by Shelley Wright | May 8, 2019 | Less Teacher, More Student, Making The Shift, The Compelling Need for Change, Voices
Why do we have so many students who are frustrated and bored, just waiting to be challenged? We’ve made education about manipulation and hoops instead of inspiring our students to pursue learning that matters to them — learning that can help them make a difference in our communities and the world. By beginning with the Why questions, says teacher Shelley Wright, we can create powerful student-driven learning environments.
by Tim Holt | Jun 6, 2013 | Passion Based Learning, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices
Our brains don’t like unresolved issues, writes El Paso Schools IT director Tim Holt. “Hollywood figured out long ago that cliffhangers are sticky — that our brains remember unresolved issues longer than plotlines that just plod along.” In his latest post about the advantages of problem-based learning, Holt says PBL lessons should also keep students busy resolving the unresolved.
by Marsha Ratzel | Feb 14, 2013 | Connecting with the Common Core, Voices
I wasn’t sure, when I first heard about the Common Core standards, if the CCSS approach would support my inquiry-driven, communication-heavy, student-voice kind of classroom culture. But the more I’ve delved into it, the more I’ve seen that the practices and overarching standards align quite well.
by Brenda Sherry | Feb 8, 2013 | Less Teacher, More Student, Making The Shift, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices
Our arts education teachers quietly go about their work, often marginalized to the ‘extras’ or the ‘fluff’ of the school program, writes Canadian teacher educator Brenda Sherry. “And yet, I would argue that they are the PBL experts that we seek!” Sherry describes several attributes of student-centered pedagogy that are common among teachers of drama, music, painting, dance and artistic crafts.