Why my Students are Real-World Ready with Nothing but a Device

Just as few modern-day workers could function in their jobs without a cell phone, a laptop, or periodic trips to Google, I want my students to learn how to solve problems using devices that will likely be similar to ones they will encounter for the […]

A Thoughtful Approach to Career Readiness

Millennials today have too much student loan debt and are entering a workforce with not enough employment demand. Part of that stems from unrealistic expectations set by parents, colleges, and even K-12 institutions.

Ten years ago, I think we […]

2 Steps to Embedding Career Pathways into the K-8 Curriculum

How can teachers easily and effectively incorporate career experiences into their existing curriculum?

As school districts across the U.S. move towards a career readiness focus, teachers and administrators are tasked with exposing students to […]

Research shows PBL's quantitative and qualitative benefits

Dive Brief:

• A new report from MIDA Learning Technologies studied project-based learning in second- and fifth-grade classrooms during the 2015-16 school year, when one group of teachers incorporated PBL and the other did not.
• Researchers, writing […]

3 Tips on Implementing Project-Based Lessons in Your Class

Think about your job today. Have you ever been given a formal assessment to prove you know the ins and outs of your job? Probably not. In today’s economy, employees are assessed based on overall performance—not a test. The same should be said for […]

3 Classroom Practices to Enhance Career Readiness

College and career readiness is a growing initiative across the United States.  The U.S. Department of Education recently posted an updated Dear Colleague Letter explaining their goal of providing more opportunities for students to succeed in […]

5 Elements of a Successful STEM Initiative

Working with a number of school systems around the country, I have witnessed a number of commonalities that lead to successful STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning experiences and initiatives. These initiatives often go […]

How PBL Transforms the Classroom into the ‘Real World’

Hear how teacher Anthony Johnson transformed his classroom into a project-based learning environment he named "Johnsonville," where students engage in real-world, hands-on PBL.

Like most teachers, I don’t think of myself as your picture-perfect […]

Defined Helps 4-H Clubs Grow Independent Learners

Even with a century of history behind it, today’s 4-H clubs are strikingly modern. Sure, there’s still a commitment to learning about agriculture, and participating in county fairs remains a club staple. But these days, 4-H students are spending a […]