Moving Beyond Grades Does it make sense for students to only learn facts, take a test, receive a grade, forget, and then move on?  There must be better ways to succeed and to become enriched.  Communication and analytical skills still form the foundation for the growth of the human condition. We all have a passion […]

Five Principles of How Kids Learn We have heard it time and time again, “Young children are sponges.”  How true.  They are eager to explore everything in their small world.  Every scene, every sound, every word holds great potential for them to explore and to satisfy their curiosity.  The following principles can open the door […]

Summing It All Up – Meaningful Learning is Engaged Learning 3rd in a series of 3 Students today need to become learners for life – engaged and practiced as curious, self-directed individuals.  Research tells us that young people acquire knowledge through the combination of what they encounter as learners, through curriculum, relationships, and challenges and […]

Searching for Meaning Using Interdisciplinary Learning 2nd in a series of 3 Education is a wondrous world of discovery.  Imaginations soar and curiosity is piqued when schools offer meaningful, engaged learning – learning that is deeper, more flexible, and with more interconnected curriculum.  Interdisciplinary teaching and learning is a way to do just that. Teachers […]

What Makes Schools Meaningful? 1st in a series of 3 Educational development of the whole person requires in depth study of academic subjects, exposure to the arts, regular opportunities for physical education and athletics, and involvement in extracurricular activities and community service. So what makes schools meaningful?  First, schools must be a place where students […]

Becoming Good Learners In a Positive School Culture According to Neil Postman and Charles Weingertner, as demonstrated in their award-winning book, Teaching as a Subversive Activity, good learners believe and do certain things that less effective learners do not believe and do.  And therein lies the key.             So, what do good learners believe?  What […]

20 Ways to Improve the Love of Learning February is the month of expressing our appreciation for the good around us.  In particular, Valentine’s Day is a time for showing our admiration for others.  Why not let this month also symbolize a deep love of learning?  How can we, the adults in our children’s lives, […]

What Does Good Learning Look Like? In today’s world it is clear that education must focus on thinking, rather than providing answers to isolated questions.  Good schools like Oak Hill Academy, a private school in Lincroft New Jersey, know that they must create conditions that inspire learners to wonder and figure out how to learn […]