In an interview, Randy Ziegenfuss, Ed.D., and Lynn Fuini-Hetten from the Salisbury Township School District discuss their Profile of a Graduate project.

In this episode, Jonathan Cassie shares his journey as a history, English, Latin, and game designer teacher at Dallas, Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh schools. 

Check out this interview with ASCD author and educator Pete Hall as the season begins to shift to Friday night football and school dances. Hall and Dr. Berger met up at this year’s ASCD conference. Hall shares insights into his new book The Principal Influence.

In this episode, 2014 VH1 Keys + Kids grant winner Lisa Costantino shares her journey as a music teacher at Washington Elementary School, Trenton, New Jersey.

In this episode, Timothy Hofmann, Principal of Parkway Montessori Middle School, shares the significance of being the recipient of the 2016 Keys + Kids Grant.

edCircuit Opinion: When I was younger, I often would gather with my neighborhood friends, head into the backyard, and spend hours digging a massive hole to China. We’d all attempt to use the shovels that were two times our size, all while fantasizing about what we’d do when we finally made it – or better yet if we hit the center of the earth! Many would not think twice about this scenario, and simply view it as kids being kids. But, child development researchers would analyze this situation much differently.

The word sabbatical brings to mind connotations of higher education. It’s unheard of for K-12 teachers to take time a one-year leave and dedicate themselves to research. Why is this not widely accepted? If teachers plan on remaining in their profession for an extended period, how will they build relevant knowledge and be better educators for their students? Should teachers still learn? Scientific American understands the challenges of doing so. Teaching is a labor-intensive profession. It’s challenging to find access to innovative and informative workshops, and a new standard of professional development should be put into place.

Mentoring Minds Partners With CALSA to Honor Administrator for Distinguished Contributions, Leadership LOS ANGELES – August 9, 2016, Juan Manuel Santos, Ed.D., a veteran educator and principal at Maple Elementary School in Newbury Park, California, was named 2016 Administrator of the Year by the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA). Santos was awarded $10,000 through a sponsorship by national K-12 publisher Mentoring Minds and its partnership with Juan Manuel Santos, Ed.D., a veteran educator, and principal at Maple Elementary School in Newbury Park, California, was named 2016 Administrator of the Year by the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA). Santos was awarded $10,000 through a sponsorship by national K-12 publisher Mentoring Minds and its partnership with Juan Manuel Santos, Ed.D., a veteran educator, and principal at Maple Elementary School in Newbury Park, California, was named 2016 Administrator of the Year by the California Association of Latino …

Current lesson plans allow students to, memorize the subject matter instead of honing their computational thinking skills.

Take a walk down memory lane with me. Imagine you’re entering the good ole’ college days again – your freshman year. You did everything in your power to avoid math classes in High School and hope to do the same now that you’ve reached higher education. Your new debit card is burning a hole in your pocket, and mom and dad are no longer around to tell you “no”. You’re officially on your own. Today, too many students are getting away with not being immersed in economic courses. In fact, statistics show that it’s getting worse.

edCircuit Opinion The Scientific American article For Children With Autism, Multiple Languages May Be A Boon raises an important point about the impacts of language education on children with autism.  In the United States, bilingual families with children on the autism spectrum have traditionally been advised to raise those children speaking only English.  But according to new research, this advice “only intensifies the alienation experienced by these children” by isolating them from their families, who may not speak English at home.

edCircuit Opinion: Walk into any public school today and what do you see? Most likely groups of desks for students to sit, shelves filled with books intended to strengthen their imagination and support their pursuit of learning, or hopefully a room filled with computers. We’ve entered the 21st century, and technology is more prevalent now more than ever before. It’s common to see a child sitting quietly, playing the latest popular game on their iPad. Or teens (and adults!), completely consumed by their smartphones.

edCircuit Opinion In the article Get ‘em While They’re Young: The Hearts and Minds of Coding and Data Science, The Huffington Post shared shocking statistics regarding computer education in U.S. schools, only 10% of which teach children to code. The U.S. is trailing behind countries such as Britain, Estonia, France and Vietnam, all of which make coding a mandatory part of their curricula.  This dearth of opportunities could help explain why fewer than 1% of high school girls foresee themselves entering careers in computer science.

edCircuit Opinion: My most memorable course in college was not because of its gripping content, but because of its length. Every Monday and Tuesday at 9 am, I sat in my chair for four hours and listened to my professor regurgitate information. Immediately following this class, I had another which was three hours long. While I cannot recall all that I learned, I do remember how I felt every time I reached the halfway point.

Henry Donohue, Executive Director of VH1’s Save The Music Foundation, talks about the impact of musical instrument donations to our nation’s schools and students. For the past 20 years, VH1’s Save The Music Foundation has donated over $50 million in instruments, virtually saving music programs as it enriches the lives of students. Henry adds his insight into past DIY musicians and the changes technology inspired. On a side note: Punk Rock is finally given the much-needed attention it deserves.