Edutopia - June/July 2008 - (Page 31)

Cool Schools Additionally, in the next ten issues we’ll explore each of After the school year ended this past June, a chubby little catalogue from a national “adventure clothing” maker land- these items in-depth, with longer essays that give experts a ed in my home mailbox, proudly announcing the compa- chance to dig into the complexities of these issues. Our first topic, appropriately, discusses the need to rethink the nature ny’s end-of-summer back-to-school sale. We in the real world know a marketing line when we see of time both in the classroom and the school year. e it, and ignored the catalogue’s temporal time shift, instead James Daly is the editor of Edutopia magazine. saving the buying of fresh clothes and books for the new school year until, well, right around now. The real world has caught up and now summer vacation—the time of drowsy afternoons, amorphous plans, and misplaced swim goggles—is fast disappearing. The quickened pulse of a new school year also offers a chance to look at our classrooms with fresh eyes and rededicate ourselves to their continual improvement. Since our founding 14 years ago, the George Lucas Educat-ional Foundation (GLEF) has worked hard to document and disseminate the best stories of innovation in e d u c a t i o n . We’ve met hundreds of people and heard thousands of stories. Each one is unique, yet a number of common threads intertwine among these innovators. This month, we’ve tried to distill the intellectual and emotional ideals that form both the basis of these energizing stories and of GLEF. We’ve included them in an insert in the magazine you’re holding. We hope they’ll also provide a blueprint for improving public education. Additionally, in the next ten issues we’ll explore each of these items in-depth, with longer essays that give experts a chance to dig into the complexities of these issues. Our first topic, appropriately, discusses the need to rethink the nature of time both in the classroom and the school year. After the school year ended this past June, a chubby little catalogue from a national “adventure clothing” maker landed in my home mailbox, proudly announcing the company’s end-of-summer back-to-school sale. We in the real world know a marketing line when we see The quickened it, and ignored the catalogue’s temporal time shift, instead pulse of a new saving the buying of fresh clothes and books for the new school year until, well, right around now. The real world has school year also HOT LINK www.edutopia.org/1234 caught up and now summer vacation—the time of drowsy offers chance to afternoons, amorphous plans, and misplaced swim goglook at our classgles—is fast disappearing. The quickened pulse of a new school year also offers a rooms with fresh chance to look at our classrooms with fresh eyes and rededeyes and redediicate ourselves to their continual improvement. cate ourselves to Since our founding 14 years ago, the George Lucas Educat-ional Foundation (GLEF) has worked hard to doctheir continual ument and disseminate the best stories of innovation in improvement. e d u c a t i o n . We’ve met Edutopia.org is a comprehensivethousands of sto- center filled with the latest in educational tools, information, and innovations. hundreds of people and heard multimedia resource ries. Each one is unique, yet a number of common threads It’s about what works. You’ll find a robust documentary gallery that lets you It goes beyond what’s happening in public education. intertwine among these innovators. visualize cutting-edge programs intellectual and GET on integrating This month, we’ve tried to distill the and projects, along with tips SMART them into your classroom, ways to connect with others, emotional ideals that form both and best practices to build on successes in education. and valuable how-to’s the basis of these energiz- AUTOMATED SNIPING SOFTWARE LETS BIDDERS ESTABLISH ing stories and of GLEF. We’ve included them in an insert HOW MUCH THEY’LL BID AND WHEN THEY’LL BID, WHICH IS in the magazine you’re holding. We hope they’ll also provide USUALLY IN THE LAST FEW SECONDS OF AN AUCTION. a blueprint for improving public education. EDUCATION IT’S a BEAUTIFUL SITE TO SEE. FOR THOSE IMPROVING OLIVIER LAUDE edutopia.org SEPTEMBER 2006 EDUTOPIA 031 http://Edutopia.org http://Edutopia.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Edutopia - June/July 2008

Edutopia - June/July 2008 Contents UpFront Feedback Dispatches Sage Advice Ask Ellen Head of Class Cool Schools Design Young Minds, Fast Times Wii Love Learning No More Pencils, No More Books Tech Without Support All the Right Moves Room to Learn Heart & Soul Pop Quiz: Jeff Corwin

Edutopia - June/July 2008

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