Professional Learning

SEL & Mindset

How To Undo the Backfire Effect with Next-Gen Students

Christina Gil

Jan 14, 2017

When confronted with facts that dispute already-held beliefs, people often believe more strongly, not less. Here's how to help your students overcome that tendency and become self-aware critical thinkers.

EdTech

10 EdTech Resource Lists for Teachers

Guest Author

Jan 14, 2017

By: Jessica Carrell. It has always surprised me that it can be hard to find practical EdTech resource lists. Here is a helpful collection of resources for teachers to reference when looking for recommendations on all things EdTech.

Project-Based Learning

How PBL Transforms the Classroom into the ‘Real World’

Guest Author

Jan 11, 2017

By: Anthony Johnson. My students consistently outperform others in our school and district, and I believe my focus on PBL and hands-on learning is the catalyst. In this post, I share my strategy and techniques.

Leadership

Personalizing Math for Bear Creek Middle School Students

Guest Author

Jan 10, 2017

By: Anthony Newbold. Fulton County’s Bear Creek Middle School is personalizing math instruction for all students, using mobile devices and a model that helps teachers customize learning to individual students’ needs, skills and interests.

Leadership

5 Minutes to Change Culture: The 5 to Thrive Challenge

Guest Author

Jan 9, 2017

By: Tom Vander Ark and Jillian Darwish. The “5 to Thrive Challenge” encourages education leaders to dedicate five minutes each day for a month to improving the culture of their schools. In this post, we provide strategies and a free toolkit to help get you started.

Teachers standing in field and smiling in a place-based professional learning exercise

Place Based Education

Teacher Reflection | The Power of Place-Based Professional Learning

Guest Author

Jan 9, 2017

By: Helen Ommen. I'm comfortable teaching inquiry-based lessons, but I have always felt less secure letting students ask and pursue their own questions. That all changed after my place-based professional learning experience.

A list of Apps for Special Needs Students on Table screen

EdTech

7 Apps for Working with Special Needs Students

Guest Author

Jan 8, 2017

By: Jana Rooheart. Digital tools can be very helpful in bridging developmental gaps; these apps can help you tailor your curriculum to your special needs students without an overwhelming amount of preparation.

Leadership

Two Secrets to Energize Your Culture in 2017

Guest Author

Jan 6, 2017

By: Jillian Darwish. Reinvigorated after the holiday break, many of us will begin to think about culture transformation initiatives to sustain that momentum. These two secrets and two big questions will help get you started.

SEL & Mindset

Developing Leadership Qualities in the Classroom Through SEL

Guest Author

Jan 3, 2017

By: Diana Clark. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) can help students develop the life skills necessary for their future success and happiness. It can even help them develop leadership skills!

Leadership

A Year in Review: 2016 Publications

Getting Smart Staff

Dec 31, 2016

Looking for something to add to your reading list for the new year? You'll find plenty of free, useful insights in our list of 2016 publications to implement in the new year.

	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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