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"Fourth Grade Culture Studies Students Now International Bloggers "

Discover exhibits and collections from museums and archives all around the world. Explore cultural treasures in extraordinary detail, from hidden gems to masterpieces.

The goal of this project is to help students around the world understand what school is like for others. This is a desire of mine to help students understand the differences and similarities between their own cultures and the cultures that are foreign to them.

Consider the cultural tensions between amateur and professional by examining the case of Rebecca Black

"The debates about schools and social media are a subject of great public and policy interests. In reality, the debate has been shaped by one key fact: the almost universal decision by school administrators to block social media. Because social media is such a big part of many students social lives, cultural identities, and informal learning networks schools actually find themselves grappling with social media everyday but often from a defensive posture-reacting to student disputes that play out over social media or policing rather than engaging student's social media behaviors."

"The American school year has been largely unchanged for decades, despite evolutions in culture, demographics, technology, and a wide range of other social and economic factors. In our increasingly global economy, this is starting to become a disadvantage, especially as students in many school districts are struggling to meet national standards and are simply unable to keep up with their international counterparts, many of whom spend many more hours in the classroom than they do. While there is no one magic solution to reforming schools, many districts around the nation have sought to level the playing field by adding more time to the school day or school year to more closely match those of other nations. While some changes have been more successful than others, what is clear is that the school year that worked for students decades ago simply isn't practical for today's students. Read on to find out some of the biggest reasons many are moving to extend or rearrange the school year for American students."

ailed a "cultural phenomenon" by Newsweek and celebrated for years by the likes of This American Life, The Today Show, Esquire, The Onion AV Club, Daily Candy, Entertainment Weekly, and E!, Mortified is a comic excavation of the strange and extraordinary things we created as kids. Witness adults sharing their own adolescent journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories and more.

"A Principal's Reflections Education is a reflective practice. This blog provides my views on educational leadership, effective technology integration, best practices, and creating a student-centered learning culture."

"These missions ask you to get out, have fun, learn, explore the world and enjoy life. Each one has been specially designed and tested by scientists in a lab in the Nevada desert. All Missions Creativity Culture Exploration Global Youth Service Day Science Service-Learning Teacher Missions"

I really got a kick out of Meet Me At The Corner, mostly because of the kid video reporters. The kid hosts take you on video tours of historic and cultural sites. I'm actually heading down this path with Kid's Eye View bloggers, like Adora Svitak, who posts frequently at the ERT. It really is a joy watching and listening to kids professionally sharing good quality material-using video. Spark a video classroom project or two, of your own, by checking it out at www.meetmeatthecorner.org.

I know that the summer months are a great time for reflection, but I also know that many of us are thinking ahead to the start of our school year.  I wanted to share an activity called, The Marshmallow Challenge, that has been popularized by Tom Wujek's Ted talk called, "Build a Tower, Build a Team."  After watching his presentation last summer, we performed this activity at a faculty meeting early in the year and I though it was a great way to have some fun and launch some great discussions.  We have worked very hard over the past few years to build a collaborative culture and I knew that this challenge would lead to a great discussion about the power of teaming.

A news take at the current events ("Franckenstorm") in relation to climate change and more broadly, science. A good conversation starter and an opportunity to describe how science works.

Looking for a book to help you go to the next level as an educator? Matt Miller, author of Ditch the Textbook, offers his top ten list.