By Vanessa Abrahams, CEI Intern The distinct memory of being nine years old and uncomfortably gawking at my fourth grade teacher as she shopped in the same aisle as my mother stands out for several reasons. Perhaps I had always envisioned something of a dormitory wherein teachers would meet in the lounge to eat and socialize, share anecdotes, and when the bell tolled, lived in their classrooms, under their desks on a well-hidden pullout mattress. Now standing under the harsh

Alleta Baltes is the 2015 winner of CEI’s first annual Guidelines for 21st Century Technology Use Competition.   The contest asked principals, teachers, school technology specialists and CEI subscribers to review CEI’s current technology guidelines. Contestants were then asked a series of questions ranging from how they would change the guidelines, to comparing and contrasting their own instructional practices and uses of technology to CEI’s current guidelines. In making reco

‘I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.’ -Martin Luther King Jr., ‘Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech’ (Dec. 10, 1964) By Vanessa Abrahams, CEI Intern, and Christine Mason In the wake of adversity, police brutality, upset race relations and social injusti

By Vanessa Abrahams, CEI Intern Discovering how to successfully relate to students is inherent to student success and achievement (‘A Positive Student-Teacher Relationship,’ 2014). Logically this makes sense given the number of hours teachers spend in classrooms instructing, entertaining, engaging, and interacting with students on a daily basis. Although compulsory hour requirements vary across the United States, most states generally require students spend between 900 and 1,

By Elijah Mercer, CEI Education Policy and Communications Intern The main issues with Common Core in Arkansas are nothing new. A lack of computers for testing in high-need regions, the struggle between state versus government take over of education, and teacher instruction tied to test scores are common issues across America. Governor Beebe, however, argued that Common Core presents an opportunity for the state: the urgency to increase Internet bandwidth to make resources ava

By Christine Mason, CEI Executive Director How is 2015 looking for your school, your teachers, your students, your community? What are your hopes and dreams for 2015?  In my yogic tradition, 2015 will be a year where energy shifts, where “pranic energy” — the life force of the universe — assumes renewed importance.  As many of you know, one of the secrets of yoga is the coordination of breath with movement. “Inhale and hold, exhale and stretch . . . extend your breath.” Breat