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Innovative Education in VT

A blog exploring innovative school change by the UVM Tarrant Institute

  • ABOUT US
    • We stand against systemic racism.
    • Diversity Policy
    • The Tarrant Institute
    • Our staff
      • Penny Bishop
      • John Downes
      • Susan Hennessey
      • Audrey Homan
      • Emily Hoyler
      • Life LeGeros
      • Rachel Mark
      • Robin Merritt
      • Jeanie Phillips
      • Scott Thompson
      • Lucie delaBruere
    • Our schools
    • Our book
      • 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
  • VIDEOS
    • Tech Tips
    • PLP videos
    • Proficiency-Based Learning Videos
    • Student-Led Conference Videos
  • PODCASTS
    • The 21st Century Classroom
    • #vted Reads
      • #vted Reads Videos
  • EVENTS & COURSES
  • RESOURCES
    • REMOTE LEARNING
    • PERSONALIZED LEARNING
      • PERSONALIZED LEARNING PLANS (PLPs)
      • FLEXIBLE PATHWAYS
      • PROFICIENCY-BASED EDUCATION
        • Learning Goals
        • Meaningful Instruction
        • Formative Assessment
        • Summative Assessment
    • Action research
    • Digital citizenship
    • Family & Community Involvement
    • Family communication
    • Flexible classrooms
    • Genius Hour
    • Identity
    • Makerspaces
    • Negotiated curriculum
    • Project-based learning (PBL)
    • Reflection
    • Scheduling
    • Service learning
    • Student-led conferences
    • Student voice
  • CONTACT
  • ARCHIVES

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5 ways to partner with students in a makerspace

September 6, 2016April 19, 2018 Life LeGeros 0 Comments #readytolaunch

Whose makerspace is it, anyway? A makerspace can take many forms, but fundamentally it should be a locus of student engagement

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Finding ways to encourage student leadership

August 26, 2016April 19, 2018 Scott Thompson 1 Comment #readytolaunch

Student Leadership: The time is now August is usually a time crammed with planning logistics for the start of the

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Climate, Community and Voice from Day 1

August 24, 2016April 19, 2018 John Downes 0 Comments #readytolaunch, student voice

 Starting up with our students Another exciting year is upon us. It may be difficult to wrest our attention from these glorious

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twitter etiquette

August 12, 2016August 26, 2016 Audrey Homan 0 Comments digital citizenship, twitter

Modeling twitter interactions as an educator and parent With twitter’s explosive growth in popularity with educators, it can get a

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Teaching copyright with video mashups

July 11, 2016July 13, 2016 Kathleen Finn 0 Comments 1:1, copyright, St. Francis Xavier

In a 1:1 Android environment Copyright. Fair Use. Public Domain. The meaning of these concepts as applied to creative work,

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Social reading tools for summer reading

July 5, 2016July 5, 2016 Audrey Homan 0 Comments GoodReads, Litsy, Pinterest, twitter chats

Audrey’s 2016 summer reading list I’ve been thinking a lot lately about where technology fits into reading. Not just the

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Education reform, more education reform and David Foster Wallace

July 1, 2016 Mark W. Olofson 0 Comments

Mark’s 2016 summer reading list This past academic year was one of the busiest and most invigorating year I have

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Telling the PLP story

June 25, 2016June 23, 2017 Life LeGeros 0 Comments Adobe Voice, explain everything, Fayston Elementary School

Student reflection with Adobe Voice and Explain Everything Students at Fayston Elementary School worked hard this year with their team

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negotiated curriculum
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Negotiated curriculum and project-based learning

June 16, 2016October 2, 2018 Audrey Homan 1 Comment democratic classroom, goal-setting, PLPs, project-based learning, The Edge @ Essex Middle School

Building a democratic classroom at The Edge Part of the power of implementing a negotiated curriculum is that it doesn’t

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Assessing tech-rich instruction

June 13, 2016June 13, 2016 Susan Hennessey 1 Comment reflection, The Compass School, Touchcast

The Six Question Framework for reflection As the end of June nears and students take their final exams, clear out

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How to introduce robotics and coding

June 8, 2016June 8, 2016 Genevieve Gallagher 0 Comments St Albans Town Educational Center

If you buy them, kids will code. This statement was the driving philosophy behind our purchase of a class set of

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ubiquitous learning
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How mobile devices can enhance field trips

June 2, 2016September 13, 2018 Susan Hennessey 1 Comment scavenger hunts, The Cabot School, Touchcast

Deepen place-based learning and boost emotional engagement Having signed the permission slips, helped raise money, converted US dollars to Canadian,

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Exploring careers in middle school

May 24, 2016May 25, 2016 Rachel Mark 0 Comments Mill River Union High School

How one school tackles work-based learning “Work-based learning experiences are activities that involve actual work experience or that connect classroom

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MakerSpace Wonderland at Crossett Brook MS

May 11, 2016May 11, 2016 Jennifer Hill 1 Comment Crossett Brook Middle School, makerspace

The Story of MakerSpace: A Rabbit Interrupts a Drowsy Day The story of MakerSpace at Crossett Brook Middle School begins

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Curiosity Projects: A stepping-stone to Personalized Learning

April 29, 2016June 23, 2017 Emily Hoyler 13 Comments Bingham Memorial School, Curiosity Projects

What is curiosity? Is curiosity important? What does it mean to be a curious learner? What am I curious about?

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Equity begins with engagement

April 27, 2016April 27, 2016 Life LeGeros 6 Comments equity

Care about equity in education? Start with engagement Educators care about equity. We all want to bring out excellence in

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QR codes and videos at Parent Conferences

April 15, 2016April 15, 2016 Kevin Laverty 8 Comments Christ the King School, family communication, QR codes

Expanding parent conference time with technology We’ve all been there: how do you fit 40 minutes worth of information into

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Destination – Anywhere!

April 13, 2016May 8, 2016 Scott Thompson 0 Comments

What was once a standard in news broadcasting and video game production has now found a new home in classrooms.

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Helping your teen or tween with social media

April 11, 2016April 11, 2016 Rachel Mark 15 Comments digital citizenship, social media

To follow or not to follow… that is the question. Oh Hamlet, you would be so perplexed on this one!

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A community-based interdisciplinary unit

April 4, 2016November 16, 2016 Susan Hennessey 6 Comments 1:1, Hazen Union School, MGC, Middle Grades Institute (MGI), Popplet

A tech-rich case study from rural Vermont The team from Hazen Union Middle School, in Hardwick, Vermont, conducted an action research project

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Leonardo da Vinci’s Smartphone

March 18, 2016March 17, 2016 Lori Morse 2 Comments 1:1, app-smashing, Google Draw, history, social media, Thinglink

History from the Inside Out Every two years our team does an interdisciplinary unit on the European Renaissance. I’m a

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8th grade arts and citizenship

March 15, 2016March 25, 2016 Scott Thompson 5 Comments arts, digital arts, fashion design, QR codes

A case study in Shelburne Arts and citizenship is for 8th graders at Shelburne Community School. This past session, they

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Managing time in blended classrooms

March 11, 2016March 11, 2016 Susan Hennessey 7 Comments Google Forms, Google Keep, Peoples Academy Middle Level

Shifting the way we manage time to personalize learning in a blended space In my former professional life, I had

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Planning Pi Day activities

March 9, 2016January 9, 2021 Scott Thompson 3 Comments math, pi, Pi Day

More than just math? Let’s be honest, there’s not many days dedicated to the celebration of math or its concepts.

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Screencasting tools for the Chromebook

February 21, 2016February 27, 2016 Scott Thompson 2 Comments Google Hangout, PixiClip, Screencastify, SnagIt!

As more and more school move to Chromebooks we receive lots of requests for chrome compatible programs and applications. In

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Finding joy in the classroom

February 12, 2016June 27, 2017 Susan Hennessey 9 Comments Franklin West Supervisory Union, Hazen Union School, joy, Lamoille Union Middle School, nearpod

Is joy in learning an innovation? Recently, I was charmed and inspired upon seeing a first grade student’s take on

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How parents can model healthy tech habits

February 3, 2016February 3, 2016 Rachel Mark 5 Comments

Tips for when to turn off the tech In addition to being an educator, I’m also a parent — of

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Using Google tools to connect with other schools

January 27, 2016January 29, 2016 Susan Hennessey 5 Comments Google+ Communities, Google+ hangouts

Reaching beyond the walls I’m always looking for ways for educators and students at different schools to use technology to

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Self-analysis and teaming

January 26, 2016January 26, 2016 Scott Thompson 5 Comments teaming

To know your team, start by knowing yourself A few years ago I had the opportunity to participate in the

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Providing support for goal-setting in a PLP

January 20, 2016January 20, 2016 Rachel Mark 6 Comments goal-setting

3 strategies shared by local educators At Manchester Elementary Middle School, sixth grade students speak fluently about their Personal Learning

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What I Learned From My PLP

January 8, 2016January 8, 2016 Life LeGeros 4 Comments Fayston Elementary School, Vermont Fest

Modeling a PLP as an adult learner As a new year dawns, are you thinking about self improvement? A Personal Learning

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Act 77, Flexible Pathways and best middle level practices

December 19, 2015December 19, 2015 Susan Hennessey 4 Comments Thinglink, Vermont

Grappling with implementation In my current work with a number of Vermont middle schools, we have been trying to grapple

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Checking in on personalized learning around Vermont

December 15, 2015February 2, 2016 Audrey Homan 8 Comments Fayston Elementary School, Hazen Union School, Northfield Middle/High School

How are educators and students tackling PLPs around the state? Vermont’s Act 77, the Flexible Pathways Act, mandates that every

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How to get started podcasting with SoundCloud

December 11, 2015July 25, 2019 Audrey Homan 5 Comments Chromebook tutorial, Chromebooks, iPad, iPad tutorial, podcasting, Soundcloud

A step-by-step guide to publishing your first episode Podcasts have been around for awhile now but can be a little

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Personalize learning with Open Educational Resources

December 9, 2015December 9, 2015 Susan Hennessey 9 Comments Bennington Rutland Supervisory Union, Coursera, EdX, genius hour, Gooru, open educational resources, Udemy

What they are and how to use them In a recent blog post, I suggested access to technology can empower teachers

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Balancing screen time and family time

November 30, 2015February 2, 2016 Rachel Mark 5 Comments digital citizenship, family communication

When to put the device down Let’s face it, it’s a challenge to balance technology in our lives; but it’s

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Blended learning in the math classroom

November 20, 2015November 20, 2015 Susan Hennessey 6 Comments Christ the King School, EdPuzzle, Hazen Union School, Schoology

Where is the tech in math classrooms? According to recent studies, math teachers, tend to integrate technology into their teaching less

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What makes for good goal-setting in a PLP?

November 18, 2015February 2, 2016 Life LeGeros 17 Comments Crosett Brook Middle School, Fayston Elementary School, goal-setting, Moretown Elementary School, PLPs, Waitsfield Elementary School, Warren Elementary School

Life’s four guidelines for goal-setting In my experience as a teacher and administrator, I noticed a pattern to goal-setting in

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The Lost Art of Educational Keynoting

November 1, 2015February 28, 2016 Life LeGeros 4 Comments AMLE

Two weeks ago I attended the annual conference of the Association of Middle Level Educators (AMLE). I have been working

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To lock or not to lock

October 29, 2015 Scott Thompson 5 Comments CIPA, COPPA, digital citizenship, internet filtering, network use agreement, the internet is made of cats, YouTube

School approaches to filtering internet content As social media,Youtube, and gaming become more educationally relevant, how do we leverage their

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Learning as a social activity

October 26, 2015 Susan Hennessey 10 Comments digital video, Vialogues

Using Vialogues for social learning Vialogues: visual dialogues. Video dialogues. (Visible violet dogs? Risible eyelet hogs? Dirigible side-slit frogs?) Vialogues

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What to say instead of “21st Century”

October 19, 2015 Alex Shevrin 6 Comments goal-setting

Shifting the conversation from “the future” to my future When “21st century skills” first emerged as an educational term, we

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Y is for Young Writers Project

October 16, 2015April 19, 2018 Rachel Mark 8 Comments #ABCsofedtech, literacy, Young Writers Project

Using the Young Writers Project to teach writing There are so many reasons to appreciate how we teach adolescents to write

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X is for eXtra credit

October 14, 2015April 19, 2018 Audrey Homan 4 Comments #ABCsofedtech, equity, proficiency-based assessment

How does edtech affect extra credit? Is extra credit still a valid notion as we move towards ubiquitous learning, and grapple

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W is for Weekly Geek Podcast

October 13, 2015April 19, 2018 Susan Hennessey 1 Comment #ABCsofedtech, Doink, Edmunds Middle School, Harwood Union Middle School, Lamoille Union Middle School, public service announcements, Voice Record

Creative ways to share learning opportunities Teachers at Lamoille Union Middle/High School learn about the latest tools and resources available

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V is for Voice Recordings

October 12, 2015April 19, 2018 Audrey Homan 5 Comments #ABCsofedtech, Adobe Voice, AudioBoo, podcasting, student voice, Vocaroo

Why voice recordings work for young adolescents As students use technology to explore and capture projects that show both their emerging proficiency

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U is for Ubiquity

October 1, 2015April 19, 2018 John Downes 8 Comments #ABCsofedtech, minecraft, ubiquity

Ubiquitous learning is not the same as ubiquitous computing We hear a lot of hype about e-learning, blended learning, MOOCS,

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T is for Timelines

September 29, 2015April 19, 2018 Audrey Homan 3 Comments #ABCsofedtech, Popplet, TikiToki, Timeglider

Timeline tools for transformative learning Timeline tools can serve two important purposes: concrete help with project planning (for PLPs, 1:1

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R is for REAL Reflection

September 25, 2015April 19, 2018 Life LeGeros 4 Comments #ABCsofedtech, Blogger, Dipity, Feedreader, Haiku Deck, MoveNote, nearpod, student reflection, Thinglink, Vocaroo, WeVideo

Getting real about student reflection Ah, reflection. It may bring to mind an introspective moment, perhaps gazing into the still

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QR codes unlock learning anywhere
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Q is for QR codes

September 24, 2015September 13, 2018 Audrey Homan 5 Comments #ABCsofedtech, Georgia Elementary/Middle School, The Cabot School

QR codes unlock learning anywhere These simple workhorses of technology — ink and blank spaces on a screen or page — can

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P is for Performance Tasks

September 21, 2015April 19, 2018 Susan Hennessey 10 Comments #ABCsofedtech

Using performance tasks as a way to measure student knowledge When working with a group of middle school science teachers recently

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Serious PD fun with Chatterpix

September 19, 2015September 19, 2015 Susan Hennessey 5 Comments Chatterpix, Lamoille Union Middle School, Peoples Academy Middle Level

“Candy apps”, or how to have fun and still learn anyway   During a five minute reflection, if a student is given

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O is for Online Collaboration

September 18, 2015April 19, 2018 Rachel Mark 8 Comments #ABCsofedtech, edmodo, Google Docs, Google Slides, Skype

Online collaboration extends student learning networks Online collaboration takes on new significance as students extend their learning network in conjunction

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N is for Nearpod

September 17, 2015July 25, 2019 Susan Hennessey 11 Comments #ABCsofedtech, Hazen Union School, iPad, iPad tutorial, nearpod

How these educators used Nearpod for professional development Educators instinctively understand the engagement power of a tool that allows learners to

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Establishing behavior expectations in a 1:1

September 14, 2015January 5, 2021 Audrey Homan 5 Comments 1:1, group device management, Hunt Middle School, Peoples Academy Middle Level

Who decides the acceptable ways to use devices in your school? You’ve jumped through the hoops, filled out the paperwork,

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L is for Learning Management System (LMS)

September 10, 2015April 19, 2018 Rachel Mark 7 Comments #ABCsofedtech, Canvas, edmodo, Edmunds Middle School, Google Classroom, Harwood Union Middle School, LMS, Peoples Academy Middle Level, Schoology

What can you do with an LMS? LMS stands for Learning Management System. An LMS is an application for planning, delivering, managing,

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K is for Kahoot

September 7, 2015April 19, 2018 Susan Hennessey 7 Comments #ABCsofedtech, Kahoot

Extend learning communities beyond the classroom For a review game “killer app” recommendation, Kahoot is by far at the top

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J is for Just-in-time Learning

September 4, 2015April 19, 2018 Life LeGeros 5 Comments #ABCsofedtech, just-in-time-learning, just-in-time-teaching (JITT), Middle Grades Institute (MGI)

Just-in-time learning in its best form is “Just for me” learning. When you learn something because you yearn to understand

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H is for Hangout

August 31, 2015April 19, 2018 Scott Thompson 6 Comments #ABCsofedtech, Google Hangout, Main Street Middle School, The Cabot School, Warren Elementary School

What can educators do with Google Hangout? Much like being friends on social media, physical proximity has little to do

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G is for Group Device Management

August 29, 2015April 19, 2018 Audrey Homan 8 Comments #ABCsofedtech, Google Calendar, Google domain, Google Forms

Physical management of tech aka OMG Where Did All These Cords Come From The act of simply registering, storing, charging,

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F is for Family Communication

August 28, 2015February 2, 2016 Audrey Homan 7 Comments Flipboard, Google Calendar, Google+, Harwood Union Middle School, Mailchimp, Shelburne Community School, Symbaloo

4 edtech tools for family communication How can technology help make communicating with your students’ families easier? These 4 edtech tools

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E is for e-books …or are they “C-books”?

August 26, 2015August 25, 2015 Mark W. Olofson 5 Comments constructivism

Why create and use e-books in the classroom? Resources like e-books are a common “first step” when we think about integrating

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D is for Digital Workflow

August 24, 2015October 12, 2015 Scott Thompson 3 Comments digital workflow, Google Classroom, Showbie

Digital workflow: What is it good for? In its simplest form, digital workflow exchanges the paper and pencil transfer of information

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C is for Citizenship (digital of course!)

August 21, 2015October 12, 2015 Life LeGeros 11 Comments Common Sense Media, digital citizenship, Peoples Academy Middle Level

Approaching student digital citizenship from many levels Our students live in technology-rich worlds, regardless of how much technology they are

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