OKTOPUS is a teacher-friendly presentation and collaboration software designed for interactive whiteboards, projectors, and displays like the award-winning MimioPro 4 and ProColor 3 from Boxlight.* Current OKTOPUS users have enjoyed features such as annotation over a variety of applications, 70+ interactive teaching tools, polling capabilities with instant feedback, and educational games. 

Teachers are busy searching for and creating collaborative, interactive lessons that will motivate and engage their learners. But time is essential, and teachers need an easy-to-use software that can help them build dynamic activities and lessons in a matter of minutes. The software should be compatible with any of a variety of education technology hardware such as document cameras, interactive flat panel displays, projectors, and interactive whiteboards. When looking for teacher-friendly software that can be customized for a variety of learning situations, make sure these four features are included:

When I look back at my time in the classroom, memories that most often pop up are seeing and hearing my students work together to finish a project. Many times, they were in groups of three or four busily drawing, coloring, writing, talking. For the life of me, I can barely remember the projects themselves, but I can remember the chatter, laughing, arguing, and smiles when the project was finished. I used to feel like, this is learning! Many teachers have probably experienced and felt that same sense of excitement and accomplishment. When we see our students fully engaged and involved in a project, it reveals their interests and connection to the topic. You will likely see many ‘aha’ moments.

Digital learning offers students the tools to become lifelong learners. As per the national centre for education statistics, 80% of 8th-graders reported using a computer for schoolwork in the recent past. 

Who doesn’t love the arts? We listen to music during our free time, go dancing, and watch live performances, among other things! This past week, I went to an arts symposium, where I learned a lot about integrating the arts into the classroom.

Here are several takeaways I wanted to share with my fellow educators:

As we look at our classrooms to arrange them for the start of the year, we should ask ourselves this reflective question: “What type of classroom do I want to create?” Or even better, “What type of learning environment do I want my students to experience?”

There are different answers to these questions, and multiple answers are correct. As a teacher, you must first teach from the heart—from your own heart, and not someone else’s opinion of what teaching should be. The environment that is created should not be gathered from Pinterest, but should sprout from your own philosophies about teaching and effective learning.

Our country has changed a lot in the past year. I think most educators didn’t expect the 2017 we now have. We didn’t expect the current education secretary that we have, the president we have, or even some of the other federal changes that we now have. Some of the immigration and refugee policies of 2017 have impacted our schools, along with a shift in direction from the federal government about transgender bathroom policies. 

From Flash Cards to Book Clubs, Google Apps Are a
Great Asset for Classrooms

There is no doubt that Google Apps is revolutionizing classrooms. This centralized platform of creation and collaboration makes group projects and teacher feedback easier. It also streamlines parent-teacher communication, making it easier to keep busy parents informed of their child's progress. Perhaps you have already integrated Google Docs and need ideas, or maybe it’s time to make use of this extraordinary tool. No matter where you are with the totally integrated paperless classroom, here are 25 hacks to start you off on your Google Apps journey.

During the past year or so, flexible classroom seating has become a popular topic for educators.  This term can be interpreted a few different ways, but at the heart of it is the concept that students are able to choose different seating options that fit best with their learning style.