“Every year, over 1.2 million students drop out of high school in the United States alone. That’s a student every 26 seconds – or 7,000 a day.” I often wonder why ‘dropping out’ of school was given it’s title. The term implies a wilful action on the part of the student, not too far removed…
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Myth #1: Technology is ‘Disruptive’ The ‘disruptive’ label is commonly associated with technology, one which has urged educators to look in the opposite direction. While the term may not hold a place in education, the tools certainly do. Technology within the classroom encourages a new approach to pedagogy, facilitating a more collaborative, engaging and creative…
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Can you remember the last grade you received? How much of an influence did it have on your life today? What does a grade tell us about ourselves? Experts on the subject claim little to nothing. Yet with an age-old system rooted in state exams and test scores, this is a hard pill to swallow….
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“Children learn at their own pace. It’s inconvenient. It’s terribly inconvenient.” Renowned educationist, Ted Sizer, made this comment, among other thought-provoking statements during his speech at the Australian National Schools Network entitled “I cannot teach a child I do not know.” Sizer goes on to express the need for teacher collaboration on a daily basis…
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The beginning of a new year is a time where most turn to resolutions as a way to change their lives for the better. For educators, it generally just means getting back into the swing of things as quickly as possible with the new school term fast approaching. What many of us overlook is the…
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A recent study on personalized learning carried out by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation identified 4 key elements that formed the most effective personalized learning practices. The study which involved 23 public charter schools, 5,000 students, and 2 years of implementation discovered extensive benefits of personalized learning including significant increases in student achievement, and…
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Good feedback is a fundamental aspect of effective learning. Without it, students are left to wander their learning paths aimlessly with no direction, eventually stumbling off task in search of a more stimulating experience. Good feedback should be regular, clear, precise, and positive, urging students to advance towards the specified learning goals with continuous effort,…
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Competency-based education is nothing new. Dating back to the 1990’s, postsecondary institutions have been integrating CBE as a means of measuring learning as opposed to measuring time. A more robust, self-paced method of assessment, “CBE shifts the focus from grades to learning, emphasizing frequent, meaningful feedback that empowers students to take more responsibility for learning…
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‘Technology integration’ is an exhausted term, frantically being passed around schools and districts as a high priority. While aware of its sense of urgency, the term has earned a reluctant reaction from many educators simply fed up of hearing it. While no school wants to get left behind, the added concern of disrupting the harmony…
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“Becoming is better than being.” – Carol S. Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success People often claim to have received a ‘good education’. While most of us would nod enthusiastically in agreement, do we really know what is meant by the term? While the definition may vary from person to person, ‘good education’ essentially boils…
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