Integrated STEM Education through Project-Based Learning
This paper outlines the research underlying successful project-based STEM education and refers educators to a unique curriculum that supports teachers to implement a project that encourages students to solve problems in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. It includes an overview of a project-based learning process that takes students through the reflection, research, discovery,… Read More ›
Talk to Teachers: Students Share How and Why They’d Change Education
This article describes a lesson in persuasive writing for high school juniors developed by an Oakland, California teacher. After studying an historic essay written by James Baldwin, students were asked to write persuasive essays detailing how they feel education could be changed to better fit their needs. The article links to audio files of six… Read More ›
To Reform a Struggling High School, try this Rhode Islander’s Approach
This article describes the work of Principal Alan Tenreiro to turn around Cumberland High School in Cumberland, Rhode Island, improving school culture, student achievement, and teacher professional development. His approach included blended learning, personalization, and commitment to the common core standards. Alan Tenreiro was named the 2016 National Principal of the Year by the National… Read More ›
Educate Maine
This organization is a business-led education advocacy organization. Its mission is to champion college and career readiness and increased education attainment. It works to see all high school students graduate career and college ready and to increase the number of Maine workers with a postsecondary degree or certificate credential. Educate Maine advocates for policy initiatives that… Read More ›
Expanded Learning Time Innovation in Massachusetts Schools
This video highlights the successes of schools in Massachusetts implementing an expanded day, adding up to 300 hours to the school year. Using many school examples, the narrator explores the innovations possible with an expanded day such as more personalization, use of technology, curriculum that focuses on problem solving and embraces the common core standards,… Read More ›
Keeping the Focus on Learning in a Tech-Rich Classroom
This article provides concrete steps to keep learning at the center such as dressing learning goals first, scaffolding learning, and assessing content not product. In a proficiency-based classroom, technology is often used to help students demonstrate mastery of a skill or concept. However, in some cases students and educators can get caught up in the excitement… Read More ›
Searching for Clarity on Formative Assessment
This article explores the various definitions of formative assessment in the field and the impact of differing understanding of the term on practice. The author asserts that while everyone agrees on its power to provide information about what students are learning in the moment,”beyond that it gets fuzzy, fast”. The article also includes links to many… Read More ›
Massachusetts’ Plan for Excellence in STEM Education 2.0: Expanding the Pipeline for All
This plan, published in 2013 by Massachusetts’ Governor Deval Patrick’s STEM Advisory Council builds on the first strategic plan written in 2010 to establish infrastructure and build support for STEM education in Massachusetts. This plan lays out five goals, including increasing interest in STEM, student achievement, number of skilled k-16 STEM educators, and percentage of STEM… Read More ›
Learning While Working: Building 21st Century Competency-Based Apprenticeships
This framework document outlines a set of key steps the National Network of Business and Industry Associations (the National Network) developed to help employers develop competency-based apprenticeships. The approach is applicable across multiple industry sectors and at companies of any size. The National Network launched in late 2013 with the mission to improve economic opportunity and quality of… Read More ›
In My Creative Classroom
In this monthly webinar series, Adobe Education Community members will inspire you, and your students, by sharing their own experiences in the creative classroom. Each presenter will open their classroom door and give you a view of their creative teaching process. You’ll learn how they develop, implement, and assess creative activities in their classroom. They’ll… Read More ›
Developing Excellent School Principals to Advance Teaching and Learning: Considerations for State Policy
This report emphasizes that every state faces a unique blend of educational, political, and financial circumstances and that, therefore, each state’s approach should fit its needs and particularities. “There is not a cookbook recipe for policy development or implementation that will work equally well in all states,” it says. “State and local adaptations will be… Read More ›
Making Time for Instructional Leadership
This three-volume report describes the “SAM process,” an approach that about 700 schools around the nation are using to direct more of principals’ time and effort to improve teaching and learning in classrooms. Research has shown that a principal’s instructional leadership is second only to teaching among school-related influences on student success. But principals often… Read More ›