Tag Archives: Getting Smart

By: Kate Eberle Walker Women fill the significant majority of teaching roles in schools, yet they hold fewer than a third of superintendent positions nationwide. One potential silver lining in the turnover seen across many districts through the pandemic was the opportunity to correct this disparity. Yet the gap persists: 83% of the 500 largestContinue reading “Elevating Women Educators is More Important Than Ever “

With the growing interest in unpacking learning models and refining teaching and learning frameworks, foundational learning practices are resurfacing in conversations about personalized learning. One such practice gaining traction is Backward Planning by Design, also known as backward mapping, which finds its roots in the influential 1998 book, Understanding by Design, by Grant Wiggens andContinue reading “Charting the Path for Personalized Learning By Planning Backward”

When looking around the education innovation table – who is present? Are there leaders doing work for and with their local communities? Are there leaders doing work for and with students with disabilities and learning differences, specifically? What about leaders who are new to the space or are bringing new, innovative approaches to equity, education,Continue reading “The Importance of Amplifying New Voices in Education: Meet the 2023 EALA New Champion”

Two-thirds of current high schoolers and graduates say they would have benefited from more career exploration in middle or high school according to ASA research. We recently spotted two innovative approaches to addressing this guidance gap: EvolveMe, a direct-to-youth platform from ASA, and a middle grade course from Education Opens Doors.  “We’ve invested a lotContinue reading “Two Developments in Middle Grade Career Exploration “

By: Susan Corwith and Anna Houseman Opportunities and experiences at all stages of students’ lives are integral in shaping the adults they become. For today’s students, though, the pandemic stole valuable time, resulting in steep academic and social-emotional declines that will impact them for years to come.  As COVID-related disruptions disappear into the rearview mirror,Continue reading “From Classroom to Adulthood: The Importance of Talent Development from an Early Age”

By: Hannah Pier-Herendeen Forest Hills Northern High School (FHN), located in Grand Rapids, Michigan is home to several nontraditional education pathways offered to students in the Forest Hills Public Schools district. Two of the district’s programs, Project NEXT and the STEM Academy, coexist within FHN and strive to bring the “real world” into the classroomContinue reading “Project-Based Learning Programs Support Creativity and Entrepreneurship in Specialized Space”

Tacoma, Washington is home to a growing number of choice schools that offer personalized learning opportunities for its students, reflecting a trend towards more flexible and diverse educational programs. Tacoma Public Schools has taken a collaborative approach to developing its choice schools, working with teachers, parents, and community members to create schools that reflect theContinue reading “Tacoma Adding More Personalized Learning Opportunities”

After a successful career as a recording artist, David “TC” Ellis created Studio 4 in St. Paul to spot budding music stars. It became a hangout spot for creative young people, most of whom had “dropped out of school due to boredom and a sense that school wasn’t relevant to their lives and dreams.”  EllisContinue reading “Recording Arts as Reengagement Social Justice and Pathway”

Oftentimes, youth who are involved in or at risk of being involved in the juvenile justice system are being impacted by other life challenges or disabilities. These situations may have greatly affected their emotional, mental, physical, and behavioral health. The juvenile justice system is based on the idea that children and teens are not inherently violentContinue reading “E.A.R.N. The Right: Empowering At-Risk Youth with Opportunity”

I have been speaking and teaching about AI in my classroom for more than five years. I was curious to understand where we see it in the world and how to teach about it in our schools. I was also fascinated by the capabilities of AI for learning and in the world.  I reached outContinue reading “A Transformative School Year with AI”