Denise Fawcett Facey

Remember when homework occupied an hour or two of students’ time and not turning it in meant a plummeting average in that class? Well, times are changing. Now, some teachers, having decided that homework is not nearly as important as class work, tests, and in-class research, deem homework unworthy of grades or count it for a very small portion of the overall grade. Instead, (more…)

As virtually everyone knows, the ubiquitous website, Facebook, dominates the social networking world, with millions of people logging in throughout the day to keep abreast of their friends’ (and strangers’) lives. Now a group of faculty from the University of Arizona has devised a project incorporating Facebook into a self-teaching program for grades 6-12.

Called “Teach Ourselves,” this program is designed to (more…)

Regular readers of this blog know my disdain for “teaching to the test.” So, naturally, I cheer when I find a school that bucks the trend by restoring learning to the center of education and putting tests where they belong — on the periphery. One such school is in Maplewood, New Jersey. And I love their results. (more…)

With the news so often filled with negativity concerning education — low test scores, high dropout rates, educators found cheating on high-stakes exams — I’m thrilled beyond measure by the achievements of the Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men. Begun four years ago on Chicago’s very tough South Side, the school opened with 150 African-American boys, 85 percent of whom came from low-income families and only 4 percent of whom read at or above grade level at the time. (more…)

When you combine the current economy, summertime and kids, this summer looks rather dismal. With the recession refusing to release its stranglehold on our economy, many school districts have decided to forego summer school and other summer programs, in the interest of budget cuts. So, I’m very enthusiastic about San Francisco’s solution to the problem of how to occupy children’s time this summer: summer camps and much more. (more…)

Often using this space to spotlight innovations in education, I particularly like this one. Utah middle-school teacher Leslie Briggs discovered that using sign language with her hearing students produced several positive effects: improved behavior management, increased literacy and greater student participation. As a result of her findings and the terrific outcomes achieved with her students, Ms. Briggs is now teaching this practice to other educators. (more…)

In keeping with last week’s blog on the need to incorporate African Americans into the curriculum, I’m impressed by a new course that will be offered this fall to all high school seniors in Pittsburgh Public Schools. Developed by a team of educators, the course will introduce students to books by and about African Americans. Encompassing the familiar (i.e. slavery) in innovative ways, this literature course also reveals diverse aspects of the African American experience not commonly presented to students. (more…)

High school students have some compelling academic choices nowadays. For example, which should they take: Advanced Placement courses that require rigorous work to achieve college credit or less arduous college courses offered at the high school for credit at both high school and college (i.e. dual-enrollment)? Yet, as the pendulum swings toward dual-enrollment replacing Advanced Placement courses, it’s a dilemma that increasing numbers of students won’t even have to solve. And this is where the battle is joined. (more…)

I love an innovative new idea that has been developed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. Educator and choreographer Erik Stern, along with Dr. Karl Schaffer—an educator, choreographer and mathematician—are the creators of a "math dance." (more…)