eSchool News

DECEMBER 3, 2021

In fact, the switch to hybrid and fully virtual learning during the pandemic highlighted how students can become distracted and lose motivation when they are seemingly hiding behind a screen, causing many frustrated parents and teachers to loathe the use of technology in learning. My teenage students love technology.

Motivation 328

Motivation Students Communication Feedback 328

k12 Digest

MAY 19, 2025

Teachers are constantly battling for students attention, often losing that battle to smart phones. By aligning instructional strategies with how the brain naturally learns, educators can create environments where students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Lets examine a few examples from the research.

Science 246

Science Education Motivation Lecturing 246

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 30, 2017

When I spoke at Californa’s Better Together Teachers Summit , I talked about the power of connecting students to an authentic audience online. I emphasized the role technology can play in helping teachers to get more eyes on student work and, as a result, motivate students to do their best work.

Feedback 419

Feedback Students Motivation Grades 419

Catlin Tucker

DECEMBER 12, 2023

Not only has the explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots created concern about assigning writing, but myriad challenges exist when we send writing home with students. #1 As a result, writing assignments often fail to meet the psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness required for motivation.

Assignments 457

Assignments Writing Feedback Motivation 457

Catlin Tucker

JANUARY 10, 2022

Teachers are navigating substitute teacher shortages, COVID protocols, and record numbers of absent students in addition to the normal demands of this job. Yet, the last two years have highlighted how crucial school is for students and families. I teamed up with Dr. Katie Novak to write a follow-up to our book UDL and Blended Learning.

Blended Learning 466

Blended Learning Metacognitive Skills Teachers Feedback 466

Catlin Tucker

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

Could approaching the design, instruction, and facilitation of learning (in class, online, or a combination of the two) with a “would you rather” lens improve student motivation and engagement? That requires less time to prepare for, while still giving students a choice. I think it could. Would You Rather?

Laboratory 543

Laboratory Motivation Fairness Participation 543

Ask a Tech Teacher

APRIL 23, 2024

The psychology of motivation: Strategies for engaging students Motivation plays a role not only in people’s choice to get involved in their goals but also in their behavior, persistence, and, ultimately, success. What does motivation entail? Experts in psychology have comprehensively analyzed motivation.

Motivation 174

Motivation Students Feedback Achievement 174

Catlin Tucker

MAY 18, 2021

So, students should do the heavy cognitive lift of making meaning and applying their learning. Blended learning is “active, engaged learning online combined with active, engaged learning offline to give students more control over time, place, pace, and/or path of their learning.”

Blended Learning 521

Blended Learning Feedback Learning Beliefs 521

Edsurge

JANUARY 7, 2022

Reader Question: Dear Bonni, What ideas do you have for student accountability? How do we get students to do pre-class work without giving a grade to everything? The moves came prior to the motivation. Cravings are the drives that motivate us to act. You can pose a question for a future column here.

Motivation 202

Motivation Reading Instructors Assignments 202

eSchool News

MAY 16, 2024

AI tutoring can change students’ learning experiences by providing access to an environment designed according to their learning styles and paces. A significant advantage of AI tutoring systems is the personalized learning experiences they can offer students. It can provide more examples and problems until the student succeeds.

Learning Styles 311

Learning Styles Learning Students Gamification 311

k12 Digest

MAY 15, 2025

The implications stretch far beyond convenience or novelty- they represent a fundamental shift in how knowledge transfers from source to student. These AI-powered assistants serve as perpetually available guides, providing instant feedback, adaptive challenges, and personalised pathways through educational content.

Education 167

Education Learning Knowledge Feedback 167

Catlin Tucker

DECEMBER 31, 2020

My research made it clear that two of the most significant factors impacting teacher engagement was the depth of our relationships with students and our relationships with our colleagues. Teachers have found it challenging to connect with their students when a screen mediates those interactions. ” I hear this a lot. I disagree.

Learning 544

Learning Blended Learning Assignments Feedback 544

Catlin Tucker

MARCH 8, 2021

“Students don’t do the asynchronous work.” ” “Students don’t work unless I am monitoring them.” ” “Students will only do the work if I grade it.” Teachers are frustrated by what they perceive as a lack of focus, engagement, and motivation.

Blended Learning 543

Blended Learning Metacognitive Skills Learning Motivation 543

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 16, 2021

Student agency, or a students’ ability to make key decisions about their learning experience, is an essential aspect of blended learning. Student agency requires that we design our lessons to offer students meaningful choices. Choice is a powerful motivator. The Benefits of Choice Boards.

Blended Learning 546

Blended Learning Feedback Activities Universal Design 546

Catlin Tucker

DECEMBER 28, 2018

I’ve never liked the idea that as teachers it is our job to “manage” students, but it wasn’t until I was reading research about human motivation for my doctoral program that I understood why I was feeling such a knee-jerk reaction when I heard the phrase “classroom management.”

Classroom Management 419

Classroom Management Blended Learning Motivation Coaching 419

Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 14, 2020

I highlighted how blended learning can help educators more effectively provide multiple means of engagement to increase student motivation and ensure all students can successfully engage with learning experiences. That way, students can engage with information in a format that appeals to or is more accessible for them.

Universal Design 546

Universal Design Blended Learning Learning Feedback 546

Edsurge

MAY 9, 2023

candidates at MIT’s Lifelong Kindergarten research group, say it all started with a single piece of feedback: “Just make learning fun.” Not an ideal conversation right after sessions on mindfulness, but the husband-and-wife researcher duo did take away two key lessons from the students’ candor. Quizizz is embodying this shift.

Gamification 205

Gamification Motivation Game-Based Learning Math 205

Edsurge

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

As an elementary school student, I remember sitting “criss cross applesauce” among my peers during the end-of-the-quarter awards ceremonies, hoping my name would be called. Competition can be thrilling and motivating to those who choose to engage. I figured that what gave me joy in elementary school would do the same for my students.

Motivation 178

Motivation Students Middle School Middle School 178

Catlin Tucker

FEBRUARY 26, 2023

Why should teachers use rubrics to assess student work? How does using rubrics benefit students? When teachers provide students with the rubric at the start of any assignment or task that will be assessed, the rubric serves as a roadmap. It helps students understand what is expected and how they will be evaluated.

Fairness 545

Fairness Assignments Feedback Evaluation 545

k12 Digest

MAY 19, 2025

Teachers are constantly battling for students attention, often losing that battle to smart phones. By aligning instructional strategies with how the brain naturally learns, educators can create environments where students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Lets examine a few examples from the research.

Science 130

Science Education Motivation Lecturing 130

Catlin Tucker

FEBRUARY 14, 2019

“If I don’t grade it, students won’t do it.” ” This reasoning leaves teachers with piles of work to grade, but I wonder how much of that time spent assigning points to student work results in improved student performance. Feedback on a finished product is not useful to students.

Grades 420

Grades Feedback Assignments Motivation 420

Catlin Tucker

NOVEMBER 18, 2018

“How do you deal with students who are off task or distracting other students?” That’s not to say that I haven’t had challenging students throughout my 16 years in the classroom, but their behavior is never an ongoing issue or distraction. It requires a shift in control from teacher to student.

Classroom Management 420

Classroom Management Motivation Blended Learning Feedback 420

Faculty Focus

JUNE 30, 2024

Recently I had reason to revisit Paul Pintrich’s meta-analysis on motivating students. It’s still the piece I most often see referenced when it comes to what’s known about student motivation. Adaptive self-efficacy and competence perceptions motivate students. It needs to be accurate.

Motivation 111

Motivation Beliefs Exams Students 111

Faculty Focus

JUNE 30, 2024

Recently I had reason to revisit Paul Pintrich’s meta-analysis on motivating students. It’s still the piece I most often see referenced when it comes to what’s known about student motivation. Adaptive self-efficacy and competence perceptions motivate students. It needs to be accurate.

Motivation 110

Motivation Beliefs Exams Students 110

Catlin Tucker

MARCH 25, 2024

A playlist is a sequence of learning activities designed to move students toward a desired result. Most playlists culminate in a performance task or artifact intended to demonstrate students’ ability to transfer or apply what they learned working through the playlist.

Teachers 481

Teachers Art Feedback Writing 481

eSchool News

SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

Key points: Showing up for your students in small ways every day can have a huge impact Students are learning from their teachers all the time–reaching out in thoughtful ways does wonders See related article: Balancing high expectations with relationship building to boost engagement Throughout my career, I’ve held many titles.

Disabilities 334

Disabilities Students Motivation English 334

eSchool News

DECEMBER 13, 2023

Many educators are merging one with the using, discovering strategies to use edtech to engage shy students. Here are five strategies to use edtech to engage shy students: 1. Many times, shy students find it easier to express themselves in writing versus verbally.

Gamification 325

Gamification Interactive Learning Participation Students 325

Catlin Tucker

MAY 20, 2023

How can formative assessment data help students to develop their metacognitive skills? These informal assessments provide information to the teacher about students’ understanding of the material being covered and the skills being introduced. However, formative assessment data can be useful for teachers and students.

Metacognitive Skills 482

Metacognitive Skills Universal Design Blended Learning Evaluation 482

Edsurge

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

How many hours each week do you spend on creating, sharing, monitoring, evaluating and providing feedback on student activities? It is not uncommon for teachers to spend hours searching through edtech tools to customize and differentiate for individual student needs. So how do they achieve this?

Feedback 161

Feedback Motivation Evaluation Education 161

eSchool News

DECEMBER 4, 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around for many years, but the introduction of ChatGPT in November 2022 has generated many discussions of how this technology can impact education – both how students learn and how educators teach. Students may know how to use some technology, but not all. Most of the time, this is not true.

Collaborative Learning 317

Collaborative Learning Gamification Teachers Teaching Methods 317

eSchool News

JANUARY 8, 2019

If playing games is part of our culture, even part of our identities, then it stands to reason that students can be highly motivated by game-based learning opportunities. I’ve spent that last few years implementing different vocabulary and integrating specific read-alouds to help my students develop a growth mindset.

Gamification 279

Gamification Game-Based Learning Failure Students 279

eSchool News

JANUARY 21, 2025

Understanding your goals helps in prioritizing features that are essential for achieving desired outcomes, such as improving student engagement or accommodating diverse learning needs. To help, Ive put together examples of must-haves, should-haves, and nice-to-haves, with the goal of increasing student performance outcomes.

Gamification 300

Gamification Learning Outcomes Quizzes Students 300

Catlin Tucker

APRIL 28, 2023

Q1: How Long Should Students Work on a Playlist? For example, a playlist that covers a single topic or concept may take a few days to complete, while a playlist that guides students through a unit, multi-step task, or inquiry may take a couple of weeks to finish. In this post, I will share answers to some of those questions.

Blended Learning 436

Blended Learning Feedback Universal Design Art 436

eSchool News

APRIL 2, 2025

Math is a fundamental part of K-12 education, but students often face significant challenges in mastering increasingly challenging math concepts. Many students suffer from math anxiety, which can lead to a lack of confidence and motivation.

Coaching 271

Coaching Math Students Assignments 271

Catlin Tucker

JULY 8, 2021

As educators, we have the challenge and honor to teach a dynamic and unique group of students each time a class period begins. If our goal is to cultivate expert learners who are resourceful, strategic, and motivated, they need opportunities to drive their own learning. 1 Student-Paced, Free-Flow Station Rotation Lesson.

Universal Design 367

Universal Design Blended Learning Learning Feedback 367

Catlin Tucker

JANUARY 28, 2020

This book was inspired by the following… I want students to develop confidence in themselves and their abilities. I want students to understand that their grades are a reflection of their skills, and they are capable of improving those skills at any time. Four years ago, I made two important decisions.

Blended Learning 343

Blended Learning Feedback Learning Communication 343

Catlin Tucker

DECEMBER 11, 2020

I remember feeling intense pressure to have the “right answer” when students asked questions. In my latest book, Balance with Blended Learning , I write about strategies that turn everyday tasks, like giving feedback, assessing student work, and conferencing with students about progress into opportunities for connection.

Blended Learning 531

Blended Learning Communication Coaching Questions 531