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School Transformation Through Arts Integration at Bates Middle School

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Get support and guidance from change makers who are organizing and implementing real improvements to our educational system.

Parents and Teachers: The Possibility of a Dream Team

Dr. Richard CurwinApril 27, 2012

Tags Parental Involvement, Teacher Development, All Grades

Ineffective communication between parents and teachers can be a major obstacle when trying to solve problems with students, but fortunately it can be improved. Let's first examine the two major causes of communication dysfunction.

Trends in Research-Based Practice: Report from the AERA Conference

Vanessa VegaApril 26, 2012

Tags Arts Education, Integrated Studies, Literacy, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades, English Language Arts, Science, Visual Arts

"To know is not enough" was the theme of this year's American Educational Research Association conference. Over 13,000 researchers from over 60 countries met in Vancouver, Canada to present papers and posters in over 2,400 sessions.

Act and Inspire: The Dual Roles of Schools in Environmental Protection

Anne OBrienApril 19, 2012

Tags Curriculum, Environmental Education, Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

As we close in on Earth Day 2012, it seems fitting to reflect on the school's dual role in environmental protection.

Like all entities, schools have an environmental footprint. Those in the school generate trash. They use energy for heating, lighting, photocopying and so on. Schools are cleaned using chemicals that have environmental impacts. The list continues.

Poetry Can Change a Student's Life

Bob LenzApril 6, 2012

Tags Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), English Language Arts

Day after day, Alone on a hill,
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still
But nobody wants to know him,
They can see that he's just a fool,
And he never gives an answer,

But the fool on the hill,
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round
--The Beatles

This poem was on the blackboard when I walked into Mr. Cooper's fifth grade classroom in 1975. Soon we were listening to the Beatles sing the Fool on the Hill and interpreting the poem as a class. This brief introduction to contemporary poets was the hook for a project that transformed my future: the Personal Poetry Book Project.

Telling Isn't Teaching: The Fine Art of Coaching

Dr. Richard CurwinApril 4, 2012

Tags Lesson Plans, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Student Engagement, Teacher Development, Drama, All Grades, Math, Music, Physical Education, World Language Learning

I have the greatest respect for coaches; not every coach of course, but those who care more about their players than about winning. I include those who coach drama, choir, band and all those who spend so much of their time and energy on helping children far beyond the confines of the classroom. Good coaches make great teachers.

Transforming Education: How Do We Start a Movement?

Bob LenzMarch 23, 2012

Tags Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), All Grades

When do you start a movement? How do you start a movement? What happens when things actually move? These questions and more have been swirling in my head since the gathering of the Deeper Learning Network Community of Practice at High Tech High last week in San Diego.

The Importance of Community Involvement in Schools

Anne OBrienMarch 21, 2012

Tags Community Partnerships, Primary (K-2), Teacher Development, Urban Schools, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), Ohio, West Virginia

According to the recent MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, teachers, parents and students all agree that parent engagement in schools has increased over the past 25 years. Given the role that family engagement plays in not only academic success, but life success, that is great news. However, the survey also noted that parent engagement remains a challenge for many schools.

Teachers Observing Teachers: Instructional Rounds

Elena AguilarMarch 16, 2012

Tags Literacy, Primary (K-2), Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), California

Teachers and administrators all over are trying to figure out how to support English Learners (ELs). One of the schools that I work with, United for Success Academy (UFSA), in Oakland, CA, has launched a concerted effort in the last year to address the needs of their ELs who comprise some 90 percent of the student body.

You Just Attended an Awesome Conference. Now What?

Nicholas ProvenzanoMarch 15, 2012

Tags Leadership, Mentoring, Primary (K-2), Professional Learning Network (PLN), Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

'Tis the season for state technology conferences. I recently went to my state conference, MACUL, and was excited to see some great presentations. There is nothing like being in the audience when passionate educators talk about the awesome things they are doing in the classroom.

College Readiness: Writing to Learn

Ben JohnsonMarch 8, 2012

Tags College Readiness, Literacy, Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

The controversial author Norman Mailer said, "I don't know what I think until I write it down." Joan Didion perhaps said it better in this way, "I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear." Donald Murray, a pioneer of the writing process, stated, "...all writers 'are compelled to write to see what their words tell them."