Ensuring Rhode Island Teachers and Students Thrive
We know from research that investing in the development of teacher leadership results in gains in student learning, increases in their own capacity, and bolsters the culture of their school systems. We also know that teachers have unique insights on what is most effective in their classrooms, schools, and districts but this expertise isn’t always… Read More ›
Case Stories From One Middle School’s Efforts for Partnership
This article is written by Students at the Center Distinguished Fellow Dr. Frank LaBanca, principal of Westside Middle School Academy Magnet, as part of volume 10 of the educational journal LEARNing Landscapes. The article highlights his successes and challenges as principal of a start-up urban magnet middle school committed to a student-centered inquiry-based learning environment that values extended… Read More ›
A Close-Up Look at How a Workshop Framework Can Enhance Personalized Learning
Originally posted on CompetencyWorks, January 19, 2017. When I started teaching first grade over twenty-five years ago, I quickly realized that I was going to need additional strategies and support in order to help each of my students become independent readers and writers. The research and work of Donald Graves had a profound impact on… Read More ›
Helping Struggling Students Build a Growth Mindset
This article, written by two veteran researchers of brain and education science, presents five strategies to help struggling students develop positive outlooks on their learning capabilities. The authors outline the potential positive outcomes for students who have developed a growth mindset. The strategies the authors share include, creating student success files (a continually updated collection that… Read More ›
Breaking Down Silos with the Student-Centered Learning Research Collaborative
Here’s an alarming thought: What if our educational research questions, policies, and practices sometimes arise as much from ignorance as they do from evidence? I’m wondering this because I have a confession: When I was a middle school teacher, I never read educational research. Mostly this was because I had little time to do so… Read More ›
Will Blended Learning Fulfill its Disruptive Potential?
In this opinion piece, Thomas Arenett explores blended learning and the concept of disruptive innovation, a theory of change and the central theme of research at the Christensen Institute. Researchers there hope disruptive innovations can end the cycle of fads in education reform, in which new approaches enter the landscape with promise but fizzle out… Read More ›
Teachers at the Center: Honing the Craft of Student-Centered Math Instruction
Student-centered teaching is complex, demanding work. It requires teachers who are curious and have an unwavering commitment to helping all of their students take charge of their own learning. Inspiring students to learn in this way is not for the faint of heart. Even strong student-centered teachers know that they must work continuously to hone… Read More ›
The Shifting Paradigm of Teaching: Personalized Teaching According to Teachers
This report, based on interviews with teachers, instructional coaches and principals from KnowledgeWorks and the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF) discusses how the shift to personalized learning has impacted teachers. It begins with an exploration of what drives educators to build personalized learning environments in the classroom. The report then details reflections from… Read More ›
Research Collaborative Seminar: Rehumanizing Mathematics Education
This Research Collaborative Seminar questions: How can educators rehumanize mathematics learning and establish assessments that serve as both a window and a mirror? The featured presenter in this video is Dr. Rochelle Gutiérrez, Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Research has demonstrated that well-designed personalized… Read More ›
RadicalMath
This is a resource for educators interested in integrating issues of social and economic justice into their math classes and curriculum. On the RadicalMath website, visitors will find over 700 lesson plans, articles, charts, graphs, data sets, maps, books, and websites. Source Organization: RadicalMath Visit the Resource
Launching the Student-Centered Learning Research Collaborative
Originally Posted on Competency Works, November 11, 2016 There is increasing evidence supporting the growth of student-centered learning (competency-based learning is one of the four elements) to promote success for all students and drive equity in education. Yet, work remains. How can we curate research-based best practices for implementation? How can we scale student-centered learning,… Read More ›
How Misconceptions About Competency Education Could Undermine Equity
This article, the third in a CompetencyWorks series on equity in personalized learning, explores implications of the misunderstanding and misuse of terms within competency-based and blended learning. The author asserts these misunderstanding can lead to poor implementation, inequitable practices, and lower achievement. He reviews four common misconceptions, such as failing to understand the difference between “flexible pacing” and… Read More ›