Special Report

Digital Curricula Evolving

May 22, 2013
This special report is the latest installment in an ongoing series about how online education is changing teaching and learning and the development of curricula. It examines how technological trends are transforming the role of the teacher, pressuring education schools to modernize, putting a greater emphasis on quality content, and reimagining K-12 learning environments. It was produced with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Education Week had sole editorial control over the content of this report.
  • Education Examining the Quality of Reading Apps
    This infographic looks at apps, games, and products designed to spur reading gains in students and the websites and services that offer reviews or ratings of these technologies.
    May 20, 2013
    Classroom Technology Ed. Schools Lag Behind Digital Content Trends
    Teacher education institutions risk becoming obsolete if they do not do a better job preparing future teachers to use digital curricula, experts say.
    Amanda M. Fairbanks, May 20, 2013
    6 min read
    Kaliyah Burris- Martin works on math problems using LearnZillion with a computer in her 6th grade class at Mooresville Intermediate School in Mooresville, N.C. LearnZillion is a learning platform combining video lessons, assessments, and progress reporting.
    Kaliyah Burris- Martin works on math problems using LearnZillion with a computer in her 6th grade class at Mooresville Intermediate School in Mooresville, N.C. LearnZillion is a learning platform combining video lessons, assessments, and progress reporting.
    John W. Adkisson for Education Week
    Classroom Technology Digital Video Transforms Teaching Practices
    The growing availability of digital video sparked the "flipped classroom" movement, but identifying quality video content is still a challenge.
    Ian Quillen, May 20, 2013
    7 min read
    Kristen Purcell
    Kristen Purcell
    IT Infrastructure & Management Q&A: Pew Researcher Analyzes Students' E-Research Skills
    Kristen Purcell, the associate director for research for the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, talks about students’ research skills.
    May 20, 2013
    4 min read
    Federal Schools Face Shortage of Digital Curricula for English-Learners
    To help individualize lessons, teachers often rely on digital curricula used for all students as well as software programs tailored for English-language learners.
    Michelle R. Davis, May 20, 2013
    5 min read
    Chris Merkert offers one-on-one instruction to Rafael Marquez during an 8th grade earth science class. The teacher uses a “flipped” approach, in which students watch video lectures outside of class to free up more class time for discussion, analysis, and personal attention.
    Chris Merkert offers one-on-one instruction to Rafael Marquez during an 8th grade earth science class. The teacher uses a “flipped” approach, in which students watch video lectures outside of class to free up more class time for discussion, analysis, and personal attention.
    Emile Wamsteker for Education Week
    Curriculum Digital Trends Shifting the Role of Teachers
    Interactive tools and multimedia content are prompting teachers to take on more of a coaching or guiding role in the classroom.
    Amanda M. Fairbanks, May 20, 2013
    10 min read
    IT Infrastructure & Management Teaching Students Better Online Research Skills
    Many educators are explicitly teaching such skills as how to evaluate a website's credibility, how to use precise keywords, and how to better mine search engines.
    Leslie Harris O'Hanlon, May 20, 2013
    9 min read
    Classroom Technology Evaluating Quality in Digital Reading Products
    Academic experts and children's advocates say teachers and parents are often left on their own to decide whether various products have any educational value.
    Sean Cavanagh, May 20, 2013
    7 min read
    IT Infrastructure & Management 'Personal Learning Environments' Focus on the Individual
    But defining what exactly a "personal learning environment," or PLE, is supposed to look like is proving to be challenging.
    Katie Ash, May 20, 2013
    7 min read
    Students, from left, Jakob Hindman, Catherine Yao, and Sriram Natarajan work on adding a touch sensor to the back of their robot during an engineering class at the STEM High School in the Lake Washington school district outside Seattle.
    Students, from left, Jakob Hindman, Catherine Yao, and Sriram Natarajan work on adding a touch sensor to the back of their robot during an engineering class at the STEM High School in the Lake Washington school district outside Seattle.
    Nick Adams for Education Week
    College & Workforce Readiness STEM Schools Put High Priority on Digital Skills
    Programs build partnerships with private companies and higher education partners to provide the kinds of high-tech skills students need.
    Katie Ash, May 20, 2013
    8 min read
    Classroom Technology Video Content Provider Market Expanding
    As digital video becomes a more popular educational tool, the companies and organizations that provide such content are becoming more diverse.
    Ian Quillen, May 20, 2013
    5 min read