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  • Improve Learning Skills with Associations Learning skills by using associations is one of the best ways to improve overall learning quickly. This works for improving reading, writing, spelling, study skills, and math even if you have dyslexia, ADHD, or other learning challenges. Associations are the basis of learning. In order for our brain to construct meaning we need to have a ...
  • Extra Help is Boosting Grades A little extra help is boosting grades for middle school students who regularly meet each Wednesday for 20 minutes before homeroom period. At James Buchanan Middle School, the Academic Assistance Opportunity program starts in sixth grade for students who wish to participate. Seventh grader Malayna Noack has noticed an improvement in her grades since she began ...
  • Pedal Desks are Sparking Global Interest Thanks to one middle school teacher's efforts to keep her students focused while in class, pedal desks are sparking global interest. Bethany Lambeth has been interviewed by CBS and BBC News about how her students at Martin Middle School in Raleigh have improved their grades and behavior since they started pedaling during math class.  Her idea ...
  • Taking the Fear Out of Math An award winning high school teacher is taking the fear out of math. At Hickman High School, math is a language that is to be learned, and Deanna Wasman is making sure it is communicated in an engaging way.  She recently won a Presidential Award of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. "Deanna is a leader among her ...
  • Innovative School District is Being Noticed Worldwide An innovative school district is being noticed worldwide, because there is no such thing as thinking outside the box in a small town where there is no box. The Ness City USD 303 only has two school buildings, and a total of 320 students in a town of about 1,400 people.  This year, they literally burned boxes as ...
  • Behavioral Treatment for Kids with ADHD is Helpful for Homework A recent small study indicates that behavioral treatment for kids with ADHD is helpful for homework and may be more effective than the usually prescribed stimulants. Researchers at the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University in Miami tested how effective medication was against behavioral strategies in 75 children in a summer school program.  The ...
  • Poor Exercise in Teen Years Forms Later Habits for Adults A US study suggests that poor exercise in teen years forms later habits for adults. American teens who are sedentary often continue those patterns as they enter their adult years, leading to further obesity.  Over 90 percent of adolescents do not get the minimum 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous daily physical activity as ...
  • Standards Based Grading is Replacing Traditional Point Systems At two schools, standards based grading is replacing traditional  point systems, and thus there are no more zeros, extra credit, or grade bumps for effort. Two high schools in Lexington, Bryan Station and Paul Laurence Dunbar are starting a policy of more meaningful and fair grading. Academic grades will represent what a student is able to do, ...
  • School Within a School Builds on Project Based Learning 100 eighth graders will have a new approach to learning as a school within a school builds on project based learning. In Virginia's Franklin and Henry Counties, the New Tech Network, a project based curriculum in which multiple courses are taught combined in one class, will be implemented. The goal at the two schools starting the network are ...
  • Apprenticeships Train and Pay Students Apprenticeships train and pay students in skilled trades at a high school which launched a new career academy this year. At West De Pere High School, the Trades Career Academy has enrolled 11 students this year who are interested in completing their education and preparing for a career in skilled trades.  They spend two hours in ...
  • Reducing Elementary School Stress with Mindfulness Techniques A group of first graders are reducing elementary school stress with mindfulness techniques. At Carrollton Elementary School, glitter jars and breathing balls are part of the everyday classroom. They are used at least once a day as part of mindfulness exercises in the classroom that help students regain focus and handle stress. "We are at a high ...
  • Doing Away with Homework Some school districts are doing away with homework, in the hope of allowing kids more time to read, sleep, play, spend time with families, and participate in activities. Recently, parents have been pushing back against homework, concerned that children's time is monopolized by excessive amounts of homework, says Steven Geis, president of the National Elementary School Principals' ...
  • Technology for the Disabled and the ADA Technology for the disabled and the ADA are still two major concerns of retired Senator Tom Harkin.  The former Iow senator introduced the Americans with Disabilities Act in the Senate in 1988.  Recently he told a group at the University of Iowa that labor law needs to go further in protecting the rights of the ...
  • Extending the School Day By an Hour for Low Performing Schools Extending the school day by an hour for low performing schools in Florida is being touted as a way to fix reading scores.  However, educators caution that the amount of time is not all that matters,but the quality of the time and how it is used. The "Lowest 300" program is now in its fifth year. ...
  • Students Studying the Impact of Their School on the Environment A group of fifth grade students studying the impact of their school on the environment are raising money to rebuild the local ecosystem. Today, a wire fence separates Madison's Trust Elementary and its grass field and playground from the surrounding woods in Brambleton, Virginia.  Several years ago, before the school was built, the are was all ...
  • High Ambitions for Special Education Students Having high ambitions for special education students is a big part of teaching for former Old Rochester Regional basketball player Becky Okolita. Okolita leads the high school transitional special education program for students ages 18 to 22.  She has a long list of projects and expectations for her students.  These include organic gardening, learning to cook, ...
  • Global Study Finds That the US Ranks Low For Youth Fitness A global study finds that the US ranks low for youth fitness, coming in at 47th out of 50 countries. According to researchers at Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the University of North Dakota, the United States is at the bottom of the list, while Canada comes in 19th.  The study was published in the ...
  • Outdoor Education Outdoor Education is an experience that most students look forward to completing, or cherish in their memory.  For those who attend the Papillion La Vista Community Schools in Nebraska, the annual rite of passage is an important part of their science education. This year, over 900 sixth graders will visit Eastern Nebraska 4-H Camp for two ...
  • Author Inspires Young Students It is a rare opportunity when an author inspires young students, but the fifth grade students at Maroa-Forsyth Grade School had an opportunity up close to meet with an author in person. Students in Shauna Bohlmann's class had read the book "Dear Mr. Henshaw" by Beverly Cleary.  They wanted to have the same experience of having an ...
  • School Greenhouse is a Favorite Spot for Learning A school greenhouse is a favorite spot for learning, and students at Crimson View Elementary are pursuing their STEM education to a whole new level with hands on projects. The students have been working in the greenhouse since the spring of 2015, learning about growing fruits, vegetables, and sprouts.  They will harvest their crops later in ...
  • Read and Ride The Read and Ride program at Highland Park Elementary is a win-win set up for better reading and for the health of the readers. All around the nation, standing desks and bouncy balls are allowing movement while learning.  The idea is that movement improves performance. Two dozen stationary bikes are in Highland Park Elementary's Read and Ride ...
  • Teaching Students to Not Give Up Teaching students to not give up is an important part of one second grade STEM class, as kids learn the power of persistence. Irene VanArsdale's second grade class at Forest Vista Elementary have been learning the value of not giving up when their projects do not turn out the way they expect.  To introduce them to ...
  • A Library is Inclusive of People with Autism A library is inclusive of people with autism by opening early for an accessible browsing hour, allowing children with autism to use the library on Saturdays from 9-10 am, before opening to the general public.  The hour also includes therapy dogs and a puppeteer. The Iowa City Public Library is responding to the needs of children ...
  • Learning Life Cycles at the River Sixth graders learning life cycles at the river got a close up look at how salmon spawn, thanks to the Calapooia Watershed Council. Sixty five students from Timber Ridge School visited four science stations at Andrew Wiley Park, and learned about salmon biology. Then they hiked a quarter mile downstream on the South Santiam River to ...
  • Intellectually Disabled People Learn to Advocate for Themselves A national resource center supports having intellectually disabled people learn to advocate for themselves, instead of depending on others.  The National Resource Center for Self-Advocacy is the first ever of its kind. Developed with $2 million in federal funds over the next five years, the resource center will include online information on best practices, a curriculum for ...
  • USDA Grant Helps Preschoolers Eat Healthy A USDA grant helps preschoolers eat healthy, and is being distributed among six states. The six recipients that will split $2 million  are Georgia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and Puerto Rico. According to USDA Undersecretary Kevin Concannon, the grants will improve retention rates of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. Although children ...
  • Kids Learn About Agribusiness A school program at a county fair provided an opportunity to have kids learn about agribusiness, and come face to face with some cows and other livestock. At the Cabarrus County Fair, sixth graders got a chance to milk cows, and engage in other activities under the supervision of volunteers while learning about agriculture. “To milk a cow was ...
  • Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports A program of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is greeting students at Newark Middle School this year, as the staff works to positively change school culture.  The program started with an introduction to Sean Covey's “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens”. Last summer, NMS Principal Teresa Prinzi held a meeting with teachers for the purpose of ...
  • Teachers Are Using Twitter to Share New Ideas Teachers are using Twitter to share new ideas, and to get inspiration. In North Platte, Nebraska, Denise DiGiovanni, the director of elementary teaching and learning says "We really feel that teachers are the heartbeat of the district. That's what keeps everything going. Teachers are the most important impact in learning." For that heartfelt role, educators are using ...
  • Smartphones and Apps are Replacing Calculators Students are reaching for their phones in math class, as smartphones and apps are replacing calculators. A free app called Desmos allows a free graphing calculator to be downloaded onto a phone to use in the classroom and at home. Smartphones and apps are replacing the clunky and expensive TI-84 calculators that students had to buy in ...

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