A History of Education: The American Educational System, Colonial Period (Puritans)

[Editor’s Note: This is the 18th in a series of blogs that examine how education developed throughout history until the present. Links to previous blogs are included at the bottom of the post.] The Puritans were a large faction who became discontented with the Church of England and worked diligently toward religious, moral, and societal … Continue reading “A History of Education: The American Educational System, Colonial Period (Puritans)”


A History of Education: The Renaissance

[Editor’s Note: This is the 12th in a series of blogs that examine how education developed throughout history until the present.] The Middle Ages, also called the “Dark Ages,” took place between the fall of ancient Rome in 476 CE and the beginning of the 14th century. It was a time filled with war, pestilence, … Continue reading “A History of Education: The Renaissance”


Teaching Poetry in the Classroom

Poetry has a place in education, even among the elementary grades. It can be included as part of reading, writing, and language lessons, and adds additional value to classroom themes, projects, celebrations, and other important events. Here are five good reasons to include poetry in the classroom. Builds reading, speaking, and listening skills Children who … Continue reading “Teaching Poetry in the Classroom”


Joumana Kalouch – Multilingual Teacher, Writer, and Avid Reader

[Editor’s note: This interview was conducted by Miriam Ruff, and it is the third installment in what will be a series of interviews about the different approaches people take to discover and learn new topics. It was lightly edited for clarity.] MR: We’re talking today with Joumana Kalouch, a multilingual teacher and avid reader, whom … Continue reading “Joumana Kalouch – Multilingual Teacher, Writer, and Avid Reader”


Interview with Sam Adams – Writer, Poet, and Avid Reader

[Editor’s note: This interview was conducted by Miriam Ruff, and it is the second installment in what will be a series of interviews about the different approaches people take to discover and learn new topics. It was lightly edited for clarity.] MR: We’re talking today with Sam Adams, a reader, writer, poet, and co-founder of … Continue reading “Interview with Sam Adams – Writer, Poet, and Avid Reader”


Can You Read Poetry Efficiently?

When people are learning how to become more efficient and effective readers, the subject of poetry often comes up. For most people, poetry seems a laborious read, one filled with hard-to-pronounce words, complex themes, and structures that appear to embrace subvocalization rather than eschew it. In truth, can you read these works efficiently? The answer … Continue reading “Can You Read Poetry Efficiently?”


Giving Life to Words

In our technological Information Age, we spend our time “speaking” primarily by text, email, eBooks, or online forums. Gone seem the days of deep, personal conversations; cursive, handwritten letters; and real-paper, printed books. We defend our choices with their efficient outcomes, but few of us stop to consider what we might be losing in the … Continue reading “Giving Life to Words”