This article was first published in Getting Smart on May 22, 2018 In some sense, all action demonstrates agency. After all, a student who makes the decision to drop out of school is by some definitions exercising agency to take that action. However, when we talk about student agency, we … Continue reading →

This article was first published in Getting Smart on April 1, 2018 It is not enough to implement Project Based Learning (PBL) and automatically expect to see dramatic outcomes. First, the quality with which PBL is implemented can vary widely, from authentic, challenging, student-centered implementations to those where students simply … Continue reading →

This article was first published in Getting Smart on February 19, 2018 There is something about how people learn that involves a balance of activeness vs passiveness, self-direction vs micro-management, ownership vs compliance, intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation. Something based in interest and engagement and basic psychological needs such as autonomy, … Continue reading →

This article was first published on Getting Smart on February 1st 2018. Who wouldn’t want responsible students? They listen in class, take notes, and complete their homework on time without nagging. They are easy to teach. Especially as compared to disengaged students who daydream in class, may have disciplinary issues … Continue reading →

We are looking across the country for a couple of special districts who are fascinated by student agency work and that are willing to share with us their wisdom.  We know that our unique program for building student agency is different from the usual way initiatives are implemented – we … Continue reading →

  Every person deserves dignity.  Yet it is something that it is all too easy to strip away from young people.  Make a joke at the expense of an awkward teenager because embarrassing them is funny.  Change the story of what your 5-year-old did because it is a better (funnier … Continue reading →

This post was initially published on Getting Smart on January 2nd, 2018. How do you know if your personalized learning initiative is working? What you measure can have a profound impact on the outcomes you see. The challenge with implementing personalized learning is that it can be done authentically, with … Continue reading →

The most interesting conferences surface a mix of the ideas that are new enough to be interesting yet mainstream enough to be actionable with those that are just on the horizon.  I attend a lot of conferences, so it was with particular pleasure I was able to participate in the … Continue reading →

This article was first published on Getting Smart on 9/22/17 Tony Wagner’s The Global Achievement Gap defines the modern workplace as an environment that no longer calls for compliant workers who wait to be told what to do, who believe that collaborating is cheating or who hoard information believing it … Continue reading →

This article was first published on Getting Smart on 9/26/17 Schools have traditionally been asked to do many “jobs” for their customers, including: Provide child care before, during and after school while parents work. Inculcate knowledge and skills required for college (and ensure they can get into good colleges). Feed … Continue reading →