edCircuit Opinion: There is one skill that every institution looks for when recruiting individuals: creative thinking. Whether it be the education sector, business sector, or even the medical field, more and more as a society we appreciate the workings of a creative mind. If you’re asking yourself, how do I know if my child is a creative thinker? The Conversation has the answer. If your child uses their imagination, utilizes their storytelling skills or expresses quality emotions, then they exhibit creative thinking skills.

San Francisco, CA [August 30, 2016] — To help educators teach their students how to use technology safely, respectfully, and responsibly, Common Sense Education and Public Consulting Group (PCG) have partnered to offer Digital Citizenship courses through Pepper, PCG’s online professional learning network.

Dr. Berger: Well, Barb, I get the opportunity to speak to people in education all over the world that are doing fascinating things. One of the components I find compelling is the way in which we’re looking at the future of education. We are changing the way we approach our interaction with students and the ways in which we look at funding. When I heard about the Big Ten Academic Alliance, I thought we should have more people who know about it, especially when looking at the size and scope of what you’re doing.

In this episode, Lee Banville discusses his role as editor of Gamesandlearning.org and editorial director of the Games and Learning Publishing Council.

Curriculum designers and superintendents who are looking for innovative ways to emphasize Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) in their curriculum are turning to 3D printers – with extraordinary results. Recent advances in 3D printing have made this amazing technology affordably in reach of school systems.

Mike Lawrence, CEO of CUE, talks with Dr. Berger about professional development and the role CUE plays in advancing technology and learning. Lawrence also speaks about advocacy efforts and the growing number of conferences and learning events to support CUE members including the CUE 2016 Fall and National Conferences. 

In this episode, Jen Groff discusses the differences between gamification in education and the innovators behind the technology.

Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, Executive Director of the National Writing Project (NWP), discusses the importance of writing skills for our schools and learning centers. Eidman-Aadahl shares a detailed explanation of the National Writing Project while intelligently exploring the future of writing in our increasingly saturated internet world.

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.