Teachers now promote physical movement almost as purposefully as they strive for mental leaps and bounds. Accordingly, some of the latest models of nontraditional furniture rolling into schools feature sit-stand desks, stackable stools with tiltable surfaces, adjustable tables and desks with bikes. Recent research shows standing burns more calories, increases heart rate, maintains healthy insulin […]
What if we taught kids how to think, not what to think? That question is the focus of Re:Thinking, a new documentary that inspires educators, politicians and the public to reimagine schools. The film is based on the work of Derek and Laura Cabrera, cognitive scientists who apply systems-based concepts to learning design, leadership and […]
Putting technology into classrooms has been a focus for Gwinnett County Public Schools, located in a suburb of Atlanta, for decades. First it was using overhead or slide projectors, and later televisions. Before the district made the decision to add projectors to all classrooms, schools would buy a few on their own, but there was […]
Photo credit: Rockfon. Bellevue School District in Washington transformed its one-story Sammamish High School into a three-story educational facility. It's the last phase of the district's initiative to rebuild all four of its high schools. The 323,000-square-foot building currently serves 1,060 students, with room for 1,800. CHALLENGE: Bellevue originally performed minor renovations for all four […]
A custom-made mobile tech lab brings tech and internet access to the neighborhoods of low-income students in La Joya ISD (7,000 students) on Texas' Mexican border. "In our predominantly low socioeconomic level area, parents don't have access to basic educational support at home" says Clemencia Garza, the district's instructional resources and technology director. "They don't […]
Not every school considers diversity an essential even though a business case can be made for it. At the very least, a diverse workforce leads to employee innovation, increased productivity and a positive reputation. The following districts recognize the benefits of a diverse workforce and have made it a priority. Take a look at some […]
The Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative hopes to build a drone-port and collaborative community workspace atop a coal-mined mountain. In the meantime, it's offering its 22 member districts courses in fabricating, flying and fixing unmanned aircraft. "We have these vast areas of nearly wasteland—the ground is unfit for farming and much else as the tops of […]
The completion of the Maywood Center for Enriched Studies, a grade 6 through 12 magnet school, marks the end of Los Angeles USD's 14-year effort to add 131 new schools. The building accommodates 1,200 students from Maywood and across the district. Challenge: From 1980 to 2002, LAUSD faced a 200,000-student increase that forced many schools […]
DA’s January edition will feature a look ahead at the trends shaping K12 education, and we’re looking for reader input. Weigh in on what you think will happen in: Curriculum and instruction PD Data-driven decision making Technology Student health and safety And more! Participate in our annual Look Ahead Survey. Tell us how your role […]
The new state-of-the-art Asheville Middle School accommodates nearly 800 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders, with room to grow. The main three-story building features open and flexible instruction spaces, while a two-story wing houses band and chorus rooms, tech and arts rooms, a cafeteria and gymatorium (a combination gymnasium and auditorium). Challenge: After nearly a half century, […]
