Montessori students thrive via hands-on, flexible, collaborative learning. Where is Montessori voice in school reform? http://goo.gl/U4gBW

Use game elements to break an experience into smaller chunks with feedback to spark creativity and build perseverance. http://goo.gl/FjSie

Providing timely positive feedback to students builds trust and helps move them forward in their learning more quickly. http://goo.gl/XwwR7

Google getting too muddied? DuckDuckGo is a search engine that filters junk, adds topic summaries, & emphasizes privacy. http://goo.gl/LgEL

Teachers, please consider posting "Responsibilities" to empower and elevate rather than "Rules" focusing on obedience. http://goo.gl/DTR6W

Large study found no evidence teaching parts-of-speech, phrases, clauses, etc. helped kids improve quality of writing: http://goo.gl/oaIGz

Braveheart

William Wallace was an awesome leader who forever etched his legacy into the character of a nation. If you need proof of this fact, consider that in 1861, 556 years after Wallace’s death, over 100,000 people gathered to honor him at the presentation ceremony for a national monument honoring his memory. Try testing other leaders you admire against that measure.

I would guess a select few command that level of adoration, respect, and admiration centuries after their passing. Many people would argue that leaders like William Wallace are born, not made since some people are just naturally charismatic and others seem predisposed to annoy. But I believe the people we refer to as charismatic owe this status as much to hard work and their ability to communicate as to any other quality. Communicating a genuine care and consistent commitment to others in an enthusiastic manner is the key. Join this skill with the ability to truly listen, to seek to understand the needs and wants of others, and you are on your way to becoming the next William Wallace. Honestly, these traits are not just the product of genetics; they can be acquired and enhanced with practice.

William Wallace took it to the next level, however. He was intelligent enough to prepare thoroughly so that he put himself in position to make good strategic decisions. He lead by example, at the front lines, and never asked his men to do something he wasn’t willing to do himself. But most of all, he articulated a clear vision of purpose that his followers could relate to: he was a dynamic catalyst of freedom for his people. William Wallace was not an official leader during his life, but his actions as de facto leader stand as a testament that if our intentions are pure and we work hard to communicate, listen, genuinely care about others, be thoroughly prepared, gain knowledge about our field, lead by example, and have a clear purpose, we too can impact the world for centuries.

Website helps you create arcade style review games for students. Has tools like name picker & plagiarism detector. http://goo.gl/euym

Writing by hand activates a larger portion of the brain’s thinking, language, and “working memory” regions than typing. http://goo.gl/ZyFWA