Behind every thriving school or district are deeply interconnected teams that consistently engage in a reciprocal transfer of learning. "Leading with Intention" aims to make this process visible by helping leaders and teachers understand how their thinking impacts their decision-making and the overall well-being of their learning…

Meaningful improvement in schools and districts is just small shifts away. How can administrators and teachers work together in ways that lead to significant--and sustained--improvement over time? How can schools accomplish this goal without adding to the work of overstretched educators? This practical guide answers these questions with…

Simulation is well-documented as an effective pedagogy in teaching social work practice. However, the financial and human resources needed to provide simulation-based teaching in large social work programs are prohibitive. Partnering with other disciplines with established simulation programs is one way to bring simulation to social work students…

Course: Small Group Communication. Objectives: Students will identify their personality traits; synthesize the relationship between personality, small-group interdependence, and grouphate; and apply collaborative skills and knowledge of individual personality differences in building small-group success.

The article describes a multi-phase, in-class simulation that employs problem-based learning to teach operations and process-improvement concepts as part of an undergraduate or graduate business course. The simulation is derived from a corporate Lean Six Sigma training activity and has been modified to introduce, demonstrate, and apply a wide…

Cohan, Honigsfeld, and Dove bring together current research, authentic examples of best practices, and voices from the field to champion the power of purposeful collaboration and provide educators with resources that will empower them to support English learners (ELs) and their families. Guided by four core principles--common purpose, shared…

While social and emotional learning (SEL) is most familiar as compartmentalized programs separate from academics, the truth is, all learning is social and emotional. What teachers say, the values we express, the materials and activities we choose, and the skills we prioritize all influence how students think, see themselves, and interact with…

The Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (RP Group) launched Leading from the Middle (LFM) Academy in 2013 as a professional development experience for community college educators--faculty, administrators, and staff--who have formal or informal leadership responsibilities. Over the first three years, close to 150…

The Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (RP Group) launched Leading from the Middle (LFM) Academy in 2013 as a professional development experience for community college educators--faculty, administrators, and staff--who have formal or informal leadership responsibilities. Based on a commitment to learning from experience,…

To teach collaboration and overcome students' aversion to teamwork, Pope-Ruark (2012) recommends the Scrum approach, which she has used to manage major client-based course projects in writing and publishing courses. The Scrum approach emerged out of the software development industry in the 1990s as a framework for improving team…

The Community of Practice Continuum describes pathway teacher team practices that produce high-quality, outcomes-aligned assessments and units of instruction, a collaborative and accountable pathway culture, equitable access, and high achievement for all students.

Creating a positive classroom learning environment is a complex but necessary task for all educators. By fully realizing the seven keys the author highlights, teachers can establish clearer expectations, enhance instruction and assessment practices, and foster quality relationships with students, thereby maximizing the potential of all students.…

National efforts have been made to encourage technology integration in teacher preparation with expectations for frequent and successful applications with K-12 learners. While online learning has become pervasive in many fields in education, it has been somewhat slow to catch on in K-12 settings. The "Handbook of Research on Emerging…

The best Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) design challenges are student centered, with students themselves making the key decisions. But with young children who are still learning basic academic and social skills, implementing projects where they truly take the lead can be quite challenging. To give students at one…

Though teacher collaboration is important for school improvement, it is not yet the norm in schools. Part of the problem might be ingrained psychological reactions to dealing with leaders or the organizational restraints in large hierarchies. But the problem might also rest with our school leaders themselves because they may have difficulty…