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But we are proud to say that The Learner First contributed 103 entries already.
The Tampa Bay Times recently interviewed Jeff Eakins, superintendent of Hillsborough Schools, about his efforts to improve graduation rates. Eakins had some insightful things to say about his role and what works when you’re trying to help students make it to the finish line. First, Eakins credits the gains in graduation rates that his district […]
Learning is deepest when it connects to students’ lives – who they are, what they are interested in learning, and how they can use their learning to make a difference in their own lives, the lives of others, and the world. When thinking about how to design “deeper” learning experiences, it helps to keep a […]
The Learner First have updated our website, and it is more than just a fancy new look – we have added helpful content about what we do and how we do it, including a breakdown of our framework and the tools we use. There is also a page for our videos, flyers and papers. We […]
Joanne is featured in the latest issue of Pioneering, Education Reimagined: “Learners Are Not Failing the System —The System is Failing Learners.” Read about how the education system is not just in need of an overhaul but a full transformation, and how to do it through The Learner First systems and processes!
Event: eStudy from the American Evaluation Association Dates: Monday, June 20th & Wednesday, June 22nd 3:00p.m.-4:30p.m. ET Presenters: Dr. E. Jane Davidson & Joanne McEachen Register: http://www.eval.org/eStudy Want to hit the ground running with ESSA, get measurable lifts for your bottom 5% of Title I Schools? This eStudy, from the American Evaluation Association, reveals a powerful […]
To all our wonderful teachers, Learning is knowing who you are; how you fit into the world; and how you can contribute back. The lives of all students are in our teachers’ hands. You are literally changing the destinies of kids every day. Keep pushing the envelope and doing amazing things. You are so appreciated! The Learner […]
Testing season got you down? Ashley Haddox-Williams, a teacher at Hayes Elementary School (one of the schools working with The Learner First in Oklahoma City), and her husband have recorded a little musical relief. Each year, the couple crafts and records a song for Hayes. This year’s tune, a parody of The Weekend’s “Can’t Feel My […]
In our last blog (Part One) we discussed how the narrow pursuit of standardized learning and assessment has contributed to an impersonal and dysfunctional edusystem. What we need in this complex world, is a systematic way to create new knowledge to solve real-world problems, by pooling the expertise of people who can bring very different […]
At a recent meeting on social impact investing, a Wealth Management Advisor shared the theory of change driving Social Impact Ventures in the wake of the Wall Street crash. Perhaps it is best explained first as a theory of stagnation. There was a powerful force against change that created unwieldy institutions and a mentality of impersonal conformity in […]
In our previous blog we mentioned the significant investment in teacher professional development ($8 billion in just 50 of the largest school districts). This is far larger than most people realized and does not include the approximate 10 percent of teachers’ time in development activities on or off campus. Another conventional way to waste money is the […]
