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Top 10 New Research Findings on Character Strengths

Aug 14, 2019
5 min

Top 10 New Research Findings on Character Strengths

Article Source How new research on social media, mindfulness, and work can help you. Each year there are over 100 new studies in the science of character. At the VIA Institute on Character, in addition to catalyzing studies and supporting researchers, I gather the studies, distill key themes and results, and share that with the world. Therefore, rather than 50 people learning about the research findings in one article, millions have the chance to learn about findings from hun

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

Banish the Boogeyman

May 2, 2018
5 min

Banish the Boogeyman

Beat childhood anxiety to raise happier, braver kids. We all want our kids to feel happy and carefree. But struggles with anxiety are a reality during childhood and more common than you may expect. One in eight children develop an anxiety disorder, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Building character strengths to combat these anxieties—such as resilience and bravery—provide an opportunity to grow stronger by overcoming challenges, which is an imp

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

How To Help Children Learn

Jan 2, 2018
3 min

How To Help Children Learn

Can the brain continue to grow? It was once believed that our brains were developmentally fixed. This thinking led to the belief that as we age our brain becomes rigid and we can’t change how our brain processes information. In essence, an old dog can’t learn new tricks. Thankfully, current research has shown this to not be the case. We are talking about neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to grow and develop throughout one’s life span. But what exactly is

Taming Your Wandering Mind

Dec 14, 2017
1 min

Taming Your Wandering Mind

Amishi Jha explains the benefits of mindfulness training in her talk “Taming Your Wandering Mind.” Dr. Amishi Jha has a Ph.D. from the University of California-Davis, post-doctoral training in brain imaging at Duke University, and was a faculty member at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania prior to her current post at the University of Miami. Her research focuses on the brain bases of attention, working memory, and mindfulness-based trainin

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

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

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

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

Is resilience the secret to academic success?

Apr 30, 2016
11 min

Is resilience the secret to academic success?

From the June 2014 issue of Live Happy magazine. by Dawn McMullan A 2011 University of Pennsylvania study followed 300 students through a year of middle school, measuring their good and bad feelings (depression, positive emotion, life satisfaction) and how teachers rated their classroom behavior. The study found negative emotions (depression and anxiety) did not predict academic achievement, but positive emotions actually did. Students in the positive group had higher grades

What is Happiness? Learn How to Be Happy In Life

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

Thoughts About Success From Some of the Greatest Achievers of All Time

Dec 10, 2015
2 min

Thoughts About Success From Some of the Greatest Achievers of All Time

Success is an elusive term. We'll simply categorize success here as the attainment of your own personal goals, whatever those might be. When we struggle in life, success might seem too far off to attain. We look for road maps that might work in our favor, or some blueprint as to how we might best meet our goals. The best lessons often come from the great achievers who came before us. "Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts." -

What is integral education?

Aug 18, 2015
6 min

What is integral education?

Source In the most profound way, integral education is the sibling of integral medicine. Both are founded on a holistic conception of life. Integral education is guided by the insight that humans are born with a unique biological, social, and spiritual identity, that humans both unfold from the dynamic of that unique identity anddevelop through an ongoing interaction between nature and nurture. So integral education begins with the root meaning of the latter word—educere, to

Should Student Success Include Happiness?

May 29, 2015
6 min

Should Student Success Include Happiness?

Source If we want our students to become happy adults, research suggests that schools should focus more on students' well-being than academic success. Student success today is defined by getting a job. The Common Core State Standards aim to make students career-ready—and the U.S. Department of Education’s mission is to prepare students for global competitiveness. But does that brand of success lead to happiness? Several studies have found that childhood emotional health and k

Mindfulness helps teens cope with stress, anxiety

Dec 3, 2014
4 min

Mindfulness helps teens cope with stress, anxiety

By GOSIA WOZNIACKA, Associated Press In this Oct. 1, 2014 photo, students meditate during Mindful Studies class at Wilson High School in Portland, Ore. The year-long course is one of a growing number of programs that are incorporating mindfulness, yoga and meditation into school curriculums to bring socio-emotional benefits to students. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — As the morning school bell rings and students rush through crowded corridors, teenagers in one Portland classroom settl

Oct 20, 2014
9 min

Passion-Based Learning for the 21st Century

Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, a former classroom teacher and school administrator, is a widely known speaker and trainer on the use of interactive technology in K-12 education. She is the co-founder (with Will Richardson) of Powerful Learning Practice, LCC, a professional development provider oriented around digital networks, and the co-author of the forthcoming book The Connected Educator (Solution Tree). In this interview with education journalist John Norton, Nussbaum-Beach descr