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As a developer of tools that measure traditionally “hard-to-measure” learning outcomes, I’m frequently asked the same question by educators: “Why don’t you compare students’ new measures data with their standardized test results?” If you did, they continue . . . “Then you could prove what you’re doing is working.” This line of reasoning carries the […]
When working with teachers and school-level leadership through the question of what matters most at their school, I like to tell them a tale of two students. Meet Lucas and Jasmine – two students whose stories are partially described in the following table of data, which includes Learning Progression ratings for Self-Understanding, Creativity, and Connection. […]
Communities across the United States share a common and worthy concern: how can our community improve its schools? The value we place on individuals’ education stems from the long-standing promise of the American school system that receiving an education leads to better-paying jobs, reduced inequality, and lifelong success. But despite being more highly educated than […]
“12 years of doing what we’re told, as opposed to what we need, is detrimental to personal development, to the Mind, and, most importantly, to the Soul.” This is the message I hope stuck the most out of my speech at the Education Reimagined Symposium in Washington, D.C. in early 2019, because it still drives […]
From April 16-17, 2019, The Learner First will host the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL) USA Cluster Deep Learning Lab in Redmond, Washington. The event will gather teachers and other education leaders from California, Michigan, Utah, Washington, Canada, and elsewhere around the sharing of learning and best practices, so that all students can learn […]
In January 2019, Seattle’s Aparna Rae and Sage Ke’alohilani Quiamno launched Future for Us, an initiative designed to accelerate the advancement of women of color through community, culture, and career development. They envision a world where women of color lead at the highest levels of corporate, government, and social sector organizations. For everyone pioneering this […]
After spending a week in Austria at the Salzburg Global Seminar on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), I was inspired to rekindle my attempts to make mindfulness a purposeful part of my life. The inspiration came from leading voices from all over the world – from Manish Sisodia (Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi), who spoke about […]
A recent article from the FFT Education Datalab examined the effects of school quality on students’ long-term outcomes. The study compared students from lower- and higher-performing schools over the span of fourteen years and concluded that while measures of school quality were somewhat associated with measures of students’ long-term outcomes, the association diminished over time. […]
In my experiences with teachers and school leaders in educational systems around the world, one frequently asked question stands out from the rest: “How can I balance the demands of the system with the interests and needs of my learners?” A lot is expected of teachers and school leaders, and those expectations don’t always align […]
The Learner First founder and CEO Joanne McEachen traveled to Australia and New Zealand in recent weeks to share her leading thinking on deeper learning, educational measurement and assessment, and whole-system change. On October 16, Joanne keynoted at the Queensland Deep Learning Lab in Queensland, Australia, where the conference focus was centered on developing learners […]
