Posts by Guest Author

Personalized Learning

Why Mentors Matter

By: Sarah Vander Schaaff. As part of our Smart Parents series, Sarah writes about the impact a valuable mentor had on her life, and why mentors matter. As a parent, Sarah also acknowledges why this sometimes raises concerns for parents and discusses the real value mentors bring.

Personalized Learning

6 Categories of Deeper Learning Skills for Education Leaders

By: Karen Cator. It's essential for education leaders at all levels to understand, articulate and model deeper learning skills. The role that micro-credentials play when it comes to teacher expertise in deeper learning skills and ways education leaders can develop their skills in six different areas.

Difference Making

Breaking Down Silos: eLo Enables Expanded Learning Opportunities

By: Kip Pygman. Three Illinois suburban school districts recently launched the Expanding Learning Opportunities Consortium (eLo). The new partnership is breaking down the silos that commonly exist across educational institutions to leverage the collective talents of teacher leaders to serve students.

Difference Making

Step Off the Direct Path, Service Something Larger Than Yourself

By: Carol Barash. As the direct path from high school to college to work becomes less normative by the day, more people of all ages build their career and life path based on a wide range of educational options, diverse work and volunteer experiences, and their unique vision for our shared future

Personalized Learning

How to Keep Children From Drowning in the Device Deep End

By: Heather Staker. As part of our Smart Parents series, Heather brings expertise as a parent and author about how parents can teach their children to use technological devices responsibly. Heather's advice is both practical and guided by the "bigger picture"- devices are a highly powerful learning tool and a teaching opportunity.

Leadership

4 Lessons For Today’s Education Leaders

By: Karen Cator. Digital Promise's League of Innovative Schools is working to close the Digital Learning Gap by designing new ways to engage students in deeper learning experiences. When selecting schools and districts for participation, strong leadership was a "must-have" criterion.

Leadership

Schools Can’t Innovate Until Districts Do

Next Generation School Districts goes deep into the question of which system policies are most likely to get in the way of implementing personalized learning at scale. It makes the case that districts must aggressively work to change the incentives, policies, and structures so that they encourage and free up schools to innovate.

Leadership

Inspired by Serial: Behind MCDPEL’s New Podcast for EdLeaders

By: Joe Mazza. As part of our Preparing Leaders for Deeper Learning series, Joe Mazza brings us a behind-the-scenes story of the new and interactive scenario podcasts hitting the education leadership scene. Learn more about these podcasts, and about the ways social media is bringing leaders together to solve problems and learn from one another.