When a college professor who teaches research methods to graduate education students was approached by a local public urban elementary school to help them teach research skills to 4th-graders, it was thought that the process would be simple--take what we did at the college level and differentiate it for the childhood classroom. This article will…

Parents and educators tend to have many questions about young children's play with computers and other technologies at home. They can find it difficult to know what is best for children because these toys and products were not around when they were young. Some will say that children have an affinity for technology that will be valuable in their…

In this brief article, the author argues that if society defines schools as testing centers instead of learning centers where young people go to watch adults work, then teacher education programs are replaceable. Online technologies allow for the transmittal of information without the need for traditional classroom settings. However, if schools…

Programs have been developed to eliminate social boundaries among school children, and thereby promote cohesive classroom environments. One example of such a program is Mix It Up at Lunch Day, which is a simple call to action that asks students to take a new seat in the cafeteria. By taking a risk for one day, students can cross the lines of…

Despite significant investments over the past decade in the expansion and improvement of preschool programs, too many children, particularly poor children, enter kindergarten behind their peers. Because it is critical that voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) classrooms offer educational programs that both address the needs and developmental levels of…

Concerns that the African child is being tailored to be a "global child," alongside other homogenizing and dominating projections, such as early learning and development standards (ELDS), have increased. African communities need to be assured that global standards and global indicators will not further homogenize nations and thereby risk…

What is the motivation to fill each waking minute of the day with activities and events and to excel at everything? Are we trying to create the "superkid," defined as "a child pressured by parents and by society to do too much too soon?" Are parents overcompensating because they feel guilty about the time they spend working or away from home?…

The Thanksgiving Day holiday celebrated in the United States is generally traced to a first harvest celebration in the newly established Plymouth colony (present-day Massachusetts). Traditional storytelling describes the first Thanksgiving feast as having been attended by 53 Pilgrims (the European settlers) and 90 Native Americans. The holiday can…

School choice has gained considerable popularity in recent decades as governments struggle to improve quality and reduce the cost of education by increasing competition among schools and decreasing the level of bureaucracy (Chubb & Moe, 1990). The trend towards reorganization of public service allocation for education has been a feature of public…

Studies and discussions around "good teaching practices" have often identified intentionality as the chief characteristic of outstanding teachers. Intentional teachers are identified as maintaining the habit of informed reflection as they plan, teach, reflect on, and revise the effectiveness of their practices. Intentional teaching strategies are…

In today's hyper-connected world, children's exposure to technology as a tool to communicate, learn, and socialize has increased exponentially. As teachers and parents recognize the demands for increased use of technology among young children, they should be able to identify and address the challenges associated with such exposure. Cyberbullying,…

Throughout the United States, the "charter school" movement is being discussed and implemented in numerous venues and configurations, and researchers have considered the pros and cons of these schools. One example of an exemplary charter school is Lake Forest Elementary Charter School in New Orleans, Louisiana. This charter school (www.…

Recent research on parental involvement has explored connections between parental involvement in school and children's academic achievement. While many schools have active parent organizations and a base of parents who offer additional support, others struggle to make connections with their parents or community members. Even in places with active…

For some, charter schools represent the hope of improved student learning and performance. It is hoped to understand the theory of change underlying charter schools relative to the actual evidence on their impact. In order to address this issue, the authors examine the logic of organizational change and competitive options, drawing on evidence…

Is it an asset or a burden to be bilingual? Although bilingualism is appreciated by many people worldwide, immigrant families often struggle with the maintenance of their heritage language (HL) and culture. In the United States. For example, the HL in most families is completely lost within three generations (Fishman, 1991). The loss of a child's…