10 Expectations for a Student-Centered Learning Environment
This video provides 10 expectations for a student-centered learning environment. We hear often of the “high expectations” schools must have of and for their students, yet we seldom hear of the expectations students have of their schools. Students’ expectations constitute the new “rules of engagement” in the relationship that young people want with their schools.… Read More ›
New Teacher Survival Guide: Differentiating Instruction
This 13 minute video features a new chemistry teacher working with an expert in differentiated instruction to modify a lesson to meet the needs of the diverse learners in her classroom. She tries several strategies, including tiered word problems and group work, and discusses her successes and challenges. To facilitate sharing and self reflection,The Teaching… Read More ›
Edutopia: Comprehensive Assessment
The Comprehensive Assessment portion of the Edutopia website connects educators to a large number of Edutopia resources, including articles, discussions, videos, tip sheets, and guides that delve into the challenges of providing comprehensive assessment. Developed by: The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) Audience: Educators, pre-service educators, professional development providers Potential Use: Professional Development – self-guided… Read More ›
Extended Learning Opportunities
Heather Cole of Pittsfield Middle-High School talks about her extended learning opportunity working for the Pittsfield Police Academy.
Portland Students Talk About Student-Centered Learning
Portland students Kate Pontius and Hallie Repeta explain what student-centered learning looks like in Portland, Maine.
Teaching Perseverance and Resilience
Paul Tough’s best-seller, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, dramatically underscores what cognitive psychologists like Carol Dweck and Angela Duckworth have found in their research: that character—not cognition—is central to success and that character can be taught. Terms like growth mindset, perseverance, and resilience have entered the vocabulary of educators… Read More ›
Student and Youth Voice: Asking, Listening, and Taking Action
This collection from What Kids Can Do (WKCD) focuses on student and youth voice. This resource includes links to: the products and protocols of four national WKCD student voice and research projects; WKCD’s “Fires” book series in which students are co-investigators into critical topics in teaching and learning; a toolkit of student voice discussion starters,… Read More ›
The Mysterious Workings of the Adolescent Brain: A Virtual Visit with Cognitive Scientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore
Sarah-Jayne Blakemore delivers a lively TED talk and recorded interview. She introduces the ways the adolescent brain is different from the adult brain and provides a glimpse at how one leading neuroscientist in the field approaches her work. Edge.org commentary: The Adolescent Brain TED Talk: The Mysterious Workings of the Adolescent Brain Audience: Educators, Pre-service… Read More ›
Inside the Teenage Brain: A Six-Part Television Series
This six-part series chronicles how scientists are exploring the recesses of the brain and finding some new explanations for why adolescents behave the way they do. The website that supports the series includes a rich collection of videos, links to research and other online resources about the brain, interactive diagrams, and practical tips. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/ (Also… Read More ›
What is Blended Learning?
This five-minute video advocates for bringing the blended learning approach—mixing the use of personalized education technology with hands on classroom work, to students nationwide. It features footage of principals, teachers, parents, and students explaining the approach and its benefits, including increasing student engagement and ownership of their own learning through personalization. The Learning Accelerator, which… Read More ›
In Charge: Student-Led Conferences at Pittsfield Middle High School
A small rural school in southern New Hampshire is undergoing major school change towards more student-centered learning. This video showcases their work with Student-Led Conferences, in which high school students prepare a portfolio of work and lead a presentation with their parents, advisor, and invited guest. Attendance at the conferences is far higher than the… Read More ›
Student-centered Assessment Video Suite
What does student-centered assessment look like in the classroom? How do students benefit from this type of assessment? Why do teachers implement these practices in their classrooms? The Students at the Center project, in conjunction with Dr. Heidi Andrade, Ed.D. and the students and teachers from IS 223 (Brooklyn, NY), produced this suite of videos… Read More ›