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Grants to individuals fund participation in high-quality professional development experiences, such as summer institutes or action research; Grants to groups fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment.

Could be a nice additional source of funding to support existing projects.

Great resource. Teachers at Harwood Union Middle High School applied for a Learning & Leadership Grant to explore iPad apps in a fairly informal PLC-type setting and received $5,000 to support their work. It helps that the application for the grant was fairly easy to complete.

Today's students adjust to rapid technological and social changes, navigate vast flows of information and learn to work collaboratively with diverse individuals and cultures in a global economy. Discover cognitive tools and teaching techniques to help them cultivate the skills and abilities required to succeed in the new millennium. - November 18, 2011 - November 20, 2011 at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel in Boston, MA

"I read a blog post found in my Reader feed, which leads me to a link on YouTube, that leads me to a quote, which leads me to the person who stated the quote, to find a link on their Twitter profile, only to find another article on something that I would have never found myself. ...That is how learning should be; continuous, connected, and meaningful." 

Great video at end of article!

Really interesting set of linked protocols for organizational planning. "The Collective Action Toolkit isn't a rigid template for problem solving. It's designed to be flexible and accessible, with an action map and activities arranged into six categories, from building a group, to imagining new ideas, to planning change. The toolkit challenges groups to move beyond discussion to action, continually clarifying their shared goals based on what they learn through the problem-solving process."

Interesting piece that gives a good "heads up" to #EdReform.  Tech heavy, but other pieces include homeschooling, PBL, entrepreneurial learning.

TED Talk recommended by Andy Kepes.  Sounds like a good premise for personalized learning.

How two schools are linking Tony Wagner's ideas in Creating Innovators with Project Based Learning

Via Alison Bromage, Vermont Adult Learning "Finland and South Korea top the charts in a new global education ranking. But with very different philosophies. We're looking at what the US - ranked number 17 - can learn."

Here is a challenge to my fellow fellows...let's continue to move our work forward by sharing it beyond the #VTed borders. "The 2013 WISE Awards Submission period now open until March 31, 2013 The 2013 WISE Awards will celebrate six innovative educational projects for their positive contribution within a community or society. WISE seeks to share best practices world over and inspire others to spark change in education. The WISE Awards thus highlight today's most innovative solutions and approaches that are addressing educational challenges confronting the world at large. Project holders from any region, educational sector or level are encouraged to submit applications which demonstrate the quality and impact of their activities in accordance with the criteria.  Whether you are involved in a project that provides access to quality education, creates new opportunities for lifelong learning or develops innovative educational technologies, WISE invites you to apply for the 2013 WISE Awards."

'A great overview of Dan Pink's "Drive" by Vermont principal and VTASCD board member Larry Fliegelman. Thanks to my principal Jim Avery for reminding me how much is to be learned in this book about leadership and teaching.

"...researchers and educators ... want to know how kids learn by tinkering - fooling around with something until one understands how it works. They want to know what happens cognitively - how this learning process helps form habits of mind, builds character and how it affects the individual."

"If you look at four-year-olds, they are constantly asking questions and wondering how things work. But by the time they are 6½ years old, they stop asking questions because they quickly learn that teachers value the right answers more than provocative questions. High school students rarely show inquisitiveness."

Interesting article that makes me think that we don't need to look to Finland for all of the answers. We can look to "The True North strong and free!"

"The biggest problem in American secondary schools may be boredom. What American youth need more then anything is opportunity to discover their passions and unleash them into the world. The Future Project, a NYC-based startup, is addressing this challenge by mobilizing an army-the Future Corps-to help American high school students find and begin working toward their dream."

Could be the next step for ELOs?! Starting to think about how I could present a proposal to collaborate with Castleton and/or Middlebury on developing similar project.

Khan as teacher-centered lectures, not student-centered learning.  Still, the videos could support independent learners.

Association for Authentic, Experiential and Evidence-Based Learning (AAEEBL) Monday, July 16, 2012 Boston, MA "This Institute will launch a conversation among educators and enable participants to raise questions and examine issues about the implementation of eportfolio programs for K-12 teaching, learning and beyond."

Website also has significant amount of information, resources, and exemplars re for those engaged in ePortfolio work.

Interesting story about Germany's apprenticeship programs and how it trains students on the job while paying them to learn.

I have a great auto mechanic in town that has been working with one of our seniors. He offered the student the chance to run a project by himself this last week. The student is learning about state tax and calculating hours and part costs. His only remark to me, "I know now that I do not want to own my own shop." By the way, the mechanics in the shop call him a 'wrench'. No Boeing plant around here, but we are fortunate to have community members, who can offer struggling seniors a chance.

"Florida's standardized testing program is being misused and has 'severely impacted student learning,' according to a new white paper that says that school districts in the state are required to give as many as 62 tests a year to students."

"While the specifics are about Florida, the general conclusions about the negative impact of state standardized programs are relevant across the country - not only because other states have their own version but because some looked to Florida as a model as they developed their own school accountability systems."

Written in partnership with San Diego's High Tech High, this guide offers step-by-step advice on planning and managing extended, interdisciplinary projects, as well as useful protocols for critique sessions, templates for important documents such as project plans, and examples of high-impact projects.

"What happens with this is that time is the variable and learning is the constant," said Kristine Kirkaldy of Vergennes Union High School. This fall's freshman class is piloting new performance-based graduation requirements-- shifting the focus for earning a diploma from a traditional report card and hours logged in a classroom to one that includes a 4-year, cross-curriculum portfolio. "You will have a portfolio into which you have placed pieces of evidence showing your growth and learning in the various areas that were asking," Kirkaldy said.