Inside Dallas ISD

Educators the world over are looking for ways to empower students to own their learning experience. But how can schools and educators motivate students to go after and capture knowledge? Marsh Preparatory Academy Principal Nicky Niewinski bets the flexibility of Personalized Learning, which gives students a choice over what they learn, will make all the difference.

Dallas ISD is inviting graduating seniors who practice recycling at their schools to apply for one of three $1,000 scholarships available from the district’s sanitation services vendor, Waste Management. Aaron Rankin, who coordinates Dallas ISD’s recycling programs, said Waste Management wants to recognize students who actively participate in school recycling efforts. “The company feels it’s important to reward these young people because they are our future,” he said. “Encouraging and rewarding them for taking part in recycling and green initiatives will hopefully motivate them to continue the behavior as adults.” Since not every school has a recycling program, Rankin said…

In any given year, more than 1 million homeless teenagers in the U.S. lack the necessities they need for normal life. According to DoSomething.org, a not-for-profit organization for young people and social change, the item most requested by homeless youth is a basic pair of jeans. When seventh-grader Daniela Mora at Robert T. Hill Middle School learned about the organization’s national Teens for Jeans campaign to provide jeans for homeless youth, she seized the opportunity to help her community, and organized a denim drive at her school. The decision to conduct the Teens for Jeans campaign also gives Daniela a…

Poetry and culture go hand in hand at Raul Quintanilla Middle School. Teachers Lisa Taylor and Candy Williams began the poetry and culture clubs as a way to connect with their students. The result was a resounding success, said Taylor. “My students are making better grades, participate more in class, have a broader perspective of the world, and have developed a good camaraderie between each other.” Taylor, Williams and Thomas Browne, all English/Language Arts teachers at Quintanilla, are the clubs’ sponsors. A former arts critic and publicist, Taylor wanted to use her experience to help her students. In fact, all…