‘Principal’ed Teaching and Innovative Student-Centered Practices
This was originally posted on the Center for Collaborative Education on May 4, 2017. Adrian Robbins and Elijah Wright, 10th-graders at the Met School, filmed and edited an accompanying video for Students at the Center Hub. Did you know the title “Principal” comes from the fact that the principal was originally known as the “principal teacher”… Read More ›
Getting Real About Career Readiness: A Focus on Cross-Sector Competencies
This Paper shares learnings from the Global Learning Network 2017 Convening of World-Leading Learners, hosted by America Achieves, in partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Leaders from 30 countries reflected on the changing nature of the economy and job sectors and the impact on education in the 21st century. This paper… Read More ›
Personalized Learning Plans How-to Guide
This free guide from Edmentum, a provider of curriculum and instructional management and assessment tools, demystifies personalized learning plans (PLPs). The guide outlines 10 actionable steps to define essential components of a personalized learning plan. This infographic provides a simple snapshot of the 10 steps. The guide also includes guiding questions and examples of effective… Read More ›
How to Find, Curate, and Assess OER
This short article provides practical suggestions to help educators find and use open education resources (OERs) effectively to personalize learning and build dynamic curriculum. It includes links to many online resources to help teachers access available OERs, as well as organize them so they are easier to use. Teachers of any subject who want to… Read More ›
Arriving at a Definition of Learning
In this thoughtful article, the author, a veteran teacher, pushes the education community to define and deliver learning in a way that maximizes student agency. She defines learning as active, social, and meaningful. She encourages all stakeholders to see personalized and blended learning and differentiated instruction as interdependent components of great learning experiences that meet… Read More ›
5 Ways to Build Real Teacher-Student Connections for the Year Ahead
In this article, a veteran teacher shares ideas to create meaningful relationships with students. She asserts the importance of personal individual relationships to support students’ engagement. She includes practical tips and suggestions to begin building these relationships from the first day of school. This practical advice will be helpful for teachers of any subject at… Read More ›
Five Ways to Help Students Ask Better Questions
In this article, the author explores practical ways to help students learn to generate their own essential questions. It looks at the important role of active inquiry in fostering deep learning and then unpacks 5 strategies to help students develop this important skill. These suggestions can be used by teachers in any subject or grade… Read More ›
Owning the Classroom Together
In this article from ASCD’s Educational Leadership Magazine a professor and veteran teacher, describes her efforts create a positive classroom culture to support learning. She started each year asking students the question: “Do you think we can create a classroom that works for every person here?” From this the class worked to create management routines for starting class,… Read More ›
Reading on Competency-Based Education
This article provides a great overview of key texts to help any educator or education leader better understand competency education. The author provides suggestions for stakeholders at different phases of implementation and understandings, including: Newcomers looking to understand competency education Districts moving to the commitment stage For those looking to anticipate issues and challenges Working… Read More ›
LearnNext: Pedagogical Approaches
This course focuses on the changing role that educators play as they implement pedagogical approaches that promote learner agency. Specifically, participants will define learner-centered learning, differentiate between learner-centered and teacher-centered learning, assess their own learner/teacher-centered behaviors, explore case studies and pedagogical approaches that support learner agency, and select a new pedagogical practice to incorporate into the classroom.… Read More ›
A National Landscape Scan of Personalized Learning in K-12 Education in the United States
This publication provides findings from a national survey of teachers and students to underscore how, and to what extent, core elements of personalized learning are taking hold in K-12 schools and districts across the United States. iNACOL partnered with the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), NORC at the University of Chicago, and LEAP Innovations… Read More ›
What “Mastery-Based” Can Look Like in the Classroom
This article looks at a competency-based math classroom. It describes how Molly Nealeigh at Piney Grove Elementary School in North Carolina’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system uses a block period. She teaches new content for the first section and then lets students work individually, using online “pathways” she has designed. This allows students to progress at their… Read More ›