Sticky post

Teaching a PBL Unit on Water Transformed Our Students’ Learning

This post is transcribed from an interview with educators Debbie Holman and Nicole Orswell. Next year we’ll be teaching in a new middle-high school designed to encourage project-based learning (PBL). So, when given the opportunity to run a small PBL cohort this year, we thought: Why not give it a try? Let’s dip our toes in and share what we learn with the rest of … Continue reading Teaching a PBL Unit on Water Transformed Our Students’ Learning

Educator Spotlight: Designing Sustainable Cities

Reggie Vasquez challenged his fifth-graders to design a future city incorporating sustainable and alternative energy sources. Students used the inquiry process and education technology, such as green screen, virtual reality, and mapping tools, to create public service announcements explaining their sustainable cities. What inspired you to create a National Geographic Educator Certification project focused on designing sustainable cities? My young children, my students, my passion … Continue reading Educator Spotlight: Designing Sustainable Cities

Strategy Share: Support Classroom Discussion by Incorporating Students’ Culture

Student discourse is a major component of any classroom. Teachers work to create a learning environment that fosters critical thought and provides a safe space for new ideas. There are a wide range of facilitation techniques designed to support classroom discussion, but they don’t always allow students to voice ideas based on their own understanding of the world. When we facilitate dialogue that feels separate from students’ lives, we limit the connections they can build. Continue reading Strategy Share: Support Classroom Discussion by Incorporating Students’ Culture

Innovation Project: 515 Schools, 85 Countries Focusing On Sustainability And Innovation

By Koen Timmers Why do people invent? What is the purpose of innovation? Earning (more) money? Making people’s lives easier, more interesting? Make the world more sustainable? Sadly enough, in many cases innovation is based on financial benefits. So, it’s time to connect students around the world focusing on innovations that make the world more sustainable. This is how the Innovation Project was born. The … Continue reading Innovation Project: 515 Schools, 85 Countries Focusing On Sustainability And Innovation

Teacher Appreciation Week: The Dawn of Geo-Literacy

By Jennifer Burgin Most of the staff and learners at Oakridge are asleep when the sun rises, yet we benefit from Dawn’s light daily! Dawn Amin-Arsala runs Mosaic, a special program at Oakridge Elementary in Arlington, Virginia. Mosaic is, according to Dawn, “a cross-curricular exemplary project that celebrates diversity, values equity, and promotes deeper learning of Virginia’s curriculum content standards while fostering a sense of … Continue reading Teacher Appreciation Week: The Dawn of Geo-Literacy