Creating a Peer Coaching Program to Grow Student-Centered Learning (Part 1)
In southern Maine, the little corner of the world where I teach, coach and learn, we are in the midst of transitioning to a student-centered learning (SCL) model. The Biddeford School Department is a public, K-12 system serving 2,425 students. I am an instructional coach at the middle school and am in my second year… Read More ›
Golden Ticket
This dynamic case study combines narrative, video, data visuals, and photos to tell the story of a vital component of school reform efforts in the Lawrence, MA Public Schools. The case study provides details on the creation and implementation of Acceleration Academies, week-long opportunities for personalized learning in small class settings held over February and… Read More ›
6 Ways Administrators Can Prove the Efficacy of Digital Tools
This article, written by a principal, includes thoughtful insights for implementing an effective digital transformation in a school. It discusses ways to select, implement, and assess the efficacy of new technology. It focuses on the importance of being able to explain and show positive impact to all stakeholders. To lead a change process, principals must… Read More ›
A Year Of Love And Struggle In A New High School
Too many young, black men struggle in America’s education system. Washington D.C. is trying to do something about it with a new, boys-only high school. NPR’s Cory Turner and Education Week’s Kavitha Cardoza spent hundreds of hours there, reporting on the birth of a school built on one word: Love. Code Switch, an NPR podcast,… Read More ›
What Student Choice and Agency Actually Looks Like
This article features the ways in which schools across the country are building student agency and choice. The article, written by a staff member at The Learning Accelerator, describes strategies used by schools documented in their Practices at Work initiative. These examples of real life school strategies highlight many ways student ownership can be increased… Read More ›
Learning Accelerator’s Practices at Work: Blended & Personalized Learning
The Blended and Personalized Learning Practices at Work site, managed by The Learning Accelerator, is a collection of free, practical strategies and resources to help schools implement blended and personalized learning. The Learning Accelerator is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing blended learning. The organization works to bring together communities of learners and document and share strategies to… Read More ›
7 Things Teachers Need to Know About Native American Heritage Month
November is National Native American Heritage Month. The article below was originally posted on Indian Country Today on November 12, 2014. It contains tips & best practices that can be used in the classroom throughout the year. Without guidance, too many teachers will celebrate Native American Heritage Month in the only ways they know how:… Read More ›
From Maverick to Mainstream: Takeaways from the 2017 Blended and Personalized Learning Conference
This report synthesizes data gathered from education leaders who attended the 2017 Blended and Personalized Learning Conference. It details 9 lessons learned from educators and leaders in the midst of implementing personalized learning, master-based learning, and other student-centered approaches. They are divided into suggestions for innovation and ways to scale up. Suggestions include: moving slowly… Read More ›
CoSN Empowered Superintendents Resources
Through the Empowered Superintendents initiative, The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) collaborates with superintendents to assess their challenges and increase their capacities to lead technology efforts to support student learning. The Superintendents Toolkit is a guide to support leadership in the digital age. It includes two modules, one which examines 5 key roles superintendents must address to… Read More ›
Student-Centered Learning Course Syllabus
Newsflash: Teachers are learners! Yet, the strategies we use to help teachers innovate their practices often get in the way of learning. It’s as if we’re still operating according to the old, tired adage: “Do as I say, not as I do.” To optimize teacher learning and magnify educators’ impact in the classroom, we need to start with the… Read More ›
EdTechTeacher Summits
The EdTechTeacher Summits are learning experiences that highlight practical edtech strategies for the classroom and bring together thought leaders to explore what is next in education and edtech. The summit will cover iPads and Chromebooks, project based learning, gamification, virtual reality and coding. Participants will learn, connect, and share as part of one of three… Read More ›
Equity at the Center: A Tool for Assessing Communication about Teaching and Learning
This rubric was designed to help schools, districts, and intermediary organizations examine their digital and web-based communications, for example websites, digital resources and classroom tools, to ensure all stakeholders have an equal opportunity to access information. The tool grew out of work conducted by the Students at the Center Hub team to assess its own materials… Read More ›