Thomas Friedman's March 30 column was built around a conversation about education with Harvard's Tony Wagner. In it, Wagner repeats the coda he discussed in his Ted Talk. Quoted in the column, Wagner says, Reimagining schools for the 21st-century must be our highest priority. We need to focus more on... Continue reading

This week, I've had the pleasure of working with the staff of the lovely Ventana School in Los Altos, CA. I've observed in classrooms, consulted with teachers and administration, spoken with parents and presented at a gathering of The Third Place, an inspiring organization that supports caregivers of young children.... Continue reading

We are happy to be partners in supporting the viewing of this fantastic sereies of videos: A Year at Mission Hill. This first video introduces you to the school: And here is Chapter 2: Every other week from now until June, a new video will be released that explores an... Continue reading

Opal School is a learning place for both the young people who come to class daily as well as for educators who attend our workshops and web-based projects. Recently, teachers, administrators, and specialists came from far and wide to attend a multi-day session focusing on playful inquiry. Our work together... Continue reading

A few months ago, it was hard to open a newspaper or turn on the radio without running into Paul Tough and his book, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character (see, for example, this episode of This American Life.) As the title suggests, the book... Continue reading

Your attention, please! I daresay I have found Mr. Imagine himself. Truthfully, though... I think the point ... that the following video makes abundantly clear... is that any of us who live with children are surrounded by the authentic Ms. and Mr. Imagine every moment. There are a few other... Continue reading

My fifteen year-old daughter found me reading an article about what happened in Connecticut. I knew her school had chosen to talk about it. But she asked me: Was anybody killed? As though she still didn't know that those kinds of things happen, had to be convinced that those kinds... Continue reading

As we ready ourselves for winter break, I thought it would be nice to revisit last year's Opal School Blog "shopping" guide, which you can read by clicking here. And if you are in the Chicago area, here is a toy store you might consider! Warmest winter wishes to you!... Continue reading

At Opal School, we have spent years asking ourselves-- What is the relationship between play and language? In Reggio Emilia a decade ago I heard Jerome Bruner state that we learn the syntax of our language to tell stories. I'm sure we are born driven to do this: to connect,... Continue reading

We've been thinking deeply about the role of digital technology in learning at Opal School lately. How, we wonder, can we embrace new media in a way that encourages the habits of mind that we are trying to develop? How might digital technology support Opal School values? How can it... Continue reading

This week, we're busy putting the final touches on the fifth module of Opal School Online. Each week in October, we've released a wealth of multimedia materials related to a theme: Supporting the Social & Emotional Intelligences of Children The Power of Playful Inquiry Organizing for Playful Inquiry Making Thinking... Continue reading

Wednesday evening, Opal School parents and teachers will gather to discuss the school’s approach to literacy. We’ll look at how reading, writing, and oral language is nurtured across the grades at Opal School. We’ll share what we’ve been learning through Story Workshop. In this entry, I share some of the... Continue reading

The following was written by Marcy Berkowitz and Nicole Simpson, Early Kindergarten teachers: Being housed in the Portland Children's Museum has many more benefits and opportunities than playing in the great exhibits and studios after school. One such opportunity came our way already this year with the opening of the... Continue reading

The social life of the learning community is incomplete if it doesn’t include celebration, festivity, and fantasy. All these are integral parts of the human experience… Whether we celebrate for two minutes, a day, or a week, we seek to join with others in lifting the spirit and fellowship of... Continue reading