George Lucas Educational Foundation
Edutopia

Education Trends

What needs are emerging and being identified? How are forward-thinking educators meeting them? Follow the early adopters here.

  • Innovating Without Abandoning What Works

    Ideas on how teachers and school leaders can preserve time-tested teaching practices while working to incorporate new good ideas.
    Trevor Muir

  • What Teachers in China Have Learned in the Past Month

    An American whose classroom in Beijing is now online shares what she and her team have learned since the coronavirus hit, just as U.S. teachers make the same shift.
    Laurel Schwartz

  • 2019 Education Research Highlights

    Does doodling boost learning? Do attendance awards work? Do boys and girls process math the same way? Here’s a look at the big questions that researchers tackled this year.
    Youki Terada

  • What’s Lost When We Rush Kids Through Childhood

    The author of "The Importance of Being Little" on the costs of our collective failure to see the world through the eyes of children.
    Emily Kaplan

  • Why Recess Should Never Be Withheld as Punishment

    Experts argue that recess is necessary for a child's social and academic development, and skipping it as punishment for misbehavior or to accommodate more seat time is a serious mistake.

  • Flexible Seating and Student-Centered Classroom Redesign

    How a visit to Starbucks inspired a change to flexible seating—and then some changes in teaching philosophy.
    Kayla Delzer

  • A Public School Makes the Case for ‘Montessori for All’

    A Title I public school in rural South Carolina is proving that Montessori education can work well anywhere.
    Nora Fleming

  • Multiple Intelligences Theory: Widely Used, Yet Misunderstood

    One of the most popular ideas in education is applied in ways that its creator never intended.
    Youki Terada

  • 2018 Education Research Highlights

    Researchers studied students’ brains as they learned and took another look at the marshmallow test, learning styles, and growth mindset.
    Youki Terada

  • Dintersmith: Trust Teachers—They’re the Experts

    The best-selling author of What School Could Be shares his thoughts on what needs to come next in American education.
    Emily Kaplan

  • Do No-Zero Policies Help or Hurt Students?

    No-zero policies spur serious—and productive—debate among teachers. We look at the big insights on both sides of the argument. 
    Emelina Minero

  • Will Letter Grades Survive?

    A century-old pillar of the school system is under fire as schools look to modernize student assessment.
    Laura McKenna

  • New Research Casts Doubt on the ‘Summer Slide’

    Under closer scrutiny, the idea of dramatic learning loss over the summer doesn’t seem to hold up, according to a recent study.
    Youki Terada

  • Visualizing 21st-Century Classroom Design

    These five steps are essential in creating a 21st-century classroom: establishing zones, ensuring resource accessibility, encouraging mobility, igniting inspiration, and fostering respect.
    Mary Wade

  • Using Webb’s Depth of Knowledge to Increase Rigor

    Categorizing tasks according to the complexity of thought they require is one way for teachers to create a rich learning environment.
    Gerald Aungst