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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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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How to Thank a Teacher

Blogs on Primary (K-2)

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Should Students Evaluate Their Teachers?

Ben JohnsonMay 9, 2012

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

"This course was a complete waste of my time and money!" (What? No way!)

"We need a better instructor that actually knows what he is doing." (I bet I know who wrote that one.)

"The teacher is a great person, however I don't feel he knows how to teach what he knows." (Seriously?)

I was teaching college algebra for the first time, and these were some of the comments (and my reactions as I read them)

Six Affirmations for PBL Teachers

Andrew MillerMay 3, 2012

Tags Curriculum, Primary (K-2), Professional Development, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Project-Based Learning, Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), English Language Arts, Geography, History, Math, Science, World Language Learning

All great teachers do great work. And not only that, but they also do different work. Great teachers are always looking to improve practice, steal ideas and try new things -- all in order to meet the needs of their students. PBL teachers are no exception. Any teacher who is truly doing PBL would also agree that it's different. There is something about being a PBL teacher that requires different work, and work that is especially capitalized when implementing a PBL project. Because I work with so many PBL teachers, I feel there are some things that PBL teachers should specifically be proud of. I present them in these six affirmations.

How Project-Based Learning Builds 21st-Century Skills

Suzie BossMay 2, 2012

Tags Primary (K-2), Project-Based Learning, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Back in 2005, West Virginia embarked on a bold effort to reinvent public education. The vision was ambitious, especially for a rural state with a high poverty rate. "We're not tinkering around the edges here -- we are completely transforming every aspect of our system," then-Superintendent Steven Paine told Edutopia in the early years of the initiative. To make change happen, the state Department of Education enlisted a willing group of partners: West Virginia teachers.

Matching Teaching with How Students Learn

Ben JohnsonApril 25, 2012

Tags Brain Research, Multiple Intelligences, Primary (K-2), Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

What is a learner? A learner naturally observes and mimics. From the time we are born to the age of two, we are what you would call a learning machine. All humans during that time period are learning prodigies.

Trayvon Martin: The Wakeup Call to End Stereotype Threat

Becki Cohn-VargasApril 24, 2012

Tags Bullying, Diversity, Primary (K-2), , Urban Schools, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), All Grades

While some who hear the term "identity safety" automatically think it means protection against identity theft, that actually serves as a good analogy. A colorblind environment, where differences are left "at the door" is a form of identity theft.

What Are You Teaching Today? Poetry That Inspires!

Lisa Michelle DabbsApril 19, 2012

Tags Arts Education, Curriculum, Integrated Studies, Parental Involvement, Primary (K-2), Project-Based Learning, , Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), English Language Arts, Visual Arts

Reading poetry is inspirational! And teaching it can be even more so. If you haven't thought about using poetry in your daily work with students, I really want you to re-think that whole idea today.

A (Very) Short Guide to Purchasing New Technology

Nicholas ProvenzanoApril 17, 2012

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

I wanted to share a guide I have created when it comes to deciding on new technology purchases. It might seem complicated, but if you follow it, everyone will be happy.

Case Study: What Does it Take to Turn Around a School?

Rick WinterApril 12, 2012

Tags Accountability, Charter Schools, Community Partnerships, Comprehensive Assessment, Primary (K-2), Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5)

How does a school go from struggling to success? My goal in this blog is to share success stories and resources to help you make a difference in all the schools with whom you make contact. There is a role for everyone here: principal, superintendent, teacher, parent, school board member, politician, community member and taxpayer.

Celebrating National Poetry Month with Technology

Mary Beth HertzApril 10, 2012

Tags Arts Education, Classroom Technology, Integrated Studies, Literacy, Primary (K-2), Project-Based Learning, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), English Language Arts

Poetry is one of my favorite forms of writing. As I wrote in a recent blog post, there was a time when poetry was "my grounding force, my way of grappling with the world, questions, uncertainty, joy, sorrow, conundrums, beauty, ugliness and all forms of life that living could throw in my direction."

Five Future Technologies That Will Shape Our Classrooms

Nick GranthamApril 10, 2012

Tags Classroom Technology, Game-Based Learning, Media Literacy, Primary (K-2), Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Teleporting, flying cars and Back To The Future style hover-boards. These have all been promised to us within the next few years, but there is little hope of seeing them any time soon. These far-fetched technologies fill us with excitement about what the future may hold, inspiring generations of dreamers to learn math, science and engineering.