One major difference between school today and schools of the past is that learning can happen anywhere and anytime. In fact, that is a major feature of learning now and for the future no matter what happens. It is also a major feature of work in general but especially for teachers. Blurring the lines between […]
There is some very compelling research out there that underscores the importance of making mistakes in learning. It seems like part of the issue in getting kids to have a growth mindset in math (as well as other subjects) is that they consistently get mixed messages. We tell them that mistakes are okay but then […]
My early experiences in math were uneventful. I played with manipulatives and talked about math but I didn’t know I was doing math or developing mathematical thoughts. If anything, I was ambiguous about the subject of math because it just seemed a part of the world and I didn’t connect it to the title of […]
Vermont’s move toward more personal and proficiency based learning in public education is an enormous shift from the traditional model that we have been using for many years. While Vermont is extremely innovative inside the classroom and offers its teachers quite a bit of autonomy compared to many other states, the overall structures and […]
I have been actively implementing the English language arts common core standards for three years while at the same time learning and implementing research based strategies to increase growth mindset in our students. I recently completed a very close study of both the math and English standards while I was simultaneously teaching a course on […]
What does it mean to be “smart”? I began my educational experience in a Montessori program where student voice, choice and individual learning pace was valued. When I was in third grade, I moved to a public school setting. Initially excited to finally be in a “normal” school, I quickly realized that I might not […]
Angela Duckworth defines “grit” as the ability to persevere combined with an ability to pursue interests and passions over a long period of time to attain goals. She argues that this learnable quality is a predictor of success. More recently, her research has led to a focus on self-control as the underlying skill needed to […]
There is quite a bit of recent research pointing to the idea that psychological interventions in learning environments can have a great impact on achievement. Eric Jensen summarizes some of this evidence in his article Your Students’ Number One Life Skill. While the idea of social emotional learning is complex, there are some easy ways […]
Every time I have a discussion about high stakes testing, it always ends with the same conclusion; there is very little wrong with student skills but they lack persistence. If they don’t read the passage then they will not be able to respond thoughtfully. If they don’t attempt a problem then they can’t possibly get […]
