A Legacy of Star Wars

If you've ever wondered what George Lucas spends his time doing -- when he's not working on a new Star Wars movie, that is -- I've found one place where he has obviously devote time and effort.

Mr. Lucas has a foundation called the George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF). This non-profit organization's goal is to document and disseminate "models of the most innovative practices in our nation's K-12 schools." It calls its web site Edutopia Online.

Although my first contact with the GLEF site was about a year ago, I had reason to revisit it this week and was, once again, blown away by the wealth of material here.

For starters, take a look at the videos "Great Team, Great School" and "Laptops For All." GLEF has upwards of 70 additional videos available for online viewing.

The site offers thirteen topics organized in three categories:

Innovative Classrooms

• Assessment
• Emotional Intelligence
• Project-Based Learning
• School-To-Career
• Technology Integration

Skillful Educators

• Mentoring
• Ongoing Professional Development
• Teacher Preparation
• Technology Professional Development

Involved Communities

• Business Partnerships
• Community Partnerships
• Digital Divide
• Parent Involvement

GLEF has a monthly magazine and a weekly e-mail newsletter, both of which are free.

George Lucas' dedication to learning and teaching is manifest in this foundation and website that offers much to those of us interested in helping our students get the most out of their years in school. Well worth a thorough look.