Our History | The Ron Clark Academy Ron Clark and Kim Bearden met in 2000 when Disney honored them both as Teachers of the Year. They became fast friends as they shared their passion for students and creative teaching. In the fall of 2004, Clark and Bearden met to hold a serious discussion about something that they had casually chatted about numerous times over the previous five years: Clark wanted to start a school of his own - one that would be unlike any other. Clark and Bearden actively recruited board members who shared their vision and passion. In November of 2005, Ron Clark purchased the warehouse using earnings from the sales of The Essential 55, and they moved one step closer to making the dream a reality. From February to March of 2007, two hundred students were interviewed to determine our first class of students. On March 17, 2007, the inaugural class of sixty students was announced.
Cool Tools for School | Learning 2.0 for Schools & Libraries Creating a Strong Parent Community Hands down, teaching children is the most incredible and rewarding occupation that exists. That being said, teaching is a complicated profession for many reasons. There are so many variables that can impact a teacher's year including: class size, administration, supplies and resources, colleagues, class makeup and of course families! A supportive parent can be a teacher's best friend. The only thing that could be better than that is a supportive group of parents! As teachers, we can encourage our parents to become involved in meaningful ways. List of Helpful Parent Activities: Pre-K 1. List of Helpful Parent Activities: Lower Elementary 1. List of Helpful Parent Activities: Upper Elementary 1. A classroom community is built on trust. An Amazing Memory The best family memory I have is of a time when the entire class community was together during a publishing party. What are some other ways that parents can be supportive?
Raising good digital citizens At a glance Today's kids need new skills to behave safely and responsibly online. Good digital citizenship follows the same basic rules as good citizenship in the offline world. Filters only prevent some kinds of unsuitable material being accessed via your computer; parents still need to be vigilant. It's important for parents to model good online behaviour – such as courtesy, obeying the law (not downloading something illegally) and protecting yourself. We're always reminding our kids to "pick up after yourself" and "cover your mouth when you cough", but lately many parents have had to add rules like "don't bring your mobile to the dinner table" and more importantly, "don't use my credit card to shop online". We're the first generation of parents responsible for equipping our children with ‘digital citizenship' skills – how to use technology safely and responsibly, and how to evaluate, manage and use the information and tools they find online. Being PC on the PC (or Mac) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Building Community Partnerships: Resource Roundup Discover Benefits of Community and Business Partnerships How Can High-Poverty Schools Engage Families and the Community?: Learn about the benefits when high-poverty schools engage with community partners for support, resources, and guidance. (Edutopia, 2016) What Community Engagement in Education Looks Like . . . and Can Do: Find how how business and community involvement can make a difference for students and schools. Back to Top Explore Specific Tips and Strategies for Schools Just Ask: Strategies for Building Community Partnerships: Figure out how to build a resource pool from the wide range of expertise within your community. Back to Top Build Partnerships to Support Project-Based Learning Establishing Real-World Connections in Projects (Keys to PBL Series Part 1): Watch a video that explains how to tap community resources to extend your projects beyond the classroom walls. See Successful Partnerships in Action Fostering Career Readiness Creating Opportunities for Service Learning
Five-Minute Film Festival: Teaching Digital Citizenship "Digital citizenship" is an umbrella term that covers a whole host of important issues. Broadly, it's the guidelines for responsible, appropriate behavior when one is using technology. But specifically, it can cover anything from "netiquette" to cyberbullying; technology access and the digital divide; online safety and privacy; copyright, plagiarism, and digital law, and more. In fact, some programs that teach digital citizenship have outlined no less than nine elements that intersect to inform a well-equipped digital citizen. But while there is much talk about the importance of teaching digital citizenship in this information society, not many are sure what that really looks like. Video Playlist: Teaching Digital Citizenship Watch the player below to see the whole playlist, or view it on YouTube. What is Digital Citizenship? More Resources for Learning About Digital Citizenship
Back to School: A Surefire Strategy for Building Classroom Community Unlike many of the current posts and articles in educators' discussions these days, this post does not address anything related to technology or the CCSS. It addresses a topic of much greater importance -- the emotional environment of the classroom. Without an excellent, intentionally designed, emotional environment (one which builds authentic community in the classroom), the standards and the technologies are of little value. There are three facets of a classroom and school environment: 1) the physical environment, 2) the emotional environment, and, 3) the academic environment. Here's a specific classroom strategy which can be done at any time, but is especially powerful to do first thing on the first day of school -- and it's one you and your students will love! "Take What You Need" Strategy Gather your students into a circle. Of course, the students will be surprised/shocked. It's possible that one or two students won't take any because they aren't sure just what this is about.
Technology Find out about all the technologies your child could be using at school, at home and on the go. We have heaps of great information on how gadgets work, their good points and what things you may need to be careful of. AUDIO: Listen to child psychologist Kimberley O'Brien talking about the dangers of sexting [read] Keep up with the technology your kids are using with our handy Technology A to Z. [more Technology A to Z] Tips to help parents keep their kids safe online and deal with cyberbullying if it occurs. [more Cyberbullying] Experts say kids should not keep computers in their bedroom. [more Cybersafety]