High-quality, effective professional learning can be hard to find. Too often, educators experience learning that is not personalized, engaging, or relevant. Professional development that is designed to be one-size-fits-all does not take into account the different needs and skill levels in the room, making sessions feel more about compliance than...

Schools and systems across the country are pursuing innovative approaches to make learning more personalized, mastery-based, and supportive of whole child development. Doing this work is complex, and given the variety of contexts, goals, and assets already in place, there is no one right “pathway” or model for implementation. Educators tap into a...

This blog was originally published on the Brookings Brown Center Chalkboard. I'll bet you’ve read something about technology and learning recently. You may have read that device use enhances learning outcomes. Or perhaps you’ve read that screen time is not good for kids. Maybe you’ve read that there’s no link between adolescents’ screen time and...

At The Learning Accelerator (TLA), we’re looking for our next terrific Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive Officer. Our small but mighty and mission-driven team envisions a future in which each student receives an effective, equitable, and engaging education – one that is informed by data and supported by technology – enabling them to reach...

This post was originally published on the Digital Learning Collaborative blog. The inaugural Digital Learning Annual Conference (DLAC) took place on April 1-3, 2019, and one of the highlights of the event for me was the prominent and focused conversation around research and evidence. In fact, DLAC kicked off with a research community meeting,...

The call to teach digital citizenship has been heard by schools around the world, yet there are a few schools who question the value, purpose, and position of teaching digital citizenship within the classroom. Many of those questions stem from a lack of understanding around what digital citizenship is, why it is important, and how it should be...

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” – Nelson Henderson Transforming schools and districts from industrial models to student-centered ones is bold, noble, worthy work that requires a sustained effort over a long period of time. Typically, such movements begin with one bold, visionary leader or a...

“How might we redesign school to better meet the needs of each student?” We posed this question to educators in the Dallas Independent School District back in 2014 with the hope of bringing together like-minded educators who wanted to redefine what’s possible for students and teachers in a large, urban district. This question still continues to...

When I was a little girl in small-town Texas, I loved to travel. I also loved school. Learning and seeing other parts of our country were simply my favorite things. On an extended trip to New York City, I remember meeting a little girl from New Jersey in a laundromat when I was seven years old. We talked like little kids do – “how old are you?...

Do you think about failure as a way to look at how to transform education? The last two years have enhanced my abilities to do just that! I credit the state and national innovative leadership networks that I belong to for opening my eyes to look at failure in the same way I look at success in helping me solve complex problems. My district, Natick...