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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 Middle (6-8)

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A Principal's Perspective: Getting The Most Out of Classroom iPads

Ben JohnsonNovember 12, 2012

Tags 1:1 Implementation, Blended Learning, Teacher Development, Technology Integration, Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

For the first two months of school, "When are the iPads going to be handed out?" was a continual mantra from students and teachers. But finally, when we were able to tell them a day, frustration turned into anticipation. Southside High School's goal was to efficiently assign an iPad to each ninth- and tenth-grader, without seriously impacting the regular instructional day. Boy, was that off target!

Seven Baseball-Themed Classroom Activities for the World Series

Matt DavisOctober 25, 2012

Tags Curriculum, Lesson Plans, Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

The World Series kicked off last night in San Francisco, and during the next week, it might be on the your mind or the mind of some of your students. We know here at Edutopia, the series between the San Francisco Giants and the Detroit Tigers has certainly made its way into some of our watercooler conversations.

Election Projects Get Students Critically Engaged

Suzie BossOctober 25, 2012

Tags Teacher Development, Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

With election season entering the final stretch, political discussions are at a fever pitch. Attack ads and debate "zingers" may be dominating the news, but they don't tell the whole story when it comes to how voters -- and future voters -- think and talk about important issues. In classrooms across the country, election-year projects are encouraging students to think more critically about topics ranging from immigration to the economy.

Blended Learning: Behind the Scenes

Heather Wolpert-GawronOctober 22, 2012

Tags 1:1 Implementation, Blended Learning, Classroom Technology, Teacher Development, Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

It feels like we're on the precipice of a more common, universal implementation for blended learning, but for a while still, blended learning is still dependent on teachers knowing what to teach and how to teach it. It still feels still like a grassroots movement from key teachers who are looking ahead to the future. We know that being able to function online is a 21st-century skill, but for some teachers, it's still as futuristic as Logan's Run.

What I Write: National Day on Writing

Steve J. MooreOctober 20, 2012

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

Writing Alongside Students

The term “workshop model” is one used in my school district at the moment to denote a classroom where something innovative is being piloted. My neighbor’s classroom is a place where new ideas are being shaped and tinkered with each day; I like the idea that there are little pedagogical laboratories being run all around me.

Twelve Interactive Activities for Learning About Elections

Paul GigliottiOctober 17, 2012

Tags Best Practices, Lesson Plans, Primary (K-2), Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8)

The election year is a great time for social studies education; presidential and congressional campaigns are such a large part of the news and daily conversations that they have sparked the curiosity of even the youngest students. A student response system combined with an interactive whiteboard can bring lessons to life by giving students a hands-on "voter" experience.

When Students Do The Teaching

Kiera ChaseOctober 16, 2012

Tags Project-Based Learning, Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Not every teacher gets to hear these words: the process of making "this video gave me a better understanding of how teachers teacher, so when I am faced with a math problem that I don't understand I can break it down and teach it to myself." This quote came from a ninth-grade student at the culmination of the Upside Down Academy project.

Blended Learning: Strategies for Engagement

Andrew MillerOctober 12, 2012

Tags 1:1 Implementation, Blended Learning, Technology Integration, Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

There are methods and models for implementing blended learning -- from the flipped classroom, to the flex model. All of them are on the continuum of just how much time is spent online and in the online classroom. Blended Learning can provide a unique way of not only engaging students in collaborative work and projects, but also personalizing and individualizing instruction for students.

Students Deserve Real Sex Ed

Christopher PepperOctober 9, 2012

Tags Current Events, Curriculum, Health, , Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Health education includes a lot of topics -- nutrition, fitness, substance use, mental health, violence prevention and communication skills, to name a few -- but the one that always gets the most attention is sex ed. And lately it's not just getting attention in class.

It's been all over the news.

Using Technology to Teach About the Election

Mary Beth HertzOctober 8, 2012

Tags Classroom Technology, Current Events, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

I will freely admit that I can be a bit of a political junkie from time to time. I listen to the news every morning, and I love talk radio in the evenings. I try to stay abreast of the goings on in the world and in our country. That is why I can see nothing more important than taking advantage of the election to engage our students in the political process and to help them begin forming their own viewpoints on real issues.