Blogs on Student Engagement

Student Engagement

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Get advice from educators on how to build a positive climate for learning, improve student curiosity, and enhance classroom collaboration.

Rebecca AlberSeptember 6, 2010

I admit it. I allowed students to chew gum in class. Why? I chewed gum. I have a throat that tends to dry up mid-morning. Gum helps.

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EdutopiaAugust 18, 2010

A few years ago I wrote a story about a new piece of research that blew my mind. A group of Yale University researchers led by Geoffrey Cohen gave a bunch of Connecticut seventh-graders a 15-minute writing assignment. Half the children in this racially-diverse, working-class school were prompted to write about their personal values - a task designed to validate their identity and self-worth -- and half were assigned a more neutral subject.

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Todd FinleyAugust 16, 2010

For students to write with ease and creativity, it is helpful for them to understand writing processes and writing routines. The paragraphs below take up the latter.

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Gaetan PappalardoJuly 30, 2010

We found the groove. Make sure your seatbelts are fastened and have a good time.

-- From the song "20th Century," by the band Brad

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Cheryl YoungJuly 23, 2010

Editor's Note: Today's guest blog is in honor of Amelia Earhart's birthday, July 24, 1897. The author is Cheryl Young, educator, founder of Young Education Services (YES) and biographer of Elizabeth Strohfus, WWII pilot.

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Betty RayJuly 19, 2010

Editor's Note: Our guest blogger this week is Elisabeth (Lissa) Soep, PhD, research director and senior producer at Youth Radio, a Peabody Award-winning, youth-driven production company in Oakland, California, with bureaus across the country and partners around the world.

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Betty RayJune 16, 2010

Editor's Note: Our guest blogger today is Karen Brown from the Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, CA.

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EdutopiaJune 11, 2010

Personalized learning has been a lot on our minds at Edutopia lately. We just launched some major coverage on Forest Lake Elementary School in Columbia, South Carolina -- a kind of "little school that could" for differentiated instruction. It's an earnest, humble place (except for the slew of awards touted on the façade) full of earnest, humble people who are simply determined to teach each child as a unique individual. Through strong leadership, dogged grant-writing and constant collaboration, they've done it.

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Ben JohnsonMay 19, 2010

"So do you have a problem with me?" the student asked.

"Yes I do." I testily answered. "You need to be quiet and listen to the teacher!"

"What do you care? Just keep fixing that computer!" replied the student.

Unfortunately, I was only a visitor in the classroom that day (there to fix the computer). The above exchange occurred when I just couldn't stand it any longer and turned and looked for the student who was making all that noise while the teacher was trying to teach high school biology.

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David MarkusApril 30, 2010

May 1st is the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky, known around the globe as "the most exciting two minutes in sports." For my money, it's also a treasure chest of inspiration for social studies and other interesting class discussions.

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