What Will 2015 Bring?

In some ways, it feels like we just started.

When Usable Knowledge launched in September — with a handful of stories focused on the Common Core, how teachers can make caring more common, and the best strategies to expand high-quality early education, among others — we had no idea what the response might be.

In fact, it has been surprisingly significant.

As we moved forward through fall and settled into December, we continued to look at what folks were reading and sharing with colleagues and friends. The favorites thus far? The Art of Control and its follow-up companion, Regulating the Teenage Mind, both of which focus on how to cultivate executive function skills in children of all ages. Building Capacity for Family Engagement, a video featuring Professor Karen Mapp, also received notable attention, as did a list of early interventions for parents of infants and toddlers, and a video on good teaching produced by three HGSE alumni.

In addition, stories on the challenges faced by faculty in higher education settings, maker-centered learning, and the importance of similarity between teachers and students in the classroom, made their fair share of the rounds on Facebook and Twitter. As did the work of faculty Bridget Terry Long and Mandy Savitz-Romer around issues of college access and persistence.

So far, our new year’s content list is full of more stories detailing work important to the field of education and those who work with it or within it. There will be more on college accessibility, the challenges of educating refugee children, as well as the building of knowledge and leadership. There’s always room for more, so send us an email, fire off a tweet, or reach out on Facebook. Ask yourself: What do you want to know to improve your practice and meet your goals in 2015? And then tell us!

Here’s to a year of great ideas, stimulating content, and positive outcomes.