As we celebrate holidays, use the holiday theme to create STEM activities. For this week look for an experiment around your Elf on the Shelf. If you have upper elementary children, read the book by Larissa Juliano How to Build an Elf Trap. Help them […]
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Many of today’s students are floundering after graduation without a clear plan and direction for their future. Our current one-size-fits-all curriculum focuses almost entirely on academic courses that meet state graduation standards in core […]
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It may seem intimidating to write a grant but there are many that are simple and rewarding. My favorite place to get grants is Donors Choose. This site was created by Charles Best after being a Teach for America teacher in New York City. His school […]
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Ask your students what they want to be when they grow up. What might they say? It will likely depend if you teach kindergarten, 7th grade, or 12th grade. Forty years ago, common answers might have included a nurse, a lawyer, a firefighter, or a […]
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It has been an interesting start to the school year. We are all working in different learning environments, some of which may be changing each week. Unlike when schools closed in the spring, we now have more experience and ideas that we can have in […]
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Schooling has changed dramatically in the past 20 years and it can be difficult to communicate those changes to families who are now facilitating their children’s learning from home. Complex strategies like project-based learning (PBL) can be […]
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As schools continue to work through their experience from school closures during the last academic year, we are also preparing for the unknown of the upcoming school year. Educators are spending time this summer looking for new ideas and different […]
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Educators work with students. We get to know them and design instructional experiences to advance their learning. Doctors and nurses work with patients. They develop an understanding of their patients’ needs and create a plan to improve their […]
Project-based learning (PBL) is fairly new to me. A few years ago after attending some conferences and reading a few books, I realized that I had not been doing authentic PBL. Instead, I had been assigning projects, and only promoting student choice […]
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"So, just now that we've reopened our buildings, I'm able to sleep at night."
Dr. Michele Eller is the assistant superintendent at Chickasaw City Schools in Chickasaw AL, on the outskirts of Mobile. A district with approximately 1,100 students in […]
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