Educators Blog

What are they thinking? 5 Reflective Practices for Spring

Throughout the year, it's important to engage students in ongoing reflection of what they are learning. One of the key competencies of social-emotional learning (SEL) is for students to develop self-awareness. It's also important for them to build […]

The Importance of Authentic Collaboration for Language Building in ELs

Research suggests many teachers worry that they are ill-equipped to handle the growing number of English Learners (ELs) in U.S. public schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2019 more than 5 million students in U.S. […]

PBL Pro Tips from John Larmer: How Can Students Make Their Work Public in PBL?

In a typical classroom, who sees a student’s work? Who gives them feedback on it? When they complete an assignment, what happens to it? The answer to these questions is usually (a) the teacher (b) the teacher, and (c) the teacher returns it, with a […]

Setting Learners Up For Success with Information Literacy

Today, people have access to more information than ever before. Every day, more information is available to learners through multiple sources. One challenge educators face is determining how to help students learn how to manage resources and […]

8 Ways to Promote Creativity and Collaboration

Versatile Tools to Facilitate Methods and Build Essential Skills

Students need opportunities to build a variety of skills in our classrooms. They need to develop essential SEL skills and engage in learning experiences that promote student agency […]

Ensuring All High-Schoolers Have a Chance at College: How Rhode Island Enacted Historic New Equity-Based Graduation Standards

Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green: How community engagement drove my state’s new standards — and how it could serve as a model for other states.

ChatGPT & PBL: How Project Based Learning Can Help Teachers Battle (or Befriend) the Bots

ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence-driven writing tool, has had a rapid impact on education since its release in November 2022. Educators are reconsidering traditional writing assessments due to concerns about potential misuse. Elements of […]

PBL Pro Tips from John Larmer: How Can Teachers Effectively Facilitate and Coach in PBL?

If you’ve ever been involved in organized sports, I hope you had a good coach. It’s almost impossible to succeed without one. If you did, think about what an effective coach does:

• Motivates and focuses athletes by sharing a vision of success
• […]

PBL Pro Tips from John Larmer: How Can You Provide Scaffolding for Students in PBL?

“Scaffolding” has become one of those edu-speak terms that catch on and become part of our vocabulary, but what does it really mean? Is it like the scaffolding on a building when it’s being repaired or painted? To test your understanding of it, take […]

Moving from “What is the Matter?” to “What Matters to You?”

The education world is full of smart people. We are not short of innovative and creative thinkers. What I believe holds us back at times is finding a different lens.

When we think about the priorities of our schools and the priority of learning it […]