of the various bullying reporting options you’ve made available. In some states, legislation requires school-wide anti-bullying policies that address several key points including 1) a reporting mechanism 2) a follow-up time-frame 3) communication channels to students and parents. Here’s ...
Students are already using technology outside (and often surreptitiously inside) of the classroom. With a wealth of educational technology on the market, it’s now up to schools to decide whether they want to help stuents use their devices to learn instead of leaving their students to squander their time mastering the next level in Candy Crush Saga. Interactive technology in the classroom helps students and teachers alike by keeping students engaged in classroom discussions and lessons and helps teachers more easily assess and monitor each student’s pace. Benefits of Using Technology in the Classroom When deciding to adopt interactive technologies in the classroom, consider these benefits: Adapts to the Learning Style of Each Individual Student Students don’t all learn the same ...
School administration and management can take advantage of the downloadable applications found in the app store of their smartphone devices. There are several applications available in the market that target teachers and administrators. Application developers transformed traditional methods of doing things around the classroom into an app. The school administrators can choose from a variety of applications, but here is a comprehensive list of recommended free apps for school administrators. Best Educational Apps for Classroom Management School administration and management should proceed to move into the 21st century. The 21st century has given them the gift of applications. Applications that will help them cut down on the amount of work they do in the classroom. There are specific apps aimed at ...
More and more educational software companies, both online and offline, are popping up to help fill a need for more interactive, personalized educational experiences for students. Their benefits are numerous, and most importantly, education software is a cost-efficient solution for schools who want to manage data and information about their students in an organized manner. Types of Educational Software Online education software has become an essential teaching tool for teachers to use as part of their lessons. Their implementation in classrooms has improved performance of both the students and teachers alike. There are many types of educational software available for a variety of different subjects, but educational software companies have now began to create educational applications for students and teachers ...
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