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Successful Uses of AI in the Classroom
Gain insights into striking the right balance between leveraging AI tools and preserving the irreplaceable role of human teachers.
iStockPhotos/Naphat Jorjee

AI is fast transforming the way businesses operate. So, I was curious how AI might affect our K012 classrooms. The inevitable sensational headlines, such as "Will AI replace teachers?" generate tons of speculation by the talking heads on TV and blogwriters looking for the next way to scare their readers. However, having been a teacher at both the K-12 and college levels, I can tell you that AI will not replace our teachers any time soon. With that in mind, let's look at some of the ways AI can enhance teaching and the things AI cannot do.

Successful Uses of AI in the Classroom

AI is another tool that can be used successfully by both teachers and students. I look at AI the same way I have viewed slide projectors, televisions, smartboards, computers, and all the other bits and pieces of technology that have appeared in our classrooms over the years, i.e., they help present the material I am teaching. People learn in so many different ways. Depending on the material you are presenting one of these technologies might spark that "Eureka!" moment we teachers all seek. While our student may not run into the streets as Archimedes did, she will have that look that says, "I got it!" Ultimately, it is always up to us teachers to remember that one size does not fit all. Each student learns in her way. Varied ways of presenting what you are teaching will help make the material understood.

Personalized Learning

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How to Study for an Exam

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How to Study for an Exam
Discover proven strategies for high school juniors and seniors to study effectively and excel in exams. From time management techniques to active learning strategies, this article provides essential tips for success. Get ready to boost your grades and conquer your exams with confidence!
iStockPhoto/photodjo

Exams can be nerve-wracking at any age. So, take time to show your child where exams fit in and, more importantly, how to prepare for them. Beginning at an early age, your child will encounter various methods teachers use to assess whether she has learned and understood the material being taught.

Exams are a formal, structured method of assessment. Unfortunately, what makes exams stressful in high school, college, and in our professional lives is that so much is riding on them. For example, you must pass the LSAT to get into law school. Then, you must pass a state bar exam to practice law. The pressure to succeed is enormous. That's why I recommend you tell your child how you handled preparing for and taking the exam. The more your child understands how exams work and how to handle them, the more successful she is likely to be.

Exams and tests are a great way to assess what the students have learned with regards to particular subjects. Exams will show what part of the lesson each student seems to have taken the most interest in and has remembered. Source: Edu-Quip

Understanding Your Learning Style

As soon as you can, identify your child's learning style. Observe her preferences and tendencies in how she processes and retains information. Contrast that with how you learn and what has worked for you. Sharing how you learned will help her understand how she knows. Understanding how she

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Rolling Admissions

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Rolling Admissions
Discover why many institutions opt for rolling admissions and how it can offer flexibility and opportunities for applicants throughout the year.
iStock Photo/Yuliya Pushchenko

When applying to private schools, you will find two kinds of admissions at American schools: admissions with a fixed deadline and rolling admissions. Let's look at rolling admissions and how they compare with admissions with fixed deadlines.

What is rolling admissions?

Rolling admissions refers to a school's practice of accepting applications within an admissions application window and acting on them within a couple of weeks or months, as opposed to waiting until a fixed deadline.

How does rolling admissions work?

Let's assume the rolling admissions window opens on September 1. You could submit your completed application on September 2 and expect to have a decision back from the school within a time frame from two weeks to two months. At a school with a fixed deadline for admissions, you could submit your application on September 2 but not hear whether your child had been accepted until sometime in March, assuming the fairly common January 31 deadline.

Professor Allen Grove explains the various kinds of admissions in great detail. This is a longish but in-depth video that is well worth bookmarking for later viewing.

Many schools with rolling admissions have a priority deadline. It would be wise for you to submit your application before that deadline. Once all the places are filled, applications from candidates who would otherwise have been accepted will go on a waitlist.

Which schools use rolling admissions?

Many private schools use rolling

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Leadership, Legacy, and Learning: Pillars of Top Schools

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Leadership, Legacy, and Learning: Pillars of Top Schools
We explore the key elements contributing to the success of leading private schools, highlighting the importance of strong leadership, a rich legacy, and a focus on comprehensive learning experiences.
Olivier Le Moal/iStock Photos

Now and then, the question that occurs to me, as it should to you, is precisely why I think a particular school is one of the best. I have to conclude that the best schools have all of the following characteristics. What's more, they have them in abundance. Now, before you start thinking that I am only talking about older established schools, that ain't necessarily so. I am aware of a couple of newer schools that fit neatly into the category of best schools simply because they have all of the characteristics explained below. So let's look at what I think are the traits of the best schools.

Great leadership

The best schools have strong, dynamic, dedicated leaders. They are led by women and men who envision their goals and have the experience to execute their plans to achieve that vision. The head of the best school is a superb fundraiser, capable administrator, leader by example, and expects the best from everybody in her school community.

This video from Cristo Rey of Hope illustrates the clear vision of Cristo Rey schools.

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I know of several schools which could have been great. But they never made it because their fractious board of trustees kept getting in the way of progress. Change is never easy. But it seems that boards often have a rather difficult time with change. That always surprises me because most

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Secrets to Becoming a Great School

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Secrets to Becoming a Great School
Discover the essential ingredients that drive academic success and cultivate a thriving school community.

Every school can become a great school. All it takes is great communication, solid academics, inspiring teachers, enthusiastic parents, and a supportive board. Some schools have solid academics and inspiring teachers but don't get the word out about their teachers and what's being taught. In other words, they lack great communication. Some schools have visionary leaders but lack the support of their board of trustees. You need all five attributes present to be a great school. Let's look at them in detail.

Great Communication

Thirty years ago, most schools published an expensive printed catalog that looked like one of those expensive coffee table books. Indeed, that was how it was intended to be used. When parents had their friends over, and your school's beautiful, eye-catching catalog was spotted, the conversation invariably turned to St. Swithin's, how great that school was, and how much their children enjoyed going there. Many schools still produce those lavish catalogs and they can and do serve a purpose. Truthfully, they have mostly gone the way of the buggy whip.

The other old-fashioned way of communicating was by writing a letter or sending a thank you note. Catalogs and letters have been replaced by email, texting and messaging via apps like WhatsApp and Viber, as well as social media such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Nowadays, we all expect communications to be instantaneous. We have to get our news and information at warp speed. Of course, letters still have their place for

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Recent Articles

Successful Uses of AI in the Classroom
Successful Uses of AI in the Classroom
Gain insights into striking the right balance between leveraging AI tools and preserving the irreplaceable role of human teachers.
How to Study for an Exam
How to Study for an Exam
Discover proven strategies for high school juniors and seniors to study effectively and excel in exams. From time management techniques to active learning strategies, this article provides essential tips for success. Get ready to boost your grades and conquer your exams with confidence!
Rolling Admissions
Rolling Admissions
Discover why many institutions opt for rolling admissions and how it can offer flexibility and opportunities for applicants throughout the year.