What Works: In Five Months

Five months, for educators, is a time period in the "not quite" zone: not quite long enough to encompass the major part of a school year, and not quite short enough to offer the incentive of quick results. Nevertheless, five months neatly halves the school year and can be plenty of time to do something as potentially far reaching as changing the way you think about teaching and learning. It is enough time to launch and complete projects that offer students a depth of hands-on experience and collaboration that shorter time frames can't match and longer periods tend to throw out of focus. Five months isn't enough to address all the challenges that public education confronts, but an imaginative, innovative educator will find that five months can be the start of something big.

• Build Tech: Creating a Technological Architecture for Schools [1]
• Clean It: Grab a Paintbrush and Gain Pride in Your School [2]
• Make a Movie: Help Teenagers Improve Their Vision [3]
• Get Parents Involved: The Foundation for Student Success [4]

What Works in: Five Minutes [5] | Five Days [6] | Five Weeks [7] | Five Years [8]