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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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A Parent's Guide to 21st-Century Learning

Blogs on Upper Elementary (3-5)

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QuadBlogging Connects Student Writers with Global Audiences

Suzie BossSeptember 25, 2012

Tags 1:1 Implementation, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

A blog without an audience is like...a library without books, a car without an engine, Beyonce without a ring. Those were some of the responses David Mitchell (@DeputyMitchell) got when he asked his Twitter followers to fill in the blank.

Getting to Know Your Students Through Poetry

Elena AguilarSeptember 12, 2012

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

I knew I wanted to get to know my students. I wanted to hear about their lives, look through their eyes, experience the sounds of their world, and survey their emotional landscapes. I also knew I needed to do this in order to be a more effective teacher: I could tailor instruction to draw on what they already knew and bridge curriculum.

Activities to Build Social and Emotional Skills in Elementary Students

Randy TaranSeptember 5, 2012

Tags Brain Research, Curriculum, Mental Health, Primary (K-2), , Upper Elementary (3-5)

Happiness is something we all want, and new research shows that happiness and well-being can be taught! But who has time to teach happiness when there is so much else to cram into a school day? At the university level, we see courses at Harvard and University of Southern California on the Science of Happiness. There are good reasons why those courses are among these schools' most popular classes. Happier people tend to be healthier, more productive, more generous and kinder to others. They also learn more easily and enjoy life. Who doesn’t want some of that?

Plan a "Digital Family Summit" to Engage Students and Parents

Dr. Joe MazzaAugust 9, 2012

Tags Digital Citizenship, Media Literacy, Parental Involvement, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

I recently had an opportunity to attend the first Digital Family Summit (DFS) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Presenters and summit attendees were both parents and students. The "summit" included families from as far away as Canada, Utah, California, and of course those from local states and cities that could make the trip.

Stars, Sparkles and Praise: Motivation in Kids' Apps?

Carolina NugentAugust 2, 2012

Tags Classroom Technology, Game-Based Learning, Primary (K-2), Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5)

These last few weeks I have read some enlightening blogs and articles about game design, motivation and praise in children's apps. As the education director at KinderTown, I have looked at a tremendous number of apps that use stars, stickers and praise as the method of keeping kids engaged and active on the app. In contrast, as a teacher, I see more value in educational apps modeling lesson design, content and activities that are engaging with leveling for decreased frustration. The challenge for me has been to find apps and games which develop any kind of intrinsic (internal) motivation.

High-Impact Professional Development for Rural Schools

David MarkusJuly 25, 2012

Tags Classroom Technology, Lesson Plans, Rural Schools, Teacher Development, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Missouri

I talk with a lot of teachers about how they become fulfilled or, in too many cases, frustrated in their profession. It isn't long in these conversations before the words "professional development" come up. You can practically set your watch to it. And I've discovered that where you find enthusiastic teachers enjoying persistent classroom success, you will find sustained, collaborative, educator-directed PD programs.

Closing the Achievement Gap One Student at a Time

Betsy WeigleJuly 18, 2012

Tags Achievement Gap, Classroom Management, Diversity, Primary (K-2), Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5)

Poverty is a huge factor affecting the performance of our elementary students. Schools, districts and states with a high percentage of low-income families can reasonably cite poverty as one explanation for lower test scores or poor performance in other measures of student achievement.

My concern, however, is always for the individual children in my classroom. At that level, should poverty be any excuse for poor student performance?

The Flipped Classroom: Pro and Con

Mary Beth HertzJuly 10, 2012

Tags Flipped Classroom, Homework, Online Learning, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

I recently attended the ISTE conference in San Diego, CA. While I was only there for about 36 hours, it was easy for me to pick up on one of the hottest topics for the three-day event. The "flipped classroom" was being discussed in social lounges, in conference sessions, on the exhibit floor, on the hashtag and even at dinner. People wanted to know what it was, what it wasn't, how it's done and why it works. Others wanted to sing its praises and often included a vignette about how it works in their classroom and how it transformed learning for their students. Still others railed that the model is nothing transformative at all and that it still emphasizes sage-on-the-stage direct instruction rather than student-centered learning. I engaged in a few of these discussions offline and online, and while I'm still on the fence about my feelings toward the model, I can offer some insight and interpretation.

The Connected Science Teacher

Eric BrunsellJuly 2, 2012

Tags Biology, New Teachers, Professional Learning Network (PLN), , Teacher Development, Chemistry, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), Science

It's summertime: time to relax, refresh and get connected. Joining an online community of science teachers is a great way to find resources, inspiration and like-minded colleagues to collaborate with as you re-tool your courses for the next school year. The list below is a good starting point to find a community or two that meets your needs. However, the list is not exhaustive. Use the comment section to share any online groups or communities that you find valuable!

How to Develop a Welcoming Culture

Dr. Richard CurwinJuly 1, 2012

Tags Classroom Management, Education Reform, Mentoring, Primary (K-2), , Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Have you ever noticed that the worst behaving children are never absent? I was tempted many times, when teaching seventh grade, to breath on certain students when I was sick. I wondered if the reason that these students never missed school was because their parents didn't want them at home. Of course, it was never that simple. Some parents worked and had no one to watch their children. Other students lived in dangerous home environments, and school was safer than staying home. Regardless of the reason, I wonder how many children feel unwanted wherever they are; home, school, the corner store, with their peers or on the streets.