Voices Heard: learning from our students
In the past few months, we’ve been meeting with groups of students from six Vermont schools, asking them about their
Read moreIn the past few months, we’ve been meeting with groups of students from six Vermont schools, asking them about their
Read moreDrew Kutcher, an art teacher in her first year teaching at Proctor High School has built Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and
Read moreWhat in the world are hyperdocs? A hyperdoc is a mini lesson. Almost like a small, self-directed learning module. It
Read moreHybrid and remote teaching environments require us to tap into everything we know about designing engaging and targeted learning opportunities.
Read moreThose of us holding virtual synchronous meetings with our learners recognize the need to build in opportunities to collaborate. Just
Read moreMiddle level educators at Randolph Union Middle School believe integrated and thematic learning help students see their place and role
Read moreA recent study from Common Sense Media confirms what those of us who spend time with young adults already believe
Read more…in a middle level math classroom Deirdre Beaupre, a 7th grade math teacher at Lamoille Union Middle School took a
Read more#1. Making lists As a fan of lists, I went to bed Monday night mulling over my top 10 list
Read moreNow that you understand the why of proficiency-based and personalized learning, are you ready to see the how? Learning Lab
Read moreHow do we know what our students know and can do? What, when, and how are we asking them to
Read moreQuestion generation is key to inquiry, goal-setting, and negotiated curriculum. And asking the right kinds of questions pushes students further.
Read moreThe why and how of personalization An inquiry question forms the backbone of action research in the classroom. It guides
Read moreStudents are an integral part of Learning Lab VT. They have to be. When educators sign up to host Learning
Read moreWelcome to Learning Lab VT Ever wonder whether you’re really up to the task of meeting your learners’ needs? We
Read moreEquitable access for each & every student Many of us doing proficiency work in the state see it as a
Read moreHow student-adult partnerships can scaffold student leadership “Did you know that the same areas in the brain light up when
Read moreChoose Your Own Adventure with 3 easy tech tools Students in blended learning classrooms benefit from taking control over the
Read moreAdding playlists into the mix We often hear about the need to move from the sage on the stage to
Read moreExercises for an LMS This past spring, a small group of Stowe Middle School students gathered to help their teachers
Read moreBadging growth toward goals’ attainment A small group of these 6th grades at Peoples Academy wondered how they could help
Read moreStudents test drive tools to enhance & amplify project work When Stowe Middle Level educators met to plan for the
Read moreThe power of metaphorical thinking A picture can speak a thousand words and convey a complex concept that text on
Read moreGet organized, then get tech Many of your current — or future — collaborators teach at other schools around the
Read moreLooking at tech tools for formative assessment In a proficiency-based learning environment, frequent, flexible, and transparent assessments become cornerstones of
Read moreAnswer Garden, Flipgrid and Adobe Spark “What are you grateful for?” We posed this question to 7th grade Stowe Middle
Read moreThe virtual reality cure for wanderlust Despite this gorgeous fall weather here in central Vermont, I’m suffering from a bad
Read more5 exercises your team can try today School is off to a rollicking start thanks to you and your team’s
Read moreThe #everydaycourage of being seen Take the iconic back-to-school prompt for students — what I did on my summer vacation — and
Read morePersonalized, proficiency-based PBL or bust During a faculty meeting in late December of 2016, educators and staff talked about the
Read moreEvery May for the past 10 years, Lamoille Union Middle School’s Team Extreme launches an integrated unit. This year found
Read moreStandard 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 more“Every student gets greeted at the start of every day.” At Peoples Academy Middle Level, educators have taken the role
Read moreDeliver the goods! Rather than creating a unit on the Civil War, imagine working with an individual student or small
Read moreStandard 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 moreStandard 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 more3 examples using blended learning Let’s explore how some Vermont teachers are shifting their instruction and assessment practices to move
Read moreOutcomes, process and automaticity I worked with a group of teachers this summer to re-think goal-setting with their students. We
Read moreTwo examples of implementing proficiency-based scales of learning Vermont educators and their students are on a journey. Let’s look at
Read moreWhat Vermont students really think about personal learning plans Put 47 middle-level students together, challenge them to think differently about
Read moreThe Six Question Framework for reflection As the end of June nears and students take their final exams, clear out
Read moreDeepen place-based learning and boost emotional engagement Having signed the permission slips, helped raise money, converted US dollars to Canadian,
Read moreToo many ‘awesomes’ to count. That was a note I took while experiencing students’ reactions to Google Expeditions at Lamoille
Read moreMotivating students around goals by connecting schools Many Vermont students have worked hard this year establishing personal and academic goals
Read moreA tech-rich case study from rural Vermont The team from Hazen Union Middle School, in Hardwick, Vermont, conducted an action research project
Read moreUbiquitous learning at the Sycamore School (Ed Note: Susan Hennessey recently traveled to Malibu, California to check out some innovative
Read moreShifting the way we manage time to personalize learning in a blended space In my former professional life, I had
Read moreCurating lists of online resources for deep dives into content research We have been spending much of our time here
Read moreIs joy in learning an innovation? Recently, I was charmed and inspired upon seeing a first grade student’s take on
Read moreReaching beyond the walls I’m always looking for ways for educators and students at different schools to use technology to
Read moreStudents tackle politicians’ identities Students at Peoples Academy Middle Level in Morrisville, Vermont, are exploring the theme of identity in their humanities
Read moreGrappling with implementation In my current work with a number of Vermont middle schools, we have been trying to grapple
Read moreWhat they are and how to use them In a recent blog post, I suggested access to technology can empower teachers
Read moreWhere is the tech in math classrooms? According to recent studies, math teachers, tend to integrate technology into their teaching less
Read moreStudents explore the geography of self(ies) An innovative way for students to explore who they are happens in Lori Lisai’s
Read moreUsing Vialogues for social learning Vialogues: visual dialogues. Video dialogues. (Visible violet dogs? Risible eyelet hogs? Dirigible side-slit frogs?) Vialogues
Read moreCreative ways to share learning opportunities Teachers at Lamoille Union Middle/High School learn about the latest tools and resources available
Read moreUsing performance tasks as a way to measure student knowledge When working with a group of middle school science teachers recently
Read more“Candy apps”, or how to have fun and still learn anyway During a five minute reflection, if a student is given
Read moreHow these educators used Nearpod for professional development Educators instinctively understand the engagement power of a tool that allows learners to
Read moreExtend learning communities beyond the classroom For a review game “killer app” recommendation, Kahoot is by far at the top
Read moreCollaborative blogging puts students’ voices out front Hazen Union School 8th grade student Elijah Lew-Smith shared the first student post of the
Read moreAugmented reality enhances reading — with sound After being introduced to Booktrack Classroom at an ISTE 2015 session, it struck
Read moreGo beyond back-channeling and unlock creative communication This summer, look for ways to liven up your faculty meetings and delve a little
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