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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Sunflowers and Butterflies

a picture of a sunflower with a butterfly on it
by Toby J. Karten As I painted the sunflowers on the cedar planked walls of our A-framed Vermont cabin, I smiled at the field that emerged. Broad and fine brushstrokes gave birth to each root, stem, leaf, and flower. Together they grew as I dug into the walls and feverishly painted. Some sunflowers overlapped and intertwined, some stood apart, some were taller, some were smaller, some had deepe...
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Singing the Praises of Personal Learning Goals

Stick figure singing
by Madison Calteux. Muskego-Norway School District While I love to sing and dance about math being a subject worthy of high praise, my theatrics only go so far to engage students. (And when I say sing, I do mean it somewhat literally; ask any Algebra 1 teacher about the song for the Quadratic Formula.) Fortunately, I have found when students can take charge (and be their own metaphorical choreo...
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Forging a Path Forward – Together

Image of tree lined path
by Paula Hough, Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 With 6500 students, USD 383 is large enough to provide a broad array of challenging educational and extracurricular programs, yet small enough to sustain strong relationships between students and caring adults. Amidst construction projects, grade level reconfiguration, new technology, and other changes, we always focus on teachers and professional learnin...
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Kaneland School District: Our Road to Personalized Learning

picture of a map
by Sarah Mumm, Patrick Raleigh and Laura Garland, Kaneland School District Like most travel adventures, Kaneland CUSD #302’s road to implementing personalized learning has included stretches of open road, dangerous curves, forks in the road, and even some unexpected lane closures. Through it all, we have kept our GPS locked in on our final destination; a district where students are not just alo...
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