Azu Ike

Not a day goes by without educators hearing the need for new innovative practices that can stimulate and engage students in the learning process. For the past 5 years we have seen schools begin to focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) and STEAM ( Science, Technology, Engineering, Art  & Math) through Makerspaces and providing students the opportunity to do cross-curricular projects that entail a variety of academic subjects and design thinking. With the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards many schools have begun to shift their science programs that now include systems thinking and giving students the opportunities to do hands-on experiments and conduct investigations. With the movement away from rote learning, teachers will need to develop new skills and strategies to have students do science both inside and out of the classroom. A recent study by the Amgen Foundation, Change t...

I am happy to share that Co-Teaching & Technology-Enhancing Communication & Collaboration (a laminated guide) by Marilyn Friend and I will be released shortly and is packed with practical suggestions on how you can get the most out co-teaching and technology. With the expansion of co-teaching as a means to improve student outcomes, technology can be an invaluable resource.  Co-teachers need to plan collaboratively, jointly implement lesson plans, and cooperatively assess student progress.  This reference guide provides practical  strategies on how technology can facilitate co-planning, expedite sharing of student data, and streamline many other tasks that ultimately assist in accomplishing co-teaching’s goal: improved student outcomes. Whatever your preferred computer platform, co-teachers can apply these strategies and applications to accommodate all learners’ needs. Written by the nation's foremost authority on co-teaching, Marilyn Friend, and Brian Friedlander,...