The Sustainable Teaching Forum is dedicated to discussions among educators about learning and teaching. Also invited to participate are neuroscientists conducting research about learning and how the brain works. One of the main goals of the Forum is to encourage conversations between researchers and teachers, exploring the implications of the latest research and theories for the classroom and examining the degree to which these theories converge with the actual experiences of teachers working with students. The Forum is also a place where newer teachers can seek advice from their more experienced colleagues.

Subscribers are invited to post and respond to any ideas about learning and teaching:

• Descriptions of effective lessons
• Problems, challenges, issues they face in the classroom
• Implications they see for certain research findings or theories derived from research
• Worthy books they have read
• Valuable sites they have visited
• Responses to the Sustainable Teaching blog that is also posted every week or two on the Forum
• Ideas suggested by essays in the Forum library

Here is an example of a problem a teacher might bring from her classroom to the Forum:

“I have had difficulty in the past trying to teach the long-term causes of WWI to 8th grade students in an American History class. These classes tend to be more teacher-centered (explanation, visuals, and discussion). It's very difficult to help students understand abstract concepts like nation, nation-state, nationalism, ethnicity, self-determination, imperialism and the alliance system.”

In addition to conversation, subscribers will find a growing library of resources—articles and essays written by researchers and teachers, links to interesting sites and videos. A sample:

“We Feel, Therefore We Learn,” by Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, exploring the connections between emotion and thinking and learning
“Cognitive Development and Education,” by Kurt Fischer and Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, looking at dynamic systems theory as an extension of prior cognitive theories
“On the Same Page,” by Laura Moore, making the case for an approach to engaging high schoolers in reading
“Using and misusing neuroscience,” by Joanna Christodoulou and Nadine Gaab, suggesting a productive relationship between research and education