Every year has its share of stories that profoundly impact us. And stories about our schools and our children particularly touch our emotions.
With a new administration in Washington, a global economic recession and the increasing influence of technology in our society, 2009 was bound to have more than its fair share of stories that would impact our schools.
Here are 10 we believe most profoundly impacted the education world in 2009.
On July 31, 1970, Britain’s Royal Navy officially stopped its daily ration of rum to crewmembers aboard naval ships, ending a centuries-old tradition.
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On July 30, 1956, President Eisenhower signed legislation establishing “In God We Trust” as the national motto, adopting a phrase derived from Francis Scott Key’s writings.
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Although technology has been a blessing for those with visual impairments, the abundance of audio and digital technology has made reading Braille a rare skill.
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Utah's elementary school language immersion programs could encourage students to live abroad, an experience that studies suggest improves creative problem-solving abilities.
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A comparison of Shakespeare’s English to a modern student’s text message conversation shows few resemblances, but this isn’t the first time English has undergone radical evolution.
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Diane Sieber, a University of Colorado professor, found that students who use laptops in class average 11 percent worse on tests than their peers.
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Historically rich, geographically diverse and culturally intriguing, Latin America is a fascinating place. Discover online resources for Latin American studies, including journals, information on specific countries and current events, and advice for pursuing a career or college major in Latin American studies.
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During the 1950s and ‘60s, African-Americans campaigned for an end to racial discrimination through a series of non-violent protests and marches. The Civil Rights Movement culminated with the passage of federal laws banning discrimination in voting, employment, housing and other sectors of American society.
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Milton Friedman was inspired by the dire financial circumstances of the Great Depression, and became convinced that economic burdens could be lifted through encouraging free markets. His teaching at the University of Chicago created a new school of economic thought that continues to thrive.
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“Emily Brontë wrote so little in her short life that it is difficult to appraise her work. ... One point is generally agreed upon: that in both her prose and poetry there is ... a rare power,” said British poetry scholar Paul Lieder. Tuberculosis claimed her at age 30, but her sole novel, “Wuthering Heights,” and single volume of poetry made Emily Brontë an integral member of the Western literary canon.
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Stanley Kunitz was destined to be a poet. Kunitz once said, “There was so much joy in playing with the language that I couldn’t consider living without it,” and the two-time Poet Laureate didn’t spend any of his 100 years living without his poetry.
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Her pillbox hat, her love of family and her passion for the arts compose the portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. As a young widow, she protected the late President Kennedy’s reputation from critics. Eventually, she tuned out public opinion, married a wealthy shipping mogul and raised her children abroad. After her second husband’s death, Jackie pursued her lifelong dream, living quietly among New York’s literati as a book editor.
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