WHAT WORKS IN EDUCATION The George Lucas Educational Foundation

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We share evidence-based K-12 learning strategies that empower you to improve education.

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More School Time, Well Spent, Boosts Academic Achievement and Engagement at Edwards Middle School

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Five Keys to Successful Social and Emotional Learning

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A Parent's Guide to 21st-Century Learning

Blogs on All Grades

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Ten Ways to Cultivate a Love of Reading in Students

Elena AguilarFebruary 13, 2013

Tags Literacy, All Grades

As a teacher, I was obsessed with cultivating a love of reading in my students. I love to read, loved it as a kid too. I'm equally compelled to ensure that my own child loves reading -- and he does. I well aware that I'm on a mission -- but I also know it's a worthy one!

Create Engaging Presentations with Free iPad Apps

Monica BurnsFebruary 12, 2013

Tags 1:1 Implementation, Classroom Technology, Open Education Resources, Technology Integration, All Grades

If you are tired of PowerPoint and Keynote, it's easy to change up your normal routine. As much as I love these presentation tools, it's important to keep my audience engaged, and often a quick deviation from the usual is the perfect trick.

There are so many fantastic free iPad apps that are great for the classroom. Whether you have access to a single iPad that you use to create presentations for your students, or your students are creating their own presentations in a 1:1 classroom, you'll want to add these to your must-have list!

Presidents' Day: A Life Lesson for Students

Maurice EliasFebruary 12, 2013

Tags Lesson Plans, All Grades

As Presidents' Day is upon us, every student at every grade level should participate in an academic lesson related to our nation's leaders. There are four questions I would like to see every student in every grade asked, with appropriate follow up:

Green STEM Initiatives Spark Innovative Learning

Suzie BossFebruary 11, 2013

Tags Biology, All Grades, Science

Today marks the birthday of Thomas Edison, that American icon of innovation. At a time when the U.S. is facing a critical shortage of students interested in science, technology, engineering, and math, it's worth remembering how Edison built a pipeline of thinkers who tackled the STEM challenges of their time.

Teaching Kindness: More Than a Random Act

Lisa Michelle DabbsFebruary 8, 2013

Tags Bullying, Diversity, Mental Health, , All Grades

It's been a long time since I was in elementary school. But I can remember it like it was yesterday.

I wasn't the cutest, skinniest or best-dressed girl. I wasn't even a popular girl, but I had an advantage; I could sing like "nobody's business," and my teachers loved that about me. As a result, I think I was spared the bullying that could've come from classmates due to my lack of the aforementioned qualities.

What to Do When Students Lie

Dr. Richard CurwinFebruary 7, 2013

Tags Classroom Management, Mental Health, , All Grades

When I was school age, I never told a lie, but I bet many of you readers have lied in your youth. Okay, so maybe I did lie a few times . . . All of us have encountered students who've told us lies during our professional careers. One of the best I heard recently was when a teacher confronted a student for copying, word for word, from Wikipedia. The student responded, "I can't help it if Wikipedia copied my paper!"

Police Presence in Schools: A Social-Emotional Learning Perspective

Maurice EliasFebruary 5, 2013

Tags All Grades

At a statewide forum on school safety sponsored by the NJ School Boards Association on January 18, 2013, more than 700 educational leaders discussed the issue of school safety and security in light of the unfathomable deaths in Sandy Hook Elementary School. Why it takes a tragedy to force us to think about things that were no less important the day before that tragedy, we can lament. But now, we must act, and act wisely.

How Will Common Core Change What We Do?

Erin PowersFebruary 5, 2013

Tags Accountability, Common Core Standards, Curriculum, Education Reform, Integrated Studies, All Grades

As full implementation of Common Core State Standards nears, educators are searching for answers to three questions: 1) What are the CC State Standards? 2) How will they change what I do? and 3) Why are they here? Some of the details are frustratingly elusive as various groups -- publishers, school districts, states, and universities -- jockey for positions in the first post-NCLB initiative.

Games Support Multiple Learning Styles

Andrew MillerFebruary 4, 2013

Tags Game-Based Learning, Student Engagement, Technology Integration, All Grades

When we talk about "games," that term covers a huge range. From video games to board games, from Kinect to pencil-and-paper games, all of these can contribute to student learning. There are many reasons why games can and do teach, but interestingly, they actually access the multiple learning styles we already know about. This infographic can help you review the different learning styles if you need to. We can align them to games to further justify how we might use games in the classroom.

The Stuff of Problem Solving: Discovering Concepts and Applying Principles

Melinda SotaFebruary 4, 2013

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, All Grades, Math

Few would disagree that building critical thinking and creative problem solving skills is imperative for today's students. However, subject matter knowledge is equally important. The 21st Century Skills framework includes a Core Subjects section in addition to skills such as critical thinking and problem solving. The Framework for K-12 Science Education includes Core Ideas in addition to process skills.