The Art of Reflection
Student portfolios can provide an alternative way to assess student work. Yet, they can become simply a catalog of things students have learned or an add-on at the end of a unit. In this blog post, Beth Holland, Johns Hopkins University doctoral candidate and EdTechTeacher instructor, offers ideas to ensure portfolios truly support student centered… Read More ›
Rethinking State Accountability to Support Personalized, Competency-Based Learning in K-12 Education
This issue brief from Aurora Institute shares state policy recommendations and resources for policymakers who are ready to rethink state accountability systems to support student-centered learning. With the passage of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states gain considerably more authority and autonomy over the design of school accountability systems. This shift in responsibility… Read More ›
How to Build Community Leaders of Today—and Tomorrow—Through Student Genius Hours
This article describes how a middle school Language Arts teacher in Omaha, Nebraska has used genius hours to extend student learning and build agency, all while strengthening community. Jen Schneider introduced Genius Hour by allowing students 1 hour a week to work on a self-selected project. Students must set out to answer a question and… Read More ›
Waukesha STEM Academy Series
This four-part series featuring Waukesha STEM Academy (WSA) is part of a series on personalized, proficiency-based education in Wisconsin. This blog post gives an introduction to what’s happening state-wide. WSA is a competency-based school with personalized learning for all 300 students it serves. It spans grades 6-8, but students move at their own pace and… Read More ›
Want to Set Students Up for Success? Make Room for Vulnerability
This article, written by a student, describes the culture at One Stone school in Boise, Idaho. One Stone is a student-led and directed nonprofit committed to making students better leaders and the world a better place. The school is free and open to any student. Much of the work at One Stone occurs through Design… 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 ›
6 Strategies for Promoting Student Autonomy
This article introduces six concrete strategies teachers can use to foster independence in the classroom. The strategies can be used to support a flexible classroom in which students are working on their own or in small groups on a variety of tasks at one time. Teachers should model the strategies and give students multiple opportunities… Read More ›
ASCD Citizens in the Making Resources
Two resources from the ASCD Express issue Citizens in the Making highlight ideas and resources for teachers who want to incorporate more project-based projects that will allow students to use their voices to inact change in their local communities. Teaching for Active Citizenship: Ideas and Resources describes several active citizen projects in which students take on… 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 ›
Catalyzing Equity Through Culturally Responsive Education and Competency-Based Education
This article introduces a tool and video created by the Mastery Collaborative, a program of the Office of Postsecondary Readiness in the New York City Department of Education, to help educators improve equity in their classrooms and schools. The Mastery Collaborative has identified how practices of culturally responsive education go hand-in-hand with mastery-based learning practices, as… Read More ›
Making Media Literacy Central to Digital Citizenship
While there are many new technologies coming into the classroom, video has been used consistently by students in and out of school for many years. The author of this article, a Director at Common Sense Education, asserts that students should learn to harness video to to bring about positive change, becoming savvy digital citizens. This… Read More ›