Teachers from across the country write us about how the Visual Thesaurus helps their students increase reading comprehension. Now a federally-funded study is taking a closer look at the connection between the Visual Thesaurus and reading. Developed by researchers at the prestigious Education Development Center, Inc. in Boston, the study is following eighth grade students with learning disabilities who've been introduced to the Visual Thesaurus. The lead investigator, EDC Senior Director Dr. Judith Zorfass, emailed us recently about her observations:  Continue reading...

The Paideia School in Atlanta, Georgia, runs an innovative program to help their middle school students become better writers, with an added bonus: it also helps them become better people. How? By focusing their writing on personal essays. One of the teachers who helps shape this course is Andrea Sarvady, a talented educator with a unique background -- she's also an accomplished author and trained therapist. We spoke to Andrea about the program:  Continue reading...

Mention MySpace and other online "social networks" to educators and parents and you'll likely get a reaction worthy of Edvard Munch's The Scream. Take a peek at the Internet-style spelling and grammar on these sites and you might belt out a shriek yourself. But not so fast, says an educator named Joe Bellacero. A veteran New York City English teacher, Joe is now the associate director of The New York City Writing Project, a professional development organization that stresses teachers teaching teachers. As you can imagine, he knows a thing or two about the language arts. Joe explains why he thinks popular social networks might just be a boon for students -- and how teachers can tap their hidden value.  Continue reading...

When Miguel Guhlin isn't spearheading groundbreaking technology-in-the-classroom initiatives as Director of Instructional Technology Services for the San Antonio, Texas, school system, he publishes his views on 21st century learning on his respected blog, Around the Corner, read by thousands of educators around the world. We caught up with Miguel for a provocative, and inspiring, discussion.  Continue reading...

Bud Hunt writes the respected blog Bud the Teacher, a website for "inquiry and reflection for better teaching." He puts his ideas for innovative education to work as an English teacher at Olde Columbine High School, an alternative public school in Longmont, Colorado. To Bud, inspiring teaching means bringing Internet technology into the classroom. Bud explains:  Continue reading...

Chris Lehman is the principal of a public high school in Philadelphia called the Science Leadership Academy. It's a brand new progressive school that just opened its doors to 110 ninth graders in September. What's so progressive about it? For starters, each kid gets a laptop -- but no textbooks to take home. And even more important, says Chris, who writes the respected blog Practical Theory, is the guiding philosophy of the school: Something he calls "21st century learning." Chris explains:  Continue reading...

Teaching at a Fairbanks, Alaska, elementary school offers educator Doug Noon a distinct advantage: "Living where I do, I have a critical distance from the mainstream that gives me the opportunity to look at things from a fresh perspective." For Doug, this fresh perspective means creating innovative ways to use technology the classroom, a perspective he shares with teachers far and wide on his highly-respected blog, Borderland. And it's a perspective he puts to work with his students, 4th graders who publish a website of their own called Tell the Raven. Doug graciously talked to us about his experience applying technology to teaching.  Continue reading...