Denise Fawcett Facey

Remember when poetry meant memorizing lines by Emily Dickinson or Robert Frost, and then reciting or writing them for an exam? Well, times have changed. Chicago high school teacher Peter Kahn—who teaches not English but Spoken Word—has developed a Spoken Word Club whose impact is such that graduates return, to extend a helping hand to others, as members of his Motivational Mentorship panel. (more…)

Who would have thought that technology and jewelry would mate to produce a means for keeping up with schoolwork? That’s exactly what has happened with a new bracelet, which when plugged into the USB port of a computer, downloads information from a teacher’s Smart Board, which students can then upload to their home computers. (more…)

Remember when clocks were not digital, telephones were not mobile and laptop computers were unknown? That’s a bygone era that no one under thirty even knows about. Now it seems that people will someday ask, “Remember when writing didn’t require a keyboard?” as penmanship is increasingly removed from classrooms in favor of 21st century technology. (more…)

This is not camp as we recall it from our own childhoods; too bad for us! Dance as a conduit for self-discipline, self-esteem, creativity and critical thinking is the basis for Ailey Camp. Developed twenty years ago by the venerable Alvin Ailey, this scholarship-based program continues under the auspices of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, providing an artistic outlet along with a big boost to self-awareness and interpersonal skills for at-risk urban youth in grades six through eight, in ten cities. (more…)

The recent Supreme Court ruling in the case of Horne v. Flores may make it even more difficult for non-English-speaking students to obtain an equal education. In a 5-to-4 decision, the justices ruled that even if a state spends only the bare minimum on English language programs, as long as students improve, this is sufficient. (more…)

As frustrating and intrusive as technology can sometimes be, I have to acknowledge its usefulness as a teaching tool. In rapidly increasing numbers, students and teachers around the globe are connecting with peers via the internet, providing education that books cannot begin to offer. (more…)

With the advent of numerous social networking websites, this issue was bound to arise: are these websites useful educational tools or a dangerous intermingling of personal and professional lives? (more…)