This year two bright young high school students I know did something quite unexpected. They graduated. One has spent much of his high school years addressing thorny mental health issues. The other (someone I have a semi-maternal interest in) just doesn’t like school — except for the social aspect — and really couldn’t be bothered … Read more Down with Education; Up with Learning
Are you one of those strange people who like to eat moths? (As a vegetarian, I’ll pass.) Perhaps not a typical dish on your celebratory table, but birds like them. And if you are trying to teach kids the concept of natural selection, they can be a good way to do so. Digital Glass, an … Read more Learn About Natural Selection: Play a Game
The 2012 Olympics start in 32 days, and recent TV programming was lousy with Olympic trials. (Including this amazing tie for third place in the women’s 100 meters.) And while the athletes (and advertisers) are preparing, teachers are also preparing to use the Olympics to engage students. Project Britain has developed some teaching resources — … Read more Olympic Teaching
Graphic novels emerged as a sophisticated art and storytelling form with books such as Maus and Fun Home, and are now making their foray into the classroom. This is exciting news for those of us committed to reaching the disengaged and disenchanted learner. Graphic novels have been shown to engage students that are otherwise daunted … Read more Comically Engaging
In the quest to improve thought and developing meaningful skills for young learners, I am glad their are people like Bret Victor. He has been thinking deep thoughts about how to create more active readers: readers that are engaged with the material, that question hypotheses and model alternatives. And he’s developed some interesting prototypes … Read more Active Readers