What Vermont students really think about personal learning plans Put 47 middle-level students together, challenge them to think differently about ways to create effective, relevant and meaningful Personalized Learning Plans,…
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How Passion Projects can fire up a student-led conference Julia is a student at Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School, in South Burlington VT. She’s an athlete and an artist. So…
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…but I also have this deep critical life for hockey as well. Because unfortunately in my personal experience, I think a lot of the negative stereotypes that are talked about…
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…its roots.” The quote-unquote “tree of analysis” helped students clarify what part of the issue they wanted to address in their service projects. And then she provides an example. There…
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…to change assessment and grading practices? Specifically: “What does personalization look like in the math classroom. I see examples of other content areas being made personal to students and am…
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…that our personal knowledge is incomplete. Acknowledge that publicly to our students and the communities in which we exist. That there are multiple ways to grow that knowledge with and…
Read more…like to explore in this hands-on environment. Food for thought Project-based learning, service learning, maker-centered learning, genius hours, passion projects, creativity projects! It’s hard to keep it all straight! No…
Read moreWhat does a green screen, solar paneling, Spanish, wood engraving, and 3D printing have in common? These were just some of the projects that Edmunds Middle School students showcased at…
Read more…productivity Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship A more extensive but still accessible definition includes nine elements, which can roughly be boiled down to Respect,…
Read more…piece unpacking some of the key ideas underpinning the emerging idea of ubiquitous learning. Taking these two ideas in combination, when we empower learners with personal computing devices and encourage…
Read more…skills, and dispositions, multiple ways of meeting those targets can be offered to students. The Personal Learning Plan then becomes both a map of those paths and a vehicle for…
Read moreA case study in engaging your community I attended an event last week that was of huge personal and professional importance: a screening of the film Most Likely to Succeed…
Read more…what they like and what they want to do. Multi-part projects that allow students to specialize while collaborating help them form identity while building community. With this project happening in…
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…Textbooks, or Tests – a Case Study, crossed my personal learning network (PLN), I perked up. Don’t get me wrong, I have no interest in exploring a world with no…
Read more…start to embrace this journey with students we need to keep redefining our roles within a team. With activities like Genius Hour, Passion Projects, and Maker Spaces becoming more popular…
Read more…redesign of personal learning plans is a powerful case in point. [huge_it_slider id=”9″] Launching a year with students rather than at them yields very practical benefits. Students can help us…
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…ways that you can get their perspective: Surveys (via Google Forms or other platforms) Interviews Focus groups Reflections Portfolios or Personal Learning Plans Discussions Whatever sources you use, you’ll want…
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…that that is so important. To know my students. Not just what kind of learner they are but also their personal interests and connecting with them in that way. I…
Read more…Vermont educators and principals to get some idea of what a powerful, supportive PLN (Personal Learning Network) can look like. Or follow this list of VT schools and classrooms to…
Read more…on, like, and favorite posts. In Protean, Mates can continue sharing and collaborating to meet agreed-upon collective goals. Mates can also create and join projects within the system. Turn your…
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…projects, or anything to which we would traditionally assign a grade) should have clear goalposts. It should describe exactly what a student can demonstrate as areas of mastery, and should…
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…And I’m wondering how students who have these out-of-school passions, who are truly good at something outside the classroom, can get credit for that knowledge. How can personal passions that…
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…routines of your classroom? Thinking about how those Genius Hour projects are going really well and you’re grappling with how to make more of the learning time that self-directed? What…
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…to my house in Pennsylvania, one of my friends said, “I didn’t know you live near the projects.” And I had no idea. So I felt this word, “ghetto”, to…
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…to mail awards home and have students open them at a virtual gathering. Don’t discount the virtual exhibition of learning. If students are working on long term projects or products,…
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…only enough energy to earn the pay (scores) they want. Create a culture of communication that incentivizes intrinsic learning, conditioning students to invest their highest energies to achieve their personal…
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…relationships at the center and provide the space for students to share their stories.” “Use students’ personal experiences to drive civic and community engagement.” For example, she describes districts in…
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…advisory committee. But in my personal life right now, I’m rereading The Lord of the Rings, which to me is always go to as the sky gets darker in the…
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…short-term voluntary service projects that were focused on anything from helping, you know, build houses for people, or working in different kitchens. And each year starting from the time I…
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…projects from teachers and students. Exploring identity with 4th and 5th grade students An Action Research project focusing on an identity unit. Includes video presentation by the teacher researcher and…
Read moreImplementation of personal learning plans (PLPs) around Vermont As Vermont works through the first year of implementing personalized learning and Act 77, Flexible pathways to secondary education completion (pdf) there…
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…empowerers. scouts. assessors. scaffolders. community builders. This is personal, close-in work. And often it better meets students’ needs, improves relationships, and deepens learning. By adopting new roles, we help position…
Read more…know what they are interested in, or what kind of goals they want to set. Start with engaging learning like identity projects or project-based learning. Then invite students to reflect…
Read more…and postsecondary readiness. Flexible pathways allow students to apply their knowledge and skills to tasks of personal interest as part of the personalized learning planning process. This does not refer…
Read more…work Bringing student work (with the student and caregiver’s permission of course!) is a great way to showcase your students’ work and get feedback on different assignments, assessments, and projects….
Read more…in their personal interest and passions. Their portfolios documented their proficiencies in college and career readiness skills ranging from leadership and communication to more technical skills with award-winning projects like…
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