From professional development opportunities to connecting lessons to careers, here’s how schools and districts can promote STEM for all
By Joel Jacobson
In schools across the nation, approximately 136,000 students took advanced placement […]
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Real-World Writing Doesn’t Start with a 5-page Paper
By: Chuck Hensley and Larue Fitch
You’ve heard them before: the moans and groans from students when introducing a new unit or starting a new project. “Why do we have to learn this?” “When will I ever use this in real life?”
Education is designed to […]
Read More3 Lessons Learned About Building a Competency-Based Curriculum
By: Caroline Messenger
Research shows that young children are more active and intentional about their knowledge-gathering when they’re asking questions like “How?” and “Why?” These simple questions have led my district to discoveries that have […]
Read MoreCareer-Focused PBL
A school district uses project-based learning to introduce students to a variety of careers starting in kindergarten.
By: Suzie Boss
In Kankakee, Illinois, students begin exploring future careers as soon as they start kindergarten. By engaging in […]
Read MoreLet Students Take Control of Their Learning
By Larue Fitch
At Kankakee School District, we asked our students the question, "What was your most memorable moment in school?" More than 90% of their responses reflected a project they created on their own, and the relationship they had with a […]
Read MoreProject-Based Learning Is Just the Beginning
A district is preparing its students for the future by focusing on the skills and connections students will need in their careers.
By Felice Hybert
Having a job may seem a lifetime away for a child, but by exposing them to different career paths, […]
Read MoreI made my classroom look like the real world —and test scores soared
By Anthony Johnson
Think about the jobs in today’s economy — the ones we’re supposed to prepare students for after graduation. Are employees evaluated using bubble-in tests to prove they know the ins and outs of their job? Do they learn and use […]
9 Major Trends That Will Dominate Ed Tech
Delivering authentic experiences in the classroom and learning how to juggle district data are two wide themes that will monopolize education discussion in the next 12 months.
By Dian Schaffhauser
On a recent day in late October the mayor of […]
Read MoreA Tale of Two Competency-Based Districts
BY CAROLINE GORDON MESSENGER AND FELICE HYBERT
Districts around the country are moving away from teaching models based on lectures and textbooks—but transition isn’t always simple. Creating a competency-based or mastery-based environment requires […]
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Defined STEM Adds Project Manager for Project-Based Learning
The new tool allows school district administrators and teachers to assign and assess student portfolios to measure growth over time.
(CHICAGO, IL) April 11, 2018 —In an effort to support project-based learning, Defined Learning today announced […]
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