by Cynthia Merse | Dec 14, 2018 | 2019 New Year, Inspiration
The workforce of tomorrow bears little resemblance to the industrial, factory-based model of the early 20th century. The days of working solo on a factory floor assembly line are being replaced with work environments that thrive on teamwork and collaboration. It is no...
by Cynthia Merse | Jun 26, 2018 | Inspiration
Bringing the Outdoors in with Biophilic Design – Mounting research suggests that spending time in the outdoors provides a wide range of benefits. For children in particular, access to nature is associated with improvements to mental health and cognition,...
by Cynthia Merse | Jun 5, 2018 | Inspiration
When you hear the phrase “student-centered classroom,” what immediately comes to mind? Do you envision a classroom erupting into chaos, students doing what they want without a clear curricular goal to guide them? A true student-centered classroom is anything but a...
by Cynthia Merse | Apr 5, 2018 | Inspiration
The maker movement has taken on a life of its own over the last few years. K-12 schools are starting to jump on the bandwagon too, creating makerspaces of their own. What is a makerspace? Picture shop or industrial arts class only made over for 21st century learning....
by Cynthia Merse | Mar 21, 2018 | Green Schools, Inspiration
A movement cannot rely on just one person or organization to grow and create change in the world. It requires many helping hands, working together, lifting each other up. At the Green Schools National Network (GSNN), nurturing long-lasting, meaningful partnerships...
by Cynthia Merse | Mar 15, 2018 | Inspiration
Being a young person today is not easy. Many are under stress to perform well in school, get into a good college, or excel on the playing field. But what about students who are stressed because they need to earn money to put food on the table for their family? Or...
by Cynthia Merse | Feb 28, 2018 | Inspiration
Today’s students are pretty tech savvy. From iPhones to tablets, most children attending school today have grown up with technology as part of their everyday lives. These “digital natives” know how to use these devices to communicate too – from texting to blogging to...
by Cynthia Merse | Feb 15, 2018 | Inspiration
Tomorrow’s work environments will likely bear little resemblance to the office spaces of yesterday and today. Open floor plans, co-op workspaces, and remote work are becoming the norm, and more employees are leaving the corporate world to freelance. The rise of the...
by Cynthia Merse | Jan 11, 2018 | Inspiration
Some might argue that creativity in the classroom is a lost art. In many classrooms, this truth is playing out on a daily basis. High stakes testing and meeting local/state/provincial/national standards has put a damper on creativity in our schools and that is not a...
by Cynthia Merse | Nov 16, 2017 | Inspiration
How we design 21st century learning environments matters. This is just one of the key messages that Bridgitte Alomes, CEO of Natural Pod and President of Green Schools National Network (GSNN), conveyed in her keynote address at the 8th Canadian EdTech...
