Taiwanese elementary students use hands-on learning, writes Bill Costello of Making Minds Matter.

For example, Taiwanese students went on a field trip to a castle they studied in social studies; they collected local plants and used them to make a dye in science; and they worked with compasses and rulers in math.

. . . I observed a science teacher and art teacher in Taiwan collaborate in guiding students through a science project that involved drawing.

Portugal is investing heavily in interactive whiteboards and laptops, writes Don Tapscott on Wikinomics. But what’s remarkable about seven-year-olds looking up the definition of “equinox” on their laptops is how well these kids can read.