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 On this page you will find stories about good things going on in Georgia's public education system. You will also find ideas from other parts of the U.S. These are successful ideas that could possibly be used in other communities. Red headlines signify Georgia ideas. If you have a good news story, share it with us so other education stakeholders might consider adopting/adapting it for their use. Drop a note to Communications Director Bill Maddox. The information included here does not imply Georgia Partnership endorsement for either the ideas or the organizations responsible for the ideas. Stories are coded: EC - Early Childhood; ES - Elementary School; MS - Middle School; HS - High School; PS - Post Secondary; GE - General. Let Them Play (California) ES - Since when did the word "play" become outlawed in kindergarten? It's time to bring play time back to the kindergarten classroom. (August 2010) Lessons from a school that works (Minnesota) ES - It's summer vacation, and while their peers are playing outside or watching television, about one-third of students at Dayton's Bluff Elementary in St. Paul are in school to become better readers, writers and mathematicians. (July 2010) Will sitting on big orange balls help students improve focus? ES - "It's much more comfortable than a chair and it helps me focus," said Bridget Cluskey, 11. "I pay more attention to the teacher when she's talking." (June 2010) Students pedal to greenness (Connecticut) ES - The school's third-, fourth- and fifth-graders are the first in the country using a Ridgefield company's system to convert student energy on fitness machines into electricity the school can use. (June 2010) Old Mill Elementary teachers building centers of learning ES - While students were two days into their summer vacations, teachers like Missy Stallings and Karen Brown were still at school June 3, busy researching and rethinking their strategies for next school year. (June 2010) ‘Power of the Pen’ links students with celebrities (Kansas) ES - The project, which strives to improve writing and communication skills, began early in the school year when Leggett’s class made a list of famous people to write to. (May 2010) Teacher has students sit in pods to boost their collaboration skills (Wisconsin) ES - This teacher is already preparing her first- and second-grade students for the workforce by making sure her students interact and collaborate with each other. (April 2010) Yoga, parties relieve stress and build confidence in teens (Tennessee) ES - School officials in and around Memphis, Tenn., say they are working to relieve testing stress among students and teachers through yoga, pep rallies, parties and songs. The preparation for state tests also is meant to motivate students to perform well. (April 2010) Can iPod Touch boost math scores? One Pinellas school tests theory (Florida) ES - This school year Faleycia Moore is spending more time on her math homework than her teacher demands. (April 2010) Hydroplanes offer lessons for students (Kentucky) ES - Completion of his model hydroplane is still another week or so away, but Maupin Elementary fourth-grader Jaelyn Lewis couldn't help getting excited recently about its eventual coolness. (March 2010) Total child gets exercise at brain gym (Florida) ES - Young students at Holland Elementary in Satellite Beach look forward to the SMILE lab taught by physical education teacher Cindy Hosken. The acryonym stands for Sensory Motor Intensive Learning Environment. (March 2010) Drilled on new language (California) How to boost student learning? More recess might help. (Nation) ES - Many schools have cut back on recess as they try to meet requirements for student learning. But in a new Gallup survey, principals cite benefits from recess. (February 2010) Recess before lunch is a good recipe for better health and learning (Nation) ES - Can something as simple as the timing of recess make a difference in a child's health and behavior? (January 2010) Skype in the classroom technology brings students together (Pennsylvania) ES - Some Pennsylvania third-graders are talking with older students about high school and career goals using Skype -- a free online program that allows users to see and talk to each other using a webcam. (December 2009) Students learn marketing skills (North Carolina) ES - Good behavior and good grades often create a little green in the hands of students, but at Rutherford College Elementary School, their green was in the form of checks. (December 2009) Music is instrumental in teaching (California) ES - Kids in Alpine are crazy about Jiji. Jiji — a cartoonlike penguin — is the symbol for a program that teaches math and music to students in the Alpine Union School District. (December 2009) Critical thinking taught here... courtesy of the Big Bad Wolf (Iowa) ES - The events that followed Friday put Pleasant View fourth-graders behind the wheel of arguing and deliberating their very own court case. (December 2009) Students acing yoga test (Minnesota) ES - More Minnesota schools are offering yoga for students, but kids are learning more than poses such as downward dog. Educators say yoga can give students an academic boost. (December 2009) Learning to Teach to Bridge the Achievement Gap (California) ES - Three ingredients have turned this school around: high expectations for everyone, constant assessment and family involvement. (November 2009) Exercise balls get students rolling (California) ES - Classrooms that have replaced chairs with balls and ball chairs see better results. The devices sharpen students' attention and improve posture, teachers say. (November 2009) History to Go program lets kids take museum to school (Florida) ES - This local museum program for educators helps turn students into docents who teach lessons to other students. The learning process is enhanced. (November 2009) School tool brings teamwork to table (Florida) ES - Eight little hands slide across the large touch-screen computer, finding their way to Africa, Europe and North America. Beneath them, a giant monitor glows with a map of the world. (September 2009) Kids Use -- and Teach -- Digital Storytelling (California) ES - Veteran fourth-grade teacher Don Kinslow often hears colleagues say they would use technology if they had the time to get training. (August 2009) Comics in the classoom (California) GE - In a district beleaguered by budget cuts and underperforming students, Deborah Ford is hoping to bridge the achievement gap through the use of comic books. (July 2010) Teaching Secrets: When the Kids Don't Share Your Culture (Nation) GE - This article says to be effective teachers, educators must understand the cultural backgrounds of their students. (July 2010) Teaching Secrets: Phoning Home GE - With the school year just ended, it may seem odd that I’m already thinking of the beginning of the next. As a teacher, I can’t help but look forward. (June 2010) Educators Using Gulf Oil Spill as a "Teachable Moment" - (Nation) GE - Science teachers nationwide are using the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as a "teachable moment," with most saying environmental issues will likely continue into the new school year. (June 2010) Social Media in Education: The Power of Facebook GE - As a teacher and a new mom, it didn’t take long for me to find Facebook as a supplement for my stunted social life. But I soon learned that Facebook was also a place of professional learning and development. (May 2010) Going Viral? Creating Dance Videos Across the Curriculum (Nation) GE - What is a viral video? Why are music and dance such powerful, ubiquitous forces in our culture? How can viral dance videos be used for teaching and learning? In this lesson, students watch recent viral dance videos and explore their nature and role in contemporary culture. (May 2010) How to Stay Sane During Standardized Testing Time (Nation) GE - For some teachers and students, the glory of spring and the promise of summer has been eclipsed by the complex emotions that surge during testing season. (May 2010) Panel: Cell phones have much potential in classrooms (Nation) GE - New paper reports that students' cell phone use is growing, and educators should harness the power of mobile devices. (April 2010) Finding the Student's 'Price Point' (Nation) GE - Students have their own version of the price point—the material they are ready to learn. Here are some ideas how to find them. (April 2010) Liven Up Your Lessons by Giving Students Choices (Texas) GE - In differentiating our instruction and student learning in our own classes, do we sometimes play the same old tricks, rather than provide a rich variety of learning activities? It's time to try siomething new! (January 2010) When teachers reject the internet.... Don't do it! (Nation) GE - A former Post colleague has two daughters in a Washington area school district. The issue she raises involves all high-tech schools, of which we have many. Teachers aren't embracing a teaching tool. (December 2009) Video games take bigger role in education (North Carolina) GE - Teachers trying to get students interested in molecular biology or space now have a new tool -- video games. (December 2009) Teaching Secrets: How to Maximize Hands-On Learning GE - Good teachers know that students learn a lot more when they get their hands on real materials, but.... (September 2009) The playtime's the thing (Nation) EC - On a recent Thursday, 5-year-old Estefani Lovo Rivera took charge of a make-believe hair salon in her preschool classroom at Oakridge Elementary in Arlington County. (November 2009)
Students take photos of earth's curvature with help from iPad (Virginia) MS - At this Virginia school this past school year, 13 seventh- and eighth-graders signed up for a biweekly science elective that proposed this challenge: Take a photo of the curvature of the Earth and spend just $200 to do it. (July 2010) Class assignment evolves into essay contest, book (Georgia) MS - When Arnall Middle School social studies teacher Pamela Ridge assigned her seventh grade class a research project about someone in history they admired, it inspired one student and his mother to start a nation-wide essay contest. (July 13) 'Rap teacher' uses hip-hop to school L.A. kids in algebra - (California) MS - The class of eighth graders at a Los Angeles middle school tap their rulers and nod their heads to the rhythm of the rap video projected on a screen. It's not Snoop Dog of Jay-Z. (June 2010) School testing: Vocabulary, learning strategies are keys to success (Virginia) MS - Chalk raced across the blackboard in Linwood Jenkins' class as the sixth-grade teacher struggled to keep up with the barrage of answers students shouted at him. (April 2010) MS - Pedro Gonzalez didn't grow up dreaming to be a teacher. There was no career epiphany when he graduated from Bowie High School in 2000. He even dabbled in studying theater while attending the University of Maryland. (February 2010) MS - Parents and teachers looking for a way to make learning biology fun for kids can find it in an outstanding free online game called Lifeboat to Mars. (February 2010) Principal: Teacher teams lead to success (Texas) MS - Foster Middle School's principal plans to keep using a teaching model designed to create smaller classes. Teaming, or pairing core academic teachers so they have the same students throughout the day, is working. (January 2010) The 50 Best Inventions of 2009 (New York) MS - This past summer, in a sixth-grade math class, New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein piloted a small program in which individualized, technology-based learning takes the place of the old "let's all proceed together" approach. (November 2009) Teaching too-hard math concepts does students no favors (Maryland) MS - We are in the midst of a paradox in math education. As more states strive to improve math curricula and raise standardized test scores, more students show up to college unprepared for college-level math. (November 2009) Middle school students map road to success with new tool (Tennessee) MS - These students spent the first eight weeks of school learning eight different ways of organizing information. They are using organizational charts, called Thinking Maps, to master subject matter. (October 2009) New views on math help raise scores (Virginia) MS - Two teachers who do not teach math found a way to incorporate the subject outside the math classroom. It seems to be working! (September 2009) Literacy Accountability in a New-Media Age (Kentucky) MS - Walking through the hallways of the middle school where I teach, I inevitably hear students talk about music Web sites, blogs, Web-based photo albums, Facebook pages, and other forms of new media. (September 2009) Turning Skeptical Students into Science Achievers (North Carolina) MS - Jamila Bowser knows first hand just how difficult it can be to keep middle school students interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. (September 2009) The Benefits of Taking Students Outside to Write (Canada) MS - During the past few years, I have developed the tradition of taking a walk with my students every Friday morning, as soon as students arrive in class. (September 2009) Schools: Online writing tool boosts test scores (Virginia) MS - Last school year, five Chesterfield County middle schools piloted an online essay-grading tool and saw as much as 21 percent gains on eighth-graders' Standards of Learning writing test scores. (September 2009) Program boosting district's scores (California) MS - There's not a minute wasted in Michelle Petitte's eighth-grade humanities class. The 13- and 14-year-olds in her classroom at Woodland Park Middle School are guided efficiently from task to task. (September 2009) High School Students Pilot IPads (Wyoming) HS - Debra Park asked her students which reading strategies they planned to use during quiet reading time. Her class had brainstormed ideas and methods for how to improve reading and vocabulary. (June 2010) Reasoning Mind Program Multiplying Successes (Texas) HS - Last Sunday, we told you about a new way of teaching math in second through sixth grades called Reasoning Mind. (June 2010) Avatars Go to School, Letting Students Get a Feel for the Work World (New Jersey) HS - Even as work crews and scientists mobilized over a huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, high school students in this city were hard at work cleaning up another spill — in the virtual world. (May 2010) When Students Don't Prepare for Class (National) HS - Video teleconferencing technology has created a physics course called eL.I.V.E., which stands for electronic live integrated video education physics, that lets one teacher deliver two classes simultaneously at different schools. (March 2010) Three Ways Educators are Embracing Social Media (Nation) HS - In response to budget issues and a myriad of other problems confronting public education, innovative educators are embracing social media to fight back. (January 2010) Engineering class shows girls male-dominated field (Maryland) HS - While students at an all-girls school in Montgomery County were laboring one day last month to build bridges out of popsicle sticks, their teachers were trying to build bridges for them into the male-dominated field of engineering. (January 2010) Students learn real math lesson (Texas) HS - While most students think that geometry lessons won’t extend past finals, some Seguin High School students are putting their skills to practical use. (January 2010) Old West lessons change students' lives (Colorado) HS - When Ann Moore read "Cowboy Ethics," a book about what Wall Street bankers can learn from the Old West, she instantly identified it as the perfect teaching tool for her at-risk class of seniors. (December 2009) Here's a unique history lesson... What would Lincoln Tweet? (Utah) HS - A graduate student at Utah State Univ. is a new kind of Civil War re-enactor. Instead of dressing up in period clothes he uses Twitter to send short messages in the voice of Abraham Lincoln and other historical figures. (December 2009) Oxford math professor backs Web games to teach kids (England) HS - Internet games can boost children's interest in mathematics, says a footballing Oxford University professor who plays wearing the prime number 17 and uses dance to prove theorems. (December 2009)
Billiards lets students rack up fun, learning at high school (Texas) HS - This idea was brought to the principal from the school teacher of the year. Many students who don't otherwise find interests outside the classroom shine at billiards. The no pass no play rule seems to be getting kids to hit the books. (November 2009) Online Photography Archives Enable Teaching with Primary Sources (California) HS - Analyzing photographs inspires visual literacy and critical thinking in students. (November 2009)
Students energized by hands-on project (Kentucky) HS - Students say they learn better by doing. Thanks to their teacher, these eighth-graders are learning about energy by doing experiments and demonstrating them for teachers. (November 2009) Schools rely on 8 steps to boost scores (Virginia) HS - Two very different high schools are using the same instructional method to boost student achievement on standardized tests. (November 2009) What makes a good teacher a good teacher? (Washington State) HS - Top students sound off on what makes a good teacher and a top teacher offers her advice. (September 2009) Books face extinction as schools go high-tech (Massachusetts) HS - “If you look at a textbook it’s very static. It’s very convoluted,” said Hopkinton High math teacher Carla Crisafulli, who will post homework assignments to moodle.org and use Jing to create lesson voice-overs. (September 2009) J.J. Pearce math teacher adds innovation (PowerPoint) to his lesson plan (Texas) HS - As students streamed out of Lance Belin's classroom last week, a fellow teacher slipped in. "Can I watch you do 'Move the Monster' tomorrow?" she asked. (September 2009)
Teacher's video gets students to jam to grammar lessons Crystal Huau Mills knows it's tough for 9-year-olds to focus on learning nouns and verbs - grammar can be too boring and technical to hold the attention of an energetic third-grader. (August 2009) Virtual 3-D lab aims to stimulate learning (Maryland) Students this fall will explore the area surrounding Mount St. Helens in a vehicle that can morph from an aircraft to a car to a boat to learn about how the environment has changed since the volcano’s 1980 eruption. (August 2009) New lesson plans (Ohio) Teachers here are excited that the teaching methods they will use at the new STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) school aren't as dependent on textbooks. (August 2009) Educators look at using cell phones as teaching tools (California) Students in Joe Wood's science class didn't have to hide their cell phones in their backpacks. They used them to take quizzes, shoot photos for class projects and create podcasts. (August 2009) Fun with fractions (Wisconsin) Nine, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, 90. Summer school instructor Marian McElroy rattled off the multiples of nine from memory in 3.8 seconds as her students squealed in disbelief. (August 2009) Students help program science computer game (Washington D.C.) "Lots of schools are using games to teach their students, but this year we're taking it a step further. The new version of the game will be played by students all over the country." (August 2009) Laptop? Check. Student Playlist? Check. Classroom of the Future? Check. The seating arrangements are compared to airport traffic patterns. The student schedules are called playlists. And lesson plans are generated by a complicated computer algorithm for the 80 students in the class. (July 2009) Family atmosphere promotes learning Schools that by all rights should be in trouble are excelling. Their secret? School administrators and teachers point to fostering a familylike atmosphere with emphasis on accountablility. (July 2009) Free online course helps students plan careers A free online learning program from Microsoft is helping middle and high school students think about careers they might like to pursue and the skills necessary to attain those careers. (July 2009) Positive Psychology for Kids: Teaching Resilience With Positive Education (U.S.) Psychologists Karen Reivich and Jane Gillham aim to use positive psychology on the youngest members of society to prevent them from later struggling with anxiety, depression, or other psychological problems. (June 2009) Brain training is part of new fitness gear (Illinois) This new piece of workout equipment is designed not only to pump up the muscles of students but also their brains. (June 2009) Program helping to boost reading skills (Nevada) The 44 children sitting in front of computers in two classrooms at Martha P. King Elementary School look like they are playing educational video games. (June 2009) Hands on teaching is the best route (California) About the hands on approach, “Working this way helped me understand all the stuff we have been reading about in the books much better." (June 2009) Programs encourage male presence in schools (Maryland) Tweeting Your Way to Better Grades (Nation) Is what's out the window key to better grades? Students Learn Through Gardening (Ohio) Behavior Improves in Lee County How one teacher uses 'Twitter' in the classroom (Texas) Pupils bounce back with ‘happiness lessons’ (London) ‘Redesigned’ classes empowering students, high school educators say Preschool uses drama skills to enhance curriculum (Texas) Learning disabled youngsters find their confidence under sail (Maryland) Students getting creative with iPod touch (North Carolina) Video games: Play and learn (Minnesota) Mundelein High School students exercise their brains (Illinois) Jordan uses drama skills to engage kids 'Wiggle Room' helps special-needs pupils (Indiana) Special-needs kids, retirees hit it off at Pinellas retirement center (Florida) School adds skateboarding to curriculum (Minnesota) IPods hit the books: Elementary school embraces the media player as learning tool (Florida) UGA College of Education launches partnership with Greene County Schools Are two teachers better than one? (Utah) Chesterfield overhauls language-arts teaching (Virginia) VIDEO: Math games count in D-Y schools (Massachusetts) Lessons from most successful schools abroad (Finland) Going in circles puts students on path to better choices (Wisconsin) Classroom innovation: Teaching meets tech (Mississippi) This classroom is using computers to illustrate a calculus problem. Not long ago the same class would have featured a blackboard or an overhead projector. (March 2009) High school tries new device to jam students' electronic gadgets (Washington State) This school has just completed a three-day test to keep kids' minds on the classroom lesson and off the "What's up?" texting and calling routine. (March 2009) Forget PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii, these kids take high-tech to a new level ... the classroom (Michigan) You have to travel north to watch these kids get their hands on technology and take learning to a new level. (March 2009) Touch-screen device helps students learn (North Carolina) This elementary school is using the latest digital technology to get great results. (March 2009) No chairs: Students 'get the wiggles out' on exercise balls Maybe sitting still, backs straight and eyes focused straight ahead is not the best way to teach. (March 2009) Proof of math teacher's skill is in students' test scores (California) This teacher's energetic approach to math is getting results. (March 2009) Middle school students get taste of restaurant business This classroom effort was fun and meaningful. (February 2009) Educational Leadership: Learning from Wikis and blogs If you are in the market for new teaching ideas, this article might give you some great ideas where to look. (February 2009) Stand-up desks provide a firm footing for fidgety students (Minnesota) Teachers stand up most of the time when teaching lessons so what about the students. Should they be made to sit still when maybe some can't? This thinks there's a better way. (February 2009) Savannah teens help younger students read. The Teen Trendsetters Reading Program sends high schoolers on a mission each week to help elementary school-age children improve their reading skills. (February 2009) Program introducing more students to local politics. Oconee County has been progressively growing this program since 2006 to better inform high schools on the intricacies of the local political system. (January 2009) Program forges bond between teacher, student. Hahira Middle School is following a program that is seeing results in building stronger bonds between teachers and students. The result? High student achievement! (January 2009) He is getting results from traditionally under-performing students. You have probably heard about the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta. Check out this story which reports on how the school is making learning fun. Can some of these ideas be replicated in the public school system? You decide. (January 2009) Energy savings becomes competitive. High school students in Columbia County have come up with a way to conserve energy by creating competition between system schools. (January 2009) Students connect with international students (Florida). Using a computer program called ePals, students are enjoying making friends and learning from their counterparts around the globe. (January 2009) Teachers create worksheet-less classroom. Two all-star DeKalb teachers (Vanderlyn Elementary), Kristen Drake (2006 Milken Family Foundation winner) and Nancy Lorenz (named an American Star of Education by the U.S. DOE for the 2007 - 08 year) are combining their talents for an innovative program - worksheet-less classrooms. Students take all assessments online, complete homework online, and type all stories online. Kristen reports, "Students benefit with immediate feedback on performance and we save reams of paper as we work toward a greener school." Check out (click on "going green") the program. Contact Kristen. (December 2008) In this 123-page guide, state offers schools tips on stopping bullies (Massachusetts). The state is aggressively pursuing the fight against bullying. They have published a guide that attempts to dispel myths about bullying and provide tips and statistics to help teachers and principals stop bullying. The advice is often simple. Check out the guide. (May 2008) Program uses smart phones to increase math scores (North Carolina)eSchool News Saving young African-American male students - Too many young African-American males were not finishing school and were headed for trouble in this community. Thanks to a collaboration between the Savannah/Chatham County Schools and Savannah Technical College, a program is underway that is pointing young men to roads of success instead of a life of trouble. Here's the story. (November 2007) Planting the college seed early - Is second grade too early to start children thinking about attending college? No, according to some folks at Jones Elementary School near Gainesville. Read the story about their idea that is easily adaptable across the state. (November 2007) |
 Check out these sites for other successful programs and ideas: Accomplished Teacher ® by SmartBrief provides innovative teaching and learning news. Accomplished Teacher’s editors pick articles from hundreds of publications, do a brief summary of each and provide links back to the original sources. The Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement (GLISI) has a couple pages that offer success stories. Check out "Promising Practices" and "Results" pages on their Web site. U.S. Department of Education Achiever newsletter highlights winning programs. Checkout the monthly online publication for ideas that are succeeding.
Department of Education site might help - The What Works Clearinghouse web site collects, screens, and identifies studies of effectiveness of educational interventions (programs, products, practices, and policies). (November 2007) Georgia Public Broadcasting Highlights Good News Graduation Stories. GPB in collaboration with the Georgia Dept. of Education and Communities In Schools is gathering stories and interviews as well as video and audio clips that reflect the journey that middle and high school students make towards the goal of high school graduation. This offers school systems around the state an opportunity to talk about their successes/best practices. There's much more to say about it than there is room here. First, check out the blog then contact Barbara O'Brien at GPB. This is her "baby" so she has all the answers to your many questions. Reach her at bobrien(at)gpb.org, 404-685-2545. (August 2008) |
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