Enhancing Learning in a Virtual World: Three Tools to Increase Student Engagement and Belonging
The transition to digital learning during the pandemic further dismantled an already fragile education system. Resources that would adequately equip students to thrive in the digital world were scarce, especially for our neediest students. Educators were forced to forge ahead and foster meaningful relationships with students and families, while completely rebuilding our education system. Schools… Read More ›
How We Implemented Six Student-Centered Learning Goals to Advance Equity
I lead a small public school located in Brighton, Massachusetts called the Winship Elementary School. The Winship Elementary School is part of Boston Public Schools and serves 260 scholars — the name we give to our students — in grades K-5. Our main goal at Winship is to utilize all of our resources to meet… Read More ›
Student and Teacher Agency in Action: the Self-Direction Toolkit Development Process
Researchers tell us and employers confirm that individuals who demonstrate the 21st-century skills of self-direction, communication, creativity and collaboration excel in post-secondary and career experiences. So the more schools can support the development of those crucial skills, the more we’ll be ensuring our graduates are successful in both the workplace and college. Figuring out how… Read More ›
How Our School Shared Student-Centered Learning With Families
Over the past four years, the Winship School’s instructional focus has been to create student-centered learning environments for all students, all the time. This focus has been a major driver of our school’s success. As a result of this intentional focus and our aligned efforts, we were able to enhance our capacity to meet students’ academic,… Read More ›
One School’s Commitment to Equity Using Student-Centered Learning
We know that within the past year lower-income families have been relegated to remote learning with inconsistent or nonexistent internet service, improper removal from special education services, lack of suitable WIFI-enabled devices, insufficient or nonexistent childcare, food insecurity and innumerable other challenges. Comparatively, wealthier families have in-person classes, higher diversion rates to private schools, availability… Read More ›
Resource Round-Up: Talking About the Attack on the Capitol
The following resources are designed to help educators have critical conversations about the attack on the Capitol with their learners, peers and within their communities. Resources to help your students Resources for Talking To Students About the Attack on the Capitol Children need a safe place to express their anxiety or worries and seek answers… Read More ›
10 Drivers of Engagement You Can Use Right Now
Whether learning occurs in brick-and-mortar schools or in virtual environments, student engagement drives an impressive array of student outcomes. Eric Toshalis, Senior Director of Impact at KnowledgeWorks, uses research to present and explain ways educators can drive student engagement in their classrooms regardless of whether they are teaching virtually or in-person. Below is a list of resources… Read More ›
Personalizing Secondary Math: Productive Struggle, Rich Content and Collaboration
You might look at our below average scores on international mathematics tests and conclude that American students struggle in math, but the latest research suggests they actually don’t struggle enough. Sure, they struggle with math content, in part, because the secondary mathematics curriculum is jam-packed. Like 40 others, my state relies on the Common Core… Read More ›
Resource Round-Up: Peer Discussions
We know engaging discussion with peers builds community, leads to deeper learning and motivates students. Figuring out how to create meaningful dialogue and get every student to participate is tough in the classroom. Finding new ways to do this remotely is an even bigger challenge. So, we have compiled advice from fellow teachers to help… Read More ›
The Resources You Loved in 2020
We can all agree 2020 was a difficult year. But it did bring many opportunities for change, and Students at the Center has been here to offer a guiding hand. We hope you’ve found at least one thing to help you build a more resilient, equitable future for your classrooms and schools. Here are your… Read More ›
Resource Round Up: Project-Based Learning at a Distance
At first glance, project-based learning (PBL) may seem out of reach during remote learning. Bringing together schools, community members and business partners to engage students in authentic problem-solving may seem daunting. However, with creative adaptations, schools committed to project-based learning are continuing their work. At any school, teachers can embrace best practices and engage students… Read More ›
Strategies for Making Human-Centered Learning a Reality
Human-centered learning allows people to relate in new ways to education systems, society and the natural environment. In a recent publication, KnowledgeWorks introduces a bold, aspirational vision human-centered learning – for education that enables life-affirming experiences and outcomes for everyone involved in learning systems. The paper looks at the four essential elements of human-centered learning… Read More ›