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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Project-Based Learning: Success Start to Finish at Manor New Technology High School

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Tips for Teaching Grade School Students How to Make Global Impact

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How to Thank a Teacher

Maurice Elias

Professor, Rutgers University Psychology Department and Edutopia Blogger

As a professor in the Psychology Department at Rutgers University, I'm focusing on development of positive, constructive life paths for children and youth and the organization of opportunities to allow this to happen in equitable ways. I am the director of the Rutgers Social-Emotional Learning Lab and principal investigator for its Developing Safe and Civil Schools initiative. Also academic director of Rutgers's Civic Engagement and Service Education Partnerships program, coordinator of the university's internship program in applied, school, and community psychology, president of the Society for Community Research and Action and the American Psychological Association's Division of Community Psychology, and a founding member of the Leadership Team for the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Watch this video where I discuss the importance of social, emotional learning and character development for students.

Blog Posts

Tags Teacher Leadership

Ways to Work Smarter as a Teacher

September 23, 2009

Have you heard Lou Holtz? He was a football coach, most notably at Notre Dame, and now is an analyst for college football on ESPN. But his most important role is as a motivational...

Tags Social and Emotional Learning

How to Bring Service Learning to Your School

June 17, 2009

I have found myself drawn to the topic of systematically fostering civic engagement in youth, especially high school and college-age students.

Tags Teacher Leadership

A Time for Family Traditions

April 14, 2009

April is indeed a special time for strengthening social and emotional and character development (SECD). Reflecting on this past week, I've had some pertinent thoughts to share with students and their families around this time of the year. Feel free to use, adapt, or create your own.

Tags Social and Emotional Learning

Use Music to Develop Kids' Skills and Character

March 19, 2009

Is music important in your life? Is it important in your kids' lives? Is there a reason so many children walk around with an iPod?

Tags Social and Emotional Learning

The Four Keys to Helping At-Risk Kids

January 22, 2009

There's more than one way to make a delicious bread, soup, or stew. Similarly, there is not just one recipe for reducing risk in students' lives. But there do seem to be some essential ingredients to the process.

Tags: Primary (K-2), , All Grades

Tags Social and Emotional Learning

Creating Better People: SECD Can Make a Difference

December 23, 2008

People often ask me what evidence there is to support the view that our schools should promote social, emotional, and character development in our students. They seem especially interested in whether SECD actually helps shape the character and behavior of students over time.

Tags: Primary (K-2), , All Grades

Tags Social and Emotional Learning

Spreading the Word: Social, Emotional, and Character Development

November 25, 2008

You go to conferences and other professional-development experiences, check Web sites, read blogs, and participate in teleseminars and webinars. You gain great insight and knowledge, and you notice that many, if not most, of your colleagues have not shared this experience with you. How do you...

Tags: , Teacher Development, All Grades

Tags Student Engagement

The Positive Path: A Recipe for Risk Reduction

June 20, 2008

I don't think we have the proper understanding of risk. Imagine yourself at a blackjack table or on an online investment site. What if you could play or invest without worrying about losing your money? Would you be highly conservative, or would you be more reckless? The vast majority of people...

Tags Brain-Based Learning

A New Model of Schooling: Creating Knowledgeable, Responsible, Nonviolent, Drug-Free, Caring Kids

April 10, 2008

Around the world, people want to improve education.

Tags Social and Emotional Learning

On Location at ASCD: SEL Is Alive and Well

March 21, 2008

I am writing this at the end of the annual conference of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), in New Orleans, where 10,000 attendees chose from over 400 sessions. But the big news, as far as...