Educators are still learning how best to use 'maker' kits in classrooms, and aim to provide one for each student to use in school and at home. A student, above, uses a maker kit from a New York City-based company for a hands-on building activity. More components can be added to the kits at each grade level.
In a video produced by the Center for the Collaborative Classroom, teacher Nina Morita demonstrates how educators can build community around writing practice and instruction. Experts say that, when used within a structured PD program, classroom-practice videos can help teachers improve their skills and negotiate instructional shifts.
Cameron Davis, 12, left, and Larenz Davis, 15, rely on their laptop, iPad, and iPhones to complete their homework assignments and collaborate with classmates. Their mother, LaToya C. Staten, checks her email in between helping and monitoring their progress.
Fatuma Shoka, a 9th grader at Auburn Mountainview High School, uses the wireless Internet at the Birch Creek Community Center. The center, through a program supported by the Kent, Wash., school district, offers a kiosk emitting free Wi-Fi so students can go online to complete their school assignments.
Cole Moxley, far left, talks with Melany Garcia during a 9th grade special education course in applied science at Ashbrook High School in Gastonia, N.C.
