How a Radical New Teaching Method Could Unleash a Generation of Geniuses

A look at how students can learn if given the opportunity.

Can Emotional Intelligence be Taught?

Can Emotional Intelligence be Taught?

Interesting article about social-emotional learning as related to academic performance.

Required AP and IB Courses

Daring Arlington County public school requires AP or IB courses for all students

Read about it here

Color Blind Policy and Color Conscious Morality

Color Blind Policy and Color Conscious Morality

Though this article speaks to the president and politics, I think it has important implications for education in terms of how our culture thinks of/portrays our Black students and their families as well.

Poverty

How Poverty Affects Classroom Engagement: A great article with not only general information about students of poverty, but real strategies to combat the effects of poverty.

Can we really be surprised when teachers cheat?

A quick and insightful read.

http://smartblogs.com/education

Everyday Anti-Racism

Everyday Anti-Racism reading 

Building Skills for Independent Learning

Building Skills for Independent Learning

Students must be at the center of learning, but making this happen is no simple task. Learners accustomed to sitting passively while their teachers dole out knowledge may initially be unready to take on more active roles in the classroom.

We cannot simply throw students in the deep end of the learning pool and expect them to swim. Educators must teach the noncognitive or "soft" skills that are the foundation of independent learning.

We suggest three strengths teachers should seek to develop in their students so that they can assume more responsibility as learners: self-regulation, persistence, and collaboration.

Three for Friday

Art as the Heart of the Common Core Standards

Changing Teens' Mindsets on Social Aggression

Can High School Students 'Catch' Good Grades?

Reclaiming Your Teacher Mojo

Great article for a new semester.

Toniest Preschools

Although this article deals with a school style that is often implemented at the elementary level, it still speaks to school culture, authentic learning, and lesson design that grabs students' attention. What would it look like for us to implement more non-traditional learning in our classrooms? Would more of our students tune in?

Reggio Emilia: From Postwar Italy to NYC's Toniest Preschools

A teaching approach meant to perk up the children of war is popular at a handful of posh American schools. But wouldn't it make more sense to use it with underprivileged kids?

When Students Seem Stalled

Betty K. Garner

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar08/vol65/num06/When-Students-Seem-Stalled.aspx

Tim was one of those 5th graders whom teachers might characterize as their worst nightmare. Being sarcastic and argumentative was a sport for him. Tim enjoyed getting other students to laugh at his smart remarks, but he never did any of the "boring and stupid" work. When he wasn't acting out, he was daydreaming or drawing superheroes.

Second-grader Sean, on the other hand, was an enigma. He passively listened but always had a blank look when his teacher explained new concepts. Sean couldn't do assignments by himself in class, nor could he explain his written responses. "I've tried everything, and he just doesn't get it!" his teacher sighed in exasperation.

At every grade level and in every content area, teachers are challenged to help resistant and struggling learners like Tim and Sean. After working with and observing hundreds of students, I have learned that the explanation for students who just don't "get it"—or don't seem to want to "get it"—is often some underlying cognitive structure.

Cognitive structures are basic, interconnected psychological systems that enable people to process information by connecting it with prior knowledge and experience, finding patterns and relationships, identifying rules, and generating abstract principles that are relevant in different applications. Each individual has to internally develop his or her own cognitive structures. When cognitive structures are underdeveloped, learning is difficult, if not impossible. With effective cognitive structures, even reluctant students can activate their own learning.