Communication
Colby Devitt | 11/23/2009

“Is it okay that I don’t believe anyone can do this?” the prospective parent asked gravely. Mary Beth Cull, coordinator for the Light on Literacy Program at the Columbia University Medical School hears this question a lot. The program teaches autistic children how to read, even when they are not able to speak. Cull has seen non-verbal, uncooperative children with no language skills enter their program and emerge reading and writing — an unheard of feat for autistic children. “We have a great track record — decades of success using this method and a community of parents, children and professionals who vouch for its efficacy. But until people see results they’re understandably skeptical.”

21st century learning
EDWARD WILCZYNSKI | 11/20/2009

A student who can’t communicate effectively can’t compete in the modern world. This is why teaching effective communication skills must serve as the cornerstone for any program preparing young people for the 21st century.

virtual learning
LIZ PAPE | 11/20/2009

Like most innovative organizations, Virtual High School Global Consortium, the pioneer of online learning for middle and high school students and course design for teachers, had a grassroots beginning. What started in 1996 as a five year project funded by a federal Department of Education grant, has turned into a global phenomenon. In 2001, following the success of the program, a non-profit organization was formed and opened its doors to schools and students worldwide. Over the last 13 years,Virtual High School Global Consortium (VHS) has evolved its online learning model so as to advance other people’s thinking about the possibilities of online learning, as well as to maximize the new tools that are constantly becoming available.

21st century technology
DANNY MARTINEZ | 11/20/2009

“Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale,atale of a fatefultrip...” Most ofus will recognize these lines as the opening song from the popular TV show Gilligan’s Island.The majority of us were born into a world where television was exploding. Many of us may remember black-and-white television, watching the moon landing, or having only one television in the home, if any. Those of us in this group speak in a language that relies heavily on cultural references that were shaped and formed by television. We know about Luke and Laura, who shot JR, and “where’s the beef?” For us, there were only three networks.

professional development
DR. KATHERINE HAYDEN and STACEY CAMPO | 11/20/2009

Virtual high schools are beginning to be a common topic in K-12 districts as educators seek ways to meet the needs of today’s students and families. An essential element for virtual high school implementation is professional development for teachers who will be instructors in the online courses offered. The Poway Unified School District has implemented a professional development model for online teaching and learning as part of a strategic plan developed in 2008, addressing the needs of 21st century learners. Their successful model was developed in collaboration with a professor who brought expertise in effective strategies, pedagogy and standards recognized as essential for online learning.

global learning
DINA GUIRGUIS | 11/20/2009

In his May 2009 address to the Arab world, President Obama promised to invest in online learning and called for the creation of a “new online network, so a young person in Kansas can communicate instantly with a person in Cairo.”

To all of us at the International Education and Resource Network, (iEARN) this sounded a little familiar. That’s because for the past 21 years, iEARN-USA has been doing just that: Connecting teachers and students online from the United States to classrooms all over the world.

early childhood
JOAN ALMON and EDWARD MILLER | 11/20/2009

Kindergarten has changed radically in recent years. Child-initiated play and hands-on learning are out; relentless literacy and math instruction and standardized tests are in.

One cause of these changes is pressure from middle-class parents who believe that the earlier their children learn to read the better they will do in school — even though no evidence supports this assumption.A second cause is concern about the so-called achievement gap between children from low-income families and their middle-class and affluent peers. Education policymakers assume that a heavily didactic, and even scripted approach focused on the basics of literacy and math is most effective, though we know of no evidence that bears this out.

outdoor adventures
FREDRICK REICHLE, MD | 11/20/2009

Approximately one in five young people between the ages of six and 17 are overweight. There is an epidemic of childhood obesity in the United States and around the world. Millions of these young people face a higher risk much earlier in life of developing diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke and some types of cancer.

The two main contributing factors are a plentiful supply of food high in calories, fat and sugar and a lack of physical activity.

Part of the solution could involve re-introducing mandatory physical activities in public schools. Another important aspect is parents taking a corrective role in their child’s physical activity and dietary habits.

arts festival
JENNIFER CHAMBERS | 11/20/2009

During the 2009/2010 school year, Hampton Roads and Southeastern Virginia students will have a unique opportunity through the Virginia Arts Festival’s WorldClass Education Program to experience the Bard’s plays — all 37 of them in just 97 whirlwind minutes — in a way that’s sure to have them laughing and learning at the same time.

curriculum
CAROL ROACH | 11/20/2009

(This is part two of a two part series. Part one introduced the Curriculum Leadership Institute (CLI) and its school improvement model. The illustration depicts the model’s major components.)

The focus of part one was the center of the triangle, the governance structure of the model. Governance includes development and implementation of board policy for how curriculum, instruction and assessment are handled in the district. It also creates a governing body that represents all stakeholders in making decisions and taking action on major issues related to student learning.