Department Launches Next Practices Website

The Idaho State Department of Education launched the Next Practices website today as part of Digital Learning Day.

Idaho joined 46 states in marking Digital Learning Day to highlight innovative teaching taking place in classrooms across our state. The state recognized and rewarded nine teachers for their innovative use of technology in the classroom and is sharing their best practices with others in Idaho through videos and Schoolnet.

In addition to this, the Department worked last fall to visit schools and districts in several communities – large and small – that were working to integrate technology in the classroom in unique ways or using new, innovative strategies to keep students engaged in school and improving their academic achievement.

We documented this – what we are calling “Next Practices” – on our new website, and hope you will take the time to watch these videos, take some notes and maybe try some of these ideas in your classroom, school or community.

Right now, you can visit our Next Practices website and see how Centennial High students are turning the school library into a vibrant place that kids want to be! Or take a trip to Melba where teachers are using iPads and a secure social networking site called Edmodo. A paraprofessional in the Highland School describes how they have used iPads to better educate those students who are struggling academically.You can learn how Justin Hoffman earned more than 20 dual credits while still in high school to get a jumpstart on his college education, or see how schools are using blended learning to ease the workload for teachers and bring lessons to life for students.

We hope this is just the beginning. If you have an idea or something you consider a “Next Practice,” let us know! We hope to add more content to this site in the future so educators can share these next practices with each other.