The Global Search for Education: More on Arts
Nov21

The Global Search for Education: More on Arts

 “Arts education strategies play a significant role in closing the achievement gap, improving student engagement, and nurturing creativity and innovative thinking skills.” – C. M. Rubin   Thought leaders in The Global Search for Education series have consistently argued that an education without the arts is incomplete.  The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities report, Reinvesting in Arts...

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The Global Search for Education: On Success
Nov15

The Global Search for Education: On Success

 “67% of our sample said they are often or always stressed about school.” — Denise Pope  The desire for successful children in a performance-based culture often consumes us before we realize it. “More is better” might innocently trickle into the mindset, but before you know it, the winner takes all dynamics of a competitive society can easily become a part of our everyday lives. Whether it’s...

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The Global Search for Education: The 20%
Nov08

The Global Search for Education: The 20%

 “The achievement gap is not created by schools. The achievement gap begins before the children are born.” — Diane Ravitch   photo courtesy of Rick D’Elia, Save the Children U.S. Programs.  Even with food stamps, poor people are still poor. The OECD lists the U.S. as being one of the five top OECD nations with the highest child poverty rate. The impact of poverty is significant in the outcomes of children...

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The Global Search for Education: A Look at a Finnish School
Nov01

The Global Search for Education: A Look at a Finnish School

 Aurora School Principal Martti Hellström in the classroom with his pupils  If you thought you knew everything about the remarkable transformation of Finland’s schools from mediocre to one of the top performing school systems in the world, think again.  Native Finn Pasi Sahlberg (educator, researcher, advisor on global education reform,  and Director General of CIMO in Helsinki, Finland),  who has lived and closely studied...

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The Global Search for Education: Change Leader
Oct25

The Global Search for Education: Change Leader

 “The way to improve the quality of teaching is through teamwork in the schools, and then surround it with better teacher pre-service, better attraction of the profession, and better professional development.” — Michael Fullan  Michael Fullan has been working to identify the right drivers for whole system education reform.  His paper, “Choosing the Wrong Drivers for Whole System Reform,” has...

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