Youth Leading Youth and Transforming Education
This article advocates for youth agency over learning. It was written by a student from the Leadership Board of GripTape, a youth-led organization that works to build a network and share the message that all youth have the potential and capacity to learn anything they want. The article describes the work of the organization including… Read More ›
The 5th (C) of 21st Century Skills? Try Computational Thinking (Not Coding)
This article was originally posted in EdSurge on February 25, 2018. For better or worse, computing is pervasive, changing how and where people work, collaborate, communicate, shop, eat, travel, learn and quite simply, live. From the arts to sciences and politics, no field has been untouched. The last decade has also seen the rise of disciplines… Read More ›
Have You Ever Seen a Black Band-Aid?
As I have thought about describing my experiences with racial inequity in America, I wanted to do more than simply talk about the overt signs of bigotry we see in the headlines. It certainly would be easy to point to police violence against young black males and other sensational yet sobering news stories in the… Read More ›
Don’t ask which ed tech products work, ask why they work
Editor’s note: This story led off this week’s Future of Learning newsletter, which is delivered free to subscribers’ inboxes every Tuesday with trends and top stories about education innovation. Subscribe today! What makes educational technology initiatives succeed or fail? Hint: It’s not just the technology. A new nonprofit, formed out of the Jefferson Education Accelerator… Read More ›
12 Educational Apps To Create Digital Portfolios
This article provides a list of apps to help students create digital portfolios. Digital portfolios can support learning by allowing students and teachers to measure growth over time. The author includes a short description of each app which note features and price for each app. These apps can be used by any educator teaching any… Read More ›
Designing Engaging Assignments
This resource aims to help teachers design engaging assignments that can challenge students in innovative ways. Beth Pandolpho shares three suggestions to make assignments more dynamic at school in order to provide deeper learning and keep students more engaged. The three suggestions to help students understand the value of the work they do are: Provide… Read More ›
5 of the Best Rubric Making Tools for Teachers
This blog article provides background on the use of rubrics as well as tips for creation. It gives a quick overview of the reasons to use rubrics in the classroom. It describes five online tools for creating rubrics. It also provides links to additional resources to learn more about rubrics. This description of online tools… Read More ›
Here’s What Happens When Every Student Gets a Personalized Learning Plan
This article was originally posted in EdSurge on April 19, 2018 High school sophomore Olivia Surdam thought she wanted to have a career in healthcare as a doctor or nurse, but after recognizing that her sensitive stomach would cause barriers for a career path in patient care, Surdam started considering other options with her advisory teacher.… Read More ›
6 Steps to Ensuring ILPs Better Support Inclusive Personalized Learning
In this article, authors Ace Parsi and Curtis Richards highlight the importance of individualized learning plans (ILPs) to increase engagement in school, especially for students with disabilities. Research shows that when implemented well, ILPs can lead to stronger academic goal-setting, self-efficacy, and motivation. The authors recommend the following key actions to ensure students with disabilities fully… Read More ›
Kids Need More Personalized Learning to Keep Them in School
This article was originally posted in Youth Today on April 11, 2018 I recently reconnected with two of my best and brightest former fifth-grade students; let’s call them Maya and Avery. While I have kept up with them via social media, I have not seen them in more than 10 years. Both women are now… Read More ›
10 Reasons Why You Should Implement Digital Student Portfolios
In this article from the ASCD blog, Inservice, a principal outlines many reasons to use digital portfolios in support of student-centered learning. Digital portfolios are online collections of learning artifacts intentionally curated to showcase a student’s accomplishments and growth over time. Amongst other advantages, they highlight the process of learning, encourage students to be self directed… Read More ›
Flex Time: Schools Break Out of Scheduling Ruts to Improve Learning for Students, teachers
This resource highlights the importance of tailoring time to students’ needs and using flex time as a key component of personalized learning. Adapting to students and teachers’ schedules can help schools plan, collaborate and develop professional learning for the courses and classroom. This tool can help educators to build in more flexibility and allow for less… Read More ›