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Global Competence: Teaching Young Learners to Take Action for Worldwide Impact at John Stanford International School

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Quiet Transformation at an Embattled School

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

Computers in the Classroom: A Mindful Lens on Technology

Douglas RushkoffDecember 11, 2012

Tags Classroom Technology, Media Literacy, Technology Integration

I was raised back in the day when teachers showed 16mm films in the classroom. It was a special event: the A/V librarian would wheel in an aqua-colored Bell & Howell projector, one of us nerdy types would wind the film through the various rollers, the screen would come down, the lights would go off and the magic would begin. Even the most boring film was still surrounded by this specialness, which set it apart from business-as-usual in the classroom.

The Best of 2012: My Favorite Films for Parents and Educators

Mark PhillipsDecember 10, 2012

Tags Drama, All Grades, Visual Arts

As a film and book lover, I always look forward to the end-of-the-year critics' picks. I also prepare my own, just to share with friends and family. But this blog gives me an audience (you!) to share my personal favorite films and books for educators and parents for 2012. This time I'm focusing on films. My book picks will follow shortly.

Use Arts Integration to Enhance Common Core

Susan RileyNovember 30, 2012

Tags Arts Education, Common Core Standards, Integrated Studies, Lesson Plans, Music, Visual Arts

These days, integration in any area, be it STEM or the arts, seems to be the buzzword to curriculum designers everywhere. There are so many resources floating around out there with the claim of integrating content areas. Yet, true integration is often difficult to find. Indeed, integration is a rare yet seemingly "magical" approach that has the capacity to turn learning into meaningful practice.

Which of course, as any teacher will tell you, is anything but magic.

Invest in a New Kind of Teaching

Heather Wolpert-GawronNovember 29, 2012

Earlier in my career, I was struggling as a teacher to make ends meet. I loved my job, deeply loved it, but it was just hard to make a living, as many of us can attest. And I know other teachers have been in the same boat or continue to be.

Code Literacy: A 21st-Century Requirement

Douglas RushkoffNovember 13, 2012

Tags After-School Learning, Technology Integration, Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Ask kids what Facebook is for, and they'll tell you it's there to help them make friends. And, on the surface anyway, that's what it looks like. Of course, anyone who has poked a bit deeper or thought a bit longer about it understands that people programming Facebook aren't sitting around wondering how to foster more enduring relationships for little Johnny, Janey and their friends, but rather how to monetize their social graphs -- the trail of data the site is busy accumulating about Johnny and Janey every second of the day and night.

Creating Makerspaces in Schools

Mary Beth HertzNovember 6, 2012

Tags Classroom Technology, Student Engagement, Technology Integration, Science

Two weekends ago, I attended EdCamp NYC at The School at Columbia, an independent school on Manhattan's Upper West Side. One of the things I love about attending edcamps is that the day is always unpredictable because you don't know what will be discussed or who will be leading conversations until that morning. What ensued was an inspiring day focused on tinkering, exploration and innovation.

#EduElection: Tweet Through the Election

Michelle Lampinen, NBCTNovember 5, 2012

Tags Current Events, Media Literacy, , High (9-12)

The Birth of an Idea

On October 22, teachers in our district came together on Twitter under the hashtag #mcvsdDebate. We are a county-wide vocational district with five academies, focusing on math, science and communications. Students are academically talented and apply to their school of choice. They must complete an application and take an entrance exam. Our goal was to work with students beyond the classroom walls as they put their thoughts about the Presidential race into writing. We also wanted to teach them how to use social media to learn from students outside their class.

The Financial Aid Application Process For International Students

Tanya KnightOctober 18, 2012

Tags College Readiness, Financial Literacy, High (9-12)

There are many international students who desire to study in U.S. colleges, and therefore, many are exploring the different avenues to fund their college expenses. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources for funding. This blog presents a guide to finding these resources that will hopefully make those students' transitions easier.

Before We Flip Classrooms, Let's Rethink What We're Flipping To

Idit Harel CapertonOctober 17, 2012

Tags Flipped Classroom, Homework, Technology Integration

We're hearing a lot of talk about education in these back-to-school days, but a few conversations rise above the din. One such is the chatter about "flipped classrooms,"¹ in which students listen to lectures at home and do homework at school. We also hear names like TED, Codecademy, Khan Academy and Knowmia bandied about, not to mention the term "MOOC"² and such brands as Udacity, Coursera, MITx, edX . . . What's it all about?

Celebrating School Lunch

Anne OBrienOctober 16, 2012

Tags Nutrition, All Grades

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, just over 20 percent of households with children under 18 experienced food insecurity in 2011. This means that at some point during the year, the household had difficulty providing enough food for all its members due to a lack of resources.