Developing integrated units from commercial curriculum
Walking through what it looks like to take commercial curriculum and develop a vibrant, personalized integrated unit. One thing we
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Author: Katy Farber
Service learning (during a pandemic)
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.
Everyone who is watching this? Deserves a high five, a pat on the back or the happy dance of
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The other pandemic.
“What is the implication for how we understand ourselves and each other in reference to our racial identities? And if
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Connection activities for virtual morning meetings
Ideas have been flying around the interwebs. Teachers want ways to connect with their students during remote learning. Creative ways
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How to use Flipgrid for daily check-ins
I just got off a Google Meet meeting with teachers. They were trying to decide how to engage with students
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Switching to online student led conferences
We had been preparing for spring student led conferences for months. Feedback had been reviewed. Plans had been coordinated. Schedules
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How to design pre-conference conversations with families
Part of shifting to personalized learning is centering students in the traditional parent-teacher conference. They need to lead the
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5 fresh ways to power up morning meetings
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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Can Minecraft save the world?
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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Ottauquechee’s Diversity Detectives in:
The Case of The Library Diversity Audit Whose stories are being told in your library? Whose stories are being left
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Vermont schools have a transportation equity problem.
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: Cabot
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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PBL or PB&J?
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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Toward a student-directed classroom
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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How can students make global connections?
From Vermont to Mexico and back, via Smart Board As the world becomes increasingly more connected, so should our
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Unpacking equity in Passion Projects and Genius Hours
Equity in education has — and needs — many lenses. The work is hard, the work is myriad, the work
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Introducing: asset mapping
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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5 summer mindsets to bring into this year
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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How to build up STEAM
Making time for making at Ottauquechee STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics — gives students the opportunity to
Read moreReflecting on your PBL
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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Developing empathy for your community
Meet the Humans of Burke So many schools operate in isolation from the very communities they are situated in. Do
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Using student TED Talks to showcase learning
TED Talks are short, personal powerful storytelling. Now: how can students use this medium as motivation to learn, to explore
Read more6 ways teachers are using Padlet
Virtual bulletin boards to go! Staying organized as a teacher can be a major challenge. Between student work, teacher plans,
Read moreThe 8th grade consultants shaping education at 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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Kick off project-based learning with a community event
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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Are you a “Learning Maximizer”?
How do you maximize student learning? What are the ways we can do this, and how might our roles and
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Introducing “Cabot Leads”
Use service learning to grow your community What do you do when you’re a 5th-through-8th middle school housed in two
Read moreGo global with your PBL
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
It all starts with an idea. Races Against Racism have taken place around the country, and last spring, a community
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3 strategies to create supportive structures during project time
Why structure? One of the most intimidating things about starting to do service and project based learning in the classroom
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4 ways to make math more relevant
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
Read moreCourage lives on
This fall, we’ve been talking about everyday courage in schools. We’ve written about the courage it takes to start a
Read moreDiverse books for conversations around identity
The birth of a YA teacher’s book club “Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong.
Read moreLaying the groundwork for effective teaching teams
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 project-based learning to the next level
3 ways to plan for PBL 2.0 You’ve dipped your toe into project based learning. You’ve planned an entry event, shared
Read more8 year-end reflection tools and activities
Reflect, celebrate and plan Oh, the spring. Such a busy time for teachers. There are all those transition meetings, already
Read more8 ideas for outdoor learning
Expand your classroom and keep kids engaged The weather is getting nicer. The sun is finally out. And you are
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4 ideas for using a makerspace to support PBL
How do project-based learning and makerspaces fit together? Making and PBL may look like two completely different educational movements, but in
Read more4 ways to use Virtual Reality in project-based learning
VR’s real world impact on students Virtual reality is exciting and many of our students are already using this technology in gaming
Read more4 more ways to help middle schoolers get organized
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
Read more4 ways to help middle school students organize their tech
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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Can sustained silent reading help reluctant readers?
How student choice can support literacy English teacher Laela Warnecke set out to answer one question: “How might sustained silent reading impact
Read moreHow to fight fake news in the field
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
Read more4 resources for fighting fake news
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
Read moreiLead: a model for service learning and leadership
Personalization for school-based service learning Looking for a way to harness students’ energy while giving them meaningful work that appeals to
Read moreProject-based learning: Extreme weather PBL unit
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 for Project-Based Learning
Honor scholars with an authentic audience for their work The culminating event! It’s the lovely finish line of a Project-Based
Read moreAssessment in Project-Based Learning
Signs along the way Assessments can be hard to create and manage, but they are a necessary part of PBL.
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8 methods for reflection in project-based learning
It’s where the learning is It is easy to not plan time for reflection in project-based learning (PBL) because there
Read moreScaffolds to support PBL learners
Ways to support project-based learning Some people have the mistaken idea that PBL is just when you point students in
Read moreBrainstorming and Research in PBL
You’ve done an engaging entry event. You have a plan for your PBL unit with a focused driving question. Sweet!
Read moreEntry events for project-based learning
Start with the dramatic, unexpected & memorable Q: What do we really want from project-based learning? A: We want students
Read morePlanning a PBL unit
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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3 types of videos for showcasing content areas
Structures & examples for student filmmakers Many students love working with video. Students can create videos for any subject to
Read moreProject-Based Learning in the primary grades
8 great ways to approach PBL in the primary grades Picture this: you have a class of primary-grade students. Say
Read more8 tips for creating classroom routines and norms
There is no tired like teachers at the beginning (or end) of the school year are tired. Establishing routines, procedures,
Read moreService Learning 101: a guide for busy teachers
How to get started with service learning Service learning can play a key role in middle level curriculum, yet it
Read moreDesigning learning spaces for students
Create open, flexible, engaging spaces for active student learning. The beginning of the school year! Desks, mailboxes, coat hooks labeled.
Read moreCreating a PBL culture from Day One
Build a community to support project-based learning I bet you have big dreams of creative, innovative projects and engaged students
Read moreMiddle Grades Institute Reflections
I’ve just returned from the Middle Grades Institute, and honestly, I am still reeling. My brain is finally slowing down
Read moreLearn Like a Pirate: Key takeaways
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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