Preparing students with robust life skills, including social-emotional skills, is of paramount importance in today's world, particularly for children growing up in adversity. Dream a Dream was founded by 11 young people who wanted to engage with children who were terminally ill, abandoned, or HIV infected. The idea was to organize activities and…

What comes to mind when you think about skateboarding? Depending on your age (wink), your initial thoughts might range from "kid's toy" to "action sport," or from "thrilling" to "dangerous" or even "annoying noise." Although skateboarding bore the reputation of a rebellious counterculture in its…

Computers, laptops, digital tablets, and whiteboards are all commonly used technologies in classrooms today. The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increased use of digital technology to offer virtual learning and maintain social connections. Given the multifaceted nature of technology, the complexities of child development, and the increasing…

Efforts to improve education should not neglect to provide the rich play opportunities that benefit children in so many ways. In Tanzania, the pre-primary curriculum, for example, guides teachers to use play as the primary method of teaching and learning. Despite this policy mandate for play, however, abundant evidence indicates that Tanzanian…

The DCU Changemaker Schools Network is a collaborative professional learning network of schools chosen for their pioneering work in the development of empathy, creativity, leadership, and teamwork. Adopted by Dublin City University (DCU) in September 2020, the current network of 18 primary schools has moved into Phase 2 of its development, with…

The Designathon Works Foundation teaches children (8 to 12 years old) the skills that help them develop ideas and solutions for a better world. By going through the Designathon method, many children discover that their possibilities are unlimited and they think beyond their borders, both literally and figuratively. The method focuses on building…

Coding must take its place among the fundamentals of education globally, along with lit­eracy, numeracy, and the sciences. The purpose of teaching stu­dents to code isn't to turn them into the software developers of tomorrow -- though it's a wonderful avenue for doing so -- but rather to give them a basic life skill of creating with tech­nology,…

At the start of this new school year, most educators' attention will be split between attending to students' social and developmental well-being and overcoming pandemic-driven lack of engagement in learning. When these two goals are addressed in tandem, students can be exposed to new challenges and experiences. This article explores how a…

In 1934, 29 American secondary schools agreed to participate in a landmark study to determine whether high schools could better serve youth when given flexibility around curriculum and freedom to "experiment with the basic structure of schooling." Popularly known as the "Eight-Year Study," it bolstered movements for progressive…

This article discusses what resilience is and how to think about resilience from intersectional and neuroscience viewpoints. It provides practical resilience-building strategies that educators can apply in the classroom. Understanding resilience from different perspectives will help early childhood educators build resilience capacity in young…

The STEM acronym (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) has evolved into STEAM, to reflect the increasingly held view that art and creativity are essential components of math/science teaching and learning. Sadly, too few students are choosing to take computer science classes. When presented as a technical science, many students,…

Children learn best when they are inherently motivated to pursue new knowledge and skills; ownership and opportunity for initiative provide that inherent motivation. Most of what has been created for the children's universe--whether in cinema, theater, books, cartoons, or school curriculum content--has been created and produced by adults. But By…

Some of the most effective innovations in education have allowed fundamental changes to how individual students are being taught and assessed. Personalized learning models tailor learning to individual needs, accommodating students with diverse learning styles.

Bringing peace to the world is a profound aspiration, and it can be achieved by instilling the values of empathy, compassion, and respect in young children through humane education. Humane education sows the seeds of hope for a future that can heal our planet and usher in positive societal change. Humane education fosters empathy and ethical…

When we consider the ultimate goal of bringing innovation to our education programs, a key consideration is whether or not we are helping our students themselves become innovative, creative thinkers and actors.