The new trend of foreign language education is closely tied to culture. Culture-specific programs in general contribute to the enrichment of students, schools, and communities. They provide rich learning experiences that supplement and enhance both classroom activities and what is taught in the home. Many federal agencies and state education departments are implementing strategies not only for purposes of increased cultural awareness, but also to support proficiency in a second or third language prior to post-secondary studies and entrance into the workforce. The Florida DOE, for example, included in its 2017 statutes the awarding of certificates to students who demonstrate Silver ......

Every once in a while, my thoughts turn to such things as literacy. It is hard to imagine why, given the number of things that I could think about. Actually, I think one reason is that few areas seem so important in the course of human history than literacy. Writing, which predated reading in human history, began in Sumeria, in modern day Iraq. At least that’s the case in the Western world. Writing was not designed by poets, or teachers, but to keep records of economic transactions. There are many types of literacy: digital, visual, print, numerical, cultural, etc. Sustained Silent ......

Have you ever thought what you might do if you won the lottery? Once in a while I do, but I have only played twice in the past 10 years…for about $3.00. But I can dream. I imagine what I would do with $300 million in my pocket. I seem to only think about the lottery when the jackpot is huge! In my imaginative world, I would abolish school as we know it and start over. I would analyze which pieces of education are provided for the convenience of the ‘teacher’ and which for the ‘learner.’ What role should teachers play? ......

When I first read the claim in an article that ‘boredom breeds creativity,’ I was fascinated. I wish I had known this when I was young and bored, and my mother told me: “Find something constructive to do.” Whoever would have imagined that what my mother thought was malaise could actually be productive? Certainly not my mother and certainly not me, at least until I started thinking about it, when I was bored! ‘New Tech City,’ a radio program in New York, issued a challenge, the “Bored and Brilliant Project: Delete that App.” ‘New Tech City’ highlights trends and emerging technology ......

I read an article last week about happiness and education. At first, I thought it must be just one more alarm sounded to scare people into not dropping out of high school, or college. Then, I thought, people who are going to drop out probably don’t read articles stuffed with statistics about education anyway. They just drop out. But according to the article, and many others that I found, people with more education are happier. I will explain and add some of my own thoughts. For years, we have been led to believe that money makes us happy. Of course, money ......

Fishing is King of the World of Leisure. It is a great excuse to do Nothing. Unlike other sedentary activities, where you might see the sitter with book in hand, you will never see an angler reading. He might stare blankly into the water; he might daydream; he might talk to a friend to pass the time; perhaps he will mutter to himself about not catching anything. In an honest moment, he will admit that catching something really doesn’t matter. It is the act of fishing, the act of doing nothing. I remember seeing a bumper sticker that said “A bad ......

I have always wondered why, after all these years, schools have not been able to break free of the shackles of the factory model. The Factory School was developed in the 19th century and has survived wars, computer revolutions and other societal transformations. The Factory School has characterized public education, and even most private education, since public education began in the United States. The factory school is regulated by bells, students sitting in rows ‘learning’ the same things at the same time and teachers often seeing more than 100 students per day. School buildings were designed to accommodate the model and ......

Ills and Frills: how to save money while reassessing the frills and ‘ills’ of education       It is hard to imagine how much time students spend—waste—each day in school. Many schools, unable to fill up student schedules with meaningful classes or activities, place them in ‘study halls,’ which are really holding pens with an academic sounding name. This foolishness is not the fault of the schools or students necessarily, but of tight budgets and a cadre of unimaginative administrators, forced to act more like assembly line managers than thoughtful educators. Tight budgets, often the result of unsupported mandates made by well-meaning ......

21st Century Skills Recently—actually, for a long time—I have been thinking about the necessary skills for economic survival and well being in the 21st century. I have also thought, on more than one occasion, whether business interests should dictate the curriculum in schools. (More on that later.) Defining the skills depends on who is doing the defining, of course, whether it is a business, a school board in Alaska, or a parent group tired of standardized tests. In general, the skills have been separated from the curriculum; they receive attention after the fact, that is, after the curriculum has been established. ......

At Obridge Academy, we are constantly thinking of ways to improve instruction and resultant student learning. A significant part of improving learning and the overall educational experience is the Learning Management System (LMS). An LMS is the system that allows online learning to take place. Until now, Obridge students have been using the iStudy, or the eLearning LMS. Beginning at the end of this school year we will be using Blackboard as our LMS. Blackboard is recognized throughout the educational world as the best LMS; it is used all over the world in colleges, learning centers and schools, both for dedicated ......