Ben Johnson, currently a school principal in San Antonio, TX, has 28 years of experience in education as a teacher, district administrator and university program manager. He also teaches online for the University of Phoenix's teacher- and principal-preparation program.

In this video clip from Thinking as the Main Learning Tool, Ben Johnson discusses the foundation of Critical Thinking: Student Engagement.

Franklin P. Schargel is a graduate of the University of the City of New York. Franklin holds a master’s degree in secondary education from City University and a second master’s degree from Pace University in school administration and supervision. His career spans thirty-three years of classroom teaching, counseling, and eight years of supervision and administration as a school administrator. Additionally, Franklin taught a course in Dowling College’s MBA Program.

In this clip from a recent segment on Eye On New Mexico, Franklin Schargel discusses school violence, school pride, dropout factories, the importance of attendance, and vocational training.

After having served in urban, suburban, and rural schools as a teacher and literacy coach, Lori Wilfong currently works with practicing teachers and those in training at Kent State University, Stark. She is the author of Vocabulary Strategies That Work: Do This—Not That!

In this video podcast The Common Core State Standards: Do This—Not That, Lori Wilfong discusses her approach to professional development, which helps educators avoid common misunderstandings about the Common Core State Standards.

Rebecca Stobaugh received a PhD from the University of Louisville. As a middle-school and high-school teacher, she was named Social Studies Teacher of the Year by the Kentucky Council for Social Studies in 2004. In her position as a middle-school principal, she focused on aligning curriculum, increasing the level of critical thinking in assessments and instruction, and establishing a school-wide discipline plan. Currently, she serves as an assistant professor at Western Kentucky University, teaching assessment and unit-planning courses in the teacher education program. She supervises first-year teachers and consults with school districts on critical thinking, instructional strategies, assessment, technology integration, and other topics.

In this clip from Deeper Learning: Bloom's Taxonomy Evaluate-Level Strategies, Rebecca explains a five-step strategy to teach students and important skill: Critiquing.

Bryan Harris is the Director of Professional Development and Public Relations for the Casa Grande Elementary School District in Casa Grande, AZ. His dynamic and practical presentations make him a sought after speaker and consultant. He has presented to thousands of educators across the country on the topics of student engagement, classroom management, motivation, and brain-based learning.

In this clip from 7 Easy-to-Use Conversational Strategies for the Common Core, Bryan Harris discusses his favorite conversational strategy: Fish Bowl.

Dr. Barbara Blackburn has dedicated her life to raising the level of rigor and motivation for professional educators and students alike. What differentiates Barbara’s 12 books are her easily executable concrete examples based on decades of experience as a teacher, professor, and consultant. Barbara has taught early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school students and has served as an educational consultant for three publishing companies. In addition to speaking at state and national conferences, she also regularly presents workshops for teachers and administrators in elementary, middle, and high schools.

In this video clip from "How to Tackle the Challenges of Rigor and the Common Core", Barbara Blackburn discusses how to raise the level or content in your classroom to meet the Common Core State Standards!