Guide for Creating Trusted Learning Environments
The following guidebook was designed to help communities create positive and safe learning environments for students inside and outside of school, on and off-line. The classroom is moving beyond a physical space to include learning networks enabled by technologies. These environments should advance learning and foster innovation without sacrificing the safety of the learner. To achieve this,… Read More ›
How one Chicago high school turned the corner using full-time internships
This article highlights the intensive internship program at Chicago Technology Academy. The school, which serves predominantly minority students from low-income families, has committed to month-long, full-time internships for all seniors as part of its turnaround efforts focused on project-based learning. The article discusses the academic and social emotional benefits to students who can build confidence,… Read More ›
The State Innovator’s Toolkit: A Guide to Successfully Managing Innovation under ESSA
This guide addresses opportunities under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to drive school improvement, challenging states to rethink older, more traditional approaches and support real innovation. It reviews several principals that can help state leaders support districts’ and schools’ change efforts. It also outlines in detail 6 approaches to spark innovation which states might consider. This… Read More ›
Civics Needs a Makeover NOW. How? Keep It Student-Centered, Stupid!
Originally posted on EdWeek’s Learning Deeply Blog on October 11, 2017. Our current political climate and all it portends about our democracy has alerted many Americans to a striking fact: civic education needs a makeover. Currently, only 23 percent of high school seniors are proficient in civics, according to the National Assessment of Education Progress, and just… Read More ›
2017 State of the States: Connectivity
This report was compiled by EducationSuperHighway, a nonprofit focused on upgrading Internet access in every public school classroom in America to ensure equal access of all students to digital learning opportunities. The report looks at ways to connect the remaining 6.5 million students in 40 states that still have limited access. The authors detail three main… Read More ›
Gateway to Opportunity: Extending Learning into the Summer and into the Workplace
As the school year kicks into gear, it is often a time for reflecting back on summer. I can’t tell you how frequently I bump into students who tell me they were bored and up to “nothing really” over their breaks. With the work that I do, it is hard for this response to not… Read More ›
18 Tips for Making Blended Learning More Student-Centered
This article shares 18 tips from leading schools and providers who have added student-centered strategies, such as boosting student agency and collaboration, to their blended learning plans. The article has links to additional resources and websites throughout. Some tips include: Genius Hour Developing a values-based culture Work -based learning projects Adaptive Learning This article offers… Read More ›
Partnership Strategies for Real-World Projects
This article provides insight from an interview with leaders at Iowa BIG, a public high school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where students learn across disciplines through community-based projects. Based on lessons learned, school leaders share tips for establishing and nurturing local partnerships with organizations, businesses, and government agencies which are critical to the success of… Read More ›
Learner-Centered Culture Includes Educators, Too
Ask an adult who is not an educator to describe a classroom, and you might still hear something like this: “A teacher is standing in front and lecturing to students seated neatly in rows. Everyone is on the same page of the textbook and doing the same exercises because there’s a quiz tomorrow and everyone… Read More ›
Meriden Public Schools
This is the official website of the Meriden, Connecticut, public schools and the City of Meriden Board of Education. Parents, family members, students, staff, and the public can use this site as an informative online resource for information on all schools, specific departments of the BOE, and other valuable resources. Several schools within this district… Read More ›
8 Principles to Help You Advance to Flipped Learning 3.0
This short article summarizes tips for school leaders interested in flipped learning provided by pioneer Jon Bergmann at the ISTE 2017 conference. In the flipped learning model direct instruction occurs at home, often through videos or other technology, and class time is reserved for rich interactive activities that expand on the content. This article will… Read More ›
Comparing Good Jobs to Good Classrooms: Essential Elements for Supporting People to Learn, Persist, and Succeed
Originally posted on September 19 on Jobs for the Future Recently, I read an employer profile for the Kentucky-based materials manufacturer Universal Woods, written by Steven Dawson. Universal Woods is a manufacturer of hard surface panels and flooring headquartered in Louisville, KY, with 200 employees, and operations in Ohio, Australia, and Belgium. To many, Universal Woods… Read More ›