WHAT WORKS IN EDUCATION The George Lucas Educational Foundation
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Blogs on Social & Emotional Learning

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3
Let Students Innovate
Dominick RecckioMay 18, 2012
Tags Education Reform, Media Literacy, , Student Work Examples, Technology Integration, High (9-12), All Grades

Today's high school students are creative and have a strong aptitude for technology. And many of us are interested in making our high school experience better, not just for ourselves, but for our peers as well. Studying and a strong work ethic will always help to take students to the next level, and are certainly perfectly viable options to create one's own path to success. But many of us are available and interested in helping our schools innovate through new technologies.

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Fostering Relationships in the Classroom
Larry FerlazzoMay 16, 2012
Tags Classroom Management, Diversity, Primary (K-2), , Student Engagement, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), World Language Learning

Students and teacher need to develop positive and trusting relationships in an effective classroom. It is also critical that all students, especially English-language learners, develop trusting and enriching relationships with each other. There are many activities which can be used for both introductory purposes and throughout the year to build and maintain positive relationships in the classroom. Some activities which work well to introduce students to each other and to the teacher can be used again at later points in the year as students' interests change and as they gain new life experiences. While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, it contains several suggestions we have found successful and which could easily be adapted for use with different levels of students.

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College and Career Ready: One Student's Story
Elena AguilarMay 16, 2012
Tags College Readiness, Dropout Prevention, Education Reform, , Student Engagement, Teacher Development

My former student, Brenda, graduated with a BA in psychology from Mills College, in Oakland, just a few days ago. Brenda was eight when I met her; she was a third grader in my class in an overcrowded, underfunded school in deep east Oakland. She was sweet and bright and we connected.

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The Homework Trap
Kenneth Goldberg, Ph.D.May 15, 2012
Tags Homework, Mental Health, Parental Involvement, , Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

As a clinical psychologist, I don't have strong opinions about whether or not homework should be given. I have doubts about its value, but I believe in deferring educational decisions to those who teach our kids. My concern is not homework, per se, but homework policy and its effects on some kids. I believe that anywhere from 10 percent to 25 percent of all children have such serious problems completing their assignments that, on balance, the overall effect of demanding that they comply does more harm than good. In speaking to countless parents and teachers, the feedback I get is nearly universal. Everyone has a homework horror story to tell.

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2
Adolescents, the Wilderness, and Schools
Mark PhillipsMay 14, 2012
Tags Biology, Expeditionary Learning, Integrated Studies, Place-Based Learning, Project-Based Learning, , Travel, All Grades, English Language Arts, Geography, History, Physical Education, Science, Visual Arts

Among the highlights of the two weeks my wife and I recently spent exploring Bryce, Zion and other wilderness wonders of the Southwest, was watching a beaming little girl, about six or seven years old, get sworn in as a Junior Ranger by a National Park Ranger. That moment capsulized all the moments during the trip when we watched kids of all ages drinking in the trails and vistas. We were continually struck by how many happy, engaged kids we saw. This wilderness experience was clearly enriching for them and for their families. At the same time, it reminded me about the relative absence of these experiences from the lives of most kids, and about how little of this connection between children and the wilderness is cultivated by most schools.

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Leading the Way in Social, Emotional, and Character Development Standards
Maurice EliasMay 14, 2012
Tags Curriculum, Primary (K-2), , Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), All Grades, Kansas

In 2012, Kansas became the first state to create and adopt a set of social, emotional, and character development (SECD) standards. These standards have been aligned with the Kansas Common Core Curriculum Standards, College and Career Readiness, 21st century skills, and other state and federal mandates.

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College Readiness Checklist for Parents
Jeff LivingstonMay 7, 2012
Tags Classroom Technology, College Readiness, Financial Literacy, Parental Involvement, , High (9-12), Math

As May begins, high school seniors are enjoying their final weeks in school before graduation. In just a few months, they will be stepping onto college campuses for the first time and entering a new chapter.

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Kids and Tech: Failure Might Be The Best Option
Matt LevinsonMay 3, 2012
Tags Bullying, Media Literacy, Parental Involvement, , , Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8)

What parent wants their child to fail? Well, when it comes to the use of technology, failure might just be the best option.

In fact, failing early and often provides fertile ground to educate kids around responsible use. The question is how best to handle online transgressions -- and when or if to involve the school?

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Social and Emotional Curriculum: Interdependence
Randy TaranMay 2, 2012
Tags Bullying, Environmental Education, Mental Health, , Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

This is part six of the seven-part series from the Project Happiness curriculum. It explores the many facets of happiness and provides practical techniques to generate greater happiness and a more meaningful life -- from the inside. By reclaiming the happiness you were born with, you can influence those around you to tap into the best within themselves, too. Each door can be done alone, or the Seven Doors journey can be done in sequence. You can use this exercise to explore your own relationship to happiness, and/or bring it to your students to help them build a stronger sense of their own happiness. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to post them in the comments section below.

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Marvin Gaye, Civil Rights, and My Heart-to-Heart with John Legend
Gaetan PappalardoMay 1, 2012
Tags Arts Education, Diversity, Leadership, Project-Based Learning, , Technology Integration, Middle (6-8), High (9-12), History, Music, Visual Arts

Singer Marvin Gaye wrote songs to "touch the souls of men [humans]." Isn't that the same reason teachers become teachers? I've never heard a budding education major say, "I want to be a teacher to make sure my kids pass the test." We become educators to inspire and motivate and to create solid, well rounded humans. I guess we can all reflect on our own classroom and ask, "Am I inspiring? Are my students well rounded? Do they think for themselves, or are they test-takers and memorizers?"

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