What will it take to allow children to learn from this summer's intense series of events: shootings, questions about race and its role in our society, the Olympics, this election cycle, floods, earthquakes, and now a refusal to stand during the national anthem by an NFL quarterback, Colin Kaepernick? It is highly unlikely that students of any age have escaped being exposed to these issues. It is likely that students will return having seen adults argue, labeling each other by…

Each child arrives at our doors with abilities and gaps. We are responsible for helping each child reach the graduation stage having met the same standards; some struggle and never reach them, some reach them, and others surpass them. Among each group are students suffering with mental illness. Some have a diagnosis and doctors, educators and families working together on their behalf.  But, many remain undiagnosed.

It takes time, observations, collection of evidence, alert…

There exists a great opportunity to teach the adults and the children why to think carefully about their digital footprints. The hacking of emails and information about our elected officials is a reminder that the digital environment is never fully private. Schools are the place for children to learn this. It is not a time to tighten up and restrict access. It is a time to educate ... students, teachers, leaders and parents.  …

Reflecting on and writing often about the importance of leading safe, nurturing, encouraging, inclusive learning environments, the focus is on the organization as a whole.  We talk about the role of the staff and teachers, and how to help students to flourish as they maintain values and actions that support such an environment.  A 2014 Brookings Institute Study reported that…

In this political environment, with policy pushed into the background while insults and name-calling move to the foreground, the likelihood of ripple into our world becomes greater. The problem is our society is viewing a different kind of news cycle. Added to the wars, acts of terror, mass shootings, questions about police behavior with African Americans, we are seeing an election cycle like none in recent memory.  Name-calling is regular and honesty is being redefined before our…

We have long written about our shared belief that schools are built upon a foundation designed to support an educational system whose century has past. Our own research during the writing of The STEM Shift reinforced our belief.  Schools are spinning as they push and pull with new ideas, demands, and methods but they are not making forward motion that is future inspired. The structure of schools, the organization of the school day, the manner in which students are…

Traditional teaching and learning environments are constructed to support the notion that the teacher has the knowledge and will answer the question. In classrooms with technology accessible and integrated, talented teachers have come to a place where they admit not knowing the answer. A research opportunity is created for the student or the class to find the answer. A whole new set of learning skills are taught in this scenario. They step into becoming…