community

Learner-Centered

Portland Youth Exercise Power through Participatory Budgeting

Jan 29, 2024

Oregon implemented an experiment in giving young community members direct say over how to spend public dollars as a way to participate in community governance.

A smiling boy engages in a hands-on activity at a table alongside a bearded adult mentor in a school setting.

Equity & Access

Community Collaboration: The Success Story of Tacoma Public Schools’ Summer Late Nights Program

Mason Pashia

Jan 25, 2024

Tacoma Public Schools responded to both crisis and tragedy through radical and efficient community partnerships.

School administrator smiling with three young students in uniforms giving thumbs up in a school hallway

Leadership

Go Slow to Go Fast: Change Through Focus

Guest Author

Jan 9, 2024

One school leader shares their reflections on driving change in a a system that, often, seems unchangeable.

Speaker on stage at SXSW EDU 2023 conference in front of a colorful blue and yellow branded backdrop.

Leadership

Can’t Miss Education Conferences in 2024

Getting Smart Staff

Jan 2, 2024

Our team is incredibly fortunate to participate in and attend dozens of conferences around the world. Here are some of our favorites.

Modern school building with blue-framed glass atrium, brick exterior, and attached greenhouse, Owatonna, Minnesota

Career & Technical Ed

Owatonna’s New School Sets Eyes on Local Pathways

Mason Pashia

Dec 19, 2023

A new school in Owatonna has a mission to grow and nurture a local workforce alongside some of their many business partners.

Difference Making

Laguna Beach High School Gets in the FLOW of Environmental Literacy

Michael Niehoff

Dec 18, 2023

This chronicles one high school’s creative and innovative approach to addressing local environmental problems and establishing a school wide, cross-curricular approach.

Students and educators holding illustrated posters on democracy and civic learning at a collaborative workshop event.

Difference Making

Making Civic Learning Meaningful With And For Young People

Guest Author

Dec 14, 2023

Through iThrive's Game Design Studio teens were engaged as equals and experts in imagining and ideating alongside others in the civic education ecosystem.

Diverse group of people facing a glowing AI brain hovering over a city skyline at dusk

EdTech

Innovating with Integrity: Building Trust in an AI-Driven World

Guest Author

Dec 12, 2023

When we design schools that give every individual a human advantage in the age of AI we create a future where technology is enriched with human insight and leadership.

Students gathered inside a Quonset hut makerspace with long tables, tools, and equipment for hands-on learning

Learner-Centered

Agency and Co-Authoring Thriving in Colorado Schools

Mason Pashia, Marissa Wicklund

Dec 11, 2023

Over the last few months, we’ve been fortunate to accompany school leaders to some outstanding Colorado schools that exemplify new learning models that lead to new pathways.

Children working independently at desks in a bright home-based classroom with blue chairs, plants, and educational posters.

New Pathways

Home Schools Grow With New Funding Streams

Tom Vander Ark

Dec 7, 2023

A growing number of students are learning in homes. These small schools create opportunities to test new learning models, expand supportive options, and extend access to new pathways.

	Beginning	Piloting	Implementing
From Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery	BeginningFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Beginning	PilotingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Piloting	ImplementingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Implementing
From One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning	BeginningFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Implementing
From Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry	BeginningFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Beginning	PilotingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Piloting	ImplementingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Implementing
From Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning	BeginningFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Implementing
From Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities	BeginningFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Beginning	PilotingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Piloting	ImplementingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Implementing
From Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment	BeginningFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Beginning	PilotingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Piloting	ImplementingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Implementing
From Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets	BeginningFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Beginning	PilotingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Piloting	ImplementingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Implementing

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