“The world is your school.” —Martin H. Fischer

Photo by Ken Stein

Dear Educators,

Welcome back to school!

Now more than ever the world needs people who not only are culturally and ecologically literate, but also who know how to question and can relate well to people. How do we help our students learn these capabilities?

In the newest issue of YES!, Learn As You Go, you’ll find classroom tools and inspiring articles that develop the skills and relationships so needed at this time. In addition to these YES! materials, we are pleased to share the lesson plans of Rethinking Schools, an organization dedicated to the creation of a humane, caring, multiracial democracy.

May your school year be filled with meaningful learning and relationships.

Best,

Jing Fong
Education Outreach Manager, YES! Magazine

P.S. Is your free teacher subscription ending? Choose a 3-year renewal, and we'll send you a FREE copy of David Korten's latest book on how together we can achieve a just and sustainable economy.

Starting with Place: Molokai Students Redefine their Education
Head of School and teacher Vicki Newberry brought a place-based curriculum to her independent middle school in Molokai, Hawaii. Now Aka'ula School students thrive as they research and create positive solutions for environmental issues affecting their own community. Read Vicki’s story.

MORE OF YOUR STORIES: Anthropology 101. Hands-on Sustainability Curriculum. Chicken Soup for the Soul in the Classroom. Discovering the Beauty of Teenagers. Local food in schools.

SEND US your own story to share with our growing network of YES! educators.

Illustration by Scott Bakal

Like YES! Magazine, Rethinking Schools strives to be both visionary and practical. We are delighted to share three of many lesson plans from Rethinking Schools that get to the heart of a real-world education.

Knock, Knock: Turning Pain into Power demonstrates how Daniel Beaty’s poem gives students the opportunity to write about issues in their lives that rarely surface in schools.

Living Algebra, Living Wage showcases how students can use their knowledge about math as a tool for forming an opinion about minimum wage.

Afghanistan’s Ghosts illuminates how teaching The Kite Runner opens up avenues for valuable social and personal exploration, as well as learning about Afghan history.

Rethinking Schools' award-winning publications are also featured. And, we have a special offer for our readers.

12 Things You Might Not Have Learned in the Classroom What makes a person really educated? Taking AP classes and getting good grades are not on this list. Your students will find these dozen qualities—including expressing your voice with confidence—worth reflecting on. :: GET THE POSTER

The Page That Counts Can you guess the percentage of Americans who identify themselves as Christian? Or the age of the world's oldest-known living tree? How Do You “Know”? Use this playful chart to see what kind of “knower” you are. Rule-based? Reflective? Other-focused? Interconnecting? Then challenge yourself to incorporate other ways of knowing. 13 Radical Acts of Education Meet our out-of-the-box thinkers who are educating themselves about life and living, using the natural world, local community members, and animals as their teachers.

Here's a resource to connect your students’ learning with their local community, culture, and environment. Also learn how knowing yourself can translate to being an even better teacher.

Art For the Sky
A whole-body project where students collaborate to create a gigantic living symbol of nature, shaped by their own bodies, often along with recyclable materials. This amazing team-building activity uses math, art, and cooperation to help students understand their interconnection with each other and life.

Center for Courage and Renewal
Beloved educator Parker Palmer discusses the connection between classroom teaching and the teacher's inner life. Palmer's Center for Courage and Renewal has multimedia resources and retreats to feed and care for teachers, clergy, activists, and others who serve their communities.

Things I Want to Learn…
Ask your students to come up with their own lists of things they want to learn. Then, explore how they can support each other in realizing these personal goals.

From YES! contributing editor Frances Moore Lappé:
To tap dance better.
To be in such a place of perpetual gratitude that I can embrace death when it comes.

From YES! board member Puanani Burgess:
How the words that I type on this computer get to you.
Is God necessary?

From YES! contributing editor Carol Estes:
To find my way through the wilderness with map and compass.
A system for managing multiple projects at the same time.
What it’s like to be incredibly fit.

YOUR STORIES YES! RECOMMENDS CLASSROOM TOOLS CONNECT AND ENGAGE WORDS

RENEW: SPECIAL OFFER
Log in to choose a 3-yr renewal and get David Korten's new book. JOIN OUR EDUCATOR NETWORK  Get a year of YES! for FREE. MAKING PEACE
If you’ve ever wondered if peace is possible, this is the book for you. POSTERS: Hang 'em up, share the inspiration.

VIDEO

You've Got Genius
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, posits that instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius.

Road Trip Nation
Get on the bus with four college grads in this PBS series of interviews with people who have created lives and made careers that they’re passionate about.

History Gets Real
Matt Damon shares how his attitude about school changed after listening to a Holocaust survivor’s personal story in his middle school Facing History and Ourselves class.

Espanol
Read YES! in Spanish

SmART Car
Use this photo to ask your students what they notice and are wondering. Then share the facts behind the image to connect to greater understanding and discovery.

DOWNLOAD ::
Visual Learning Lesson Plan