“Be the change you want to see in the world.” That one belongs to Gandhi. No doubt a tall order. So close to some spiritual truth, it’s hard for it to mean anything concrete to most […]
Category: Books
When Your Child Doesn’t Like to Read
“I just can’t get her to read!” I often hear protests like this from parents when I suggest that their child read more for fun. Because it’s an important lifelong habit that I want my students […]
The Best 15 Books to Raise Children’s Emotional IQ and Teach Empathy
One of the best tools to raise your children’s emotional IQ and empathy are books. Reading a story with your children gives you ample opportunity to talk about the story, the cause of the emotions and […]
How Minecraft Can Foster a Love of Reading
More and more educators are finding success using gaming for education. Minecraft, in particular, has shown its ability to be a game that’s both engaging and potentially educational. For starters, the game allows players to think […]
Are You Ready to Go Bold School?
“When the expertise and wisdom of the teacher is given equal weight in the blended learning equation, that is bold school” (Kieschnick, p.21). Recently, I had the honor of meeting and talking with Weston Kieschnick, senior […]
A Teacher by Any Other Name – The Instructional Shift of Blended Learning
What kind of power is in a title, and what if we redefined the role of the teacher? I’m currently reading the book Blended by Michael B. Horn and Heather Staker. Often when I read a […]
![Appreciating What, Where and How Boys Read [Infographic]](https://fractus-855d.kxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Boys-Read-copy1-e1496237958433-300x180.jpeg)
Appreciating What, Where and How Boys Read [Infographic]
Unfortunately for many boys, what gets in their way of reading for pleasure are very well-intentioned adults who try to steer them in the “right” direction. That’s why the greatest gift we can give boys this […]
Teaching “Invisible Man” While the Apocalypse Occurs Down South
Today after yoga class, Stephanie, the beautiful woman who once cherished my infant son while I used the gym told me she had six relatives die in the hurricane. I stare into her high-cheek boned face […]
Why You Shouldn’t Shrug off Your Son’s Reading Habit this Summer
Summer is right around the corner here in the United States bringing with it both good feelings and worry. For boys, summer equals a long vacation to do what they love every day: nothing, play video […]
Books to Inspire Coding & Robotics
I have been running a Coding and Robotics Club at my school, St Aidan’s AGS Junior School, Brisbane, for a couple of years now. One of the best ways to inspire children I have found is […]
Exclusive Interview: Author Teresa Ann Power and The ABCs of Yoga For Kids Around the World
The following is an exclusive interview with Teresa Anne Power, internationally acclaimed children’s yoga expert and bestselling author, yogi, and advocate for the health benefits of yoga for children. Her first book, international hit The ABCs […]
A Thousand Stories—Make Every Word Count
Don’t talk grades. You’re not supposed to talk about grades during Open House. Just keep pushing parents to the projects and work on the walls. But, that’s not why most parents show up. They don’t care […]
The Benefits of Reading to Children—More Than Just Quality Time Together
“The more rich and multifaceted the learning experiences, the more neurons are fired. What fires together, wires together.” —Dr. Betty Rintoul (NC Infant Mental Health Association, Baby Steps, Fall Newsletter, 2013.) This is a great quote that […]
Reading Role Models: Why They Matter for Boys
Advocating for 9–14-year-old boys and their reading lives is my passion and specialty, however, because I’m female, this hasn’t been an easy row to hoe. People often question me on why I’m not advocating for girls […]
The Innovator’s Mindset—A Blockbuster Lesson from George Couros
Let me begin by making three confessions: 1. I think this is a very clever title … read on to find out why. 2. I thought this review would never be written; indeed, I’ve taken nearly […]
Worried About Your Little Worrier? A Guide to Manage Kid’s Anxiety & Stress
On a recent trip to Mexico I encountered one of my favorite souvenirs, the worry doll. Worry dolls, or trouble dolls, are tiny, only about one inch tall and an eighth of an inch wide. They […]
A Taste of Our Own Medicine: Reading Like We Expect Our Students To
In schools, we promote reading in all we do. Not only do we teach reading, but as educators, we are readers ourselves. We are clamoring to find the latest book on the latest trend or strategy. […]
The Power of a Reading Promise
If you think a nightly read aloud ritual between parent and child is a luxury only for those who are well off with smoothly running lives, think again. Alice Ozma’s best-selling memoir, The Reading Promise: My […]
Play Like a Pirate: Fun That Doubles Student Engagement
Part of several recent conversations that I’ve had with educators have focused on different levels of student engagement. We started each conversation by discussing the following matrix: The different quadrants of the matrix ask students to […]
Using Minecraft To Tackle Cyberbullying and Teach Online Citizenship
Educators and parents are always looking for unique ways to make learning exciting, and quite a few have found success with the video game Minecraft. While to many, video games might seem like the antithesis to […]