KDSL showcases both organizations and individuals working to innovate ideas in education, from any region–local, domestic, or global. Tune in on the 15th at 12noon to hear this exciting conversation. (Click on the preceding link for more information on how to access this radio blog,) Chris will discuss 21st century leadership and learning. This is a chance to hear directly from Chris about her vision for CEI and CEI’s ongoing efforts to collaborate with others on 21st century

By Gwen Mak, CEI Intern Spring is finally here (well almost– here in DC our cherry blossoms are delayed), and that means schools across the United States are preparing for ‘spring tests.’ These assessments are a source of stress and pressure for many. This year, the stress level and pressure is increased as many schools continue to transition to the new Common Core state tests. To help teachers and administrators prepare, we’ve compiled a few tips from other school districts.

By Suzan Mullane, CEI Research Associate. Getting fit in mind, body and spirit is a timeless adult mantra–something to strive for in an often hectic world. But what about our students? Teaching children emotionally uplifting tools to calm emotions while enhancing attention skills is vital pedagogy for many. Eric Jensen in: ‘Engaging Students With Poverty in Mind,’ (Jensen, 2013), reminds us to teach students how to deal with stress by creating a positive mindset and stimulati

Montessori, the Method. The Montessori Method is based on the idea that each child must be permitted to control his or her own learning path. The Montessori Method of instruction: Is naturally differentiated for each student, and Thus, requires individualized assessment for each student. An Example. Montessori classrooms strive to provide a three-hour, uninterrupted work period, for children as young as three years old.  Montessori environments encourage students to choose th

Are your curricula aligned? That’s a lot of pressure for teachers! They’ve got to scrape together materials, which may or may not reflect the new goals of the CCSS and prepare these students for a test they’ve never seen before.  Yet, the lack of specific CCSS aligned teaching materials or professional development for teachers in CCSS approaches is not the only problem. The actual assessments need to be reformatted to the new state standards also. Depending on the district an

‘Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.’ ‘• Socrates Socrates teaches us that the mark of an educated person is that the individual is aware of the extent of his/her own ignorance.  Thus, and paradoxically, the goal of an educator is to teach their students the pleasure of expanding their sphere of knowledge, while observing the corollary expansion of an even vaster sphere of ignorance, and gazing into this wonderful abyss of potential new wisdom w

by Victoria Zelvin. Not too long ago, I briefly touched on some video games that are already making a difference in classrooms. Included in that list was the very popular game Minecraft, which is being used as a teaching tool already. The very popular game is being extensively described as a creativity engine, or video game Legos, but what does it really offer? How does Minecraft work? How can Minecraft be utilized as a tool in the classroom, in tandem with other lessons? In