Guest Contributed Posts

These articles were authored by a friend of MDR’s community. If you are interested in being a guest contributor, please submit your article ideas here.

What’s in a Name?

By Guest Contributor | 08/08/2019 | Comments Off on What’s in a Name?
stacks of books

By Britten Follett – Senior Vice President of Marketing and Classroom Initiatives, Follett School Solutions Liam and Emma are the most popular baby names last year. So, do you go popular? Or go unique? Soon-to-be parents can spend nine months or more debating their unborn child’s name. Alternately, there are the moms and dads who wait […]

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The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is Here

By Guest Contributor | 08/06/2019 | Comments Off on The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is Here
California Consumer Privacy Act

It’s time to start thinking about compliance. By Anne Goto – Data Products Manager, MDR Here at MDR our thoughts are always turning to…data. Okay, we talk about data a lot. You could say it’s our thing. So when there is an imminent data privacy regulation poised to impact all US businesses, including education marketers, […]

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The Digital Age – Inspiring Creativity in Education

By Guest Contributor | 07/11/2019 | Comments Off on The Digital Age – Inspiring Creativity in Education
mdr-coding-launch-code-as

By Lindsay Walker – Co-Founder of Launch Code After School Over the past three decades, coding and computer science have created a new world of growth and opportunity for the generation of youth that is being raised alongside these technologies. Each decade has brought about innovations, such a personal computers, the Internet, and cellular phones which […]

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Social and Emotional Learning + Technology Education

By Guest Contributor | 06/18/2019 | Comments Off on Social and Emotional Learning + Technology Education
School children laughing

This Compatible Combo hits Classrooms Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Technology Education?  Traditionally these are not two subjects that we would lump together.  However, as SEL is increasingly becoming mandatory curriculum in schools, educators must determine where to fit SEL in.  We know that SEL is already being integrated into core subjects so why […]

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Testing: A Small Window Measuring the Size and Depth of the Room

By Guest Contributor | 06/04/2019 | 1 Comment
mdr-testing-assessments-measuring

By Dr. David Weiss, Co-founder and Chairman of Assessment Systems Corp For many of us in and around the academic orbit, test scores have been the ne plus ultra, the sine qua non of academic proof points. If you’re not up on your Latin, for many, test scores have been the unimpeachable evidence of successes and […]

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Modern Classrooms: Gadgets, Gizmos, and Coding

By Guest Contributor | 05/21/2019 | Comments Off on Modern Classrooms: Gadgets, Gizmos, and Coding
mdr-modern-classrooms-launch-code

By Lindsay Walker – Co-Founder of Launch Code After School Over the past few years, there has been a dramatic increase in the education industry in coding and STEM education. With the explosion in the popularity of these topics comes a landslide of educational toys, games, robots, websites, and apps. The question that educators and […]

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Bridging Research and Practice in Social and Emotional Learning

By Guest Contributor | 05/02/2019 | Comments Off on Bridging Research and Practice in Social and Emotional Learning
group of smiling school children

By Dr. Anne Snyder, Sr. Learning Scientist, McGraw-Hill Education Attention to social and emotional learning – among researchers, district leaders, classroom teachers, and content providers – has perhaps never been greater. With the recent release of large research projects, such as the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development’s A Nation At Hope, as […]

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What Education Marketers Can Learn From “Operation Varsity Blues”

By Guest Contributor | 04/03/2019 | Comments Off on What Education Marketers Can Learn From “Operation Varsity Blues”
mdr-pr-crisis-management

By Lisa Wolfe, President, L. Wolfe Communications There are many lessons to be learned from the college admissions scandal–dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues” by federal agents. The simplest one might be for parents: “Don’t do that,” as WeAreTeachers Editorial Director, Hannah Hudson, recently discussed on Headline News. But there are also important lessons that education marketers and […]

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#AllBooksforAllKids

By Guest Contributor | 03/26/2019 | Comments Off on #AllBooksforAllKids
mdr-follett-allbooksforallkids

By Britten Follett – Senior Vice President of Marketing and Classroom Initiatives, Follett School Solutions As a child, I read every single Ramona Quimby, Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High book ever written. Yes, I was a child of the 80s. When I think back on the extensive list of books on my home library shelf, […]

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Empowering English Learners with Inclusivity, Research-Driven Instruction, and Technology

By Guest Contributor | 03/11/2019 | Comments Off on Empowering English Learners with Inclusivity, Research-Driven Instruction, and Technology
mdr-english-learners-mcgrawhill

By Ed Lamprich – Vice President, English Language Learner Strategy, McGraw-Hill Education A diverse and growing group of students, English learners continue to have a strong influence on the ever-changing K-12 landscape. Their unique needs and assets often sit at the heart of many districts’ equity plans, offering opportunities for administrators to rethink strategies for […]

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The Explosion of Video in the Classroom

By Guest Contributor | 02/27/2019 | Comments Off on The Explosion of Video in the Classroom
mdr-video-classroom-educators

How Publishers are Making Videos “Teacher-Ready” By Gina Faulk – General Manager, EdGate Correlation Services What adult is not amazed (and sometimes exasperated) with the modern student’s prolific video watching? Students are downloading Netflix videos to their handhelds so they can fill time on the school bus. From their laptops they watch gamers stream that […]

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The Value of Little Free Libraries

By Guest Contributor | 12/05/2018 | Comments Off on The Value of Little Free Libraries
mdr-little-libraries

By Britten Follett – Senior Vice President of Marketing and Classroom Initiatives, Follett School Solutions Each morning on my run, I pass three Little Free Libraries. While I admit it might be an excuse to grab a breather every now and then, I sometimes stop to see if there’s anything in the little libraries on my […]

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A Review of EdNET 2018

By Guest Contributor | 10/11/2018 | Comments Off on A Review of EdNET 2018
EdNET 2018 presentation

By Maggie Bittner – EdNET Conference Manager Wow…what a great EdNET 2018 season we had this year!  We hosted three sold out education marketing events in September: in San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. Engaging speakers, engaging topics, engaged attendees. All walked away with a ton of great tactics and ideas to help them build […]

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Empower Teachers as They Create Student-Centered Learning Environments

By Guest Contributor | 10/10/2018 | Comments Off on Empower Teachers as They Create Student-Centered Learning Environments
mdr-student-centered-personalized-learning

By Cassondra-Corbin Thaddies, National Curriculum Specialist, McGraw-Hill Education When district leaders undertake a transition to introduce personalized learning in their schools, the technology adoption and integration phases often become all-consuming. It’s important to remember, however, that the ultimate goal of personalized learning is, not just to introduce technology in the classroom, but to construct a […]

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What Technology Can Do in the Battle to Curb Cheating on Campuses

By Guest Contributor | 09/12/2018 | Comments Off on What Technology Can Do in the Battle to Curb Cheating on Campuses
mdr-Curb-Cheating

By Bill Loller, Vice President of Product Management for Turnitin Academic misconduct can have a profoundly deleterious effect on institutional reputation. The MyMaster scandal in 2014 left a black eye on Australian universities from which they are just starting to recover. All too often, misconduct is swept under the rug and fingers are crossed, hoping […]

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Reporting Robots

By Guest Contributor | 09/06/2018 | Comments Off on Reporting Robots
mdr-artificial-intelligence-bots

By Britten Follett – Senior Vice President of Marketing and Classroom Initiatives, Follett School Solutions Five years into my career as a television journalist, I was on live television and suffered every reporter’s biggest fear: I completely forgot my next line. With no prompter or script nearby, I paused and repeated my last line, hoping it […]

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Five Inspiring Educational Charities & What They Can Teach Us

By Guest Contributor | 07/24/2018 | Comments Off on Five Inspiring Educational Charities & What They Can Teach Us
three figures jumping against dramatic sunset

Charity is all about building a better world, and what better way to do that than to equip the youngest generations with the skills and resources to fulfill their potential? Educational charities pursue that exact goal, looking to ensure that the future for our children remains bright even in the face of mounting global challenges. […]

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Powering Successful Digital Transformations in School Districts

By Guest Contributor | 07/10/2018 | Comments Off on Powering Successful Digital Transformations in School Districts
teacher with young students

By Guest Contributor Marty Lange – SVP, Chief Product & Operating Officer, McGraw-Hill Education School Group I’ve recently returned from ISTE 2018, where I connected with school district leaders and educators who are at various stages within their district’s digital transformation journey. Many are still in the early phases of implementation and navigating interoperability issues, […]

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13 Tired Education Buzzwords to Stop Using Now

By Guest Contributor | 06/25/2018 | 2 Comments
buzzwords photo

By Kimberley Moran – Senior Digital Editor at WeAreTeachers and School Leaders Now Sometimes you use a word because you are comfortable with it. It tends to garner a certain kind of reaction, and you’re counting on that. We call these buzzwords. Some people use them to help them sound smart, especially when they’re selling […]

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Being a Global Citizen

By Guest Contributor | 06/12/2018 | Comments Off on Being a Global Citizen
Global Citizen illustration

By Britten Follett – Senior Vice President of Marketing and Classroom Initiatives, Follett School Solutions My first trip overseas was to Egypt to see the Valley of the Kings and the Great Pyramids. I’d read every travel guide on the book shelf to prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime immersion into the cradle of civilization. Warned of all […]

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The Importance of After School Programs – Lifelong Learning at Any Age

By Guest Contributor | 06/06/2018 | Comments Off on The Importance of After School Programs – Lifelong Learning at Any Age
MDR-Reader-Struggles2

By Mike Durham – Founder and CEO Peachjar One of the things that makes humans so amazing is our ability to display grit, persevere in challenging situations, and use social skills to advance in our personal and professional lives. While it is believed that these abilities come naturally for some of us, nurturing plays a […]

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The Impact of Interactive Technology on the Future of School Education

By Guest Contributor | 05/22/2018 | 1 Comment
MDR-Interactive-technology-classroom

By Paul Bartrum – Academies Partnership Manager, Avocor With new educational technology tools developing every day, the ability to create an interactive classroom is becoming easier than ever before. It may still be some time before we see the likes of interactive whiteboards in every classroom, or individual tablets on every student’s desk. However, an […]

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Meeting the Social and Emotional Needs of All Students

By Guest Contributor | 05/03/2018 | Comments Off on Meeting the Social and Emotional Needs of All Students
mdr-social-emotional-learning

By Guest Contributors – Anne Snyder, Ph.D., Sr. Learning Scientist, McGraw-Hill Education and Christine Gouveia, Ph.D., VP Applied Learning Sciences, McGraw-Hill Education In recent years, the education landscape has shifted to reflect a growing emphasis on social and emotional learning (SEL) in K-12 schools. We’re seeing strengthened efforts directed toward educating the “whole child,” and […]

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Why Classroom Experiences Around The World Differ So Much

By Guest Contributor | 04/18/2018 | Comments Off on Why Classroom Experiences Around The World Differ So Much
mdr-classroom-experiences

By Victoria Greene To understand educators, you must also understand the challenges they face, and you cannot accomplish that without taking a broad view of education across the world. This is a difficult thing to achieve. By the time you reach adulthood, your view of what education means has been indelibly colored by your personal […]

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The Building Blocks of Engaging UX

By Guest Contributor | 04/03/2018 | Comments Off on The Building Blocks of Engaging UX
MDR-educators-edtech-ux

A user experience expert shares his best practices on how software designers and educators can better collaborate to inspire joyful learning. By Sean Oakes – Principal and Creative Director at SOS Brooklyn and Backpack Interactive When starting to design a smart user experience (UX), you need to think big. In EdTech, this means strategically synthesizing educational […]

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Identifying and Addressing Why Non-Proficient Adolescent Readers Struggle

By Guest Contributor | 03/21/2018 | 1 Comment
MDR-literacy

By Suzanne Carreker, Ph.D., CALT, QI, Principal Educational Content Lead​ at Lexia Learning One of the challenges of addressing the learning needs of non-proficient adolescent readers is the diversity of those needs. However, in the majority of cases, educators can determine the cause of non-proficient reading by applying the Simple View of Reading. This formula, which […]

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Charting a Bright Future for K-12 English Learners

By Guest Contributor | 03/13/2018 | Comments Off on Charting a Bright Future for K-12 English Learners
MDR-Bright-Future-K-12-Learners

By Heath Morrison, School Group President, McGraw-Hill Education Educators today are tasked with serving an increasingly diverse classroom. As the demographics of the United States continually evolve, these changes are reflected in K-12 classrooms. In perhaps no other space is the concept of finding strength through diversity more apparent than a room full of students. […]

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Creepy Underwear

By Guest Contributor | 03/06/2018 | Comments Off on Creepy Underwear
MDR-children-reading

By Britten Follett – Senior Vice President of Marketing and Classroom Initiatives, Follett School Solutions It’s on the top shelf. Slightly out of reach for five and six-year olds. So they stand on their tippy toes, reach high, and tilt the book off the shelf. I watch as their little fingers flip each page. They gasp […]

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Can Reading Make You Wealthy? Countering the Matthew Effect and Other Influences

By Guest Contributor | 02/27/2018 | 1 Comment
MDR-Library-Education

By Amandeep Kochar, Executive Vice President — Public Library Sales & Technology, Baker & Taylor At the beginning of every new year, with a renewed sense of purpose we feel resolute and have countless discussions about improving our physical fitness, adopting healthier habits, and embracing regular exercise plans. It’s important, however, to not forget cerebral health […]

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