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But we are proud to say that The Learner First contributed 103 entries already.
By Mary Coverdale, Executive Director at The Learner First Australia. The COVID-19 pandemic has perhaps unwittingly created a sliding doors moment in education. One consequence has been a global awareness of the scale of educational inequality that reflects the broader social issues which have spawned a deep divide in communities across the globe. While equity […]
The Learner First has partnered with Goldendale School District (GSD) in Washington State since 2019. This week, GSD’s School Board was awarded Board of the Year in the category of Small School Districts for its extraordinary efforts in supporting GSD’s focus on learning and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Congratulations to the GSD School Board, […]
By Ellen Perconti, Superintendent of Goldendale School District in Washington State. The 2021-22 school year is off to a great start, and our staff and students are enjoying being back together daily for learning and growing. Our focus in the Goldendale School District this fall is on connection. Feeling connected increases our ability to learn. This […]
Murgon State School in Queensland, Australia partnered with The Learner First to engage students, teachers, staff, and the broader community in a community-wide journey toward deeper learning. The school adopted the lens of its “least-served learners”—those who are underserved by traditional teaching and learning styles—in order to better understand those learners’ needs, and then to […]
I’ve had some time to step back and reflect on the state of education—where we are, what’s important, and what’s in store for the future. Out of school systems globally, four themes are emerging: Let’s fix education by solving the world’s problems. We—teachers, principals, students, parents, businesses, governments, leaders—have been trying to “fix” education for decades. […]
By Mary Coverdale, Executive Director of The Learner First, Australia. I work with courageous leaders. They have a profound sense of what’s right for their students and teachers—not just with regard to curriculum, but to the skills and dispositions that, when embedded in the classroom experience, can enrich the social and emotional “humanscape” of the […]
By Ellen Perconti, Superintendent of Goldendale School District in Washington State. The third-grade students were busy arranging and rearranging desks. They had just received news that the whole class could learn in the classroom together, after changes to Washington State’s distancing guidelines that shortened the acceptable distance between students from six feet to three feet. […]
By Dr. Tina Marcoionni, Director of The Learner First (TLF) Australia In my first weeks partnering with Murgon State School in Queensland, Australia, we were working through School Capability #1—understanding your school, your learners, and their needs—when the Deputy Principal received a teacher request. The teacher requested some “assistance” with Archie, a year six student […]
By Ellen Perconti, Superintendent of Goldendale School District in Washington State. Over the last several days, I’ve found myself reflecting on the concept of “enough.” When it comes to who we are and how we see ourselves as individuals, it’s common to struggle at times with the concept, as evidenced by the myriad of self-talk […]
By Ellen Perconti, Superintendent of Goldendale School District in Washington State. Years ago, in the depth of winter, our school team was asked by a teacher to support a kindergarten student (“Lisa”) who, in response to every request, replied “no.” Sometimes, the “no” was accompanied by a foot stomp, a plopping to the floor, or […]
