Dr. Carson's story is well known by now. Even before running for the Republican nomination for POTUS, "Gifted Hands", a movie starring Cuba Gooding Jr., portrayed Carson's life as a young man living in extreme poverty, with a single parent, overcoming behavior issues and learning challenges. Carson has received honors and commendations. But we wonder how does a student who turned all of that around to become a world famous pediatric neurosurgeon became a man with such an insulting,…

School Leadership 2.0 Editor's Note:

 SL 2.0 members, Kimberly Licato (Westhampton Beach School District) and Jackie Ammirato (Longwood School District) recently toured Finland to see firsthand the school system that is arguably the best in the world.  They share their impressions in a series of blog posts that continue today.  Thanks Kimberley…

10 Tools to Make Your Students Research Pros

by Antonio Tooley

As teachers and educators, it is our responsibility to shape the young minds and prepare them for what lies ahead of them. Aside from teaching students how to think and accept new information, we should also take the time to reflect on the importance of research in one’s…

Headlines abound decrying and debating what is happening inside of our schools.  Today’s schools are complex organizations that in many ways reflect the larger complex society in which children live and learn.  We must search beneath and behind the headlines to discover what is taking place.  On a broader scale, the issue of public education is at a…

Sometimes doing the right thing remains invisible and unnoticed.  Sometimes that lack of recognition lasts career long. So, we take this moment to honor the overwhelming number of educational leaders who lead with integrity even under a myriad of circumstances and enticements that can make it the tougher choice.  Our business is children, precious, innocent, and impressionable. Daily, we strive to keep them safe and engaged in rich learning experiences. No matter the program, method,…

There's been a steady criticism of the lecture and direct instruction for several decades. Simultaneously, we've heard constant praise of Constructivism and new approaches.

Well, you know, we all want to save the world, as the Beatles said. But some of this constructivist stuff is just nonsense. This doctrine ends up prohibiting teaching. Kids are expected to go on the Internet and figure out everything for themselves.

 This is horribly…

Many inside the educational system feel accused of allowing it to become broken. To be broken most often implies an accident of some sort or a long time without adequate care that makes it vulnerable. It is striking that in this, and so many elections before this one, campaigns focus on a candidate's desire and ability to fix what is broken: schools, assessment systems, state and federal government and now immigration policy. During the last presidential campaign it was broken health…

It is pretty clear that this century's leadership demands are first and foremost their ability to anticipate, lead, and survive change. While attention is called to what needs to be changed, developing the capacity to lead change has gone largely unattended.  Learning how to watch the horizon like a sea captain, navigate a boat filled with children and teachers through white waters, and successfully make it through with fear turned to excitement...who teaches these things?   …

School Leadership 2.0 Editor's Note:

 SL 2.0 members, Kimberly Licato (Westhampton Beach School District) and Jackie Ammirato (Longwood School District) recently toured Finland to see firsthand the school system that is arguably the best in the world.  They share their impressions in a series of blog posts that continue today.  Thanks Kimberley…

Finding Numbers in the Real World

In this article in Teaching Children Mathematics, Rebecca Klemm (a.k.a. The Numbers Lady) suggests that teachers send students on scavenger hunts for numbers in the classroom, on the playground, and in their neighborhoods. Some possibilities for students of different ages:

Taking photos of numbers – for example,…