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Innovative Education in VT

A blog exploring innovative, personalized, student-centered school change

  • ABOUT US
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    • How to use this Educator’s Guide
    • Ch 1: Defining Personalized Learning
      • 1.1 The Three Pillars of Personalized Learning
      • 1.2 The Definition of a PLP
      • 1.3 New Student & Teacher Roles
    • Ch 2: PLPs Aren’t Just For The Teacher
      • 2.1 Knowing Students Well
      • 2.2 Avoid the Pitfalls!
    • Ch 3: Laying The Groundwork for PLPs
      • 3.1 What Are Your Pedagogical Priorities?
      • 3.2 Structures to Support Personalized Learning
    • Ch 4: Starting with the Learner Profile
    • Ch 5: Flexing Your Pathways
      • 5.1 Engaging Pedagogies for All
    • Ch. 6: Scaffolding for Equitable, Deeper Learning
    • Ch 7: PLPs & Proficiency-Based Assessment
    • Ch 8: Student-led PLP conferences
    • Ch 9: Sustaining Innovation
    • Chapter References
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Author: Katy Farber

commercial curriculum
Integrated Learning Project-Based Learning 

Developing integrated units from commercial curriculum

February 3, 2021February 3, 2021 Katy Farber 0 Comments Burke Town School, Calkins units of study, integrated unit

Walking through what it looks like to take commercial curriculum and develop a vibrant, personalized integrated unit. One thing we

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pandemic service learning
Service Learning 

Service learning (during a pandemic)

February 1, 2021 Katy Farber 0 Comments

This year, I am hearing that many teachers feel they aren’t practicing the kind of teaching they believe in as

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you made it
News 

You made it.

June 12, 2020June 12, 2020 Katy Farber 0 Comments

  Everyone who is watching this? Deserves a high five, a pat on the back or the happy dance of

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We stand against systemic racism
Equity 

The other pandemic.

June 3, 2020March 23, 2021 Katy Farber 5 Comments

“What is the implication for how we understand ourselves and each other in reference to our racial identities? And if

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virtual morning meetings
Remote Learning 

Connection activities for virtual morning meetings

April 5, 2020April 12, 2022 Katy Farber 1 Comment advisory, goal-setting, identity, morning meeting

Ideas have been flying around the interwebs. Teachers want ways to connect with their students during remote learning. Creative ways

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Remote Learning 

How to use Flipgrid for daily check-ins

March 20, 2020March 22, 2020 Katy Farber 0 Comments flipgrid

I just got off a Google Meet meeting with teachers. They were trying to decide how to engage with students

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online student-led conferences
Remote Learning Student-Led Conferences 

Switching to online student led conferences

March 16, 2020March 16, 2020 Katy Farber 2 Comments #Zoom, Google Hangout

We had been preparing for spring student led conferences for months. Feedback had been reviewed. Plans had been coordinated. Schedules

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Student-Led Conferences 

How to design pre-conference conversations with families

October 4, 2019May 22, 2021 Katy Farber 0 Comments

  Part of shifting to personalized learning is centering students in the traditional parent-teacher conference. They need to lead the

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What could it look like to be active together, talking and problem-solving first thing in the morning?
Transferable Skills 

5 fresh ways to power up morning meetings

September 6, 2019September 10, 2019 Katy Farber 1 Comment morning meeting, Newsela, The State of the Class, Warren Elementary School, What's Up in the World?

  Morning meetings are the norm in many K-6 and K-8 schools in Vermont. They’re a great way to empower

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Stories from VT Students ThisIsVTED 

Can Minecraft save the world?

May 24, 2019June 4, 2019 Katy Farber 0 Comments Global Goals, minecraft, Ottauquechee School

These 4th graders say yes. With a little help from the UN’s Global Goals. Students at Ottauquechee Elementary School took

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Diversity Detectives library audit banner
Uncategorized 

Ottauquechee’s Diversity Detectives in:

May 17, 2019May 19, 2019 Katy Farber 0 Comments equity, Ottauquechee School

The Case of The Library Diversity Audit Whose stories are being told in your library? Whose stories are being left

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fleet of vans transportation equity
Equity 

Vermont schools have a transportation equity problem.

April 26, 2019March 23, 2021 Katy Farber 0 Comments #fleetofvans, Act 77, equity, rural schooling, transportation

When I travel to schools around Vermont, I hear many versions of the same concerns: Going anywhere from our school

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real world rural project-based learning
Identity Real World PBL 

Real World: Cabot

April 19, 2019April 20, 2019 Katy Farber 3 Comments The Cabot School

Rural life and project-based learning You might find students on the skating rink in front of the school, helping out

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Project-Based Learning 

PBL or PB&J?

March 13, 2019October 7, 2019 Katy Farber 0 Comments

How can you tell the difference between projects and project-based learning? Turns out, even though they both might involve snazzy

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student-directed classroom
Action Research 

Toward a student-directed classroom

February 11, 2019April 1, 2019 Katy Farber 0 Comments MGC, Ottauquechee School

Releasing responsibility in Ottauquechee Ottauquechee Elementary School teacher Kim Dumont had a vision. She wanted to build her students’s self-direction

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Ottauquechees global connections
Flipped Classrooms 

How can students make global connections?

February 1, 2019April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 0 Comments Empatico, global connection, global education, Ottauquechee School

  From Vermont to Mexico and back, via Smart Board As the world becomes increasingly more connected, so should our

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"The students at Brattleboro Area Middle School present..."
Equity 

Unpacking equity in Passion Projects and Genius Hours

January 9, 2019March 22, 2021 Katy Farber 0 Comments equity, genius hours, the benefits of being an octopus

Equity in education has — and needs — many lenses. The work is hard, the work is myriad, the work

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Getting On The PBL Highway Project-Based Learning Service Learning 

Introducing: asset mapping

December 3, 2018October 7, 2019 Katy Farber 1 Comment

Starting with strengths Imagine you’re reading a written reflection from a student. This particular student writes so beautifully of the

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summer mindsets
News 

5 summer mindsets to bring into this year

September 12, 2018September 11, 2018 Katy Farber 1 Comment back-to-school, mindfulness, summer

It’s September. Your feet have probably not stopped moving for a few weeks, with the start of school, the meetings,

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STEAM at Ottauquechee
Project-Based Learning Stories from VT Students 

How to build up STEAM

June 6, 2018April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 0 Comments flipgrid, Makerspaces, Ottauquechee School, proficiency-based learning, self-directed learning, transferable skills

Making time for making at Ottauquechee STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics — gives students the opportunity to

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Project-Based Learning 

Reflecting on your PBL

May 9, 2018May 10, 2018 Katy Farber 0 Comments

How did it go? It can be easy to end your project-based learning experiences with students in a big heap

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Humans of Burke
Community-based learning Real World PBL Stories from VT Students 

Developing empathy for your community

April 13, 2018September 19, 2018 Katy Farber 2 Comments Burke Town School

Meet the Humans of Burke So many schools operate in isolation from the very communities they are situated in. Do

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Burke Town School community gardens
Project-Based Learning Real World PBL Stories from VT Students 

Using student TED Talks to showcase learning

March 29, 2018September 19, 2018 Katy Farber 1 Comment Burke Town School, TED Talks, The Cabot School

TED Talks are short, personal powerful storytelling. Now: how can students use this medium as motivation to learn, to explore

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Project-Based Learning 

6 ways teachers are using Padlet

February 28, 2018July 10, 2018 Katy Farber 0 Comments padlet, Proctor Elementary School

Virtual bulletin boards to go! Staying organized as a teacher can be a major challenge. Between student work, teacher plans,

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Uncategorized 

The 8th grade consultants shaping education at Burke Town School

February 12, 2018February 13, 2018 Katy Farber 1 Comment Burke Town School

The power of the student consult If you’re wondering what engages, excites and motivates students, the answer is easy: ask

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community event Burke
Project-Based Learning Real World PBL 

Kick off project-based learning with a community event

February 7, 2018April 13, 2022 Katy Farber 4 Comments Burke Town School, Global Goals, Google Forms

Hope launches in the Northeast Kingdom As part of participating in the UN’s Global Goals, students at Burke Town School,

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Erika Saunders, Learning Maximizer
Project-Based Learning 

Are you a “Learning Maximizer”?

January 15, 2018April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 0 Comments special education

How do you maximize student learning? What are the ways we can do this, and how might our roles and

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use service learning Cabot Leads
Project-Based Learning Service Learning 

Introducing “Cabot Leads”

December 11, 2017April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 0 Comments community school, community schooling, community-based learning, Launch Pad, leadership, project-based learning, service learning, The Cabot School

Use service learning to grow your community What do you do when you’re a 5th-through-8th middle school housed in two

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Project-Based Learning 

Go global with your PBL

November 27, 2017November 27, 2017 Katy Farber 5 Comments global education

Tech tools, tips & inspiration The world is BIG. And overwhelming at times. Especially for our students, who hear bits

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Race Against Racism VT
Equity Flexible Pathways Project-Based Learning Real World PBL Stories from VT Students 

Race Against Racism VT

November 17, 2017April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 2 Comments community school, community schooling, community-based learning, Montpelier High School, social justice

It all starts with an idea. Races Against Racism have taken place around the country, and last spring, a community

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Project-Based Learning Service Learning 

3 strategies to create supportive structures during project time

November 5, 2017October 7, 2019 Katy Farber 0 Comments

Why structure? One of the most intimidating things about starting to do service and project based learning in the classroom

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Project-Based Learning 

4 ways to make math more relevant

October 11, 2017November 30, 2018 Katy Farber 3 Comments Edmunds Middle School, math, Williston Central School

Standard 3-part story-driven post: 1) what it is, 2) what it looks like in a school, 3) how to do it in your school

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Uncategorized 

Courage lives on

September 24, 2017April 19, 2018 Katy Farber 0 Comments #everydaycourage

  This fall, we’ve been talking  about everyday courage in schools. We’ve written about the courage it takes to start a

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Uncategorized 

Diverse books for conversations around identity

August 30, 2017June 18, 2018 Katy Farber 0 Comments #everydaycourage, literacy, media literacy, social justice

The birth of a YA teacher’s book club “Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong.

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Uncategorized 

Laying the groundwork for effective teaching teams

August 23, 2017August 29, 2022 Katy Farber 1 Comment #everydaycourage, Canva, co-teaching, flipgrid, Google Docs, teaming, Thinglink

Or, What to Bring to the First Staff Potluck Opening up to fellow educators can be hard. We all know

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take your PBL to the next level
Project-Based Learning 

Take project-based learning to the next level

June 3, 2017April 13, 2022 Katy Farber 2 Comments Currier Memorial School, Hazen Union School, Shelburne Community School

3 ways to plan for PBL 2.0 You’ve dipped your toe into project based learning. You’ve planned an entry event, shared

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Uncategorized 

8 year-end reflection tools and activities

May 22, 2017May 22, 2017 Katy Farber 0 Comments Proctor Elementary School, reflection, student reflection, teacher reflection

Reflect, celebrate and plan Oh, the spring. Such a busy time for teachers. There are all those transition meetings, already

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Flexible Classroom Spaces 

8 ideas for outdoor learning

May 12, 2017May 12, 2017 Katy Farber 0 Comments

Expand your classroom and keep kids engaged The weather is getting nicer. The sun is finally out. And you are

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makerspaces and project-based learning
Project-Based Learning 

4 ideas for using a makerspace to support PBL

May 5, 2017November 30, 2018 Katy Farber 0 Comments makerspace, Makerspaces, Proctor Elementary School

How do project-based learning and makerspaces fit together? Making and PBL may look like two completely different educational movements, but in

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Project-Based Learning 

4 ways to use Virtual Reality in project-based learning

March 31, 2017March 9, 2021 Katy Farber 2 Comments Google Expeditions, Proctor Elementary School, virtual reality. augmented reality

VR’s real world impact on students Virtual reality is exciting and many of our students are already using this technology in gaming

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Uncategorized 

4 more ways to help middle schoolers get organized

March 18, 2017April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 0 Comments Christ the King School, Google Classroom, padlet, Wunderlist

Standard 3-part story-driven post: 1) what it is, 2) what it looks like in a school, 3) how to do it in your school

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Uncategorized 

4 ways to help middle school students organize their tech

March 16, 2017March 16, 2017 Katy Farber 2 Comments Christ the King School, Harwood Union Middle School, Peoples Academy Middle Level

Standard 3-part story-driven post: 1) what it is, 2) what it looks like in a school, 3) how to do it in your school

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sustained silent reading
Action Research 

Can sustained silent reading help reluctant readers?

March 8, 2017April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 1 Comment literacy, MGC, Poultney Middle School, sustained silent reading

How student choice can support literacy English teacher Laela Warnecke set out to answer one question: “How might sustained silent reading impact

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Uncategorized 

How to fight fake news in the field

February 27, 2017April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 0 Comments Canva, fake news, media literacy, Newsela, social justice

Standard 3-part story-driven post: 1) what it is, 2) what it looks like in a school, 3) how to do it in your school

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Innovative Edtech Classrooms 

4 resources for fighting fake news

February 24, 2017February 24, 2017 Katy Farber 4 Comments digital citizenship, fake news, Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School

Standard 3-part story-driven post: 1) what it is, 2) what it looks like in a school, 3) how to do it in your school

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Service Learning 

iLead: a model for service learning and leadership

February 13, 2017April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 1 Comment iLead, Rumney Memorial School

Personalization for school-based service learning Looking for a way to harness students’ energy while giving them meaningful work that appeals to

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Project-Based Learning Real World PBL 

Project-based learning: Extreme weather PBL unit

January 24, 2017November 25, 2019 Katy Farber 1 Comment Proctor Elementary School

 This is Real World PBL Now we’ve been down the PBL highway, looking at PBL planning, entry events, supports for

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culminating events Proctor Elementary School PBL
Getting On The PBL Highway Project-Based Learning 

Culminating Events for Project-Based Learning

January 11, 2017September 14, 2018 Katy Farber 1 Comment Proctor Elementary School, The Cabot School

Honor scholars with an authentic audience for their work The culminating event! It’s the lovely finish line of a Project-Based

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Getting On The PBL Highway Project-Based Learning 

Assessment in Project-Based Learning

December 6, 2016June 26, 2017 Katy Farber 1 Comment Proctor Elementary School

Signs along the way Assessments can be hard to create and manage, but they are a necessary part of PBL.

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PBL notes
Getting On The PBL Highway Project-Based Learning 

8 methods for reflection in project-based learning

November 29, 2016April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 4 Comments reflection

It’s where the learning is It is easy to not plan time for reflection in project-based learning (PBL) because there

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Getting On The PBL Highway Project-Based Learning 

Scaffolds to support PBL learners

November 18, 2016June 26, 2017 Katy Farber 0 Comments Proctor Elementary School

Ways to support project-based learning Some people have the mistaken idea that PBL is just when you point students in

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Getting On The PBL Highway Project-Based Learning 

Brainstorming and Research in PBL

November 11, 2016April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 1 Comment Proctor Elementary School

You’ve done an engaging entry event. You have a plan for your PBL unit with a focused driving question. Sweet!

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Getting On The PBL Highway Project-Based Learning 

Entry events for project-based learning

November 4, 2016April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 3 Comments PBL Highway, Proctor Elementary School

Start with the dramatic, unexpected & memorable Q: What do we really want from project-based learning? A: We want students

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Getting On The PBL Highway Project-Based Learning 

Planning a PBL unit

October 25, 2016April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 1 Comment

Resources to tackle project-based learning Welcome to the PBL Highway, my new series aimed at helping you on the road

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video for content areas
Reflection 

3 types of videos for showcasing content areas

October 7, 2016November 30, 2018 Katy Farber 0 Comments digital storytelling, digital video, Edmunds Middle School, Mill River Union High School, St. Francis Xavier, The Cabot School, The Edge @ Essex Middle School

Structures & examples for student filmmakers Many students love working with video. Students can create videos for any subject to

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Project-Based Learning 

Project-Based Learning in the primary grades

October 3, 2016 Katy Farber 0 Comments Seesaw

8 great ways to approach PBL in the primary grades Picture this: you have a class of primary-grade students. Say

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Uncategorized 

8 tips for creating classroom routines and norms

September 26, 2016April 13, 2022 Katy Farber 3 Comments #readytolaunch, Hazen Union School

There is no tired like teachers at the beginning (or end) of the school year are tired. Establishing routines, procedures,

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Project-Based Learning 

Service Learning 101: a guide for busy teachers

September 16, 2016April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 2 Comments service learning

How to get started with service learning Service learning can play a key role in middle level curriculum, yet it

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Flexible Classroom Spaces 

Designing learning spaces for students

September 2, 2016April 12, 2022 Katy Farber 1 Comment #readytolaunch

Create open, flexible, engaging spaces for active student learning. The beginning of the school year! Desks, mailboxes, coat hooks labeled.

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Project-Based Learning 

Creating a PBL culture from Day One

August 29, 2016April 29, 2022 Katy Farber 2 Comments #readytolaunch, The Edge @ Essex Middle School

Build a community to support project-based learning I bet you have big dreams of creative, innovative projects and engaged students

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News 

Middle Grades Institute Reflections

July 13, 2016July 13, 2016 Katy Farber 0 Comments Middle Grades Institute (MGI)

I’ve just returned from the Middle Grades Institute, and honestly, I am still reeling. My brain is finally slowing down

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ePortfolios Project-Based Learning Self-directed learning 

Learn Like a Pirate: Key takeaways

July 7, 2016April 12, 2022 Katy Farber 1 Comment digital portfolio, digital portfolios, e-portfolios, eportfolios, personalized learning, personalized learning plan, personalized learning plans, PLP, PLPs, portfolio, portfolios, summer reading

Katy’s 2016 Summer Reading Something about this book title and summer reading fits perfectly. The open ocean, pirates, and fierce

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