Martha Beach

For the first time in almost 20 years, Ontario’s health curriculum has received a major overhaul. Although some parent and religious groups have mounted protests, Ontario’s new curriculum is a rounded program that looks at all aspects of health including sex, physical wellness, and mental health. Except for a couple of provinces and territories that are lagging behind, we are all on the same page.

Traditional homework is not necessarily helping students succeed academically. These days, educators are starting to place more importance on home activities and reading instead.

Empathy—the ability to recognize and understand another person’s feelings—is an extremely important life skill.

As the school bell rings, thirty grade six students settle into their desks for a history class. After a brief overview of last night’s homework, the teacher lets them know they have 30 minutes to work on their group project. Instead of pulling out lined paper and textbooks, they bring out their personal iPads, Netbooks, Tablets, and Chromebooks. A few take out iPods or Galaxy phones.

Part of creating a great outdoor space is about tailoring curriculum, and part is about landscape design.

Volunteer travelling—dubbed "voluntourism"—has become very popular in the last 25 years. Voluntourists want to travel, learn, and contribute to something meaningful.

Making music with a ukulele is a great group learning experience. Ukuleles are a good size and price, and they contain levels of complexity.

Natural playgrounds are one example of our changing approach to play. There are no swings, monkey bars or teeter-totters, and no bright colours.