Topic: Teaching & Learning
Transforming Schools through Expanded Learning Time
Orchard Gardens K-8 Pilot School (OGPS) opened in 2003 amidst much fanfare. Its $30 million building represented a large-scale effort to revitalize one of Boston’s poorest communities. But for its first seven years, OGPS was plagued by low academic performance and high staff turnover. From 2003 to 2010, Orchard Gardens... Read the full article >
A Student's Perspective
If you walked into a traditional high school today and asked 100 students if they liked school, I would guess that very few of them would say, yes. Maybe some of you have heard these comments, “Why do we have to learn about this? I am never going to use... Read the full article >
Confronting Barriers to Learning to Help All Children Succeed
It is a daunting challenge. Across the country, states, districts and schools are carrying out systemic strategies to revamp curricula and strengthen the capacity of teachers to implement Common Core State Standards. Educators must bring students from all backgrounds and differing levels of knowledge and skills to higher standards of... Read the full article >
Deeper Learning: The New Normal
There is growing consensus in states across the nation that the primary goal of the K–12 education system is to prepare all students to graduate from high school ready for college and careers. There is even agreement that for students to be college and career ready they need the same... Read the full article >
A New Paradigm - Putting All Students in the Driver's Seat
Today’s students are more connected, more aware and more in touch than any earlier generation. They’re connected to technologies that personalize and empower independent learning. Developing skills to navigate the wealth of knowledge and resources available to them today; they often become their own best teacher. They learn to love... Read the full article >
Strengthening Teacher Evaluation in the Age of Accountability
Teacher accountability in the United States is in a period of transformation. In July 2012, the 26th state received an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Flexibility Waiver, marking relief for more than half of the states from many of the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. In exchange,... Read the full article >
Technology Bringing Professionals and Students Together
How can we realistically expect to transition away from a factory model of education when we’re still using factory measurements of success? Although historically students have been evaluated heavily based on their GPA and test scores, a 21st century education can no longer be measured by what begins and ends... Read the full article >
Portable Records and Learner Profiles
This article is a summary of Data Backpacks: Portable Records & Learner Profiles, one of the papers in the DLN Smart Series produced by Digital Learning Now! in partnership with ExcelinEd and Getting Smart. The series was created to provide specific guidance regarding adoption of Common Core State Standards and... Read the full article >
Questions to Guide Technology Integration
I asked them several questions, and I have included in this article some that I believe are most important. Some of these questions are adapted from the Principals Technology Leadership Assessment from Castle and others are questions of my own. Some of these questions are for the leader, while others... Read the full article >
Student Focused Learning
Today’s education system was built to standardize the way we teach and test. This worked well when most students would progress from school to an industrial job. However, students are expected to perform more complex tasks in today’s workplace, when the current education system does not adequately prepare students for... Read the full article >