Reading Apprenticeship
This website includes an overview of the Reading Apprenticeship approach to literacy instruction, information on the research base, and details about the professional development services offered, which include teacher institutes, coaching, and online courses. Through this approach to literacy instruction, teachers apprentice students into the ways of reading, writing, thinking, talking, and reasoning in their particular discipline. Students are… Read More ›
Getting to Know Students Deeply
This blog explores ways to use student voice as a form of data to help improve culturally responsive teaching practices. The author poses the question, “how do we know we’re culturally responsive if we’re not listening to our students?”. She details 6 ways to collect valuable information from students including: one-on-one interviews, focus groups, feedback… Read More ›
The Role of Advisory in Personalizing the Secondary Experience
This article looks at the role of advisory in personalizing learning experiences in high schools. Through development of strong adult/student relationships and self efficacy skills, advisory can help students map out their personal learning plans through high school and beyond. This article outlines 5 core elements that should be part of any advisory system as… Read More ›
Personalized Learning for All: Actions for States to Make Aspirations a Reality
This report by the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) looks at the potential of large scale shifts to personalized learning for students with disabilities. Based on interview with close to 100 leaders in Colorado, New Hampshire, and North Carolina, including expert practitioners, researchers, policy leaders, parents, and others, NCLD identified benefits and associated challenges… 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 ›
Competency-Based Education: Staying Shallow or Going Deep?
This report examines what it means to be competent in the 21st century. It begins with an overview of competency-based education. It then explores the competencies needed for career and college readiness with attention given to existing personal and deeper learning competency frameworks. The report concludes that competency in the 21st century must include academics as well as… Read More ›
How to Plan Instruction Using the Video Game Model
In this blog entry, teacher and neurologist, Judy Willis, explores ways to apply the motivation tactics used in video games to engage students. She discusses how teachers provide students with achievable challenges that are based on individual needs and grow with their mastery of the skills and content. She explores in detail: The role 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 ›
State Policy & K-12 Competency-Based Education
This issue brief from iNACOL offers advice for state leaders who want to support policy for K-12 competency-based education. The brief includes background on the development of and an overview of competency, sometimes called mastery-based education. It features a series of recommendations for state policy-makers hoping to stimulate a shift towards competency-based education or nurture… 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 ›