Last Wednesday I had the opportunity to watch multi-grade project based learning (PBL) in action at Astoria Lutheran School in Queens, NY. It was a wonderful day of affirming their school model and helping identify next steps with the faculty of the school. As I observed PBL in action in preparation for afternoon conversations with …
Category: Personalized Learning
#PBL Session Resources
I am spending the day in New York City at Astoria Lutheran School, working with the faculty and staff there on project based learning (PBL) design and strategies. To that end, I developed this resource page that contains links, articles, templates, etc. to support the PBL journey for this school or any other. Feel free …
Students and School Design Ideas
Each year my Lights Academy seniors take on the challenge of identifying design issues within the school and making proposals for addressing those issues in a positive manner. They do the research, share their ideas as a class, and then they pursue the proposals they choose. Two weeks ago my student Bri (pictured in the …
Flexible Seating Thoughts and Links
It is August 1st, and thus my thoughts, and the thoughts of educators around the nation, move to the new school year -- one that has both new challenges and possibilities. One new opportunity that has arisen for me is the move to a newly constructed classroom for Lights Academy, the personalized, project-based learning experience …
Parkinson’s Research and Fake News
Over the next several weeks, I am going to share recent Capstone Project work from my Lights Academy seniors. These projects are the culmination effort of their Lights Academy work, where they have chosen a question to research and dug deep into the analog, digital, and human resources that can help answer their query. I am proud …
Malala and Helping Students Find Their Voice
I am no doubt behind the times, but over the past month I have become very interested in the remarkable story of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist for education and woman's rights who was shot in the head by the Taliban at age 15, survived, and continues her crusade today. With her father as her …
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Flipgrid and Lights Academy Applications
It is application season for the various academies at Lutheran High School, where I teach and serve. I look forward to reviewing the potential candidates for the academy which I lead, Lights Academy. One of the challenges I continue to face with this academy is helping students and parents understand just what Lights Academy is and its clear …
Favorite Primer for Student Questions
I have participated in a number of Twitter education chats over the past few days where the skill of student questioning has been discussed. Those of you who have read my posts in the past know that I am an advocate for getting student to ask really good questions and then giving them permission to …
IEP Thought Conversation
As I was reading a professional book today, the following conversation took place in my mind: Why are IEPs for only a subset of students? Because they are a legal requirement for providing proper support for those students that qualify for and receive special education services. IEP stands for "Individualized Education Program", right? Yup So …
“I’ve Thought About….” and PBL
I have been working with my Lights Academy students on innovation projects -- projects that are designed to build on something already created or solve a problem in a new way. This is a concept that is often a challenge for juniors and seniors. Their typical school experience through the years comes from absorbing the …
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