Identifying a Problem

What kind of answers do you get when you ask your kids how their classes are going? 

How do you know whether your student is falling behind in a subject until it's too late? You may not always be getting the straight answers.

Sometimes, you may not notice a real problem until the report cards come in.

At K¹², we appreciate all that our teachers do and recognize the enormous impact they have on students and families. We’re happy to continue our new series of blog posts to introduce thinktanK¹² readers to some of our amazing and experienced teachers around the country.

In this month’s installment of Meet an Online Teacher, I’m pleased to introduce our readers to Kelly Edginton! Kelly is a former teacher, and now works as the Interim Head of School at K¹² partner school, Idaho Virtual Academy. Kelly was one of the very first teachers at IDVA when it began in 2002, and she later served as principal of both IDVA’s high school and elementary school before moving into her current role.

Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

The 2013 National Women’s History Month theme, Women Inspiring Innovation through Imagination, honors generations of women who throughout American history have used their intelligence, imagination, sense of wonder, and tenacity to make extraordinary contributions to the STEM fields.

Engineers, scientists, mathematicians and technologists are largely responsible for the advances that make modern life possible, and it's unfortunate that women remain largely underrepresented in STEM professions and academic programs. However, they may be underrepresented, but that doesn't mean that they haven't left their mark in history.

Special Workshop: Common Core Standards and K12 

There has been a ton of buzz in the news lately around Common Core Standards being implemented within our educational system.  This is a topic that will matter to you and your family.

Over the course of our childrens' education, there are certain concepts and learnings that they are expected to know. They call this “the core” and they are taught within curriculum categories: math, science, language arts, and social studies. One of the challenges currently is that the definition of "the core" differs from state to state. The Common Core State Standards are being introduced to address this challenge. 

According to CoreStandards.org, "the Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy." 

Have you heard of Minecraft? If you have a gamer in the house, you may be familiar with it, as it’s one of the most popular games of all time, having sold more than 20 million copies. Considering how simple the concept is, and compared to some of the stunningly realistic visuals of many modern games, this humble 8-bit building game might seem like an unlikely best-seller. But in fact, gamers of all ages have been engrossed by it. The concept is simple: players build with 3D cubes (a bit like virtual LEGOs) in an infinite “sandbox” game world, with no specific goals or levels to beat.

Players simply explore, find natural resources, build, and craft tools. In survival mode, players need to make sure they find food and other necessities, while protecting themselves from monsters. But in creative mode, the sky is the limit, with endless resources and health, no enemies, and the ability to fly freely around the game world.