Edutopia

Table of Contents | April 2010

Up Front

The Next Chapter by George Lucas

George Lucas on revving up for the future of Edutopia by supporting a Web-only platform with a strong community component.

Briefs

Inspiring Teacher: Her Race to the Top

How a neglected student named Tamara Douglass went on to become an award-winning teacher at the same school.

Parent Essay: Switching Schools

Don't be afraid to make a move -- and don't expect miracles.

College Applications: Why Many Students Should Pass on Ivy League Schools

Teacher, Esther Wojcicki, explains why, for many students, lesser-known colleges are better than the best.

Dashboard

This Issue's Theme: Global-Language Learning

Great facts, figures, quotes, and highlights from across our website.

Beats

News Literacy: How to Teach Students to Search Smart

Students learn how to find the truth in a sea of factoids.

Old Wives' Tales: Are These Health Myths Fact or Fiction?

Does chicken soup and apples really have curing powers? Get the facts.

Boys and Body Image: Eating Disorders Don't Discriminate

Body-image troubles are gnawing away at boys, too.

Improving School Communication with Google

Does your school speak Google? If not, you might want to give these great tools a try.

School Incentives for Installing Solar-Power Systems

School districts across the country take advantage of incentives for mounting solar panels.

Bright Idea: Digital Science Fair

Parent Involvement: Asking for Classroom Supplies

How to get parents to pony up for classroom expenses without putting them on the spot.

Features

Project Fun Way: When Project Learning and Technology Meet

By giving every middle school student a new laptop, the state of Maine strapped new wings on project learning. For both teachers and students, the learning process has soared beyond the classroom.

Ten Big Ideas of School Leadership

Principal Mike McCarthy shares 30 years of wisdom on how to run a school well.

How Global Language Learning Gives Students the Edge

Learning foreign languages boosts brain development, bridges cultural connections, and gives us an economic edge. So why isn't it a priority in public schools?

Global Language Education: Learning the Lingo

A sampling of schools that take foreign language teaching to task.

Teaching Tolerance: Meet the Teacher Who Started Gay-Straight Alliances

Teacher Bob Parlin launched the first gay-straight alliance in a public school. Today, this national network provides a powerful dose of social and emotional learning for students of every orientation.