Personalized Literacy Centers in the Kindergarten Classroom

By Kelly Servant (Hugh Cole Elementary School) The Strategy Key Points: These learner driven literacy centers are tailored to the students needs, strengths, and interests.Students are expected to take ownership of their learning when they are in their centers. Students progress at own pace.Each of the groups is personalized based upon the needs of that …

Personalized Writing Workshop in 5th Grade

Fifth grade students are expected to write focused, research reports that teach and engage readers. Through this Lucy Calkins Writing Unit, students are instructed a variety of techniques to implement in their own writing. What makes this unit personalized for our students is that the instructional process is both learner centered and learner driven.

Improving Student Engagement through Voice and Choice

Creating a menu of blended learning opportunities that allow second grade students to focus on their unique needs and interests.

Approaching the Global Goals with Design Thinking

Inquiring Minds is a new course at KMS that is focused on the 21st century learning skills, social emotional learning and design thinking process. As a vehicle for practicing these skills, we have used the United Nations Global Goals as the content students are learning.

Mastering the Informational Essay Through Personalization

A self-paced acquisition of writing skills through practice sessions where students set goals for mastery.

Creating Student Ownership During Read to Self Time: Student Success using Flipgrid and NewsELA

This year, Grade 3 students at Hugh Cole Elementary School used NewsELA and FlipGrid to strengthen their reading during read to self. The goal was to help me ensure that students are indeed using independent reading time for the purpose it is meant for, and it also helps me see where students are at with their reading skills and goals at various levels.

Digital and Personalized Learning Updates: Virtual Tours, EdTech for Formative Assessment, Google Classroom Mobile, and More

Leveraging Virtual Tours in the History Classroom We all strive to help history come alive for our students.  One proven strategy is to have students engage in experiences that put them right in the action, whether it’s ancient ruins of great civilizations or those more aligned with modern historical developments.  The constraint that we face, …

Exploring Learner Profiles: Resources, Examples, and Questions to Consider

By Tom Driscoll, BWRSD Digital Learning Director As next-generation assessments and instructional data can help educators gain a deeper understanding of students, the sheer amount of information available can prove challenging.  As discussed in a prior post, educational technologies can amplify the impact of proven formative assessment strategies. But in doing so, educators must often …

Levering Virtual Tours in the History Classroom

By Tom Driscoll, BWRSD Digital Learning Director The except below is from an article that I published in “Digital Learning” Magazine.  It was co-authored with friend and EdTechTeacher colleague Shawn McCusker. VIRTUAL TOURS We all strive to help history come alive for our students.  One proven strategy is to have students engage in experiences that …

Making Time for Social Emotional Learning

It's been a bit more than a year since RIDE adopted Social Emotional Learning Outcomes for all Rhode Island students. While time never seems to be on our side, making time for social emotional learning needs to be a priority not only for students in our district, but in every school across the United States.

Including All Students in a Learner Driven Classroom

Reading a Novel in the Classroom with Three Targets: Comprehension, Point of View and Social Awareness By Jen Crandall (Kickemuit Middle School) @TeacherCrandall The Strategy In a sixth grade language arts class the focus was central theme and point of view.  As a school, teachers were also encouraged to tie in a social emotional learning …