The author was the first generation in her family to go to college and ended up with a doctorate at Oxford.  Her story is a quick and compelling read.

This is a great challenge to all of us to make better assessments of learning, not memorization.  

The experience of a middle school teacher moving away from grading towards comments and her finding that this creates a better environment for all... and more work is being done

This blog post provides clear response to a few common complaints about allowing students to redo or retake an assessment on which they did not do well. 

Fantastic video about how students are more than exam grade numbers by a man who loves education but hated school...

How two schools are linking Tony Wagner's ideas in Creating Innovators with Project Based Learning

This is a clear example of how one teacher worked with his colleagues to develop a large interdisciplinary project for 9th graders around water. It involved English, Social Studies, and Science teachers.

How Singapore's education system is innovating and deliberately adopting practices to promote creativity. The result - extremely high PISA test scores.

Is the student who organizes tag during recess or chooses to help a classmate with math on track to be a senator, a CEO, or a community leader? He-or she-may well be.

Short (less than 4 min) talk by actor Henry Rollins about the importance of education to maintain and reinvigorate American democracy. http://www.openculture.com/2012/08/henry_rollins_pitches_education_as_the_key_to_restoring_democracy_.html

VTGIN planning for the 2013 conference is in the works. They are sending out letters in August to principals about identifying teachers and students who would be good presenters at the 2013 conference on integrating global issues into the curriculum (formal and informal). VTGIN plans to offer money for subs so teachers can work in September or October on a proposal for a presentation. Want to know more about VTGIN: http://vtgin.org/

"the wisdom and foresight of Vermont" in rejecting some federal education incentives

Interesting story about Germany's apprenticeship programs and how it trains students on the job while paying them to learn.