Recent Blog Posts
Original, creative, practical, and sometimes unusual advice and ideas to get you started -- or keep you going! Posts are listed by publication date, with the most recent entry at the top.
A World Summit on Innovation in Education -- Who Knew?
By Bob Lenz
12/4/09I recently returned from the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in Doha, Qatar. The 20-hour flight provided me with plenty of time to reflect on my journey. I was asked to attend because of my blog posts on Edutopia.org and because of Envision Schools' innovative school model.
Stay Connected with Email Alerts
By Betty Ray
12/4/09
If you've not already done so, I hope you'll take a moment to check out our new online-community groups. There have been many, many fantastic discussions taking root, with some strong connections being forged -- and this is only just the beginning!
The Art of Building School Community
By Suzie Boss
12/2/09At Eagle Rock School, in Estes Park, Colorado, the alpine air is so thin, it literally takes your breath away. For most of the 96 teens living and learning here, the Rocky Mountain setting couldn't be more different from the city streets they've left behind.
Got a Sub? Team Teach with Twitter
By Heather Wolpert-Gawron
11/29/09I've always been a multitasker. It frustrated my own teachers at times in that I always needed to be doing two things at once in order to be fully alert. My brain works like riding a bicycle: If I move too slowly, my attention span simply tips over.
Why We Should Learn Other Languages
By Owen Edwards
11/25/09May I now lead three boisterous cheers for Spanish, French, Japanese, Arabic, Italian, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Greek, Latin, Farsi, German, and Urdu as a second language. And any other of the scores of global languages you'd like to include.
Thank You, from Executive Director Milton Chen
By Edutopia
11/20/09As Thanksgiving approaches, I just wanted to say thank you -- it's something educators just don't hear often enough.
Why Do We Teach?
By Ben Johnson
11/19/09The act of teaching is a complicated endeavor that defies anyone to clearly define it in simple terms. I would like to give it a whirl -- with a little twist.
Extending the School Day Could Be Worth the Cost
By Katie Klinger
11/17/09I agree with Maurice Elias's blog entry about furlough days for Hawaii's public schools -- a total redesign of the school day to meet the needs of our 21st-century learners. This means relevant, creative-project and service-learning environments aligned not only to state standards but also to student interests.
When Teaching the Right Answers Is the Wrong Direction
By Rebecca Alber
11/12/09"Is this right?" Admittedly, I flinch a little when I hear these words from a student. Why? They always serve as a reminder of the wrong turn education has taken.
Webinar Teaches Lessons from Abroad
By Edutopia
11/10/09You might say the United States is the California of countries when it comes to how our students score on international exams. We're not the worst, but we have an uncomfortably close view of the bottom.
How to Focus Lessons and Learning Goals
By Elena Aguilar
11/9/09In the coming weeks, I'll share tips guaranteed to increase student achievement. This guarantee is based on my own teaching and experience as an instructional coach, as well as on research compiled by education experts.
Guest Blogger: Steven Anderson on #140conf
By Betty Ray
11/6/09I'm honored to introduce Steven Anderson -- technology educator, Twitter denizen, publisher of Blogging About The Web 2.0 Connected Classroom, cocreator of #edchat, and today's guest blogger here at Edutopia.org.
How Does Your School Garden Grow?
By Suzie Boss
11/4/09On a crisp fall morning, I watched students at Lewis Elementary School, in Portland, Oregon, roll up their pant legs and wade barefoot into piles of sand, clay, straw, and water.
Anthony Armstrong and Leslie Fenwick Join Our National Advisory Council
By Edutopia
11/3/09We're pleased to announce the addition of two new members of The George Lucas Educational Foundation's National Advisory Council: Anthony Armstrong, an eighth-grade U.S. history teacher and an Apple Distinguished Educator at Del Mar Middle School, in Tiburon, California, and Leslie Fenwick, dean of the Howard University School of Education.
Why I'm Jealous of Teach for America Teachers
By Heather Wolpert-Gawron
10/29/09I don't mean to whine, but I'm feeling neglected. For all my questions about the eventual impact on education with Teach for America, I find myself a little pouty that TFA teachers get all this professional development, and I don't.
Announcing Edutopia's Online Community
By Betty Ray
10/29/09It's been almost two years since we first started thinking about how we can provide services to help educators network, and it's finally come to pass. This week, we launched 19 online groups for educators to meet, share experiences, and collaborate! Already, we're seeing a variety of positive, proactive discussions in a wide range of topics.
Teachers Should Analyze Student Work Together
By Bob Lenz
10/26/09In my last post, "How to Make Writing Research Papers Relevant for Students," I described an expository writing task that all our students at Envision Schools must complete. In this post, I will highlight the task of analyzing literature.
Hawaii Can Turn the Tide Despite a Shortened School Year
By Maurice Elias
10/23/09You may have heard the story that due to the recession, Hawaii has cut 17 days from its school year, leaving 163 days of instruction instead of the more typical 180 days. The story suggests that with Hawaii near the bottom of educational achievement, it can't afford to lose those days.
But I would like to suggest that because Hawaii already ranks as one of the lowest states academically, restoring those 17 days won't matter -- nor would adding ten more.
The Games Pupils Play
By Owen Edwards
10/19/09There comes a time in every parent's life -- and in most teachers' lives, too -- when we discover that those we are raising and teaching are better at certain things than we are.
Giving Visibility to Students with Emotional-Behavior Challenges
By Maurice Elias
10/14/09The world is catching on to the importance of developing social and emotional learning in youth.
