Educators

This post, COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION: The Working Definition, was originally published in SEEN Magazine and reprinted with Permission. 
The advocacy for competency-based education (CBE) has grown considerably in mainstream education over the last few years. Out from the shadows of alternative education, the idea that skills based mastery leads to achievement has come of age. Universities, colleges, and K12 education now consider competency-based education a viable option for improving the quality and effectiveness of teaching.
Competency-based education has at its core an emphasis on achievement.

This post, MARCHING TOWARDS COMPETENCY: Competency Based Learning: Instruction that Matches the Needs of Each Student, was originally published in SEEN Magazine and reprinted with permission. 
In theory, the choice is simple. Continue to implement a time-bound; age-based; one-size-fits-all curriculum-driven instructional model that has not served us well for many decades.

Zack Gilbert is currently teaching 6th grade social studies and language arts at Parkside Junior High School in Normal, IL. Zack is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University with a B.A. in History with a secondary teacher certificate and has an M.S. in Instructional Technology and Design from Illinois State University. His master’s research looked at the impact of educational games and how the knowledge gained through these games is stored into long term memory.

In this interview, Alessio Assonitis, Ph.D., Director of the Medici Archive Project (MAP) discusses the power of digital humanities. 

Dr. Celine Coggins, CEO of Teach Plus, spent time with Dr. Berger discussing the role education plays in helping educators build their own understanding for how policy impacts practice and overall enjoyment of practice. Coggins pulls back the proverbial curtain to share her own initial experiences exploring teaching as an option for her own career. The response her parents provided, though less than inspiring, provides context to the underground image so many Americans have about education and the decision to work in the sector. 

John Larmer, Editor in Chief at the Buck Institute for Education (BIE), spent time with Dr. Berger at the annual ASCD conference in Atlanta. Larmer discusses the place Project Based Learning (PBL) has in 21st century learning. We also learn how districts approach teaching and learning from a PBL perspective. Larmer shares his advice for young people contemplating a career in education given his vast and diverse professional path.  

Sylvia Martinez, leading author and speaker in the education technology space, spent time with Dr. Berger to discuss the Maker Movement and her new book, ‘Invent To Learn: Making, Tinkering, …

 Adam Geller, Edthena co-founder and CEO, joined Dr. Berger to discuss the ongoing development and support for teachers needed for 21st century schools to succeed. 

Those of us in education business are often focused on managing the clock, the budget and the demands of an industry and clientele (students and teachers) desperately looking for smart technologies that provide student-centered learning opportunities and high levels of engagement.