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The Creative Spirit

Nov 26, 2019
2 min

The Creative Spirit

Source Here’s a true story. There was once a young boy who was placed into special education for an auditory processing disorder. He was bullied, and teachers treated him as though he was dumb. One day, a teacher questioned his placement, inspiring him to see greater possibilities. Moved out of special ed, the boy suddenly started doing well in regular classes—well enough that he dreamed of studying psychology in college. He was rejected from his top choice, but he tried to f

Practice Makes Perseverance

Oct 21, 2019
2 min

Practice Makes Perseverance

Source Why do parents encourage their children to play baseball, soccer, or any other sport? Why, for years, did my husband drive our daughter Lucy to viola lessons? We know that most kids won’t grow up to go pro or make their living playing in an orchestra. Bill Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions at Harvard, tells me that most of the very serious athletes and musicians whom he admits each year develop new passions once they come to campus. So why, as a scientist, do I believe t

Transforming Halloween from Getting to Giving and from Toxic to Green

Oct 12, 2018
3 min

Transforming Halloween from Getting to Giving and from Toxic to Green

Credit to Turning Halloween Green When I first heard of the “trick or treat” phenomenon as an young adult newcomer to the USA, I was feeling uncomfortable to say the least. Once I had children of my own, as a family, we either left home or turned off all the lights in the front, and hid in the back bedroom not wanting to deal with this, to us, unpleasant and backwards ordeal and not wanting our children to be expose to it or eat candy. Then one year it was clear that our thre

POSITIVE EDUCATION MODEL

Jun 5, 2018
1 min

POSITIVE EDUCATION MODEL

The GGS Positive Education model can be thought of as a road map of what people want for themselves, the students and their children. Good health, frequent positive emotions, supportive relationships, a sense of purpose and meaning, and moments of complete immersion and absorption – a life where a person uses their character strengths in ways that support the self and others, and that has flourishing at the heart. For more about the science behind this model, see the literatu

15 Things That are More Important Than Passing Tests

Mar 3, 2018
2 min

15 Things That are More Important Than Passing Tests

There is so much out there to read. Recently I came across such an article in the Washington Post. I paused because it was about our schools. But I read on because of the content. Our schools have been struggling in the aftermath of No Child Left Behind. Our teachers are being required to cover an increasing amount of content and to boost scores on a rising number of standardized tests. This required content is primarily geared towards making sure children pass standardized t

Create Family Rituals for Greater Happiness and Connection

Nov 15, 2017
4 min

Create Family Rituals for Greater Happiness and Connection

From the December 2017 issue of Live Happy magazine. We've traveled around the world to find small moments of joy, togetherness. Rituals that include elements like togetherness, positive emotions, laughter, or resilience provide opportunities to build well-being for both parents and children. Free-Wheeling Fun When Australian Kath Ballard thinks about family rituals, bike riding immediately comes to mind. When her first child was 12 months old, Kath and her family transported

Creativity and Learning - Big Bang 2016

Sep 4, 2017
1 min

Creativity and Learning - Big Bang 2016

Sir Ken Robinson has spent the better part of the last four decades visiting schools that work. In Creative Schools (and in many of his previous works), Sir Ken shares out his learning so that we might all become better educators by exposure. Big Picture Learning has always been proud of the creative schools that make up their network; but they’re humble enough to know that there is much to learn from other creative schools around the nation and around the world. #enrichment

Simplifying Childhood May Protect Against Mental Health Issues

Aug 16, 2017
5 min

Simplifying Childhood May Protect Against Mental Health Issues

Source When my Dad was growing up he had one jumper each winter. One. Total. He remembers how vigilantly he cared for his jumper. If the elbows got holes in them my Grandma patched them back together. If he lost his jumper he’d recount his steps to find it again. He guarded it like the precious gift it was. He had everything he needed and not a lot more. The only rule was to be home by dinner time. My Grandma rarely knew exactly where her kids were. They were off building for

Teach Me Something!

Jul 26, 2017
1 min

Teach Me Something!

Education. The foundation of society and human progression. Today’s society has progressed rapidly due to technology, but education has remained, in many ways, stagnant. Allan wants to present a change in how we learn to match our ever evolving society, in an idea that totally won’t spark some copyright lawsuits from Khan Academy. Allan is a senior at Mission Vista High who is passionate about the power of people to make a difference. At school he is a leader in Academic Te

Future Innovators with Tony Wagner

May 23, 2017
1 min

Future Innovators with Tony Wagner

Watch this 4 minute video on the education outcomes that matter most and rethinking STEM, produced by Pricewaterhouse Coopers on the education outcomes that matter most and the importance of re-thinking STEM THE BOOK: Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change The World A Groundbreaking Book on Innovation Education expert Tony Wagner and documentary filmmaker Robert Compton have teamed up to produce a powerful new book about developing an innovation-drive

5 Reasons to Play Checkers With Your Children

Mar 2, 2017
2 min

5 Reasons to Play Checkers With Your Children

Playing board games is an excellent way to build critical thinking skills and checkers is no exception. Playing checkers helps children to become better learners by flexing their “mental muscles” – as well as helping adults of all ages to keep agile minds. With so many board games available, why choose checkers? Here are 5 great reasons: Memory Recall There are so many potential moves in checkers it’s nearly impossible for a player to know them all. But, playing regularly ove

Learning Through Internships: Connecting Students' Passions to the Real World

Play to Passion to Purpose

Dec 4, 2016
1 min

Play to Passion to Purpose

Tony Wagner recently accepted a position as the first Innovation Education Fellow at the Technology & Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard. Prior to this, he was the founder and co-director of the Change Leadership Group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for more than a decade. Tony consults widely to schools, districts, and foundations around the country and internationally. His previous work experience includes twelve years as a high school teacher, K-8 principal, u

What is Positive Education?

The Surprising Truth About Learning in Schools

Educating for True Potential

Jul 24, 2016
1 min

Educating for True Potential

Here's an overview of what you'll learn: 1) Ken Wilber on Redesigning the Human Education Ken shares his thoughts on why our current education is leaving humanity flying well below its true potential, and what needs to shift so in our education system so we can start educating for the "whole human being" rather than "human being 1/10th". 2) Michael Beckwith on Satori vs Kensho According to Michael, there are essentially two key ways we "wake up". And when you learn the differ

Tools for a Thoughtful Life

May 26, 2016
1 min

Tools for a Thoughtful Life

The School of Life is a place to step back and think intelligently about central emotional concerns. You will never be cornered by dogma, but we will direct you towards a variety of ideas from the humanities – from philosophy to literature, psychology to the visual arts – ideas that will exercise, stimulate and expand your mind. The School of Life puts out new films each week on a variety of topics including literature, philosophy, art, political theory, relationships, histor

Mindfulness in Education

Feb 19, 2016
2 min

Mindfulness in Education

Click here for a full length documentary: Room to Breathe Room to Breathe is the first, full-length broadcast documentary on Mindfulness in Education. Room to Breathe explores the personal transformations that happen for students, their families, and educators as mindfulness is introduced in a truly challenging public school environment. By providing a raw and realistic look at the experience, it shows how integrating mindfulness, along with patience, skill, collaboration and

Tomorrow's Change Makers

Jan 13, 2016
5 min

Tomorrow's Change Makers

Each and every day, families, schools, and communities play important roles in raising compassionate young citizens. But how does this happen? How do we support young people to become their best selves in a global society? Tomorrow’s Change Makers: Reclaiming the Power of Citizenship for a New Generation by Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD, shares new and surprising research, and delivers hopeful answers. Through powerful voices of passion-filled American youth, you will read abou