HOUSTON -- Nearly 400 teachers and administrators from school district across the Houston area recently attended the Reforming Schools Institute in an effort to be better educators, KPRC Local 2, Your Education Station, reported Wednesday.

"(We're) bringing together and sharing what people have learned and also creating new knowledge that they will take back and apply in their schools or in their communities that will benefit education," said Michele Pola with Houston A+ Challenge.

Houston A+ Challenge, a nonprofit group that puts private donations to work on improving public education, hosts the institute.

Educators share innovative ideas about what's working well in the classroom and what's not.

"We hear so often from kids that nobody asks them, nobody is paying attention to them, it's not relevant. So, if any of our teachers take this tool back, that would be phenomenal," Pola said.

For example, if students are studying war, they would not be asked to memorize dates and battles, but instead they would be encouraged to ask questions about what they are wondering about war.

Educators like the idea.

"(It) would allow that student to proclaim what he is interested in learning about and then gather some other students also interested in that same topic, and go and learn about it and have conversations around it," an educator said.

Teachers are learning techniques to make their classrooms more like the real world -- requiring every student to answer questions aloud in class as well as teamwork.

"So, you'll see teachers grouping their students to collaborate, problem solve, listen to each other, write, create presentations," Pola said.

First-grade teacher April Gordon needed ideas to get more parents involved. So she is starting a family fun night once a month.

"We'll serve the pizza and serve the drinks. The kids will be excited to see their teachers serving pizza and drinks ... Just that open line of communication. We can just talk," Gordon said.

Houston A+ Challenge will hold the institute again next summer.

For more information, visit www.houstonaplus.org or call 713-658-1881.