Resources By Topic

When and where does school happen?

What does the physical space of schools and classrooms look like?

Study finds that classroom design impacts student achievement. Great slideshow of schools around the world.
Collection of ideas and photos of how to design a great classroom.
Explains the importance of daylight in schools; links school design to its history.
Explains 6 tips for designing a great classroom.
Video tour of classroom of a friend who teaches in the Fresno area.

What time(s) of year do we go to school?

What time of day do we go to school (School time)

How is the school day divided up?

What happens at school?

What subjects and ideas within subjects get taught (Curricular content of the school)?

John Dewey was an important progressive education theorist in the early 1900s. His ideas are still cited, often, today. Here’s what he thought about what schools should be teaching to students.
Another summary, more in-depth, of Dewey’s ideas--optional, if you agree with his viewpoint. It’s interesting, but the vocabulary is hard. (Use Lingro!)
Recently (in the past 20 years), state and national government have moved to standardize what students learn in schools across the country. This means that all students, regardless of location, are expected to be taught a standard, or same, curriculum. This timeline shows how the country moved in this direction towards having the same lessons for all students.
Lots of people have opinions and voices in determining what students get to learn at school. This article gives an overview of who some of these people are, and why they might care.
New York Times on whether college prep curriculum actually prepares kids for college.

What happens in (and out) of class?

Comparison across many domains. perhaps doesn’t have enough detail to actually be useful.
Dan Meyer TED talk: Math needs a makeover.
Way too detailed, but useful list of modes of teaching.
Brief discussion of 3 modes of teaching.
Overview of teaching styles.
Simple video outlining Freire’s banking model vs. problem-posing.

Is everyone in the same class? (Tracking)

Explains what tracking means, as well as what some education thinkers have said about why it’s a good or bad idea.
Tests the idea that tracking can improve learning by trying it out in a school in Kenya and seeing what happens.
New York Times article covers famous book by Jeannie Oakes that argues against different “tracks” for students.

How do students get prepared for careers by school? (Vocational education)

Overview of the vocational education program in Palo Alto.
What are the benefits of vocational education with regard to college and career income?
In China and India, college graduates are struggling to find jobs, but people with vocational education are having more success.
Does deciding to pursue vocational education cut off kids’ options too soon?
Benefits of vocational education
Insight into how vocational training could benefit in the current financial crisis.
- Check the first paragraph under the title “Abstract”.

How do we decide if a student is doing a good job? If a school is doing a good job?

How do you move on to the next grade? (Promotion/grade levels)

Annotated bibliography with links about social promotion (moving students up a grade because of social concerns, even if they have not demonstrated the skills of that grade) and retention (holding students back a grade).
Some history and research behind social promotion and retention.
Retention and social promotion research summary.
A Colorado school has decided to separate students by ability instead of by age. How well do you think it works?

How do we measure what students know? (Tests)

An overview of the history of standardized testing (like STAR tests) in the United States.
Whose idea was all this testing, anyway?
- Cool sidenote; this article was written by an HHS grad!

How do we communicate what students know? (Grades)

How do we measure how well schools are doing? (Standardized testing)