Articles

“Does the future of schooling look like Candy Land?”

Originally posted in our August 2021 Top of Mind Newsletter. As the pandemic continues to complicate education at all levels, many schools are rising to the challenge. They are innovating, getting creative, and in some cases, are actually improving upon issues that have impacted education long before the outbreak of COVID-19. One big way schools have adapted to meet the needs of students, virtually or otherwise, is through a concept called competency-based education (CBE). Advocates of…

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“The $5 Challenge”

Originally posted in our August 2021 Top of Mind Newsletter. When we think about giving students autonomy, many different things come to mind. One influential model that educators at Stanford have been using seems to spark some of the most creative opportunities you could imagine in the classroom. Tina Seelig, Ph.D., offers her students $5 and two hours to make as much money as the team can. With as much time to plan as they needed,…

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“Facilitating Group Discussions”

Originally posted in our August 2021 Top of Mind Newsletter. Using more learning from Stanford educators, we turn to a fantastic resource for facilitators. This document outlines how to create effective learning environments regardless of the subject that both create the psychological safety necessary for students to engage fully while also providing the space for robust and diverse discussion. As opposed to traditional lecturing, facilitation offers a more collaborative and engaging learning environment conducive to a…

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“Sailboat Metaphor”

Originally posted in our August 2021 Top of Mind Newsletter. When thinking about establishing a new paradigm in the classroom, the topic of individual needs invariably comes up. Many of us have heard of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and it has almost shown as a pyramid. But, the issue is, Maslow never designed this hierarchy as a pyramid. “Maslow emphasized that we are always in a state of becoming and that one’s ‘inner core’ consists…

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“Is an Optimistic Mind Associated with a Healthy Heart?”

Originally posted in our July 2021 Top of Mind Newsletter. Now that we understand that we’ll all go through a period of self-doubt in our work and understand the importance of finding meaning in that work, where do we go from there? How does this knowledge impact us in the day-to-day and our overall well-being? Research over the past few decades has taken the tie between mental and physical health into new territories. We’ve known for…

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