Jen Curtis
EdSurge
Oakland, CA, United States
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Past articles by Jen:
Long Live the ‘90s: ‘Edtech’ Crazes Every Teacher (and Student) Secretly Wishes Were Still Around
If you’ve ever been tempted to click on one of those ‘90s-nostalgia posts, we really can’t blame you—I mean, who doesn’t want to skim through ... → Read More
With the Help of Google and SF Muni, A Bus Sets Off to Serve City’s High School Dropouts
How many students can you fit onto a school bus? Legally—72. But what if those students weren’t heading to school, but already there—desks, ... → Read More
When ELA Tools Can’t Adapt to Students’ Native Language
The rapidly growing population of English Language Learners in the U.S. has caught the eye of the edtech market. As the demographics ... → Read More
Mystery Science Snags $2M in Funding to Create Problem Solvers (and Volcano Predictors)
Albert Einstein once said the most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. For elementary students, some of most joyous moments can be ... → Read More
Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad on Creativity, Diversity, and the Humanities Crisis
If he weren’t making podcasts, Jad Abumrad believes he would be teaching high school. The host and creator of the popular series Radiolab has obviously ... → Read More
When It Comes to Trying to Shake Up K-12, Is College the Problem?
In California, once home to the nation’s most-prized higher education system, the stress of college starts early. “Even at the middle school level, ... → Read More
Your 2017 ISTE Cheatsheet Is Here—and Jam-Packed
San Antonio, one of America’s fastest growing metropolises, is about to get a whole lot busier. Starting June 24th, thousands of educators, ... → Read More
Where’s the Humanity? The Case for Putting Language Arts Into STEM
It started with an underwhelming science fair—the type we’re all familiar with: students standing next to handmade posters, listlessly describing their ... → Read More
Looking to Ditch Traditional Grades? Here’s How to Get Stakeholders On Board
You know that old interview question: What would change in education if you had a magic wand? For Scott Looney, there’d be no hesitating: He would have every school switch from traditional grading to competency-based evaluations. “’They’re more authentic, more meaningful, and more logical,” he → Read More
Dropout Detective Offers Students Academic ‘Credit Scores’—But Is That a Good Thing?
The way you view your credit score is most likely a result of how good your credit is. If it’s decent, you probably don’t pay your score much attention. If it’s bad—and you’re scrambling to find an apartment in a competitive housing market (ahem, Bay Area)—it can feel like a burden, and worse, one y → Read More
We Ask Teachers: How Has Edtech Made a Difference in Your Classroom?
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we asked educators from around the country to share their most transformative edtech moments. We discovered that while tech can certainly bring engagement and efficiency, it’s ultimately the teachers—and students—who make the magic happen. Here's what some → Read More
We Know SEL Skills Are Important, So How the Heck Do We Measure Them?
Soft skills. SEL and MESH competencies. Habits of Heart and Mind. Whatever you call them, a growing body of research suggests these non-academic, social-emotional competencies deserve our attention. Studies have linked social-emotional learning (SEL) programs with improved focus, stronger re → Read More
4 Issues AltSchool Needs to Figure Out to Make Its ‘Personalized Learning Platform’ Work
No one can say Devin Vodicka lacks ambition. A holder of numerous Superintendent recognition awards, Vodicka has spent the last five years serving over 25,000 students at Vista Unified in Southern California. Yet that number apparently isn’t big enough; he wants his work to reach even more students. → Read More
How Can Educators Strike a Balance Between Blended and Social Emotional Learning? (EdSurge News)
Down in Anaheim, Calif., this year’s ASCD conference (March 25-27) kicked off with some much-needed levity: an improv show courtesy of the comedy troupe Wavelength. But while there were some easy targets—chief among them, the incoming Secretary of Education—those satirized often looked a lot like th → Read More
From Teaching to EdTech — Lessons from Those Who’ve Made the Leap
Leaving the classroom to work in the edtech industry can feel like a sort of betrayal. In California, while the tech sector booms, a teacher shortage looms. Teacher turnover rates are on the rise, particularly in low-income school districts. For teachers at under-resourced schools, the world of star → Read More
Lessons from a Chicago Public School: How to Hook Up Every Teen with a Tech Job
As graduation approaches, “senioritis” is running rampant through the halls of American high schools. Not familiar with the term? It’s a common affliction among graduating seniors, with symptoms that include laziness, repeated absences, and an excess of sweatpant-wearing.But for seniors at the Chica → Read More
Curious About Place-Based Education? Let the STAR School Be Your Guide
Tucked into the southwest corner of the Navajo Nation, Arizona’s STAR School is a charter school that knows its place—literally. The school is completely “off the grid,” powered by solar panels and wind generators. There’s a campus greenhouse that provides students with locally grown vegetables and → Read More
Assessing Social-Emotional Skills Can Be Fuzzy Work; SELweb Offers Concrete Data
When it comes to measuring growth and proficiency in schools, the conversation tends to center around academics. But what if alongside grades and test scores, teachers also had a way to discuss students’ social and emotional skills, with quantitative data to boot?Dr. Clark McKown, director of the RU → Read More
Can Blended Learning Improve Equity in One of Nation’s Most Diverse Districts?
New Jersey’s Morris School District is no stranger to change. Following a 1971 court-mandated merger designed to address racial segregation, the district has been forced to adapt. Today, Morris is one of the most diverse districts in the nation, serving a student population that is 52% white, 11% → Read More