Wacky Wednesdays: Create Anticipation, Boost Engagement and Make Learning Memorable
Whenever I talk to teachers at conferences, workshops or online, I hear the same thing: “I’m desperate for new ideas,” or “I wish I could make learning more fun for my students.”As Juliet Marillier asked in her historical fantasy novel, Son of the Shadows, “Don't you long for something different to happen, something so exciting and new it carries you along with it like a great tide, something that lets your life blaze and burn so the whole world can see it?”
Read More
Three Ways a Little Drama Can Enhance Student Learning
#6 Blog of the DecadeIt’s November, and the sweep of positive energy and eagerness that accompanies us all at the beginning of a new school year has naturally begun to fade. How do we combat the gravity of continual hard work and predictable routines in the classroom and too little sleep outside of it—that characterizes this post-honeymoon phase of the year? One way is with drama.
Read MoreDo conservative wins in Tuesday’s election predict 2016?
Despite so much national focus on the next year’s presidential election, voters across the country decided a number of races and ballot measures in their own cities and states on Tuesday.
Read MoreRepublican outsiders maintain lead in presidential race
In the Republican presidential primary race, poll numbers in the states with the earliest primaries now appear to show candidates Donald Trump and Ben Carson running neck-and-neck.
Read More
Best music lesson ever: What makes “Over the Rainbow” work?
Seventy-seven years ago, Judy Garland first recorded one of the most iconic songs of the 20th century, “Over the Rainbow.” Written by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg for the soundtrack to “The Wizard of Oz,” the song has endured because of its perfect portrayal of yearning, according to composer Rob Kapilow.
Read More
Increasing Global Citizenship with UNICEF Kid Power
Active citizenship is more important than ever because today’s world is more diverse, interdependent, and globalized than it was in previous generations. Nonetheless, according to a study on the civic mission of schools, 36 percent of students scored “below basic” on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in civics, and 27 percent could not list two privileges of citizenship.
Read MoreResearch reveals ancestors likely slept less, not more
A study from the UCLA Center for Sleep Research debunks the myth that modern humans get less sleep than our ancestors and are thus less healthy.
Read More
The Enduring Power of a Teacher’s Words
“I can’t believe you just asked that when I’ve just gone over it three times!”“If you don’t start working right now, you will regret it.”“How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?“You don’t have your homework? Again? What are you thinking?”
Read MoreAncient sequoia trees suffering in California drought
California’s four-year drought has killed millions of trees in the Sierra Nevada mountain range and has scientists worrying about the region’s giant sequoias.
Read More
Planning for Successful Project-Based Learning
Whether you are a veteran teacher or this is your first year, one of the best strategies to engage students is project-based learning. PBL is an inquiry-based teaching model where students are in the driver’s seat, attempting to answer a “burning question” they may have or their class has decided to pursue. This model usually includes collaboration, public presentation and a tiny—albeit necessary—bit of chaos.
Read More