Advisory for educators?
Physical, social, and emotional health are the top priorities in our learning communities. Period. End of story. Educators have been
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Author: Scott Thompson
Creating your school plan for distance learning with limited internet access
There is not one right response or plan for school closures. Each school community faces different needs, contexts, and situations.
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Video evidence & reflection for student-led conferences
How PAML scaffolds screencasts for students Students and their families at Peoples Academy Middle Level have participated in student led
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Confronting climate change in the classroom
We’re not talking enough with students about climate change At least, many of us are not. At the Global Youth
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Digging into self-direction
When states around the country shifted towards standards-based, competency-based and proficiency-based learning and reporting, that involved separating the content-specific skills
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A moment of collective efficacy
What would it look like if your school plan was alive and represented in much of your day to day
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Who should be assessing student-led conferences?
Feedback is a key component of a successful, celebratory and growth-oriented student-centered conference. And your colleagues, your students and their
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Looking at PLPs
Connecting deeply with students matters. Research tell us this. So does teacher experience. Educators spend a lot of time learning
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Takin’ a ride with Alpha 5
As an instructional coach, I want to push myself on the fact that I rarely take the time to celebrate
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This middle school is not a building
Welcome to White River Valley’s outdoor classroom Students and faculty at Bethel Elementary and White River Valley Middle Schools firmly
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How to use data to inform progress
Involve learners with actionable data Wondering how to use data to inform progress for users in proficiency-based education? Assessment provides
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Creating community through advisory
Using mergers as community opportunities Vermont Act 46 mergers challenged communities to restructure systems. Under a mandated merger, two schools
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3 ways to ensure equity is at the heart of your work
VTDigger reports that Vermont Secretary of Education Dan French said “From our standpoint, we portray districts being on a journey.
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17 ways to communicate with students’ families
BINGO. Communication with student’s families outside of student led conferences (SLC) is vital. Giving parents the information they need in
Read moreWelcome to your in-school internship
What work looks like at St. Albans City School Students at St Albans City School, in St. Albans VT, have
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Turning passion projects into real world change
Public displays of learning are not always the end. How do you know when meaningful, relevant, personalized and authentic learning
Read more3 ways to use Flipgrid for reflection
Video reflection + social interaction The role of feedback and reflection are key strategies in best middle level practice for
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Therapy dogs in Vermont schools
Who let the dogs in? For some students, being ready to learn when they arrive at school is a big
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Start faculty meetings with a student presentation
#gamechanger The growing trend of increasing student voice and choice in schools is opening authentic opportunities for dialogues between students
Read moreLooking at proficiency-based assessment for students with disabilities
Making sure Proficiency work includes all students Recently, I was in a middle school team meeting walking folks through some
Read moreWinooski’s Graduate Proficiencies & Graduate Expectations
What proficiency-based learning looks like Winooski Middle and High School, in bustling Winooski, VT, has been quietly making the journey
Read more#vted leads the way with #everydaycourage
School leadership in turbulent times As schools prepare to welcome students through their doors, many educators are researching how to
Read moreDo you know where you are?
Taking stock on implementing Vermont’s Act 77 “Do you know where you are?” Usually it’s a question medical professionals ask
Read more4 Project-Based Learning resources for parents
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 moreWhy faith-based education in the 21st century?
A flexible pathway for religious choice In a time when combining 21st century skills with personalized learning is in the thoughts of
Read more3 ways to use Google Forms to streamline your workflow
For exit tickets, student support & action research Using Google Forms and Google Sheets together can streamline your process and
Read moreRethinking school schedules
It’s about time I am fascinated with master schedules! This is certainly a massive understatement. I love the challenge of
Read moreGet #ready2launch your team this year
New ways to approach teaming Have you every showed up to in-service wondering what the new initiatives for the year
Read moreFinding ways to encourage student leadership
Student Leadership: The time is now August is usually a time crammed with planning logistics for the start of the
Read moreEducation, funny families and international espionage
My 2016 Summer Reading List There are many thinks to look forward to as summer approaches. As an educator, I
Read moreCreating cooperative learning spaces
A visualization exercise for changing classrooms It’s not your imagination. It really is the time of year when everyone gets
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Project-based learning and math
How much do you want to change the world? As project-based learning gives students a way to tackle authentic problems
Read moreDestination – Anywhere!
What was once a standard in news broadcasting and video game production has now found a new home in classrooms.
Read more8th grade arts and citizenship
A case study in Shelburne Arts and citizenship is for 8th graders at Shelburne Community School. This past session, they
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Planning Pi Day activities
More than just math? Let’s be honest, there’s not many days dedicated to the celebration of math or its concepts.
Read moreScreencasting tools for the Chromebook
As more and more school move to Chromebooks we receive lots of requests for chrome compatible programs and applications. In
Read moreSelf-analysis and teaming
To know your team, start by knowing yourself A few years ago I had the opportunity to participate in the
Read moreRethinking the traditional school schedule
Keep students centered in the conversation When it becomes time to talk about scheduling you can often feel the tension rise
Read moreMiddle schoolers helping locally and globally
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The Great Shelburne Pencil Drive In which we discover a direct link between Shelburne, Vermont and …Ghana? Last week I
Read moreHow to save, edit and share video clips with your students
Part 2: sharing videos in Google Classroom, Drive, and YouTube In Part 1, we looked at tools for finding and editing
Read moreTo lock or not to lock
School approaches to filtering internet content As social media,Youtube, and gaming become more educationally relevant, how do we leverage their
Read moreH is for Hangout
What can educators do with Google Hangout? Much like being friends on social media, physical proximity has little to do
Read moreD is for Digital Workflow
Digital workflow: What is it good for? In its simplest form, digital workflow exchanges the paper and pencil transfer of information
Read moreChasing Google: A Defining Moment
Becoming a Google Certified Educator My fascination with Google started in the early 2000’s simply from a financial interest. Here
Read moreTop Ten Summer Reading Recommendations
Summer in Vermont brings on a different set of activities, a different pace of life, and an opportunity for renewal
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