View from the Trenches of Implementing A Successful 1:1 Program
Read part one of this series. Technology integration coaches’ responsibilities depend on a district’s vision, access to technology and teacher comfort levels with digital tools. As the technology integration coach at Portsmouth Middle School in Rhode Island, I provide general technology support and professional development trainings for the entire school, although most of my time is spent working… Read More ›
1:1 Implementation: Practical Tips & Insights from a Tech Integration Coach
People are usually surprised when they hear that I am the technology integration coach at Portsmouth Middle School in Portsmouth, Rhode Island because in most school systems, this position doesn’t exist. Although I am hardly an impartial observer, I think that many people who work with coaches like me would agree that we’re integral (pun… Read More ›
Personalized Learning, the Navajo Way
This article, from the perspective of a principal, superintendent and mentor of indigenous schools for over forty years, looks at personalized learning and student choice with the lens of cultural responsiveness. The author describes personalization at STAR (Service To All Relations) School, a K-8 School in Navajo Nation, which is grounded in Navajo values with a keen… Read More ›
Next Generation Learning Models for English Language Learners: Promising Practices and Considerations for Teaching and Learning
This paper highlights trends to advance learning for English language learner (ELL) students. It outlines promising practices and considerations for designing ideal learning environments for ELL success and features case studies and examples from schools and programs creating personalized, competency-based learning environments for ELL students. This paper will interest educators and education leaders who want… Read More ›
A Guide for Engaging ELL Families: Twenty Strategies for School Leaders
This guide, developed by Colorín Colorado, an organization that supports English language learner (ELL) educators and students, shares useful strategies schools can employ to engage bilingual students and their families. The guide includes six sections: Connection with ELL families Communicating Important Information Parent Participation Parents as Leaders Community Partnerships Creating a Plan Each section offers… Read More ›
How to Design a School That Prioritizes Kindness and Caring
This article shares the success story of Carrollwood Day School in Florida, chronicling the efforts of school leadership and students to make compassion a cornerstone of their educational model. With students at the helm, the school partnered with Harvard’s Making Caring Common project and started a series of small changes, such as a kindness initiative in… Read More ›
The Seven Principles for Inclusive Education
This framework outlines seven principles that can serve as a foundation for teacher training and professional development focused on equity. The framework was developed by Tanenbaum, an organization that works to combat religious discrimination and hate. It comes in both a two-page, and an in-depth format filled with strategies and suggestions. Some of the principles include: How… Read More ›
Personalized Learning with Matt and Courtney
This podcast is hosted by Courtney, a K-12 instructional coach in Maine, and Matt, a district administrator and former math teacher. They explore the dos and don’ts of learner-centered proficiency-based education in personable, plain, jargon-free language and offer practical advice from practitioners to practitioners. In the first episode, they lay out some basics for the… Read More ›
When Personalized Learning Includes Skateboarding: One Suburban District’s Dramatic Transformation
This article, a case study of Vista High School in San Diego, highlights the school’s move to personalized learning. Vista is seen as a high-profile national test run of a personalized-learning approach in a large, comprehensive public high school- the kind most U.S. students still attend. The article shares successes, challenges, and proposed improvements, such as… Read More ›
Building Competencies for Careers
This report draws on information from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Information Network (O*NET) to better understand the value of deeper learning competencies in the labor market. O*NET compiles surveys of employees and occupational experts to determine key characteristics and requirements of more than 900 occupations. Using this database, researchers from the Center on Education Policy (CEP)… Read More ›
Unleashing the Instructional Leadership of Librarians to Foster Future Ready Schools
This framework was created to detail the invaluable role of librarians and outline how schools can better harness their skills and knowledge to transform learning for students. The framework, developed by Future Ready Schools, focuses on librarians’ role in the development of 21st century schools that use research-based digital strategies to build personalized learning environments. The framework is… Read More ›
The Importance of Modeling Student-Centered Professional Learning
Creating student-centered learning environments is no easy task. Teachers often do not receive enough quality professional learning to provide them with the time to design student-centered learning environments. The major difficulties are that they lack the opportunity to actively provide choice and voice in their school systems and they are put under too much pressure… Read More ›