school assignment education

for Education

• Google Classroom
• Google Workspace Admin
• Google Cloud

Easily distribute, analyze, and grade student work with Assignments for your LMS

Assignments is an application for your learning management system (LMS). It helps educators save time grading and guides students to turn in their best work with originality reports — all through the collaborative power of Google Workspace for Education.

• Get started
• Explore originality reports

Bring your favorite tools together within your LMS

Make Google Docs and Google Drive compatible with your LMS

Simplify assignment management with user-friendly Google Workspace productivity tools

Built with the latest Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standards for robust security and easy installation in your LMS

Save time distributing and grading classwork

Distribute personalized copies of Google Drive templates and worksheets to students

Grade consistently and transparently with rubrics integrated into student work

Add rich feedback faster using the customizable comment bank

Examine student work to ensure authenticity

Compare student work against hundreds of billions of web pages and over 40 million books with originality reports

Make student-to-student comparisons on your domain-owned repository of past submissions when you sign up for the Teaching and Learning Upgrade or Google Workspace for Education Plus

Allow students to scan their own work for recommended citations up to three times

Trust in high security standards

Protect student privacy — data is owned and managed solely by you and your students

Provide an ad-free experience for all your users

Compatible with LTI version 1.1 or higher and meets rigorous compliance standards

Product demos

Experience google workspace for education in action. explore premium features in detail via step-by-step demos to get a feel for how they work in the classroom..

“Assignments enable faculty to save time on the mundane parts of grading and...spend more time on providing more personalized and relevant feedback to students.” Benjamin Hommerding , Technology Innovationist, St. Norbert College

Classroom users get the best of Assignments built-in

Find all of the same features of Assignments in your existing Classroom environment

• Learn more about Classroom

Explore resources to get up and running

Discover helpful resources to get up to speed on using Assignments and find answers to commonly asked questions.

• Visit Help Center

Get a quick overview of Assignments to help Educators learn how they can use it in their classrooms.

• Download overview

Get started guide

Start using Assignments in your courses with this step-by-step guide for instructors.

• Download guide

Teacher Center Assignments resources

Find educator tools and resources to get started with Assignments.

• Visit Teacher Center

How to use Assignments within your LMS

Watch this brief video on how Educators can use Assignments.

• Watch video

Turn on Assignments in your LMS

Contact your institution’s administrator to turn on Assignments within your LMS.

• Admin setup

Explore a suite of tools for your classroom with Google Workspace for Education

You're now viewing content for a different region..

For content more relevant to your region, we suggest:

Sign up here for updates, insights, resources, and more.

• Columbia University in the City of New York
• Office of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation
• University Policies
• Columbia Online
• Academic Calendar
• Resources and Technology
• Instructional Technologies
• Teaching in All Modalities

Designing Assignments for Learning

The rapid shift to remote teaching and learning meant that many instructors reimagined their assessment practices. Whether adapting existing assignments or creatively designing new opportunities for their students to learn, instructors focused on helping students make meaning and demonstrate their learning outside of the traditional, face-to-face classroom setting. This resource distills the elements of assignment design that are important to carry forward as we continue to seek better ways of assessing learning and build on our innovative assignment designs.

On this page:

Rethinking traditional tests, quizzes, and exams.

• Examples from the Columbia University Classroom
• Tips for Designing Assignments for Learning

Reflect On Your Assignment Design

Connect with the ctl.

• Resources and References

Cite this resource: Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (2021). Designing Assignments for Learning. Columbia University. Retrieved [today’s date] from https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/teaching-with-technology/teaching-online/designing-assignments/

Traditional assessments tend to reveal whether students can recognize, recall, or replicate what was learned out of context, and tend to focus on students providing correct responses (Wiggins, 1990). In contrast, authentic assignments, which are course assessments, engage students in higher order thinking, as they grapple with real or simulated challenges that help them prepare for their professional lives, and draw on the course knowledge learned and the skills acquired to create justifiable answers, performances or products (Wiggins, 1990). An authentic assessment provides opportunities for students to practice, consult resources, learn from feedback, and refine their performances and products accordingly (Wiggins 1990, 1998, 2014). 

Authentic assignments ask students to “do” the subject with an audience in mind and apply their learning in a new situation. Examples of authentic assignments include asking students to: 

• Write for a real audience (e.g., a memo, a policy brief, letter to the editor, a grant proposal, reports, building a website) and/or publication;
• Solve problem sets that have real world application; 
• Design projects that address a real world problem; 
• Engage in a community-partnered research project;
• Create an exhibit, performance, or conference presentation ;
• Compile and reflect on their work through a portfolio/e-portfolio.

Noteworthy elements of authentic designs are that instructors scaffold the assignment, and play an active role in preparing students for the tasks assigned, while students are intentionally asked to reflect on the process and product of their work thus building their metacognitive skills (Herrington and Oliver, 2000; Ashford-Rowe, Herrington and Brown, 2013; Frey, Schmitt, and Allen, 2012). 

It’s worth noting here that authentic assessments can initially be time consuming to design, implement, and grade. They are critiqued for being challenging to use across course contexts and for grading reliability issues (Maclellan, 2004). Despite these challenges, authentic assessments are recognized as beneficial to student learning (Svinicki, 2004) as they are learner-centered (Weimer, 2013), promote academic integrity (McLaughlin, L. and Ricevuto, 2021; Sotiriadou et al., 2019; Schroeder, 2021) and motivate students to learn (Ambrose et al., 2010). The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning is always available to consult with faculty who are considering authentic assessment designs and to discuss challenges and affordances.   

Examples from the Columbia University Classroom 

Columbia instructors have experimented with alternative ways of assessing student learning from oral exams to technology-enhanced assignments. Below are a few examples of authentic assignments in various teaching contexts across Columbia University. 

• E-portfolios: Statia Cook shares her experiences with an ePorfolio assignment in her co-taught Frontiers of Science course (a submission to the Voices of Hybrid and Online Teaching and Learning initiative); CUIMC use of ePortfolios ;
• Case studies: Columbia instructors have engaged their students in authentic ways through case studies drawing on the Case Consortium at Columbia University. Read and watch a faculty spotlight to learn how Professor Mary Ann Price uses the case method to place pre-med students in real-life scenarios;
• Simulations: students at CUIMC engage in simulations to develop their professional skills in The Mary & Michael Jaharis Simulation Center in the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation Center in the Columbia School of Nursing; 
• Experiential learning: instructors have drawn on New York City as a learning laboratory such as Barnard’s NYC as Lab webpage which highlights courses that engage students in NYC;
• Design projects that address real world problems: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy on the Engineering design projects completed using lab kits during remote learning. Watch Dr. Yesilevskiy talk about his teaching and read the Columbia News article . 
• Writing assignments: Lia Marshall and her teaching associate Aparna Balasundaram reflect on their “non-disposable or renewable assignments” to prepare social work students for their professional lives as they write for a real audience; and Hannah Weaver spoke about a sandbox assignment used in her Core Literature Humanities course at the 2021 Celebration of Teaching and Learning Symposium . Watch Dr. Weaver share her experiences.  

​Tips for Designing Assignments for Learning

While designing an effective authentic assignment may seem like a daunting task, the following tips can be used as a starting point. See the Resources section for frameworks and tools that may be useful in this effort.  

Align the assignment with your course learning objectives 

Identify the kind of thinking that is important in your course, the knowledge students will apply, and the skills they will practice using through the assignment. What kind of thinking will students be asked to do for the assignment? What will students learn by completing this assignment? How will the assignment help students achieve the desired course learning outcomes? For more information on course learning objectives, see the CTL’s Course Design Essentials self-paced course and watch the video on Articulating Learning Objectives .  

Identify an authentic meaning-making task

For meaning-making to occur, students need to understand the relevance of the assignment to the course and beyond (Ambrose et al., 2010). To Bean (2011) a “meaning-making” or “meaning-constructing” task has two dimensions: 1) it presents students with an authentic disciplinary problem or asks students to formulate their own problems, both of which engage them in active critical thinking, and 2) the problem is placed in “a context that gives students a role or purpose, a targeted audience, and a genre.” (Bean, 2011: 97-98). 

An authentic task gives students a realistic challenge to grapple with, a role to take on that allows them to “rehearse for the complex ambiguities” of life, provides resources and supports to draw on, and requires students to justify their work and the process they used to inform their solution (Wiggins, 1990). Note that if students find an assignment interesting or relevant, they will see value in completing it. 

Consider the kind of activities in the real world that use the knowledge and skills that are the focus of your course. How is this knowledge and these skills applied to answer real-world questions to solve real-world problems? (Herrington et al., 2010: 22). What do professionals or academics in your discipline do on a regular basis? What does it mean to think like a biologist, statistician, historian, social scientist? How might your assignment ask students to draw on current events, issues, or problems that relate to the course and are of interest to them? How might your assignment tap into student motivation and engage them in the kinds of thinking they can apply to better understand the world around them? (Ambrose et al., 2010). 

Determine the evaluation criteria and create a rubric

To ensure equitable and consistent grading of assignments across students, make transparent the criteria you will use to evaluate student work. The criteria should focus on the knowledge and skills that are central to the assignment. Build on the criteria identified, create a rubric that makes explicit the expectations of deliverables and share this rubric with your students so they can use it as they work on the assignment. For more information on rubrics, see the CTL’s resource Incorporating Rubrics into Your Grading and Feedback Practices , and explore the Association of American Colleges & Universities VALUE Rubrics (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education). 

Build in metacognition

Ask students to reflect on what and how they learned from the assignment. Help students uncover personal relevance of the assignment, find intrinsic value in their work, and deepen their motivation by asking them to reflect on their process and their assignment deliverable. Sample prompts might include: what did you learn from this assignment? How might you draw on the knowledge and skills you used on this assignment in the future? See Ambrose et al., 2010 for more strategies that support motivation and the CTL’s resource on Metacognition ). 

Provide students with opportunities to practice

Design your assignment to be a learning experience and prepare students for success on the assignment. If students can reasonably expect to be successful on an assignment when they put in the required effort ,with the support and guidance of the instructor, they are more likely to engage in the behaviors necessary for learning (Ambrose et al., 2010). Ensure student success by actively teaching the knowledge and skills of the course (e.g., how to problem solve, how to write for a particular audience), modeling the desired thinking, and creating learning activities that build up to a graded assignment. Provide opportunities for students to practice using the knowledge and skills they will need for the assignment, whether through low-stakes in-class activities or homework activities that include opportunities to receive and incorporate formative feedback. For more information on providing feedback, see the CTL resource Feedback for Learning . 

Communicate about the assignment 

Share the purpose, task, audience, expectations, and criteria for the assignment. Students may have expectations about assessments and how they will be graded that is informed by their prior experiences completing high-stakes assessments, so be transparent. Tell your students why you are asking them to do this assignment, what skills they will be using, how it aligns with the course learning outcomes, and why it is relevant to their learning and their professional lives (i.e., how practitioners / professionals use the knowledge and skills in your course in real world contexts and for what purposes). Finally, verify that students understand what they need to do to complete the assignment. This can be done by asking students to respond to poll questions about different parts of the assignment, a “scavenger hunt” of the assignment instructions–giving students questions to answer about the assignment and having them work in small groups to answer the questions, or by having students share back what they think is expected of them.

Plan to iterate and to keep the focus on learning 

Draw on multiple sources of data to help make decisions about what changes are needed to the assignment, the assignment instructions, and/or rubric to ensure that it contributes to student learning. Explore assignment performance data. As Deandra Little reminds us: “a really good assignment, which is a really good assessment, also teaches you something or tells the instructor something. As much as it tells you what students are learning, it’s also telling you what they aren’t learning.” ( Teaching in Higher Ed podcast episode 337 ). Assignment bottlenecks–where students get stuck or struggle–can be good indicators that students need further support or opportunities to practice prior to completing an assignment. This awareness can inform teaching decisions. 

Triangulate the performance data by collecting student feedback, and noting your own reflections about what worked well and what did not. Revise the assignment instructions, rubric, and teaching practices accordingly. Consider how you might better align your assignment with your course objectives and/or provide more opportunities for students to practice using the knowledge and skills that they will rely on for the assignment. Additionally, keep in mind societal, disciplinary, and technological changes as you tweak your assignments for future use. 

Now is a great time to reflect on your practices and experiences with assignment design and think critically about your approach. Take a closer look at an existing assignment. Questions to consider include: What is this assignment meant to do? What purpose does it serve? Why do you ask students to do this assignment? How are they prepared to complete the assignment? Does the assignment assess the kind of learning that you really want? What would help students learn from this assignment? 

Using the tips in the previous section: How can the assignment be tweaked to be more authentic and meaningful to students? 

As you plan forward for post-pandemic teaching and reflect on your practices and reimagine your course design, you may find the following CTL resources helpful: Reflecting On Your Experiences with Remote Teaching , Transition to In-Person Teaching , and Course Design Support .

The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is here to help!

For assistance with assignment design, rubric design, or any other teaching and learning need, please request a consultation by emailing [email protected] . 

Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework for assignments. The TILT Examples and Resources page ( https://tilthighered.com/tiltexamplesandresources ) includes example assignments from across disciplines, as well as a transparent assignment template and a checklist for designing transparent assignments . Each emphasizes the importance of articulating to students the purpose of the assignment or activity, the what and how of the task, and specifying the criteria that will be used to assess students. 

Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) offers VALUE ADD (Assignment Design and Diagnostic) tools ( https://www.aacu.org/value-add-tools ) to help with the creation of clear and effective assignments that align with the desired learning outcomes and associated VALUE rubrics (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education). VALUE ADD encourages instructors to explicitly state assignment information such as the purpose of the assignment, what skills students will be using, how it aligns with course learning outcomes, the assignment type, the audience and context for the assignment, clear evaluation criteria, desired formatting, and expectations for completion whether individual or in a group.

Villarroel et al. (2017) propose a blueprint for building authentic assessments which includes four steps: 1) consider the workplace context, 2) design the authentic assessment; 3) learn and apply standards for judgement; and 4) give feedback. 

References 

Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., & DiPietro, M. (2010). Chapter 3: What Factors Motivate Students to Learn? In How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching . Jossey-Bass. 

Ashford-Rowe, K., Herrington, J., and Brown, C. (2013). Establishing the critical elements that determine authentic assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 39(2), 205-222, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2013.819566 .  

Bean, J.C. (2011). Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom . Second Edition. Jossey-Bass. 

Frey, B. B, Schmitt, V. L., and Allen, J. P. (2012). Defining Authentic Classroom Assessment. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation. 17(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.7275/sxbs-0829  

Herrington, J., Reeves, T. C., and Oliver, R. (2010). A Guide to Authentic e-Learning . Routledge. 

Herrington, J. and Oliver, R. (2000). An instructional design framework for authentic learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(3), 23-48. 

Litchfield, B. C. and Dempsey, J. V. (2015). Authentic Assessment of Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 142 (Summer 2015), 65-80. 

Maclellan, E. (2004). How convincing is alternative assessment for use in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 29(3), June 2004. DOI: 10.1080/0260293042000188267

McLaughlin, L. and Ricevuto, J. (2021). Assessments in a Virtual Environment: You Won’t Need that Lockdown Browser! Faculty Focus. June 2, 2021. 

Mueller, J. (2005). The Authentic Assessment Toolbox: Enhancing Student Learning through Online Faculty Development . MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. 1(1). July 2005. Mueller’s Authentic Assessment Toolbox is available online. 

Schroeder, R. (2021). Vaccinate Against Cheating With Authentic Assessment . Inside Higher Ed. (February 26, 2021).  

Sotiriadou, P., Logan, D., Daly, A., and Guest, R. (2019). The role of authentic assessment to preserve academic integrity and promote skills development and employability. Studies in Higher Education. 45(111), 2132-2148. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1582015    

Stachowiak, B. (Host). (November 25, 2020). Authentic Assignments with Deandra Little. (Episode 337). In Teaching in Higher Ed . https://teachinginhighered.com/podcast/authentic-assignments/  

Svinicki, M. D. (2004). Authentic Assessment: Testing in Reality. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 100 (Winter 2004): 23-29. 

Villarroel, V., Bloxham, S, Bruna, D., Bruna, C., and Herrera-Seda, C. (2017). Authentic assessment: creating a blueprint for course design. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 43(5), 840-854. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2017.1412396    

Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice . Second Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

Wiggins, G. (2014). Authenticity in assessment, (re-)defined and explained. Retrieved from https://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/authenticity-in-assessment-re-defined-and-explained/

Wiggins, G. (1998). Teaching to the (Authentic) Test. Educational Leadership . April 1989. 41-47. 

Wiggins, Grant (1990). The Case for Authentic Assessment . Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation , 2(2). 

Wondering how AI tools might play a role in your course assignments?

See the CTL’s resource “Considerations for AI Tools in the Classroom.”

This website uses cookies to identify users, improve the user experience and requires cookies to work. By continuing to use this website, you consent to Columbia University's use of cookies and similar technologies, in accordance with the Columbia University Website Cookie Notice .

Never forget a class or assignment again.

Unlock your potential and manage your classes, tasks and exams with mystudylife- the world's #1 student planner and school organizer app..

School planner and organizer

The MyStudyLife planner app supports rotation schedules, as well as traditional weekly schedules. MSL allows you to enter your school subjects, organize your workload, and enter information about your classes – all so you can effortlessly keep on track of your school calendar.

Homework planner and task tracker

Become a master of task management by tracking every single task with our online planner – no matter how big or small.

Stay on top of your workload by receiving notifications of upcoming classes, assignments or exams, as well as incomplete tasks, on all your devices.

“Featuring a clean interface, MyStudyLife offers a comprehensive palette of schedules, timetables and personalized notifications that sync across multiple devices.”

” My Study Life is a calendar app designed specifically for students. As well as showing you your weekly timetable– with support for rotations – you can add exams, essay deadlines and reminders, and keep a list of all the tasks you need to complete. It also works on the web, so you can log in and check your schedule from any device.”

“MyStudyLife is a great study planner app that makes it simple for students to add assignments, classes, and tests to a standard weekly schedule.”

“I cannot recommend this platform enough. My Study Life is the perfect online planner to keep track of your classes and assignments. I like to use both the website and the mobile app so I can use it on my phone and computer! I do not go a single day without using this platform–go check it out!!”

“Staying organized is a critical part of being a disciplined student, and the MyStudyLife app is an excellent organizer.”

The ultimate study app

The MyStudyLife student planner helps you keep track of all your classes, tasks, assignments and exams – anywhere, on any device.

Whether you’re in middle school, high school or college MyStudyLife’s online school agenda will organize your school life for you for less stress, more productivity, and ultimately, better grades.  

Take control of your day with MyStudyLife

Stay on top of your studies. Organize tasks, set reminders, and get better grades, one day at a time.

We get it- student life can be busy. Start each day with the confidence that nothing important will be forgotten, so that you can stay focused and get more done.

Track your class schedule on your phone or computer, online or offline, so that you always know where you’re meant to be.

Shift your focus back to your goals, knowing that MyStudyLife has your back with timely reminders that make success the main event of your day

Say goodbye to last minute stress with MyStudyLife’s homework planner to make procrastination a thing of the past.

Coming soon!

MyStudyLife has lots of exciting changes and features in the works. Stay tuned!

Stay on track on all of your devices.

All your tasks are automatically synced across all your devices, instantly.

Trusted by millions of students around the world.

School can be hard. MyStudyLife makes it easier.

Our easy-to-use online study planner app is available on the App Store, the Google Play Store and can be used on desktop. This means that you can use MyStudyLife anywhere and on any device.

Discover more on the MyStudyLife blog

See how MyStudyLife can help organize your life.

JEE Main 2024: Best Tips, Study Plan & Timetable

Las 10 mejores apps gratis para estudiar mejor en 2024 , filter by category.

• Career Planning
• High School Tips and Tricks
• Productivity
• Spanish/Español
• Student News
• University Advice
• Using MyStudyLife

Hit enter to search or ESC to close

Eberly Center

Teaching excellence & educational innovation, creating assignments.

Here are some general suggestions and questions to consider when creating assignments. There are also many other resources in print and on the web that provide examples of interesting, discipline-specific assignment ideas.

Consider your learning objectives.

What do you want students to learn in your course? What could they do that would show you that they have learned it? To determine assignments that truly serve your course objectives, it is useful to write out your objectives in this form: I want my students to be able to ____. Use active, measurable verbs as you complete that sentence (e.g., compare theories, discuss ramifications, recommend strategies), and your learning objectives will point you towards suitable assignments.

Design assignments that are interesting and challenging.

This is the fun side of assignment design. Consider how to focus students’ thinking in ways that are creative, challenging, and motivating. Think beyond the conventional assignment type! For example, one American historian requires students to write diary entries for a hypothetical Nebraska farmwoman in the 1890s. By specifying that students’ diary entries must demonstrate the breadth of their historical knowledge (e.g., gender, economics, technology, diet, family structure), the instructor gets students to exercise their imaginations while also accomplishing the learning objectives of the course (Walvoord & Anderson, 1989, p. 25).

Double-check alignment.

After creating your assignments, go back to your learning objectives and make sure there is still a good match between what you want students to learn and what you are asking them to do. If you find a mismatch, you will need to adjust either the assignments or the learning objectives. For instance, if your goal is for students to be able to analyze and evaluate texts, but your assignments only ask them to summarize texts, you would need to add an analytical and evaluative dimension to some assignments or rethink your learning objectives.

Name assignments accurately.

Students can be misled by assignments that are named inappropriately. For example, if you want students to analyze a product’s strengths and weaknesses but you call the assignment a “product description,” students may focus all their energies on the descriptive, not the critical, elements of the task. Thus, it is important to ensure that the titles of your assignments communicate their intention accurately to students.

Consider sequencing.

Think about how to order your assignments so that they build skills in a logical sequence. Ideally, assignments that require the most synthesis of skills and knowledge should come later in the semester, preceded by smaller assignments that build these skills incrementally. For example, if an instructor’s final assignment is a research project that requires students to evaluate a technological solution to an environmental problem, earlier assignments should reinforce component skills, including the ability to identify and discuss key environmental issues, apply evaluative criteria, and find appropriate research sources.

Think about scheduling.

Consider your intended assignments in relation to the academic calendar and decide how they can be reasonably spaced throughout the semester, taking into account holidays and key campus events. Consider how long it will take students to complete all parts of the assignment (e.g., planning, library research, reading, coordinating groups, writing, integrating the contributions of team members, developing a presentation), and be sure to allow sufficient time between assignments.

Check feasibility.

Is the workload you have in mind reasonable for your students? Is the grading burden manageable for you? Sometimes there are ways to reduce workload (whether for you or for students) without compromising learning objectives. For example, if a primary objective in assigning a project is for students to identify an interesting engineering problem and do some preliminary research on it, it might be reasonable to require students to submit a project proposal and annotated bibliography rather than a fully developed report. If your learning objectives are clear, you will see where corners can be cut without sacrificing educational quality.

Articulate the task description clearly.

If an assignment is vague, students may interpret it any number of ways – and not necessarily how you intended. Thus, it is critical to clearly and unambiguously identify the task students are to do (e.g., design a website to help high school students locate environmental resources, create an annotated bibliography of readings on apartheid). It can be helpful to differentiate the central task (what students are supposed to produce) from other advice and information you provide in your assignment description.

Establish clear performance criteria.

Different instructors apply different criteria when grading student work, so it’s important that you clearly articulate to students what your criteria are. To do so, think about the best student work you have seen on similar tasks and try to identify the specific characteristics that made it excellent, such as clarity of thought, originality, logical organization, or use of a wide range of sources. Then identify the characteristics of the worst student work you have seen, such as shaky evidence, weak organizational structure, or lack of focus. Identifying these characteristics can help you consciously articulate the criteria you already apply. It is important to communicate these criteria to students, whether in your assignment description or as a separate rubric or scoring guide . Clearly articulated performance criteria can prevent unnecessary confusion about your expectations while also setting a high standard for students to meet.

Specify the intended audience.

Students make assumptions about the audience they are addressing in papers and presentations, which influences how they pitch their message. For example, students may assume that, since the instructor is their primary audience, they do not need to define discipline-specific terms or concepts. These assumptions may not match the instructor’s expectations. Thus, it is important on assignments to specify the intended audience http://wac.colostate.edu/intro/pop10e.cfm (e.g., undergraduates with no biology background, a potential funder who does not know engineering).

Specify the purpose of the assignment.

If students are unclear about the goals or purpose of the assignment, they may make unnecessary mistakes. For example, if students believe an assignment is focused on summarizing research as opposed to evaluating it, they may seriously miscalculate the task and put their energies in the wrong place. The same is true they think the goal of an economics problem set is to find the correct answer, rather than demonstrate a clear chain of economic reasoning. Consequently, it is important to make your objectives for the assignment clear to students.

Specify the parameters.

If you have specific parameters in mind for the assignment (e.g., length, size, formatting, citation conventions) you should be sure to specify them in your assignment description. Otherwise, students may misapply conventions and formats they learned in other courses that are not appropriate for yours.

A Checklist for Designing Assignments

Here is a set of questions you can ask yourself when creating an assignment.

• Provided a written description of the assignment (in the syllabus or in a separate document)?
• Specified the purpose of the assignment?
• Indicated the intended audience?
• Articulated the instructions in precise and unambiguous language?
• Provided information about the appropriate format and presentation (e.g., page length, typed, cover sheet, bibliography)?  
• Indicated special instructions, such as a particular citation style or headings?  
• Specified the due date and the consequences for missing it?
• Articulated performance criteria clearly?
• Indicated the assignment’s point value or percentage of the course grade?
• Provided students (where appropriate) with models or samples?

Adapted from the WAC Clearinghouse at http://wac.colostate.edu/intro/pop10e.cfm .

CONTACT US to talk with an Eberly colleague in person!

• Faculty Support
• Graduate Student Support
• Canvas @ Carnegie Mellon
• Quick Links

• Twitter Channel
• Facebook Profile
• YouTube Channel
• Instagram Profile
• Linkedin Profile
• Pinterest Profile

Classroom Assignments Matter. Here’s Why.

As a former classroom teacher, coach, and literacy specialist, I know the beginning of the school year demands that educators pay attention to a number of competing interests. Let me suggest one thing for teachers to focus on that, above all else, can close the student achievement gap: the rigor and quality of classroom assignments.

Digging into classroom assignments is revealing. It tells a story about curricula, instruction, achievement, and education equity. In the process, it uncovers what teachers believe about their students, what they know and understand about their standards and curricula, and what they are willing to do to advance student learning and achievement. So, when educators critically examine their own assignments (and the work students produce), they have an opportunity to gain powerful insight about teaching and learning — the kind of insight that can move the needle on student achievement. This type of analysis can identify trends across content areas such as English/language arts, science, social studies, and math.

At Ed Trust, we undertook such an analysis of 4,000 classroom assignments and found that students are being given in-school and out-of-school assignments that don’t align with grade-level standards, lack sufficient opportunities and time for writing, and include tasks that require low-level thinking and work production. We’ve seen assignments with little-to-no meaningful discussion and those with teachers over-supporting students, which effectively rob students of the kind of challenging thinking that leads to academic growth. And we’ve seen assignments where the reading looked like stop-and-go traffic, overrun with prescribed note-taking, breaking down students’ ability to build reading flow and deep learning.

These findings served as the basis for our second Equity in Motion convening. For three days this summer, educators from across the country explored the importance of regular and thoughtful assignment analysis. They found that carefully developed assignments have the power to make a curriculum last in students’ minds. They saw how assignments reveal whether students are grasping curricula, and if not, how teachers can adapt instruction. They also saw how assignments give clues into their own beliefs about students, which carry serious equity implications for all students, especially those who have been traditionally under-served. Throughout the convening, educators talked about the implications of their assignments and how assignments can affect overall achievement and address issues of equity. If assignments fall short of what standards demand, students will be ill-equipped to achieve at high levels.

The main take-away from this convening was simple but powerful: Assignments matter!

I encourage all teachers to take that message to heart. This school year, aim to make sure your assignments are more rigorous, standards-aligned, and authentically relevant to your students. Use our Literacy Analysis Assignment Guide to examine your assignments — alone, or better yet, with colleagues — to ensure you’re delivering assignments that propel your students to reach higher and achieve more. Doing this will provide a more complete picture of where your students are in their learning and how you can move them toward skill and concept mastery.

Remember this: Students can do no better than the assignments they receive.

Related Content

Resource Equity in Action: Developing an Advocacy Campaign for Resource Equity

All students deserve to attend school in communities where educational resources like funding, high-quality teachers, and rigorous content are…

Fighting for a Better Future for Transgender Youth

For LGBTQI+ students, the first three months of 2024 continue to highlight the urgency in pushing back against the…

Early Literacy or Children’s Right to Read

There is overwhelming evidence that nearly all children can learn to read. And reading proficiently by the end of…

The FY24 Omnibus Deal Is Released

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: [email protected]   Statement from Augustus Mays, Vice President of Partnerships and Engagement at EdTrust on the Fi…

Avoiding The Talk: A Closer Look at Educator Influence on Racial Disparities in School Discipline

Earlier this year, a friend asked me to speak to her 10-year-old son about the importance of school and…

Literacy Matters: Addressing the Crisis in Massachusetts Education

Reading and writing are foundational skills that are crucial to a student's academic success. These skills not only facilitate…

OP-ED: Investing in Louisiana’s Earliest Learners: A Clear Path to Academic and Economic Prosperity

This op-ed was originally published in BIZ Magazine on February 27, 2024In 2022, Louisiana celebrated a noteworthy achievement: leading the nation…

Joint Statement from Equity-Minded Education Organizations on The President’s FY25 Budget

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WASHINGTON – Today, a group of equity-minded education organizations released the following statement on the Biden-Harris administration’…

What the Most Recent CRDC Can Tell Us About Student Discipline

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released the long-awaited data from the 2020-21 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) —…

EdTrust 2024 Policy Priorities

EdTrust is a national nonprofit organization that is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and…

The New CRDC Data Is Out: What To Be Excited About and What to Watch For

Long-awaited data from the most recent Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) has been released. This new data from the…

Navigating the Promise and Peril of AI for Students of Color

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not new — various AI tools have been utilized in classrooms and other learning environments…

Creative Ways to Design Assignments for Student Success

There are many creative ways in which teachers can design assignments to support student success. We can do this while simultaneously not getting bogged down with the various obstructions that keep students from both completing and learning from the assignments. For me, assignments fall into two categories: those that are graded automatically, such as SmartBook® readings and quizzes in Connect®; and those that I need to grade by hand, such as writing assignments.  

For those of us teaching large, introductory classes, most of our assignments are graded automatically, which is great for our time management. But our students will ultimately deliver a plethora of colorful excuses as to why they were not completed and why extensions are warranted. How do we give them a little leeway to make the semester run more smoothly, so there are fewer worries about a reading that was missed or a quiz that went by too quickly? Here are a few tactics I use. 

Automatically graded assignments: 

Multiple assignment attempts  

• This eases the mental pressure of a timed assignment and covers computer mishaps or human error on the first attempt. 
• You can deduct points for every attempt taken if you are worried about students taking advantage. 

Automatically dropped assignments  

• Within a subset or set of assignments, automatically drop a few from grading. This can take care of all excuses for missing an assignment. 
• Additionally, you can give a little grade boost to those who complete all their assignments (over a certain grade). 

Due dates  

• Consider staggering due dates during the week instead of making them all due on Sunday night.  
• Set the due date for readings the night before you cover the material, so students are prepared.  

Requirements  

• If we want our students to read, then make a reading assignment a requirement of a quiz. 

The tactics above might be applied to written assignments, too. An easy way to bolster a student’s interest and investment in these longer assignments is to give them a choice. This could be in the topic, location of study, or presentation style. For example, if you want them to analyze the susceptibility of a beach to hurricane threat, why not let them choose the location? In this way, you will also be gaining a lot of new information for your own use. 

With a small amount of effort, we can design our classes, so students concentrate on learning the subject matter rather than the logistics of completing the assignments. 

Attending a conference?

Checkout if mcgraw hill will be in attendance:.

How technology is reinventing education

Stanford Graduate School of Education Dean Dan Schwartz and other education scholars weigh in on what's next for some of the technology trends taking center stage in the classroom.

Image credit: Claire Scully

New advances in technology are upending education, from the recent debut of new artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots like ChatGPT to the growing accessibility of virtual-reality tools that expand the boundaries of the classroom. For educators, at the heart of it all is the hope that every learner gets an equal chance to develop the skills they need to succeed. But that promise is not without its pitfalls.

“Technology is a game-changer for education – it offers the prospect of universal access to high-quality learning experiences, and it creates fundamentally new ways of teaching,” said Dan Schwartz, dean of Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE), who is also a professor of educational technology at the GSE and faculty director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning . “But there are a lot of ways we teach that aren’t great, and a big fear with AI in particular is that we just get more efficient at teaching badly. This is a moment to pay attention, to do things differently.”

For K-12 schools, this year also marks the end of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding program, which has provided pandemic recovery funds that many districts used to invest in educational software and systems. With these funds running out in September 2024, schools are trying to determine their best use of technology as they face the prospect of diminishing resources.

Here, Schwartz and other Stanford education scholars weigh in on some of the technology trends taking center stage in the classroom this year.

AI in the classroom

In 2023, the big story in technology and education was generative AI, following the introduction of ChatGPT and other chatbots that produce text seemingly written by a human in response to a question or prompt. Educators immediately worried that students would use the chatbot to cheat by trying to pass its writing off as their own. As schools move to adopt policies around students’ use of the tool, many are also beginning to explore potential opportunities – for example, to generate reading assignments or coach students during the writing process.

AI can also help automate tasks like grading and lesson planning, freeing teachers to do the human work that drew them into the profession in the first place, said Victor Lee, an associate professor at the GSE and faculty lead for the AI + Education initiative at the Stanford Accelerator for Learning. “I’m heartened to see some movement toward creating AI tools that make teachers’ lives better – not to replace them, but to give them the time to do the work that only teachers are able to do,” he said. “I hope to see more on that front.”

He also emphasized the need to teach students now to begin questioning and critiquing the development and use of AI. “AI is not going away,” said Lee, who is also director of CRAFT (Classroom-Ready Resources about AI for Teaching), which provides free resources to help teach AI literacy to high school students across subject areas. “We need to teach students how to understand and think critically about this technology.”

Immersive environments

The use of immersive technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality is also expected to surge in the classroom, especially as new high-profile devices integrating these realities hit the marketplace in 2024.

The educational possibilities now go beyond putting on a headset and experiencing life in a distant location. With new technologies, students can create their own local interactive 360-degree scenarios, using just a cell phone or inexpensive camera and simple online tools.

“This is an area that’s really going to explode over the next couple of years,” said Kristen Pilner Blair, director of research for the Digital Learning initiative at the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, which runs a program exploring the use of virtual field trips to promote learning. “Students can learn about the effects of climate change, say, by virtually experiencing the impact on a particular environment. But they can also become creators, documenting and sharing immersive media that shows the effects where they live.”

Integrating AI into virtual simulations could also soon take the experience to another level, Schwartz said. “If your VR experience brings me to a redwood tree, you could have a window pop up that allows me to ask questions about the tree, and AI can deliver the answers.”

Gamification

Another trend expected to intensify this year is the gamification of learning activities, often featuring dynamic videos with interactive elements to engage and hold students’ attention.

“Gamification is a good motivator, because one key aspect is reward, which is very powerful,” said Schwartz. The downside? Rewards are specific to the activity at hand, which may not extend to learning more generally. “If I get rewarded for doing math in a space-age video game, it doesn’t mean I’m going to be motivated to do math anywhere else.”

Gamification sometimes tries to make “chocolate-covered broccoli,” Schwartz said, by adding art and rewards to make speeded response tasks involving single-answer, factual questions more fun. He hopes to see more creative play patterns that give students points for rethinking an approach or adapting their strategy, rather than only rewarding them for quickly producing a correct response.

Data-gathering and analysis

The growing use of technology in schools is producing massive amounts of data on students’ activities in the classroom and online. “We’re now able to capture moment-to-moment data, every keystroke a kid makes,” said Schwartz – data that can reveal areas of struggle and different learning opportunities, from solving a math problem to approaching a writing assignment.

But outside of research settings, he said, that type of granular data – now owned by tech companies – is more likely used to refine the design of the software than to provide teachers with actionable information.

The promise of personalized learning is being able to generate content aligned with students’ interests and skill levels, and making lessons more accessible for multilingual learners and students with disabilities. Realizing that promise requires that educators can make sense of the data that’s being collected, said Schwartz – and while advances in AI are making it easier to identify patterns and findings, the data also needs to be in a system and form educators can access and analyze for decision-making. Developing a usable infrastructure for that data, Schwartz said, is an important next step.

With the accumulation of student data comes privacy concerns: How is the data being collected? Are there regulations or guidelines around its use in decision-making? What steps are being taken to prevent unauthorized access? In 2023 K-12 schools experienced a rise in cyberattacks, underscoring the need to implement strong systems to safeguard student data.

Technology is “requiring people to check their assumptions about education,” said Schwartz, noting that AI in particular is very efficient at replicating biases and automating the way things have been done in the past, including poor models of instruction. “But it’s also opening up new possibilities for students producing material, and for being able to identify children who are not average so we can customize toward them. It’s an opportunity to think of entirely new ways of teaching – this is the path I hope to see.”

• Our Mission

Fact Check: Are Flexible Student Deadlines at Odds With Real Life?

Will flexibility around due dates deliver a reprieve for stressed-out students—or ruin them for real-world work? A high school teacher examines the practice.

One Sunday evening last spring, I opened my work email to see a request from a student: He was very sorry, but he had underestimated how much work he needed to do for an important oral presentation. Could he receive an extension?

Teachers are familiar with these emails that arrive the day—or night—before a project is due. I considered writing back that the deadline had been set a month ago and that since we’d met to discuss his plan already, he should just do his best. But the student, Alex (a pseudonym), had been sick the prior week with Covid-19 and had missed work in all classes. Alex also noted that he had worked through multiple revisions of the presentation, but he felt stuck. His request could be seen as an example of honest self-assessment and critical reflection.

Deadlines set by teachers are a source of student stress but can have clear value. Check-in dates help students break complex processes into manageable chunks as they plan and progress through course goals, and final deadlines can help them organize and prioritize work, complete tasks that are required to move to the next sequential skills, and avoid the anxiety of missed work piling up at the end of the term. (Having a due date for this article, for instance, helped me decide which of my many tasks to tackle when.) Teachers benefit too: Managing moving due dates for 150 students can quickly turn into chaos.

For many educators, strict adherence to deadlines is just one of many important skills they expect students to master before entering college and the world of work. “There is a camp that believes that setting deadlines and meeting deadlines is a life skill, and if we don’t hold kids accountable in K–12, then they won’t know how to perform in jobs,” says Denise Clark Pope, senior lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Education and cofounder of Challenge Success. “But a lot of us who teach have realized flexibility is key.”

It’s almost certainly not a zero-sum game in life, or in classrooms, and the challenge for teachers such as me, and for leaders in business for that matter, is to judge when flexibility can improve work outcomes and lessen stress—and when it’s important to firmly enforce deadlines.

What Is Flexible and What Isn’t?

Middle and high school-aged students are stressed —and that’s been going on since before the pandemic . Research points to excessive homework loads , pressure to compete for coveted spots at competitive colleges, and lives increasingly shaped by smartphones and social media use . Even the word deadline is stress-inducing, with roots in a Civil War–era line drawn around a prison that an inmate crossed “at the risk of being shot,” according to Merriam-Webster . Some teachers are almost that deadly serious about grades, opting to mark zeros for late work or docking 10 percent each day, making completion after four days nearly pointless.

In the much-cited “real world,” however, when a challenge to an anticipated timeline arises, colleagues often meet to discuss how to work with it, whether more people will need to join the task, or which due dates need to be revised. (Plus, few adult workers have as many as eight people they must report to, with separate policies, as students do with their teachers.)

When Ashley Whillans, an assistant professor at the Harvard Business School, and her colleagues surveyed working adults in 2021 about their willingness to ask for deadline extensions, they discovered that 53 percent of respondents’ task deadlines were in fact adjustable. In the same study, Whillans and her team found that, based on survey responses from 10,000 working professionals, asking for deadline extensions is generally viewed favorably by managers—and it decreases employee stress while improving performance.

Yet employees, especially women, rarely asked for extensions, even when it was clear that due dates were flexible. They worried that managers “would think they were incompetent and unmotivated,” the researchers wrote , even though “in contrast to employees’ predictions, managers judged both male and female employees who asked for an extension as more motivated than those who did not,” the researchers concluded.

If emulating real work conditions is an end goal, then perhaps holding your ground on all student extension requests doesn’t make sense, given the Harvard workplace findings. To figure out which due dates are fixed and which are mutable, teachers might consider whether students are asking for extensions too frequently, whether adjusting the due date impacts any other student work, whether the completion date of the particular assignment is inherently difficult to gauge, or whether providing a little breathing space might allow the student to do better work.

Especially for students dealing with organizational issues, unilaterally inflexible deadlines without opportunity to revise contribute to high levels of anxiety around work completion. New Jersey parent Maureen Gallagher has found that homework zeros can accumulate very quickly for her child who has ADHD. Even though he tests well, his grades reflect attentiveness to tasks outside the classroom rather than mastery of material. To add to the frustration, teachers often are strict with students but then late themselves to enter grades, so students don’t realize how many zeros they have until it’s too late.

When Flexibility Is Baked In

A Universal Design for Learning framework acknowledges these contradictions and frustrations by emphasizing student choice and participation in task designs and goal-setting and helps support all learners , according to advocates. Students encounter goals, timetables, planning resources, and check-ins, as well as tasks with strong inherent interest, through collaborative planning and strong scaffolding.

Some schools have this process of continuous revision to one’s thinking built in through standards-based or mastery-based grading. “The question of ‘Did you turn it in on time’ becomes even more arbitrary if you are operating under the notion that students have multiple opportunities to do the work and try again throughout the term or year,” says Nataliya Braginsky, a social studies teacher and 2021 National History Teacher of the Year. At Metropolitan Business Academy, the magnet high school in New Haven, Connecticut, where Braginsky teaches, students receive benchmarks and guidelines but are not penalized for late work unless the work never comes.

Research backs up the effectiveness of offering regrading or multiple opportunities to submit drafts, in both humanities and STEM fields. Two different studies show that allowing students to be late without question by one to two days increased both turned-in work and student engagement and learning . That’s the flexibility sweet spot: According to a 2019 research paper , stretching due dates by a week or more resulted in a steep drop in the rate of students turning in work. Students also tend to appreciate and feel they learned more when given the opportunity to get a revised grade on a draft effort, according to a 2022 study .

Deadlines, of course, can help students prioritize, and some students do well with fixed due dates. But even fixed due dates can be generated collaboratively and revised as longer projects and papers wind on—a common practice in the professional world, where deadlines are initially agreed upon, and then often extended as the complexities of a project become clearer. Braginsky, for instance, checks in with her classes throughout a project, especially during new units or work outside the classroom, and revises due dates if students need more time to do good work.

Finding the Right Degree of Flexibility

If extensions are common in the work world, then finding your own sweet spot—the point at which both you and the student are able to function at a reasonably high level—is the sanest way to manage the question of flexibility around deadlines. There are many places to start.

Allow extensions selectively: Teacher approaches to due dates can range from limited to near-total flexibility. Limited flexibility might include giving passes for late work—with two to three passes a semester, no explanation required. Stanford’s Pope says that “just having that lowers the tension; even if they don’t end up using it, it is a way to lower the stress.” A second approach is to allow extensions as long as the student asks 24 to 48 hours before the due date, although this approach does not account for sudden emergencies. A third option is to allow any assignment to be handed in two days late without penalty.

Grade completion and quality separately: I often input two separate grades, one for completion and one for the academic quality of the work submitted. The completion grade is not worth a lot—in fact, I make it a binary of 0–1 in most cases—but it cannot be changed. This separates critical thinking and academic work from compliance or work habits, as Jennifer Gonzalez suggests , without entirely conceding the issue of deadlines. It can also be part of a standards-based grading approach , where students and teachers are clearly and continuously communicating goals and how to reach them, and therefore feel safer taking risks.

Take a mastery approach: Greater flexibility by necessity invokes mastery-based approaches, in which students have an array of tasks throughout the semester where they may set the due dates or check-ins collaboratively. Kathy Gentle, a chemistry teacher in Stamford, Connecticut, says her deadline is really the end of the marking period. Work in chemistry does build on prior work, and she reviews the sequence at the beginning of the year. But turning in something on time doesn’t mean the work is good, she notes, and having a strict deadline doesn’t mean students observe it. “I know that kids have other things going on in their lives,” she says. “I let them be a little more responsible for deciding what they need to get done when.”

With all of this in mind, I considered my response to Alex. Yes, I wrote, you can present at a later date. But, I added, come in at your originally scheduled time to discuss your ideas. In the end, Alex was learning how to manage due dates, stress, and his sense of what was possible both in his analysis and in his relationship to authority. This was as important an insight as one he might have about Hamlet or any other text we studied.

As teachers, we have to evaluate how much the deadline is part of the progression of student learning and how much it is for our own convenience (important too!) or sense of power and order. In the end-of-year class survey, Alex wrote that he felt “immense relief” when he received my email granting the extension. With extra time to discuss and revise, he decided to fully change a text he was discussing. He had a breakthrough, he wrote, and actually enjoyed the work.

Filter by Keywords

10 Educational AI Tools for Students in 2024

Senior Content Marketing Manager

February 13, 2024

AI tools for students are becoming indispensable, from harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to refining writing nuances to getting instantaneous feedback on presentations. 

And the best part? Many of these groundbreaking AI writing tools are not just reserved for the elite—they are accessible and affordable, making them a boon for nonprofits and individuals on a budget. 

Whether you’re looking to craft impeccable essays or master the art of communication, dive in as we explore the top 10 AI-powered tools of 2024 tailored for your academic success.

What Are AI Tools For Students?

How students can best use ai, 2. quillbot, 3. gradescope, 4. otter.ai, 7. audiopen.ai, 9. smart sparrow, 10. wolfram alpha.

AI tools for students refer to various software and applications that utilize artificial intelligence to assist, enhance, or streamline the academic journey. Unlike conventional digital tools, AI-driven tools adapt, predict, and personalize learning experiences based on each student’s individual needs and patterns.

Here’s a breakdown of what they offer:

• Personalized learning: Every student is unique, and the best AI-powered tool can recognize this. They adapt to each student’s pace, learning style, and preferences to deliver tailored content, be it in the form of reading material, quizzes, or tutorials
• Instant feedback: Artificial intelligence education tools can analyze assignments, presentations, and projects, providing real-time feedback. This immediate response helps students understand their areas of improvement without waiting for teacher evaluations
• Productivity enhancements: From organizing study schedules to setting reminders for assignment deadlines, AI tools are equipped to aid students in time management and organization, ensuring they stay on top of their academic tasks
• Interactive learning: AI tools often come with chatbots, virtual assistants, and interactive platforms that make learning engaging and dynamic, breaking the monotony of traditional study methods.
• Data-driven insights: These tools collect and analyze data based on a student’s performance, giving insights into strengths, weaknesses, and potential growth areas, aiding in better academic planning
• Accessibility and Inclusivity: Many AI tools now offer features that make learning accessible for students with disabilities. From voice-to-text functionalities to visual aids, artificial intelligence ensures that education remains inclusive

AI can potentially transform a student’s learning trajectory, but the key lies in effectively harnessing its power. Here’s how students can make the most of AI:

• Setting clear goals: Begin with a clear understanding of what you wish to achieve using SMART goals . Are you looking to improve your essay-writing skills, seeking help with math problems, or aiming to organize your study routine better?
• Blend traditional with technological: AI tools offer unprecedented advantages but’re most effective when combined with traditional learning methods. For instance, after receiving feedback from an AI-powered writing tool, discuss it with a teacher or peer for additional insights
• Engage in interactive learning: Use AI-driven interactive platforms, such as chatbots or virtual tutors. These platforms provide real-time engagement, making complex topics easier to grasp and retain
• Analyze and adapt: Many AI tools provide data-driven insights about your learning patterns. Regularly review these analytics to understand your strengths and areas needing attention
• Ensure data privacy: While using any AI tool, especially those requiring personal data or academic records, ensure that the platform respects user privacy
• Stay open to feedback: One of the hallmarks of AI tools is instant feedback. Critiques, suggestions, or recommendations provided by these tools aim to enhance your skills and understanding
• Stay curious: AI is a fascinating domain with limitless potential. Dive deep, explore its intricacies, and stay curious about how machine learning, neural networks, or natural language processing can further bolster your academic journey

10 Best AI Education Tools in 2024

In 2024, the educational landscape has been transformed by a slew of advanced AI-driven platforms. Here’s a curated list of the 10 best AI education tools leading the charge and revolutionizing learning experiences for students globally.

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital tools, ClickUp has emerged as a front-runner, not just as a conventional project management tool for students but also as an AI-driven powerhouse tailored for student success. Combining the best of organizational features with the prowess of ClickUp Brain , ClickUp is redefining how students approach tasks, projects, and group collaborations.

With ClickUp’s education project management software , students can break down assignments into individual steps, which makes daunting projects more digestible, and then rank those tasks based on urgency and importance so they can focus on what matters most.

ClickUp’s collaborative tools turn group assignments from chore to joy thanks to real-time editing, advanced commenting features, and ClickUp Chat. ClickUp’s AI tools offer productivity analysis that suggests areas of improvement and optimizes your study routine.

ClickUp’s AI Writer and AI Knowledge Manager can help students summarize key information quickly, which is great for analyzing research papers or learning new topics. Using the AI Writer, students can also learn how to write better. They can see examples of good writing and get intelligent tips on improving their own work.

In a nutshell, ClickUp isn’t just another project management tool; it’s a holistic AI platform tailored to fit the unique demands of student life. By leveraging its powerful AI Writer and the intelligence of its AI Knowledge Manager, students can pave the way for academic excellence and a future of seamless project execution.

ClickUp best features

• With ClickUp Tasks, students can organize assignments, projects, and other academic endeavors into manageable chunks
• Automate routine tasks and set up workflows to streamline processes
• All ClickUp Docs , discussions, and tasks are in one place, eliminating the hassle of toggling between multiple apps
• ClickUp seamlessly integrates with various other tools and platforms that students commonly use, like Google Calendar, Drive, and even note-taking apps
• Depending on a student’s preference, they can visualize tasks and projects as a list, on a Kanban-style board, or on a calendar, offering flexibility in project management styles
• Monitor the time spent on different tasks or projects to ensure efficient time allocation
• Never miss a deadline with ClickUp’s robust reminder system. Plus, get yourself organized with the ClickUp Class Schedule and Time Study Template
• With AI enhancements, ClickUp adapts to a student’s work pattern, offering personalized suggestions and insights

ClickUp limitations

• Some users have mentioned that while ClickUp is robust and feature-rich, it can initially come across as overwhelming, especially for those new to project management tools
• While ClickUp’s desktop interface is widely appreciated, a few users have pointed out that the mobile app experience could be more streamlined

ClickUp pricing

• Free Forever
• Unlimited : $7/month per user
• Business : $12/month per user
• Enterprise : Contact for pricing
• ClickUp Brain: Available on all paid plans for $5/Workspace member/month

ClickUp ratings and reviews

• G2 : 4.7/5 (2,000+ reviews)
• Capterra : 4.7/5 (2,000+ reviews)

In an age where crisp, clear, and precise communication is paramount, QuillBot emerges as a beacon for students. A revolutionary AI tool for note-taking , QuillBot is specifically designed to enhance the quality and versatility of written content. 

Its intuitive interface and advanced algorithms make it a must-have for students striving for writing excellence. 

QuillBot acts as a second pair of eyes, helping students refine and elevate the standard of their written assignments and ensuring they make the best impression. Students can significantly expedite the editing and proofreading process with instantaneous suggestions and corrections, saving valuable time.

Knowing that their work has been reviewed and enhanced by a sophisticated AI-powered tool, students can confidently submit their assignments.

Over time, as students continually engage with QuillBot’s suggestions, they can organically improve their writing skills and internalize better writing habits. With its blend of advanced features and user-friendly design, it’s no surprise that many in the academic realm consider Quillbot an essential asset in their writing toolkit.

Quillbot best features

• QuillBot offers a handy browser extension and integrates smoothly with platforms like Google Docs and Microsoft Word
• Students can input sentences or paragraphs and receive alternative versions that retain the original meaning but use different phrasing
• QuillBot offers many modes, including Standard, Fluency, Creative, and more, catering to various writing needs. Each mode provides a different spin on the content, allowing students to find the tone and style that best suits their work.
• QuillBot can suggest synonyms for specific words, aiding students in diversifying their vocabulary and enhancing the richness of their content
• Beyond restructuring sentences, QuillBot offers suggestions to correct grammar mishaps and enhance sentence fluency, ensuring that students’ work is both accurate and articulate

Quillbot limitations

• Though QuillBot is adept at paraphrasing, there are instances where it might not fully grasp or retain the nuanced context of specific sentences, leading to suggestions that might be off-mark. For this reason, some people may prefer a Quillbot alternative
• QuillBot offers both free and premium versions. Some students have noted that the free version, while useful, has limitations regarding word count and access to all features. This might necessitate an upgrade for those requiring extensive use.
• On occasion, QuillBot might lean towards certain synonyms or phrasings more than others, leading to potential vocabulary repetition if not double-checked
• For very intricate or specialized sentences, especially those related to specific academic or scientific topics, QuillBot might occasionally struggle to provide a satisfactory rephrase

Quillbot pricing

• Premium: $19.95/month per user

Quillbot ratings and reviews

• Capterra: 4.6/5 (100+ reviews)

Grading and assessment, traditionally time-consuming and often subjective, have been given a 21st-century facelift with the introduction of Gradescope. This AI-enhanced platform has been specifically designed to streamline the grading process for instructors and provide valuable feedback for students.

With the detailed rubrics used in Gradescope, students clearly understand how they’re assessed, minimizing subjectivity and promoting fairness. Since instructors can grade similar answers in batches, students are ensured consistent feedback, even in large classes.

The efficiency of Gradescope means that instructors can grade assignments faster, leading to quicker feedback for students. The direct annotations on assignments allow students to see exactly where they excelled or where they need improvement, facilitating better understanding and growth.

Gradescope, with its blend of AI enhancement and user-centric design, is transforming the landscape of academic assessments. For students, it’s not just about receiving grades but gaining a clearer, more transparent insight into their academic progress and areas of growth.

Gradescope best features

• Gradescope allows instructors to create detailed rubrics, ensuring that grading criteria are consistent and transparent. Once a rubric is set for a particular answer, it can be applied to similar answers, speeding up the process
• The platform provides an easy-to-use interface where assignments can be scanned and uploaded. It supports various formats, making it versatile for different types of assessments
• Instructors can provide specific feedback and annotations directly on the submitted work
• Gradescope can analyze assignments to detect potential similarities with other submissions, helping uphold academic integrity
• Gradescope can integrate seamlessly with popular LMS platforms, ensuring that grades and feedback are easily accessible to students

Gradescope limitations

• For educators unfamiliar with the platform, setting up assignments and rubrics on Gradescope can take some time initially. It requires understanding the platform’s unique grading methodology and interface
• If students’ written answers (for scanned assignments) are not clear or legible, the platform can struggle to identify and categorize them correctly, which can sometimes affect the grading process
• While Gradescope’s AI-assisted grading is revolutionary, it works best for specific question types. More subjective or open-ended responses might not benefit as much from the batch grading feature
• While Gradescope aims to integrate with many Learning Management Systems, occasional syncing issues or discrepancies might arise, requiring manual intervention

Gradescope pricing

• Basic: $1/month per user
• Team: $3/month per user
• Solo: $3/month per user

Gradescope ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.1/5 (6+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (3+ reviews)

Check out these AI calendar tools !

In today’s fast-paced academic world, where lectures, seminars, and group discussions are the norm, having a tool to capture, transcribe, and analyze spoken content can be invaluable. Enter Otter.ai, a cutting-edge AI-powered transcription service that’s been a game-changer for countless students. 

By converting speech to text in real-time, Otter.ai doesn’t just transcribe; it transforms how students interact with auditory content. With Otter.ai, students can capture every word of a lecture, ensuring that no important detail is missed. Without the pressure of note-taking, students can be more present during lectures, focusing on understanding and internalizing content.

Transcriptions can be a valuable study aid, helping students review and revise their course content more effectively. For students with disabilities or non-native speakers, having a written transcript can immensely benefit comprehension.

Otter.ai stands out as a stellar AI tool, perfectly poised to meet the multifaceted needs of students. Whether revisiting complex lecture topics, collaborating on group projects, or ensuring that no spoken word gets missed, Otter.ai is a student’s trusty companion in the academic journey.

Otter.ai best features

• Otter.ai can transcribe lectures, meetings, and conversations in real time, allowing students to focus on listening and engaging rather than frantic note-taking
• Even in group settings, the platform can identify and differentiate between various speakers, ensuring that transcriptions are clear and organized
• Transcriptions are easily searchable, allowing students to quickly locate specific topics, phrases, or sections of a lecture
• Otter.ai can integrate with various platforms, like Zoom, to directly transcribe online lectures and meetings
• The tool allows users to add custom vocabulary, ensuring that industry or subject-specific jargon is transcribed accurately
• Transcriptions are securely stored in the cloud, ensuring that they’re easily accessible from any device
• Students can effortlessly share their transcriptions with peers, making collaborative study sessions or group projects more efficient

Otter.ai limitations

• Even though Otter.ai is one of the best in its field, no transcription service is flawless. Mispronunciations, heavy accents, or background noise can occasionally lead to transcription errors
• For real-time transcription, a stable internet connection is crucial. A weak or fluctuating connection could disrupt the service
• While the free version is useful, it comes with a monthly transcription limit, which might be restrictive for students with heavy usage

Otter.ai pricing

• Basic : Free
• Pro : $10/month per user
• Business : $20/month per user
• Enterprise : Contact Otter.ai for pricing

Otter.ai ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.0/5 (100+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (60+ reviews)

In the domain of language learning and vocabulary enhancement, Knowji stands out as a shining star. This AI-driven app combines the strengths of cognitive science, pedagogical principles, and cutting-edge technology to offer a unique learning experience. 

Tailored specifically for students, Knowji seeks to transform the often daunting task of vocabulary building into an engaging and productive endeavor. Through visual mnemonics and spaced repetition, Knowji ensures that vocabulary is learned and retained for the long term.

The app’s interactive interface and rich visual and auditory content make vocabulary learning more engaging and less tedious. The AI-driven adaptability ensures that students aren’t overwhelmed or under-challenged, making their learning journey more efficient and rewarding.

With contextual sentences, students gain a deeper understanding of how each word fits into everyday language.

Knowji isn’t just another vocabulary app; it’s a holistic learning ecosystem. With its fusion of AI technology, cognitive science principles, and pedagogical insights, Knowji positions itself as an indispensable tool for students aiming to expand their linguistic horizons.

Knowji best features

• The audio features instill confidence in students, ensuring they can pronounce new words correctly
• The student progress tracking features allow students to set and achieve vocabulary goals, giving them a clear sense of direction and accomplishment
• Based on individual student progress and performance, Knowji’s AI algorithms adapt to provide learners with tailored content, ensuring they are always challenged at the right level
• To provide context, words are paired with example sentences, helping students understand their practical application
• Knowji uses the principles of spaced repetition, presenting words at optimal intervals to ensure long-term retention

Knowji limitations

• Knowji’s vocabulary lists are curated for certain age groups and exam preparations. Some users might find the need for more advanced or diverse word lists, especially for specialized academic or professional usage
• The app heavily relies on visual mnemonics and auditory cues. Students who don’t resonate with these learning styles might find other methods more effective
• The rich visual and auditory content, while beneficial for learning, might consume a significant amount of device memory, especially if multiple-word lists are downloaded
• No desktop version

Knowji pricing

• Varies by module. Visit the Apple Store or Google Play Store for pricing

Knowji ratings and reviews

• Capterra: N/A

In the bustling world of artificial intelligence, OpenAI emerges as one of the industry’s foremost leaders. With its commitment to ensuring that artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity, OpenAI has released a suite of tools and platforms with immense potential for academic arenas. 

OpenAI’s offerings can be revolutionary for students, ushering in a new era of research, understanding, and knowledge dissemination. OpenAI’s extensive library of research papers and studies serves as a valuable reservoir of knowledge for students.

Language models like GPT can assist in drafting, editing, and even brainstorming, enhancing students’ writing and research capabilities.

OpenAI isn’t just a name in the AI industry; it’s a beacon of student progress, innovation, and responsible growth. For students, it presents a golden opportunity to be part of the AI revolution, ensuring they’re equipped, enlightened, and empowered for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.

OpenAI best features

• Natural language processing makes it easy for students to get answers simply by typing in a question
• Students can use Dall-E to create artwork for their presentations
• OpenAI can adjust its tone, language, and sentence structure to fit the level of understanding a student has of the subject

OpenAI limitations

• Even though OpenAI emphasizes ethical AI, students need to be cautious and educated about the potential misuse of such powerful tools, especially in academic settings, to prevent plagiarism or misrepresentation
• Some of OpenAI’s advanced models, like the larger versions of GPT, demand significant computational resources for training, which might be out of reach for the average student

OpenAI pricing

• Depends on the model used and a number of words produced. Visit OpenAI for pricing

OpenAI ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.7/5 (300+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (20+ reviews)

Navigating the digital age, students consistently search for tools to streamline their learning process and enhance productivity. Enter Audiopen.ai—a groundbreaking AI solution that magically transforms voice notes into refined, publish-ready text. Whether you’re a student drafting a research paper, pondering over a challenging essay topic, or simply brainstorming ideas, Audiopen.ai is here to redefine your content creation experience. 

Using Audiopen.ai, you can draft papers, memos, and emails in a fraction of the usual time, enhancing productivity. The tool makes it easy to navigate from vague ideas to coherent, publish-ready text effortlessly.

The tool’s adaptability to individual writing styles ensures the output reflects your authentic voice. Whether you’re verbalizing an email, text, or a blog post, Audiopen.ai is your one-stop solution.

Audiopen.ai best features

• With tagging, your notes are always accessible and well-organized
• The multilingual feature ensures non-native English speakers can equally benefit
• Add in your specific vocabulary—perfect for proper nouns or academic terms
• Whether you’re going for a casual email vibe or aiming for crystal clear precision, Audiopen.ai can adapt its writing style. There’s even an option for a customized style that mirrors your unique voice
• The AI is designed to weed out filler words, repetitive phrases, and any incoherent segments, giving you concise and meaningful content
• Web and mobile app availability ensures easy access from any device, anytime
• It comes with a handy AI Chrome extension

Audiopen.ai limitations

• The transcription time for the free version can feel limiting
• This is a very new app, so some bugs remain. However, the developer is responsive to feature requests and concerns

Audiopen.ai pricing

• Price: $75/year per user

Audiopen.ai ratings and reviews

Brainly is kind of like academic Reddit. Powered by students, experts, and academics around the globe, its database now boasts more than 250 million answers to every question under the sun.

Developed in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology, Brainly’s latest AI capabilities employ its vast knowledge base to furnish a more vibrant, tailored, and efficient learning journey.

Brainly’s enhanced features make AI-powered learning tools conveniently accessible, empowering students to seek homework assistance, enrich their subject comprehension, and bridge classroom knowledge gaps.

Brainly’s mission is clear: to bolster understanding and accelerate learning in this dynamic digital age.

Brainly best features

• Learners can now opt for a “Simplify” function for straightforward explanations or “Expand” for a more thorough breakdown of topics. This allows students to customize the depth of their learning based on their individual needs
• Students can now ask follow-up questions or request detailed explanations on previous responses
• To ensure the reliability of information, Brainly incorporates expert moderators who oversee content quality
• Beyond just finding answers, Brainly provides a platform for students to discuss, debate, and delve deeper into topics with peers from around the world
• To encourage participation and consistent learning, Brainly has incorporated gamification elements like points and ranks
• Brainly’s search functionality uses AI to deliver the most relevant answers, making the quest for information efficient

Brainly limitations

• Since a significant portion of Brainly’s content is user-generated, there can be occasional discrepancies in the quality and accuracy of answers. While the platform does employ moderation, the vast number of contributions can lead to some incorrect or suboptimal answers slipping through
• Even though Brainly operates in multiple languages and regions, the quality of content can sometimes vary across these languages, leading to discrepancies in the information available to students from different countries
• Some of Brainly’s premium features are behind a paywall, which might not be accessible to all students

Brainly pricing

• Plus: $24/year per user

Brainly ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.0/5 (13+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (20+ reviews)

Rooted in the mission of crafting unparalleled digital learning experiences, Smart Sparrow specializes in adaptive, simulative, and gamified learning environments. They are your partners in bringing visions to life, offering services from strategic consulting to custom software development.

Smart Sparrow uniquely marries the power of AI with the elegance of design.The editable templates and an extensive component library ensure that designing visually-rich, interactive courseware is a breeze.

With granular user permissions, collaborate on courseware creation with peers, colleagues, and external vendors.

Whether you deploy through your preferred Learning Management System or use Smart Sparrow’s platform, there’s flexibility at every step. Plus, with gradebook sync, keeping track becomes easier.

Smart Sparrow isn’t just another eLearning platform; it’s a movement towards more personalized, engaging, and innovative education technology. With its myriad features and a strong emphasis on user experience, it truly embodies the future of digital learning.

Smart Sparrow’s best features

• The platform boasts a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) authoring tool, allowing educators and students to create stunning and impactful eLearning experiences effortlessly
• With rich text editing, high-fidelity media import, and custom CSS, the potential for personalization is boundless
• The built-in Analytics and reports go beyond mere grades, offering deep insights into student learning patterns, pinpointing problem areas, and understanding how students navigate and interact with content
• From dragging and dropping elements, choosing from a vast array of interactive components, and customizing lesson plans, Smart Sparrow ensures a seamless digital journey
• Create personalized lesson plans that students love. Import rich simulations, tasks, and activities that propel students to lean in and engage actively

Smart Sparrow limitations

• The vast array of features and customization options can be initially overwhelming for users unfamiliar with eLearning authoring tools. It might take some time for educators, especially those less tech-savvy, to get comfortable navigating and maximizing the platform’s potential
• Although Smart Sparrow boasts LMS integration capabilities, users may face occasional hiccups or compatibility issues when syncing with certain Learning Management Systems
• Depending on the institution’s budget, the range of features and advanced capabilities might come at a price point that could be challenging for smaller institutions or individual educators
• While the platform is mobile and tablet-ready, the experience on these devices might not always be as seamless or intuitive as on a desktop, especially when accessing more complex simulations or activities

Smart Sparrow pricing

• Up to 5 learners: Free
• Up to 100 learners: $15/user per course
• Up to 500 learners: $12/user per course
• 500+ learners: Contact Smart Sparrow for pricing

Smart Sparrow ratings and reviews

The education landscape has experienced a paradigm shift with the advent of digital tools. Amidst a plethora of online resources, Wolfram Alpha stands out as an unparalleled computational knowledge engine. 

Designed to serve both students and professionals, it goes beyond simple search to offer answers to complex questions across multiple disciplines. Wolfram Alpha’s unique approach to online search is what sets it apart. Unlike traditional search engines that pull up web pages containing possible answers, Wolfram Alpha computes answers on the fly. This means students get direct and precise answers to specific questions, ranging from mathematical equations to historical data.

Whether you’re a history buff, a budding physicist, or a math enthusiast, Wolfram Alpha has you covered. It spans mathematics, science, engineering, geography, history, and music. Instead of just offering answers, Wolfram Alpha often provides additional information and related topics, encouraging students to explore further and satisfy their curiosity.

Wolfram Alpha is more than just a search engine. It’s a student’s companion in the journey of knowledge. Its computational prowess and extensive knowledge base ensure that students are not merely searching but truly understanding.

Wolfram Alpha’s best features

• The engine understands natural language, which means students don’t need to phrase questions in a specific technical format
• With dedicated apps for both iOS and Android, this virtual learning assistant is not confined to a desktop. Whether on a bus or in a cafe, students can have the vast computational power of Wolfram Alpha right in their pocket
• Numbers and data come alive with Wolfram Alpha’s dynamic visualization capabilities. Graphs, charts, and other visual representations help students grasp complex concepts more intuitively.
• For students grappling with math problems, Wolfram Alpha doesn’t just provide the answer but can also showcase a step-by-step breakdown of the solution, aiding in understanding and learning

Wolfram Alpha limitations

• While Wolfram Alpha can handle a wide range of questions, there’s a learning curve involved in phrasing complex queries to get the desired result
• It might not be the go-to tool for subjective topics, opinion-based questions, or areas that require human judgment
• For highly specialized academic or research-based questions, the platform might sometimes provide a more generalized answer, which might not delve into the nuances a student or researcher might be looking for

Wolfram Alpha pricing

• Basic: Free
• Pro: $7.25/month per user
• Pro Premium: $12/month per user

Wolfram Alpha ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.7/5 (3+ reviews)

ClickUp: Acing The Test As The Premier AI Tool For Students

ClickUp brings to the table a suite of features specifically designed to adapt to the dynamic nature of student life. From group projects to thesis deadlines, ClickUp is the silent digital assistant every student wishes they had earlier. Its AI-driven insights help students prioritize, optimize, and visualize their academic journey, ensuring everything runs smoothly.

As we’ve navigated through various amazing AI tools that promise to revolutionize education, ClickUp stands a class apart. Not because it claims to do everything but because it delivers on its promise, ensuring students are equipped, empowered, and always ahead in their academic journey.

As the school year continues and challenges arise, students can rest easy knowing that with ClickUp, they’ve already secured an A+ in preparedness.

Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.

Receive the latest WriteClick Newsletter updates.

Thanks for subscribing to our blog!

Please enter a valid email

• Free training & 24-hour support
• Serious about security & privacy
• 99.99% uptime the last 12 months

How Schools Can Turn the Solar Eclipse Into an Unforgettable Science Lesson

• Share article

If the weather cooperates, science students of all ages could be in for quite a show on April 8. The first sign will be a sudden temperature drop. The sky will darken, and winds will shift. A dark shadow will appear on the horizon. Faint waves of light may waft across the ground. A ring of bright light will shine from the outer edges of the otherwise darkened sun. Then the moon will cover the sun completely and, for a few seconds, a thin red layer may appear around its outer rim.

This fantastical display describes a total solar eclipse, which happens in the same place on the planet only an average of once every 366 years, according to experts . It’s also the sort of once-in-a-lifetime occurrence that can get kids super excited about science—a worthwhile goal, especially amid a barrage of reports of disengaged students and sky-high rates of absenteeism .

The impending total solar eclipse raises several questions for educators—from how best to expose students to both its sheer magnificence and its value as a learning tool to, more broadly, how to infuse other ‘real world’ science lessons into the classroom. To get answers to these questions, Education Week reached out to science education guru Dennis Schatz, a senior fellow at the Institute of Learning Innovation, past president of the board of directors for the National Science Teaching Association, and advisor to the Smithsonian Science Education Center.

Schatz advocated for a carnival-like atmosphere to celebrate the coming eclipse; even, as he noted, several school districts will cancel school that day. He also shared his general thoughts on how teachers can generate interest in ‘real-world’ science learning and the obstacles that too often prevent it. Here’s an edited version of the conversation.

What is your overarching philosophy of science education?

A fundamental philosophy of mine is to make science life-long, life-wide, and life-deep.

What do you mean by ‘life-deep’?”

There’s the workforce development focus of this; that is, the demand for STEM professionals. But life-deep also means getting involved and interested in science at a level that’s appropriate for you. You may be an accountant, but you may like to watch the National Geographic Channel or read science books and, if so, that’s an appropriate depth for you.

Where does engagement in science start?

Having been involved in schoolwide reform efforts, I’ve done a lot of work with teachers in the classroom, although I’ve never actually taught in one. Making science more engaging for students is probably the biggest challenge at the elementary school level, because not many elementary school teachers are trained in science. So the real goal, especially at the elementary level, is how to build enthusiasm in teachers so they can then get students excited.

So, what works?

It can start by getting teachers to think about how to use their local environment, or local community, to generate interest in science. For example, in the Northwest, salmon is a big issue [ declining numbers in recent years have been blamed on climate change and human development], so that can be a way to generate interest—either from an environmental perspective or a food perspective. There are a lot of different real-world connections to be made with salmon for people who live in the Northwest.

What about getting students excited to experience the solar eclipse?

Absolutely, the solar eclipse can be awe-inspiring, and it can be fun. I was talking to a teacher recently who said: I don’t want to make it like a fire drill, where you take the students outside, with their glasses, take a look at the eclipse, and go back in. There’s a whole range in how districts are treating the [upcoming] eclipse. It takes two and a half hours, from beginning to end. Watching the eclipse slowly go across the sun is like watching ice melt. So you want to think about ways in which you can make it into a fun experience. Enlightened administrators will encourage building an entire event around it: Think art activities, food, music.

How far in advance would you suggest teachers begin preparing students for the solar eclipse?

It’s about two weeks out, and in the back of my mind, I’m saying: It’s way too late. I guess you could try to cram it all into just one day, but I would recommend spending more time in advance. Ideally, well before the eclipse, teachers will bring some science activities into class that model what’s happening with the phenomenon. There are many other real-life examples to draw from: Every six months, there’s at least one lunar and one solar eclipse somewhere on the Earth.

Will most schools use the eclipse as a learning opportunity?

A huge number of districts are canceling school for a variety of reasons; one is liability. In the Midwest and Northeast, the eclipse happens at the end of the school day, and people are worried about safety issues and higher-than-normal traffic during the point of totality [when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun]. In these cases of school closures, teachers who plan in advance can share information with students about how to experience the eclipse safely , and they can in turn go home and teach their parents.

How do you recommend students experience the eclipse?

I think glasses are overrated. When you look through a pair of glasses, you get this little yellow dot. There are so many indirect ways to view the eclipse. One of my favorites is with a basic kitchen colander . If you stand with your back to the sun and hold the colander so the sun’s light shines through it onto the ground or a wall, inside the colander’s shadow you’ll see many tiny images of the eclipsed sun.

Other tips for good viewing of the eclipse?

You want to find a place in the sun that’s not obscured by shadows, somewhere away from tall buildings. At most schools, this might be a playground area. I recommend going out a couple days ahead of time and finding out where the shadows are going to be, so you can avoid them. And of course, the most important element is clear weather.

When the eclipse is over, how can science teachers maintain students’ excitement about the natural world?

There are so many phenomena to observe and study—certainly in astronomy, from meteor showers to lunar eclipses—and all kinds of weather events, like hurricanes and earthquakes. You have to be sensitized, as a teacher, to think: I’m going to use these events to motivate an interest in science.

What resources do you suggest for teachers who want to stay informed about real-world science lessons?

The NSTA publishes three journals for educators, targeting elementary, middle, and high school students. I also like the New York Times’ science section. There’s also Scientific American magazine, which has moved from being a journal for scientists and now is much more geared for the lay audience.

So, if resources are available, what gets in the way of teaching real-world science lessons?

For teachers, it’s often a matter of figuring out: How do I feel like I have the freedom to move away from what I’m supposed to teach? Things are so standards-driven these days, there’s just no time or ability to deviate. Plus, you’re worrying about how kids are going to do on tests, and so many other things—social-emotional learning, safety. But if you aren’t generating an ongoing interest in the scientific phenomena that you can see and experience, then you’re doing a disservice to students.

Sign Up for EdWeek Update

Edweek top school jobs.

Sign Up & Sign In

• Alderman Road Elementary School
• Alma Easom Elementary School
• Armstrong Elementary School
• Ashley Elementary School
• Beaver Dam Elementary School
• Benjamin Martin Elementary School
• Bill Hefner Elementary School
• Brentwood Elementary School
• C. Wayne Collier Elementary School
• Cliffdale Elementary School
• College Lakes Elementary School
• Cumberland Academy K-5
• Cumberland Mills Elementary School
• Cumberland Road Elementary School
• District 7 Elementary School
• E. Melvin Honeycutt Elementary School
• E.E. Miller Elementary School
• Eastover Central Elementary School
• Ed V. Baldwin Elementary School
• Elizabeth Cashwell Elementary School
• Ferguson-Easley Elementary School
• Gallberry Farm Elementary School
• Glendale Acres Elementary School
• Gray's Creek Elementary School
• Howard Hall Elementary School
• J.W. Coon Elementary School
• J.W. Seabrook Elementary School
• Lake Rim Elementary School
• Long Hill Elementary School
• Loyd Auman Elementary School
• Lucile Souders Elementary School
• Manchester Elementary School
• Margaret Willis Elementary School
• Mary McArthur Elementary School
• Montclair Elementary School
• Morganton Road Elementary School
• New Century International Elementary School
• Ponderosa Elementary School
• Raleigh Road Elementary School
• Rockfish Elementary School
• Sherwood Park Elementary School
• Stedman Elementary School
• Stedman Primary Elementary School
• Stoney Point Elementary School
• Sunnyside Elementary School
• Vanstory Hills Elementary School
• W.T. Brown Elementary School
• Walker-Spivey Elementary School
• Warrenwood Elementary School
• Westarea Elementary School
• William H. Owen Elementary School
• Anne Chesnutt Middle School
• Douglas Byrd Middle School
• Gray's Creek Middle School
• Hope Mills Middle School
• Howard Learning Academy Middle School
• John Griffin Middle School
• Lewis Chapel Middle School
• Luther Nick Jeralds Middle School
• Mac Williams Middle School
• Max Abbott Middle School
• New Century International Middle School
• Pine Forest Middle School
• Seventy-First Classical Middle School
• South View Middle School
• Spring Lake Middle School
• Westover Middle School
• Alger B. Wilkins High School
• Cape Fear High School
• Cross Creek Early College High School
• Cumberland Academy 6-12
• Cumberland International Early College High School
• Cumberland Polytechnic High School
• Douglas Byrd High School
• E.E. Smith High School
• Gray's Creek High School
• Jack Britt High School
• Massey Hill Classical High School
• Pine Forest High School
• Ramsey Street High School
• Reid Ross Classical School
• Seventy-First High School
• South View High School
• Terry Sanford High School
• Westover High School
• CCS Training Site

Cumberland County Schools

Student Assignment

Quick links.

• Meet the Team
• CCS Department Directory
• New Student Enrollment
• CCS Internal Student Transfer
• Online Student Enrollment
• Student Assignment Forms
• Foreign Exchange Students Information
• Student Code of Conduct

Department Overview

Each student in the Cumberland County Schools System is assigned to the school of his/her grade level serving the attendance area in which the student’s parent or court-appointed custodian resides. The Student Assignment Office has the responsibility of ensuring all students are attending the appropriate schools. Our guidelines and procedures are developed based on the following:

• Maintain efficient use of facilities
• Provide options to parents to best meet the needs of their family
• Provide choices to explore a variety of educational opportunities toward meeting the diverse needs of our students.

In addition to school assignments, the Student Assignment Office also helps parents, students, and schools with issues involving custody, residency, family hardships involving school assignments and Choice Program application procedures. All students residing in Cumberland County are eligible to apply to the Choice Program during the application period. For more information on the Choice Program, please visit the  Cumberland County Schools Choice Program Website .

Get Connected

Student Assignment Department 2465 Gillespie Street Fayetteville, NC 28306 Phone: 910-678-2616

Dr. Melody Chalmers McClain, Associate Superintendent, Student Support Services Saundra McNeill, Student Assignment Manager

How do I find out what school my child is assigned to?

Every child in the Cumberland County School system is assigned to a school district by their address. Click on the following link, type in your street address, and the school that your child is assigned to will appear in the display box on the right-hand side of the screen: Find My School .

My family is new the area. How do I enroll my child into school?

Enrollment takes place at the school by contacting the school's data manager or registrar. Click on the link for more information:  Enrollment for CCS Students

• Questions or Feedback? |
• Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated) |

• Bethesda Elementary
• Burton Elementary
• C.C. Spaulding Elementary
• Club Boulevard
• Creekside Elementary
• E.K. Powe Elementary
• Easley Elementary
• Eastway Elementary
• Eno Valley Elementary
• Fayetteville Street Elementary
• Forest View Elementary
• George Watts
• Glenn Elementary
• Hillandale Elementary
• Holt Elementary
• Hope Valley Elementary
• Lakewood Elementary
• Little River K-8
• Lyons Farm Elementary
• Mangum Elementary
• Morehead Montessori Magnet Elementary
• Merrick-Moore Elementary
• Parkwood Elementary
• Oak Grove Elementary
• Pearsontown Elementary
• R.N. Harris Elementary
• Sandy Ridge Elementary
• Southwest Elementary
• W.G. Pearson Elementary
• Y.E. Smith Elementary
• Spring Valley Elementary
• Brogden Middle
• Carrington Middle
• Sherwood Githens Middle School
• Lakewood Montessori Middle
• Lowe's Grove Middle
• Lucas Middle
• Neal Magnet Middle School
• Rogers-Herr Middle School
• Shepard Middle School
• Durham School of the Arts
• The School for Creative Studies
• City of Medicine Academy
• Durham School of Technology
• Hillside High School
• Holton Career & Resource Center
• Middle College High School
• Jordan High
• J.D. Clement Early College
• Northern High
• Riverside High
• Southern School of Energy and Sustainability
• The Durham Performance Learning Center
• Hospital School
• Whitted School
• Ignite Online Academy

• Durham Public Schools

Let’s Advance Learning

2024 Student Assignment Plan

Page navigation.

• Propuestas de reglas
• Data & Resources
• FAQs (English & Spanish)
• Secondary Academic Programs and School Boundaries
• Creciendo Juntos: Programas de las escuelas intermedias y preparatorias

New Boundaries for School Year 2024-2025 Approved by DPS Board of Education

Since the launch of the Growing Together Student Assignment project in 2019, we have received valuable input from our communities during this ongoing process. The new boundaries will take effect in school year 2024-2025. 

Our goals are to:

grow great schools together , ensuring that every elementary school in DPS has enhanced STEM, arts, and global language for our students,

foster diversity, equity, and access to DPS academic programs, and

respond to 30 years of growth and change in Durham County, ensuring that our school boundaries and application program placements today’s students and families as well as tomorrow’s.

Here is what has been done so far:

The Durham Public Schools Board of Education adopted new elementary school boundaries for the 2024-25 school year in June 2022, and subsequently voted on the elementary school plan on January 19, approving  elementary rules of access and a timeline for secondary school rules of access to improve equity for students. 

These rules will shift elementary school zone assignments in order to increase pre-K seats and special program classrooms; reduce transportation time; increase access to academic programs; and provide a geographical base for students and their families, starting in the 2024-2025 school year.  

A detailed presentation about the proposal can be found here.

See the boundaries:

You can see the new 2024-25 school boundaries and the application program options for your child’s address by clicking here and using our interactive map of elementary school boundaries for 2024-25 .

As a reminder, these new rules and boundaries do not take effect until the 2024-25 school year. DPS will hold its annual magnet lottery for the upcoming 2023-24 school year from January 9 through February 6, 2023.

Nuevos linderos para el año escolar 2024-2025 aprobados por la Junta de Educación de DPS.

Desde el lanzamiento del proyecto de Asignación Estudiantil Growing Together (Creciendo Juntos) en el 2019, hemos recibido valiosas aportaciones de nuestras comunidades durante este proceso constante. Los nuevos linderos entrarán en vigor en el curso escolar 2024-2025. 

Nuestros objetivos son:

• desarrollar grandes escuelas juntos , asegurando que cada escuela primaria en DPS ha mejorado los programas de STEM, artes e idiomas del mundo para nuestros estudiantes,
• fomentar la diversidad, la equidad y el acceso a los programas académicos de DPS, y
• responder a 30 años de crecimiento y cambio en el condado de Durham, asegurando nuestros linderos de las escuelas y la aplicación de programas de ubicación de los estudiantes y las familias de hoy, así como del mañana.

Esto es lo que se ha hecho hasta el momento:

La Junta de Educación de las Escuelas Públicas de Durham adoptó nuevos linderos de las escuelas primarias para el año escolar 2024-2025 en junio de 2022, y posteriormente votó sobre el plan de las escuelas primarias el 19 de enero, aprobando las reglas de acceso a las escuelas primarias y un cronograma para las reglas de acceso a las escuelas preparatorias para mejorar la equidad para los estudiantes. 

Estas reglas cambiarán las asignaciones de zona de las escuelas primarias con el fin de aumentar los cupos de pre-K y los salones de programas especiales; reducir el tiempo de transporte escolar; aumentar el acceso a los programas académicos; y proporcionar una base geográfica para los estudiantes y sus familias, a partir del ciclo escolar 2024-2025.  

Una presentación detallada sobre la propuesta puede encontrarse aquí.

Ver los linderos:

Usted puede ver los nuevos linderos escolares para el 2024-2025 y las opciones del programa de aplicación para la dirección de su hijo/a haciendo clic aquí y utilizando nuestro mapa interactivo de los linderos de las escuelas primarias para el 2024-2025 .

Como recordatorio, estas nuevas normas y linderos no entrarán en vigor hasta el año escolar 2024-2025. Las Escuelas Públicas de Durham llevará a cabo su lotería magnet anual para el próximo año escolar 2023-24 del 9 de enero al 6 de febrero de 2023.

• Questions or Feedback? |
• Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated) |

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

The Saturday Profile

Documentary Filmmaker Explores Japan’s Rigorous Education Rituals

Her movies try to explain why Japan is the way it is, showing both the upsides and downsides of the country’s commonplace practices. Her latest film focuses on an elementary school.

By Motoko Rich

Reporting from Tokyo

The defining experience of Ema Ryan Yamazaki’s childhood left her with badly scraped knees and her classmates with broken bones.

During sixth grade in Osaka, Japan, Ms. Yamazaki — now a 34-year-old documentary filmmaker — practiced for weeks with classmates to form a human pyramid seven levels high for an annual school sports day. Despite the blood and tears the children shed as they struggled to make the pyramid work, the accomplishment she felt when the group kept it from toppling became “a beacon of why I feel like I am resilient and hard-working.”

Now, Ms. Yamazaki, who is half-British, half-Japanese, is using her documentary eye to chronicle such moments that she believes form the essence of Japanese character, for better or worse.

To outsiders, Japan is often seen as an orderly society where the trains run on time, the streets are impeccably clean, and the people are generally polite and work cooperatively. Ms. Yamazaki has trained her camera on the educational practices and rigorous discipline instilled from an early age that she believes create such a society.

Her films present nonjudgmental, nuanced portraits that try to explain why Japan is the way it is, while also showing the potential costs of those practices. By showing both the upsides and downsides of Japan’s commonplace rituals, particularly in education, she also invites insiders to interrogate their longstanding customs.

Her latest film, “ The Making of a Japanese ,” which premiered last fall at the Tokyo International Film Festival, documents one year at an elementary school in western Tokyo, where students align their shoes ramrod straight in storage cubbies, clean their classrooms and serve lunch to their classmates.

In an earlier documentary, “ Koshien: Japan’s Field of Dreams ,” Ms. Yamazaki showed high school baseball players pushed to physical extremes and often reduced to tears as they vied to compete in Japan’s annual summer tournament .

In the schools highlighted by Ms. Yamazaki, both films show what can at times seem like an almost militaristic devotion to order, teamwork and self-sacrifice. But the documentaries also portray teachers and coaches trying to preserve the best of Japanese culture while acknowledging that certain traditions might damage the participants.

“If we can figure out what good things to keep and what should be changed — of course, that’s the million dollar question,” Ms. Yamazaki said.

“If we don’t have those what seem ‘extreme’ parts of society — or more realistically as we have less of it, as I see happening,” wrote Ms. Yamazaki in a follow-up email, “we might see trains in Japan be late in the future.”

Some extreme scenes show up in her films. In “The Making of a Japanese,” for instance, one first-grade teacher strongly chastises a first grader and makes her cry in front of her classmates. But the film also shows the young student conquering her deficiencies to proudly perform in front of the school.

Ms. Yamazaki “showed the reality as it is,” said Hiroshi Sugita, a professor of education at Kokugakuin University who appears briefly in the film lecturing the school’s faculty.

Having grown up in Japan and then trained as a filmmaker at New York University, Ms. Yamazaki has a one-foot-in, one-foot-out perspective.

In contrast to a complete “outsider who is exoticizing things, I think she is able to bring a perspective that has more respect and authenticity,” said Basil Tsiokos, senior programmer of nonfiction features at the Sundance Film Festival who selected two of Ms. Yamazaki’s films for documentary showcases in Nantucket and New York.

Ms. Yamazaki grew up near Osaka, the daughter of a British college professor and Japanese schoolteacher, and spent summers in England. When she transferred from a Japanese school to an international academy in Kobe for her middle and high school years, she was surprised that janitors, not the students, cleaned the classrooms. Relishing the freedom to choose electives, she enrolled in a video film class.

She decided to leave Japan for college partly because, as someone of multiracial heritage, she was tired of being treated as a foreigner.

When she arrived at N.Y.U., most of her classmates wanted to direct feature films. Ms. Yamazaki enrolled in a documentary class taught by Sam Pollard , a filmmaker who also worked as an editor for Spike Lee and others, and embraced the medium.

Mr. Pollard spotted her talent right away. “You have to apply yourself to figure out what the story is,” he said. “She had that.”

While she was still an undergraduate, Mr. Pollard offered Ms. Yamazaki some editing work. After graduation, she said, “a lot of my friends were smoking pot and were these artist dreamer people with grand ideas.” But she took on multiple editing gigs to support her passion projects. Even now, editing helps support her documentary work.

She attributed her work ethic to her years in Japanese elementary school. “People would be like, ‘you’re so responsible, you’re such a good team player, you’re working so hard,’” she recalled. She regarded her efforts as “below average in terms of a Japanese standard.”

She met her future husband, Eric Nyari, while interviewing for a job to edit a documentary about the Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto that Mr. Nyari was producing. She didn’t land the job, but the pair became friends. Mr. Nyari, who describes her as “a dictator — in a good way,” is now the primary producer of all her documentaries.

Ms. Yamazaki made the leap from editing to professional directing with a short film for Al Jazeera, “ Monk by Blood ,” that examined the complicated family and gender dynamics at a Buddhist temple in Kyoto.

Next she chose a subject that had nothing to do with Japan. “ Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George’s Creators ” brought her more attention as it screened at film festivals in Los Angeles and Nantucket.

Ms. Yamazaki and Mr. Nyari rented an apartment in Tokyo seven years ago and Ms. Yamazaki began work on “Koshien.”

One of the high schools she wanted to use in the film is where the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani had trained, but his former coach, Hiroshi Sasaki, was wary after years of media requests.

Mr. Sasaki softened when he saw how Ms. Yamazaki showed up with her crew in the morning, often before the players arrived, and stayed late at night to film the team cleaning the field.

One afternoon, after he had barred her from a particularly dramatic practice and then ribbed her for not filming it, she burst into what she said were tears of frustration because her cameras had missed such a great scene.

“I thought this person really is serious about this and I was so moved,” said Coach Sasaki in a video interview with The New York Times. The morning after the practice, he invited her to turn on the camera while he watered his collection of bonsai plants and answered questions about his coaching philosophy. That episode became a pivotal scene in the documentary.

Ms. Yamazaki, who films her subjects for hundreds of hours, captures vulnerable moments that reveal as much to her subjects as to audiences.

In one scene in “Koshien,” the wife of another high school baseball coach says she resented her husband’s career because it often took him away from their three children.

“Seeing the movie, it was my first time knowing these feelings,” said Tetsuya Mizutani, the coach, whose old-fashioned, hard-driving style is highlighted in the film.

Such discomfiting moments distinguish Ms. Yamazaki’s storytelling from most Japanese documentary filmmakers, said Asako Fujioka, former artistic director of the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival. Filmmakers in Japan try to treat subjects “kindly, like a caring mother or friend,” whereas Ms. Yamazaki “is very bold in the way she creates drama.”

Seita Enomoto, the teacher who chastises a student in “The Making of a Japanese,” said that although some viewers have criticized him, he appreciated that the film also showed the child learning that “she should work hard, and how she changed and succeeded.” Ms. Yamazaki and Mr. Nyari hope next to make a documentary about new recruits at a large Japanese employer, where young staff start with training that can lead to lifelong work at the same company.

For now, they are raising their young son in Tokyo and have enrolled him in a Japanese nursery school. Although human pyramids have been banned by schools because of parental complaints, Ms. Yamazaki hopes her son will absorb some of the values that exercise taught her.

“It was a weird personal experience,” she said, “that I look back on fondly.”

Kiuko Notoya contributed reporting.

Motoko Rich is a reporter in Tokyo, leading coverage of Japan for The Times. More about Motoko Rich

Education Matters: First Design Build competition held for Construction Pathways students

F RESNO, Calif. ( KSEE ) – The office of the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools held its first design-build competition for students enrolled in construction pathways.

The young construction workers had no time to waste.

The students enrolled in the construction pathway programs at their high schools had an assignment and only three days to complete it. They had to build a storage shed and the experience was designed as a real work day.

“They’re going to be following job hazard analysis, they’re going to be following a safety protocol. There are timelines they had to come up with bill material and budget,” said Anthony Ayerza, for the ROP for the Career Technical Education programs for the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools.

Fresno County CTE ROP, the Central California builders exchange and industry partners like Swinerton Construction put this event on.

“I love the enthusiasm, the excitement of the students, the kids entering a workforce a career that’s going to set them up down the road and for life,” said Erich Klemme for Swinerton Construction.

Students spent months planning and working on their design.

“We chose to build a ticket booth for our school just because that’s something that we have been lacking,” said Harrison Garewal, a student at Kerman High School.

There were seven teams and six were representing their high schools. There was one team made up of young ladies from different schools, and different programs.

“It was very nerve-wracking that we had very little time to work but it was very exciting being able to be a part of this team and amazing skills,” said Zienna Renfro, a student at CTEC High School.

All the teams had mentors from the industry and people supporting and encouraging them.

“We mentor, we support and we encourage our sisters to become leaders in the construction industry and that’s the same thing we are going to do with these young ladies,” said Susan Rodriguez of the NorCal Carpenters Union.

At the end of day three, each design was built into buildings and had its own unique style.

Clovis High School took the top prize. Some students even walked away with job offers, leaving them with a sense of pride.

“I want people to look at that and I don’t want them to say a high school kid built that. I want them to say, wow that was built by a high school student,” Ayerza said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.

Tell The Post: How are education laws, restrictions affecting your school?

My name is Hannah Natanson , and I’m a national education reporter at The Washington Post focused on debates over cultural, social and political values in education. I analyzed thousands of laws and found that, since 2017, nearly 40 states have passed more than 110 laws, rules or policies reshaping what schools can teach about race, sex and gender — legislation that now affects 75 percent of school-age Americans . I am now hoping to speak with families and teachers who have experienced a change in education firsthand.

Please answer the questions below to share your experiences with me. I won’t publish or share this information without following up with you, so please provide your contact information. For anyone under 18, we will need parental permission to interview or quote you. Fields marked with an asterisk are required. Thank you for contributing.

By submitting, you agree to our submission and discussion guidelines , including our terms of service and privacy policy .

• Manage Subscription

Hamilton County Schools announces seven new leadership assignments

April 5, 2024 at 9:22 p.m.

by Staff report

Hamilton County Schools announced seven new leadership assignments Friday for the 2024-25 academic year.

The assignments include three school principals and four district office positions. Here's a rundown of the appointments:

— Tiffany Earvin has been named superintendent of the MidTown Learning Community.

Earvin has served as principal of Tyner Academy since 2022. She previously served as principal of Orchard Knob Middle.

Photo Gallery

— Marques Stewart has been named superintendent of the Missionary Ridge Learning Community.

Stewart previously served as executive director of elementary schools at Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools and director of teaching and learning at Decatur Public Schools in Illinois. Stewart holds a doctorate in education leadership and policy analysis from the University of Missouri.

— Fannie Moore has been named charter school coordinator for the Department of Opportunity and Access.

Moore has served as principal of Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences Lower since 2020.

— Callie Stewart has been named a human resources business partner.

Stewart has served as principal of Apison Elementary since 2020.

— Rashaad Williams has been named principal of Tyner Academy.

Williams has served as principal of Dalewood Middle since 2020. He previously served as assistant principal at Hixson High.

— Shelly Jackson has been named principal of Big Ridge Elementary.

Jackson has served as principal of Alpine Crest Elementary since 2023. She previously served as assistant principal at Big Ridge Elementary from 2018 to 2023.

— Kim Roden has been named principal of Alpine Crest Elementary.

Roden has served as principal of Soddy Elementary since 2012. She previously served as assistant principal at Battle Academy.

— Compiled by Shannon Coan

Upcoming Events