Author name: awsna

We have dreams and hopes for our children that often extend beyond mimicry of our own lives. We hope they will do more, be more, and we define these “mores” in myriad ways. Yet the collective consciousness of “better” for a new generation persists, whether it is a desire for a better standard of living, […]

We all want our children to be happy, and while this is traditionally thought of as an at-home concern, we send our kids to school hoping that they will have an emotionally enriching and balanced day. Carol Gerber Allred, President/Founder of the Positive Action Program, geared toward fostering more positive classrooms, believes that families and students

A three-year-old talks to grandma on Skype. A seven-year-old reads a fairy-tale with Dad on a Kindle.  A child with spatial-awareness issues plays Tetris. Is this okay? Good, even? Would something else be . . . better? After 15 to 20 years of scientific research on media use (in its ever changing forms), we have very specific and

Abraham Maslow believed that one of our most essential needs is to feel loved and needed by those around us. Once we have this stability, he also believed we naturally apply energy to the matter of esteem or establishing a sense of significance in the broader world. In today’s world, success is often the pillar

“If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.” – Ken Robinson We want our children to succeed in life – finding financial stability, deep life experiences and the actualization of their dreams. While exceptions exist, school achievement is considered a grand testing ground, a predictor of these hallmarks of

“Innovation in Education,” is an umbrella term that means different things to different researchers and educators. While there is no single definition, most can agree that it’s about enacting positive changes inside the classroom and the greater school community to better serve students.  Waldorf educators explored the questions around innovation at the Association of Waldorf Schools

“Divergent thinking” was a term coined by psychologist J.P. Guilford in 1967. Guilford was an early proponent of the idea that intelligence is not a unitary concept, as many after him, like Howard Gardner, would also propose. Guilford was particularly interested in the fact that many creative people scored lower on standard IQ tests. He

Art teachers get to have fun. They teach through play, spread joy, and get their students’ creative juices flowing. While we may acknowledge, theoretically, that joy, creativity, and learning are related, the daily reality of teaching appears to leave less room for artistic values and persuasions. The common perception is such… art teachers inspire creative capacities;