The new Groupthink on Groupthink?  A bit of discussion around this at the ACSR Critical Skills Master Teacher's training this past Saturday. Interesting.

The Common Core in Vermont Wiki is a warehouse of materials and resources to help you and your school in our transition to the Common Core State Standards.The resources on this page are designed to increase awareness and provide general information about the Common Core State Standards and Vermont's plan for implementation.Content area resources available for Phase 2.

This Google Site has been set up by Dr. Helen Barrett to focus on the use of Google Apps to create ePortfolios. On this site, there are instructions on how to use the different elements of Google Apps to maintain e-portfolios.

"This is the workspace for an online course Introduction to E-Portfolios in K-12 Schools, developed by Dr. Helen Barrett."

"The best advice that I have ever been given to help me create good quality summative comments when assessing pupils' work came from Darren Mead. He explained that if the comments made are kind, specific and helpful, the pupil will be able to progress to the next level."

60 videos from Creating Innovators by Tony Wagner.

"Learning Futures was a programme designed to get young people engaged actively and positively with their learning, achieving better outcomes and retaining a commitment to learning beyond school. We are now looking for people interested in becoming an 'Engaging School'."

Many great links to resources, tools, and related documents.

A recent study in the US found that: * 98 percent of students feel bored at school at least some of the time; * Two-thirds of students feel bored every day; * A quarter of students feel unchallenged by lessons

Interesting read.  Again, we need to question and challenge everything...especially those things we Most believe in.

"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."

New report - Optimal Learning Spaces Optimal Learning Spaces Design Implications for Primary Schools. Report is for primary schools, but same principles apply. Laura and Lauren, thought you might be interested in this fairly extensive report. Link to report on page is broken. Here is the report. Optimal Learning Spaces Design Implications for Primary Schools

"... enhancing teaching and learning outcomes by creating better built environments. It aims to link scientific knowledge to case-study examples "

"...three design principles emerge to support application in practice: the role of naturalness, the opportunity for individualisation and appropriate levels of stimulation."

"The Campus Technology Conference is for higher education professors, instructors, administrators, curriculum developers and IT professionals who are tasked with integrating emerging technology into their programs. Over 4 days, the conference delivers the most up-to-date information on new tools, applications and services-and how they work on real campuses."

While this is for "higher ed" it might be interesting to attend. Sometimes I think that there is too much of a disconnect between what happens in high school and what happens in college. They are not exclusive of one another, but a continuing process to a student's achievement of their goals. I believe that both (hs and colleges) need to figure out how we can integrate more pieces of our work.

We have been awash in literature about Finland lately. Mostly because something about what they do works!Of the many articles that I have read, this one in particular does a superb job of sharing in a clear an succinct manner a good many of the pieces of their puzzle.

Conference Promo Video

ISTE - International Society for Technology in Education ... ISTE 2012, "Expanding Horizons," will be held June 24 through 27, 2012, at the San Diego Convention.

Mentioned by Lauren Parren & Karen Budde in Ning. Check in with them through Ning if you are interested!

While Volunteering and Service-Learning are not exactly the same, they share common foundations which apply here. Article contains many validating reasons for incorporating pieces into curriculum.

"...positive effect on grades, self-concept, and attitudes toward education. Volunteering also led to reduced drug use and huge declines in dropout rates and teen pregnancies."

"Like diplomas, credentialing is a market signalling activity -- credentials tell the world what you know and can do. With all of the new learning options, it is becoming more important to have widely recognized means to show what you know and can do."

This is the evolution of education. Certificates of Focus, online learning, competency-based learning, internships, ELOs...the signs are everywhere. It is just going to take a school with the guts to blow up the system and make real and deep changes.

"The world no longer cares what the graduates from your school know...what the world cares about is what they can Do with what they know." paraphrased

"Critical thinking is the ability to ask really good questions, to ask the right questions."

EdCamp Flyer "EdCamp Vermont (http://edcampvt.posterous.com), an education conference like no other, will be held at Essex Middle School on Saturday, April 14th. The structure of the conference is very informal, with attendees signing up to run sessions first thing in the morning. The conference will be free from corporate vendors and booths, with the focus being solely on conversations about education. Attendees will come from all over Vermont and will range from classroom teachers to administrators to coaches and school board members. There will be time for attendees to gather informally to share ideas as well as a variety of sessions for them to attend, run by their colleagues and fellow educators."

"As with all barcamps, edcamp Vermont is completely free, with all refreshments and other amenities provided solely through sponsors such as Vermont ASCD, Evernote, and Edutopia."

What a great way for a group of Fellows to share either individual initiatives...or to talk about the process of change...how change happens...how to maintain an initiative...how admin can be generative leaders...or any of a number of pieces that Fellows and their schools have learned from our experiences.

These films look specifically at ways in which school leaders and educators are testing and proving project-based models for a new, student-centered model of learning.

Lauren and Laura, You'll be interested in the video on this page called "Designing Schools for 21st Century Learning" featuring Randall Fielding. The "...focus of his work is to lead communities in the design of environmentally responsive campuses that foster personalized learning and strong connections to the community."

"In today's global economy, countries need high-quality education systems that will teach their citizens the skills necessary to meet the challenges of tomorrow. This series of videos, produced jointly by the OECD and the Pearson Foundation, highlights initiatives being taken by education authorities around the world to help school students do better."

Isn't just a Finnish Phenomenon. Pieces are happening Globally. What can Vermont suss out and glean from these?