I remember the first time I decided to try a project based learning unit with my sixth-grade science students. I wanted my students to learn about fossil fuels and renewable energy by working in teams to identify a problem and develop a solution. I had a vision for the outcome, but I lacked the structure […]

Giving students greater opportunity for increased voice and choice, demonstrating mastery differently and designing experiences that are more responsive to meeting the needs of all students are necessary in today’s classrooms.  Most schools today still follow an industrial model. They are designed for instruction rather than the learner.  Shifting a system that’s been in place […]

Project Based Learning (PBL) is arguably one of the best available teaching methods to help prepare students for the real world.  Not only do students learn meaningful and relevant content, but they also get to develop workplace readiness skills that will set them up for success in life.  Some of these skills are commonly known […]

“To imagine what the future holds for our students and identify how we as educators can help them get there. To meaningfully leverage technology tools and innovative designs to help students become computational thinkers, while making this process fun and engaging.” This was the main goal Dominique Dynes had set in preparation for her new […]

As a secondary math teacher, understanding the content is the easy part, but how to teach it in a meaningful way is a whole other ball game. Thinking about our learners intentionally before each lesson is the most valuable, yet complex thing we could do. Some of these questions need to be answered a few days […]

Incorporating learner centered instructional strategies can look different across the disciplines in education. Some work really well in a science or literacy classroom but will tank in a math classroom.  When we design a lesson or unit, we are designing it for our learners and their needs; they should be at the forefront of every […]

In this post, I’m going to show you how to start the shift to a learner centered model based on what worked with my team in my district and my experience as a superintendent. You’ll see how these steps below are simple, but systemic and truly sustainable in order to lead to a transformational shift […]