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Get insight from educators on the latest ideas and innovations changing the way students learn.

Fixing What’s Broken Without Breaking Everything Else

EdutopiaMarch 9, 2010

Tags Education Reform

My adrenaline was still surging after joining thousands in my town demonstrating against the lay-offs of some of our best teachers at last Thursday's Day of Action to Defend Public Education. My spirits took a dive, however, when I opened my Sunday New York Times a mere three days later, and was reminded of another lay-off controversy turned lay-off melee in Central Falls, RI, where 93 high school teachers and staff were fired en masse by school officials last month.

Report from March 4th, Day of Action: Voices That Must Be Heard

EdutopiaMarch 5, 2010

Tags Education Reform, Parental Involvement

It is Thursday March 4th, "Day of Action to Defend Public Education" here in California and in states across the country. I'm making my way through the crowd of thousands in the massive square in front of City Hall in San Francisco.

Guest Blog: Boosting Teacher Morale

Betty RayMarch 4, 2010

Tags Education Reform, Leadership, Teacher Compensation

Much big news in the education world of late. While fifteen Race to the Top finalists were just announced, both higher ed and K-12 educators across California and other cities are protesting layoffs, fee hikes, cuts, and the re-segregation of schools in March 4 Strike and Day of Action To Defend Public Education. Meanwhile, many teachers continue to be cut, with more to come.

It's a rough time for teachers, to say the least. Which is why this week's #edchat on teacher morale was particularly timely. Our guest blogger, Matt Guthrie (@mattguthrie) summarized the inspirational discussion.

--Betty Ray, Community Manager (@EdutopiaBetty) and Elana Leoni, Social Media Marketing Coordinator (@elanaleoni)

CoSN Day 2: White House CTO Fires Up for Innovation

EdutopiaMarch 2, 2010

Tags Technology Integration, All Grades

Editor's Note: Don't miss David's dispatch from Day 1.

My second day at the CoSN Conference, also known as Consortium of School Networking, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in northwest Washington, D.C., was almost as enlightening as the first. Especially, when I discovered that the Shoreham Hotel is where the Beatles stayed at the height of their Beatlemania tour in 1964.

Common Sense Media Honors Edutopia Founder George Lucas

EdutopiaFebruary 25, 2010

Tags Education Reform, Media Literacy

George Lucas, visionary and founder of the George Lucas Educational Foundation, is being honored today by Common Sense Media, the nation's leading nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving families' experiences with media and entertainment.

Guest Blog: Two Paths to the Brave New World of School Reform

Betty RayFebruary 8, 2010

Tags Education Reform

Anthony Cody is our guest blogger today. A veteran teacher with over 18 years experience in the classroom, he's skeptical of the free-market approach to education reform. -- Betty Ray, Edutopia Community Manager

With the reauthorization of NCLB on the horizon, it is time to take a look into our future to see where current trends are taking us. As I look ahead, I have two visions that diverge rather sharply from each other.

A Look to the Future of Edutopia

EdutopiaFebruary 1, 2010

Tags Education Reform, Leadership

Today, we're announcing important strategic changes for Edutopia and The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF).

Having just completed our biggest growth year to date, we have taken a step back to evaluate how Edutopia can best serve you - educators, parents and administrators - who are committed to bringing positive change to schools and districts everywhere. Much has changed since we launched Edutopia.org back in 1994. Then we were one of the first educational organizations to have a Web presence. In the ensuing 16 years, we have honed our mission to show what works in public education, creating our Web site, books, CDs, DVDs, and, since 2004, our award-winning Edutopia magazine.

Keeping the Fires Lit

EdutopiaDecember 23, 2009

Tags Dropout Prevention, All Grades

During the holiday break, I always take some time to reflect on the past year and recharge for the work that's ahead in the next. This year is no different, except that I wanted to tap into the Edutopia community and see how each of you take time to reflect and recharge -- just leave a comment below to share how you've helped change education in 2009, and your tips for recharging for 2010.

A World Summit on Education Innovation -- Who Knew?

Bob LenzDecember 4, 2009

Tags Technology Integration, All Grades

I 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's innovative school model.

Extending the School Day Could Be Worth the Cost

Dr. Katie KlingerNovember 17, 2009

Tags Integrated Studies, Project-Based Learning, All Grades, Hawaii

I 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.