MindShift

11/15/2025

Community colleges are running apprenticeship programs for heritage industries, like logging and aquaculture. These partnerships help colleges expand the workforce development programs central to their mission.

Apprenticeship programs for heritage industries, such as logging and aquaculture, which can be very small are being adopted by community colleges and can help students learn on the job.

11/14/2025

Unlike live instruction, videos come with built-in accessibility features. Here are five strategies teachers can use to make classroom video viewing more engaging and effective.

In my previous blog posts, I explored three instructional pathways for providing strong Tier 1 instruction. I encourage teachers to consider using instructional videos when they plan to say the same thing the same way for all students. These videos are especially helpful for content that students ne...

11/14/2025

School districts are rethinking their use of edtech. But many are finding that ending a vendor contract is harder than starting one.

Shedding old edtech is a real pain, district experts say. Worse, student privacy may be at risk.

11/14/2025

Spelling is a key part of writing that allows students to build more complex skills, says Georgia State University professor Brennan Chandler.

11/14/2025

Some researchers believe that learning math in real-world contexts helps kids understand abstract concepts. But a study from India suggests that transferring that knowledge isn’t as simple as it sounds.

Nobel economists show how knowledge doesn’t easily transfer between applied and abstract math in studies of street sellers in India.

11/13/2025

Some families have found that scaling back is possible and comes with significant benefits, even if the adjustment period is challenging.

Whether it’s a gradual reduction in screen time or quitting cold turkey, some families are stepping back from tech.

11/13/2025

On weekends, Moorpark College’s Teaching Zoo is open to the public and staffed by students who care for the animals.

One of two collegiate teaching zoos in the U.S. — the other is in Florida — Moorpark College's facility graduates about 45 students per academic year.

11/13/2025

Standardized tests often reward formulaic writing, but what if we valued creativity and authentic language use instead?

Some educators are concerned that students are losing the “thinking work” of writing amid the spread of tools that can produce “B-plus work all the time.”

11/13/2025

Deborah Farmer Kris joined the MindShift Podcast to share advice on what educators can do to find wonder in the subjects they teach.

In her new book, "Raising Awe Seekers: How The Science of Wonder Helps our Kids Thrive," Deborah Farmer Kris shares the powerful emotion that primes people to learn.

11/12/2025

As more students with autism join general education classrooms, teachers can use these best practices to support them.

Best practices include direct and multisensory instruction, role-play and behavior modeling, and being mindful of overstimulating situations.

11/12/2025

A 19-year-old beat his former high school government teacher in a close race for the Surry County Board of Supervisors. His teacher’s reaction? “Not a sad bone in my body.”

Cameran Drew, 19, defeated his former high school government teacher, Kenneth Bell, by 10 votes for a seat on the Surry County Board of Supervisors this week. There are no hard feelings.

11/11/2025

Many kids go through a picky eating phase, but ARFID is different. It’s a severe form of food avoidance that can lead to weight loss and malnutrition.

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, or ARFID, can cause malnutrition and weight loss in children and adults even when body image is not a factor