Author: Institute4PL

How Competency-Based Education Paved the Way for College

How Competency-Based Education Paved the Way for College
by Briana Medina My senior year of high school was a big year for me: leadership roles in clubs, AP classes, two internships, and a spring musical. But despite those things, only one stressor truly haunted my mind: where I would go to school the following year. I attended Kettle Moraine School for Arts and Performance (KM Perform) for high school, a competency-based learning environment in Wale...
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Every Experience Is an Opportunity to Learn

LIght bulb
by Jim Rickabaugh, Ph.D. Learning is the key to staying professionally fresh, keeping our practice sharp, adjusting to changing conditions, and maintaining our professional confidence. It expands our perspective and feeds our curiosity. Learning can also stimulate new ideas and generate new insights. When we engage in learning that challenges us, we move beyond the limits of our natural talent....
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What Are We Preparing Our Learners To Do?

Question marks
by Stacy Linn, Ed.D. What are we preparing our learners to do? This is the question that educators, principals, parents and community members were constantly asking in our school district. Some stakeholders may say, “to answer questions on the big accountability test” while others would say “to prepare our learners for the future”. Out of frustration educators may even say, “Just tell us what w...
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Holman Pirate Academy: Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Pirate Academy: Do. Reflect. Do Better.
by Dr. Sarah Moran and Maegan Bowersox Holman Pirate Academy is housed at Holman Middle School in the Pattonville School District, and is proudly located in suburban St. Ann, MO. Holman is a diverse community: of approximately 640 students, 38% are African American; 37% White; 10% Hispanic; 10% Multi-Racial; and 5% Asian, Native American, and Pacific Islander. Our students speak a variety of la...
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Developing Agency: Vetting Applications for “Educational” Value and Learner Agency

A pink highlighter and checklikst
by Liz Kolb How do you know if an educational application is truly “educational”? Believe it or not, there is no vetting process for these tools in the Google Play or Apple App stores.  Any app can be labeled “educational,” even when it may not actually lead to student learning. This lack of screening has worried many educators, especially those of us in the education technology field.  For ...
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