By Suzan Mullane. Obama’s 2011 American Jobs Act Speech emphasized the importance of small businesses; he recognized that entrepreneurship creates jobs. Tellingly, as more baby boomers retire, a well-trained workforce that offers innovative solutions to health care and green energy are essential in a competitive global economy. But where do we start? Some educators say now, while our students are young and districts are aligning existing state standards to Common Core. Perhap

Check out ASSISTments. According to that website: “ASSISTments is a free web-based platform, hosted by Worcester Polytech Institute, that allows teachers to write individual ASSISTments (composed of questions and associated hints, solutions, web-based videos, etc.) The word ‘ASSISTments’ blends tutoring ‘assistance’ with ‘assessment’ reporting to teachers. It supports all subjects (i.e., Math, English, etc.) and due to federal grants, has a huge repository of math content. AS

‘I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. Life seems to go on without effort whenever I am filled with music.’ George Eliot clearly understood the power of music in her writing. Even Einstein said had he not been a physicist, he’d been a musician: ‘my brain seems to think in music.’ When educators advocate the importance of the fine arts in education, like music, dan

By Suzan Mullane. As an educator in the Anchorage School District, I spent part of my teaching tenure, with grades K-6th. Great memories, particularly science memories! But I admit I was spoiled. I had the opportunity and luxury to use the FOSS Science System developed by The University of California, Berkley. Anchorage School District (ASD) had purchased science kits for all elementary grades decades ago; however, we had help from the National Science Foundation. Ahh yes, a