Denise Fawcett Facey

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…)

If it’s February, it must be Black History Month. From schools and bookstores across the country to special television programs and even spots on the evening news, African Americans’ and their contributions to the U.S. are spotlighted this month. And in theory, this is great. However, it’s time to revisit this practice. (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…)

I'm intrigued by the results of a study recently published in the journal Cognition and Instruction. The study, which focused on the relationship between cooperative learning and race, was conducted on 132 urban 4th and 5th graders in one northeastern school. (more…)