Young adult literature continues to be fertile ground for an amazing range of books covering almost every subject imaginable. Below are quick reviews of the best eleven books that I read in the past year. These books are appropriate for middle school and/or high school readers. Not all these books were published in 2019, but […]
I was teaching a grade twelve biblical studies class when something unexpected happened. In a class full of strong minds and bodies, I saw fear in my students’ eyes. They were afraid of University; not afraid of the workload or the professors, but afraid of not being able to answer the onslaught of questions about […]
by Martha Mahtani and Bill Boerman-Cornell The Holocaust perpetuated on the Jewish people by the German Nazi party during World War II has inspired a remarkable amount of excellent literature. Middle school and high school English teachers are quick to recognize the interest their students have for this era in history and are quick to […]
Every morning in schools across America eager children enter the front door, walk down the hall to their classrooms, and are greeted by posters that say “Welcome” or “It’s a Great Day for Learning” or maybe your favorite Bible verse. There might be an apple tree on the door, with students’ names on each apple. […]
We live in a noisy world that seems determined to capture the attention and hearts of children. Noise is ubiquitous! Canned music in stores and on elevators, television at the airport or in restaurants or the doctor’s office, leaf blowers, traffic, siblings, dogs, and on and on. . . . Quiet is a rare experience […]
by Gail Heffner and Dave Warners Introduction Geographer Mark Bjelland notes that a space is simply a set of geographic coordinates, whereas a place is a location that has become meaningful through human habitation. He goes on to define places as having three elements: (1) a material setting, (2) a set of social relationships, and […]
In this article, I am not going to cite the latest research. I am not going to analyze how all of what I am espousing will fit into the target goals or the state standards. I will not spend time justifying the value of intimately experiencing creation to an educational system that sometimes seems to […]
A number of years ago Microsoft ran a commercial for the Windows Phone 7. It portrayed a variety of people immersed in their smartphones while oblivious to their surroundings. The series of vignettes includes a distracted father sitting on a seesaw leaving his daughter stranded high on the other end, a hapless man absorbed in […]
When a school community chooses to invest in and employ digital technologies, the impact of the choice extends beyond the school walls and the hours of the school day. In fact, proponents of digital technologies highlight the benefit of expanded learning time and space, moving learning beyond the confines of the classroom. What are some […]
Talking about technology in schools seems to come with a built-in temptation toward arguing about big threats and promises. Digital devices will connect our students to the world, transform learning, break down the walls of the school, and unleash student creativity! Digital devices will isolate our students, make them shallow, weaken their thinking skills, and […]