How do morning meetings make a difference in sustaining a positive community? Edutopia features Symonds Elementary, where “teachers use morning meetings to develop valuable social-emotional skills, create a culture of respect and trust, and prepare students to learn.”
Category Archives: Article/Blog Spotlight
Spring Updates: From Homework to Henley’s New Fitness Center
Stay Tuned: Homework Policy Under Consideration
Because of concerns about the time some students spend on homework, the School Board’s Health Advisory Board (parents and health professionals from our community) requested that the School Board consider changes in policy to more clearly regulate the amount of time students spend on homework on a weekly basis. Read more »
Henley Middle School Fitness Center Opens
On April 25, Henley Middle School celebrated the grand opening of its new “fit for life” fitness center which includes indoor and outdoor areas for gym activities, strengthening and conditioning, and aerobic workouts. Read more »
10 Must-See Documentaries on Creativity & the Future of Education
We now have the technology to make education accessible to everyone—anywhere they are in the world—and the digital tools to enhance the way each of us learn, work and create. But this new era requires we teach a new set of skills.
Check out 10 education documentaries featured on DIY Genius that provide a glimpse into the future of education, the skills that are needed for 21st century living, and how we can use technology to enhance individuality, increase creativity, and teach the process of innovation.
Challenger disaster: McAuliffe’s students go on to teach
As we return to work, I am reminded of where I stood on January 28, 1986. I was in a middle school watching the Challenger launch on TV and cheering on a teacher member of the mission. Moments later, America watched the shuttle parts spiral downward in its devastating journey back to earth. Today, on the 30th anniversary of the Challenger space shuttle disaster, I was inspired to see how one teacher’s legacy encouraged her students to join our profession. I think about young teachers in our ranks today—former Albemarle students—here because teachers among us catalyzed them to seek to teach. I think about each of you who chose this profession likely because of a teacher in your life. And I remember Christa McAuliffe. Continue reading
Welcome to 2016 — It’s beginning to feel a lot like winter!
Welcome to 2016! I hope everyone experienced a relaxing holiday season with family and friends. We asked our staff and students to take time away from school and homework over the winter break to spend time with their families, read a good book, visit relatives, or simply do those things that families accomplish together — cleaning out a closet or repairing something around the home.
Now it’s time to get back to school and re-engage with our learners as we head toward the end of the first semester.
January also heralds two important processes for our community — inclement weather decisions and budget season engagement. Read more of the Superintendent’s January 4 blog post »
Teachers Matter Most
December is a busy month in our schools from wonderful holiday programs to routine activities that engage children in deep learning. I am fortunate to visit our schools and see the amazing work accomplished by our young people and the teachers who create opportunities to involve learners. Learning planned by our teachers challenges children’s imaginations, supports them to solve complex problems, engages them to seek and use deep knowledge of content and make interdisciplinary connections, and encourages them to sustain curiosity and pursue learning that is of intrinsic interest. Read more of the Superintendent’s December 14 blog post »
5 Alternative Ways to Use Kahoot! in the Classroom
A game of Kahoot! is typically initiated by educators as a way to gain rich insights about their classroom, through formative assessment or reviews. However, there are loads of alternative ways to play Kahoot! to capture the hearts and minds of learners—with a focus on mastery and helping learners realize their deepest potential. Kahoot! Journal reports »
Digital Learning Resources: Walking Inside Your Photographs
New digital learning resources from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities offer access to history resources for kids and teachers to consume and even create. Tour the ruins at Pompeii, “walk” through Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, upload a 360-degree photo and place audio clips into the virtual space, and more! Check out these new tools »
Beyond ‘Turn It Off’: How to Advise Families on Media Use
“Today, more than 30% of U.S. children first play with a mobile device when they still are in diapers, according to Common Sense Media. Furthermore, almost 75% of 13- to 17-year-olds have smartphones, and 24% admit using their phones almost constantly, according to the Pew Research Center.”
With the goal of providing thoughtful, practical advice to parents based on the evidence, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) convened the invitation-only Growing Up Digital: Media Research Symposium this past May. Read in AAP News about 12 key messages that emerged for parents »
What We Learn from Making
“What are the real benefits of a maker-centered approach to learning? It’s often described as a way to incubate STEM skills or drive technical innovation — and it is probably both of these. But as a new report from Project Zero’s Agency by Design concludes, the real value of maker education has more to do with building character than with building the next industrial revolution.” Keep reading in Usable Knowledge, an online resource from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.