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NASA Launches Black Hole Hunter

NuStar

The space shuttle program may be discontinued, but that isn’t stopping NASA from plowing ahead with other space exploration initiatives. Case in point is the launch of the space agency’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuStar) high-energy X-ray telescope spacecraft.

The spacecraft’s mission is to get as close as possible to black holes and study them. Specifically, the NuStar will map radioactive material in supernovae remnants in an attempt to study the origins of cosmic rays and extreme physics surrounding collapsed stars.

The entire science community is eager to see the first high-resolution images that NuStar will take of the black holes, in addition to conducting a census.

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The Global Search for Education: Is...

A decade ago, many predicted that K-12 education might shift entirely online, especially in the upper grades. Michael Horn, co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, spoke of blended learning as the “new model that is student-centric, highly personalized for each learner, and more productive, as it...

Identifying Underrepresented Students...

Have you ever overlooked a child for gifted education services?

Be honest—then again, maybe they slipped through the cracks because, as many teachers do, you operated from some partially or completely inaccurate preconceived notions when identifying gifted students.

I’m writing about an old problem. It’s nothing new. But, before you stop reading, understand that this problem will remain a large problem unless school administrators and teachers do something about it...

The Global Search for Education: "...

“We need courageous cathedral builders! We also need to address traditional experts’ biases clinging to their narrow domains, parents’ old personal experiences biasing their views, and teachers’ and administrators’ lack of training and leadership, respectively.” — Charles Fadel

All around us we...

For Those Taking a Summer Break and For...

Wishing those of you who are now on Summer Break a very relaxing time. As someone that taught for 33 1/2 years, the very first FULL day of vacation was always the beginning of possibilities of things to do that I didn't get to do during the school year. In fact, I remember dreading the alarm clock going off at 6 a.m. during the...

Teaching Students About Money

Recently, I was cleaning the garage, going through some old classroom supplies, when I came across a pile of money.

Well, not really—it was “play” money I had created years ago, when I taught a self-contained fifth-grade, gifted classroom. The money was part of an economic system I used with the students, one that produced lots of fun but also instilled valuable lessons.

One of the largest gaps in our current education system is financial literacy. We do little if...

The Global Search for Education: What...

“For depressed rural areas, there are two options: Help people relocate to stronger areas or help them get skills and jobs where they are, at least partly through subsidized job creation and newer kinds of economic development.” — Harry Holzer

Donald Trump’s journey to become president of the US...

The Global Search for Education: What...

“Each of those objects is a portrait of who we were as a society, and a promise of who we wanted to be. So who are you now, and who do you want to become, now that you’ve had a look into the mirror of Robots?” — Ling Lee

What will robots mean to our future, and more specifically, what will their impact...

Humor in the Classroom: No Joking Matter

I’d like to take a moment to write about an often-ignored topic in teaching. Likely, it’s not covered in professional development or faculty meetings or college coursework, but I believe it is, nonetheless, a vital, living, breathing component of the classroom, which can transform learning and uplift students and teachers.

Humor. It’s present in some classrooms, dreadfully absent in others. It comes natural to some teachers, difficult for others.

Believe it or not, humor in...

The Global Search for Education: Dear...

“American kids are now 10, 20, 50 or 90 times more likely to be on prescription psychiatric medications compared with kids in other countries (the rate varies depending on the diagnosis in question). I think it’s an important and disturbing trend.” — Dr. Leonard Sax

Dr. Leonard Sax graduated Phi Beta...

Woman's Record Climb Up Mount...

I found this recent news story of interest and wanted to share. Perhaps, it might be a writing prompt for your students. 

Imagine reaching the summit of Mount Everest. Now, imagine reaching it TWICE in one week. Anshu Jamsenpa, of India, set a new women’s record for a double ascent of Mount Everest in one season. Even more amazing, this is the FIFTH accent of Mount Everest by Jamsenpa! At 29,028 feet, some say it is now 29,035, Mount Everest stands about 5 1/2 miles above...

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