Posts by Michael Niehoff

Difference Making

Redefining Readiness: New Literacies

Readiness has become a popular way to describe the mission. Are our students ready? Many like college and career ready. Others like Future Ready. In Part 1 of Redefining Readiness, Michael Niehoff focused on Pedagogy and Courses. For Part 2, he explores new literacies.

SEL & Mindset

Redefining Readiness

If Education is collectively committed to real readiness, it will require a radically different approach to learning and school. It’s time for a new dominant pedagogy, entirely new courses and to embrace new literacies. More than ever, what we have done before will not get it done going forward.

Leadership

Mid-Year Reflections, Redos, Reboots and Restarts

It’s December now and we’re focused a lot on finishing strong before our breaks. Facilitators and learners need that winter break. But what will be different in January when we all return? Anything? A new calendar could mean a lot of new things. Let’s not it just be a new number. When students return in January, what is their learning going to look like, feel like and ultimately be like? Mid-year is the perfect time for a whole new year.

Project-Based Learning

Educating the Whole Child Through PBL

Project-based learning has been touted as the pedagogical cure-all for many things. Indeed, I have long argued it’s the ultimate instructional response to the need for real-world relevance and application, problem-solving, collaboration, student engagement, presentation skills, mentors and even tech integration. It’s the pedagogical glue if you will. But one…

SEL & Mindset

Cultivating the Culture of Creativity

One of the Four C’s that is particularly routinely referenced and seen as foundational to our students’ future success is creativity. This post shares some strategies for building a culture that supports students as they develop this essential trait.

Leadership

SmartStart: Starting the School Year Off Right

If we focus on anything but academics to start the school year - such as culture, opportunity, creativity, relationships and the “why” - we may actually produce a more academically successful student and school year. This post explores how to make that happen.

Personalized Learning

9 Ways To Make Student Work Authentic

Making learning more “real” has long been a goal of those who have promoted everything from project-based learning to career technical education. Both learners and learning facilitators want learning where the ‘why’ is an integral part of the process. It’s this desire to be “real” that has now found its way into our vernacular as “authenticity”.