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Greetings from ASCD 2016

At ASCD 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia, people are talking about: We’re enjoying the many great conversations with old friends and new.   Pedro Noguera: “How do we teach teachers to make their classrooms come to life?” “Good teaching takes art and skill.” “Equity is the issue of our times.” Carol Dweck: “Growth mindset isn’t just […]

The Many Faces of Problem-Based Learning

At its core, problem-based learning is an approach that offers students an authentic, open-ended, complex problem to solve, which requires applying curricular content. While there are many definitions of project- and problem-based learning, let me define them for the purpose of this blogpost. A “project” does not necessarily have to be open-ended; there is often […]

From Best Practices to Systems Practices

Albert Einstein is credited with saying, “I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they learn.” This speaks of the shift from teacher as the purveyor of information to that of an architect of a complex environment in which students learn; a shift from “teacher as ferry” to “teacher […]

Executive Function May Be the Missing Link

revised 11/29/23 For too long, executive function has been a term used primarily among special education professionals to discuss deficits, overlooked by mainstream educators as the path to achievement for all. Simply put, academic engagement that focuses on higher-order thinking and application is a door-opener for students! If students can thrive in academic rigor, they […]