Edutopia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edutopia is the magazine, Web site, and video documentaries published by The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF). Founded in 1991 by filmmaker George Lucas, the Foundation documents and disseminates information about exemplary programs in K-12 schools to help spread these practices nationwide. A nonprofit organization, GLEF serves their mission through the creation of media: films, books, documentaries, the magazine Edutopia, e-newsletters, and http://www.edutopia.org.

Edutopia media celebrates unsung heroes who are making “Edutopia” a reality. The word Edutopia represents an ideal educational landscape, where students are motivated to learn and teachers are energized by the excitement of teaching. In these schools, parents and other professionals from the community -- architects, artists, physicians, and writers, among others -- contribute their expertise and resources. Technology is readily available and enables students, teachers, and administrators to seek knowledge and expertise beyond the school building. “Edutopia” is a vision of powerful teaching and learning.

With the goal of having educators and parents, as well as business and community leaders involved in making change in education, the Edutopia resources show best practices in many different ways. The magazine goes in-depth into the issues, the documentary films provide real world examples, and the Web site gives the practical tools, tips, and how to's. Detailed articles, short documentaries, interviews, research summaries, and links to hundreds of relevant Web sites, books, organizations, and publications help schools and communities visualize what these innovations look like and build on successes in education. This multifaceted approach is unique in education and allows anyone with an interest in education to understand the issues and get involved.

Edutopia magazine, designed to profile the stories and people behind innovation in education, is led by editor in chief James Daly. Their editorial agenda is based on its 10-point Big Ideas for Better Schools:

Students