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Student Blogs to Effect School Change

saladTired of being forced to eat what she felt were nutritionally sub-par meals at school, a 9-year-old student took to her blog in an effort to draw attention to the issue. It didn’t take long for that attention to go viral as Martha Payne's blog, Never Seconds, was eyed by several media outlets in her native Scotland. The attention grew to the point of a nationally-televised interview with the BBC. She explained how she would take pictures of the meals presented to her with a digital camera and write up a summary of the food including a Food-o-meter rating of how much she likes it, a mouthful count, a health rating and a number for how many pieces of hair were in the food.

She started in April and by May 15, school and town officials were seen leading journalists on tours of the school’s dining area. It was then that Payne blogged that there was a new system for ordering food, and that "cherry tomatoes, radishes, carrot and cucumber shreddings," began appearing in the meals.

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Keep Breathing: An Update on A...

In an earlier blog, I wrote about a mindfulness-based program, where k-12 students learn and practice four breathing techniques in 40 days. I caught up with ABC Breathe director, Maria Andrade, to see how the initiative was going during the pandemic and a time when schools, teachers, and children are shifting between remote learning and in-person classes and having to maintain social distancing and other safety measures.   

Q: How is the initiative going...

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The Global Search for Education – Book...

“The chance to author your own book is incredibly engaging and motivating to students.” – Dan Amos

The Planet Classroom Network is featuring Book Creator’s Create a...

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How Leaders Can Build a Positive...

Leaders in a school have a huge impact on teachers, staff, faculty, families, students, and the community. They have the ability to teach, model, engage, collaborate, and communicate. Leaders and administrators wear many hats and have a lot of responsibilities that take courage, organizational skills, the ability to communicate, and the expertise to support, encourage and build others up. As I moved up from...

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Creating a “Container of Care &...

As I begin teaching classes this semester, I feel it is more crucial than ever to create a safe space in the classroom, what I call a Container of Care & Courage.

Considering the tumultuous times we are living in, and what students –whether k-12 students or college students—might be going through, I think, as educators, we have an even greater responsibility to use the classroom as a microcosm of what society could be. A place where people’s voices are honored, where differences...

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The Sound of Calm in the Classroom

The Tibetan Singing Bowl gives off a sound that is very hard to describe. However, it starts out loud but pleasant sound and then as the sound gets lower so does the stress from the day. When I hear the sound, my body starts to relax starting with my mind it’s not that it shuts down, but it focuses. My eyes are closed but once they open, they seem more focused. I can feel the tenseness in my fingers and toes release.

The above excerpt describes a graduate students’...

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Learn about the History of the...

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