Posts by Guest Author

New Pathways

When Reality Meets Possibility: Inside the Ecosystem Lab

Guest Author

Apr 7, 2026

Learner-centered ecosystems are already emerging—Ecosystem Lab helps leaders connect partnerships and pathways across communities.

SEL & Mindset

Can’t. Will. Did.: How One Teacher-Mountaineer Is Bringing Social-Emotional Learning Outdoors

Guest Author

Apr 6, 2026

Teacher-mountaineer Kimber Cross brings SEL outdoors with “Can’t. Will. Did.” and Summit Kids—stories built on CASEL skills.

Two business professionals walking forward together on a path disappearing into fog, viewed from above.

Leadership

Leadership is A Human Act: Stewarding Transformation Through the Fog

Guest Author

Mar 24, 2026

Leading school innovation means navigating the “neutral zone” with permission, hope, and human-centered change—not compliance.

Jennifer Light smiling outdoors with a city skyline and river in the background, featured in a conversation graphic.

Leadership

Democracy in Miniature: Youth Agency and Junior Republics | A Conversation with Jennifer Light

Mason Pashia, Guest Author

Mar 16, 2026

Youth agency meets embodied learning: what Junior Republics and movement-based instruction can teach today’s schools.

Three students taking notes on clipboards while closely examining a wooden mechanical model at a STEM exhibit.

Learning Design

Why the Best STEM Lessons Start with Struggle

Guest Author

Mar 9, 2026

Productive struggle boosts STEM engagement—start with a challenge, normalize failure, and coach students through iteration.

Woman in navy blazer walking purposefully across open white space, casting a long shadow beside her

Leadership

The Cost of Innovation: Why True Transformation Requires A Season of Grief

Guest Author

Mar 3, 2026

Innovation in education requires grief work—letting go of old models and identity to lead real transformation.

Adults and children collaborating over books and worksheets at a classroom table in a colorful elementary school setting.

Equity & Access

The fastest way to transform learning isn’t just purchasing curriculum—it’s building alignment among educators at all levels

Guest Author

Feb 23, 2026

Aligning educators at every level with curriculum design transforms student learning, as demonstrated by District 18's remarkable growth.

Students exploring vintage objects—typewriter, rotary phone, film camera, vinyl record, and old books—in a modern classroom.

Personalized Learning

Borrowing from the Past: Productive Friction in the Age of AI

Guest Author

Feb 12, 2026

AI accelerates learning, but productive friction—effort, attention, and struggle—makes growth meaningful. Let’s balance innovation with meaningful design.

Three teens playing video games together in a culturally decorated living room with snacks on a coffee table.

Leadership

How Can Indigenous Futurism Help Drive Innovation? | A Conversation with Kelly Berry

Mason Pashia, Guest Author

Feb 9, 2026

Exploring Indigenous education, leadership, and futurism with Kelly Berry: reclaiming narratives, revitalizing culture, and innovating for the future.

Flower diagram showing "The CHOICE: Critically Human Skills" with Integrity, Compassion, and Agency at center, surrounded by six overlapping circles.

Learning Design

The CHOICE We Make: The Critically Human Skills That Define Our Future

Nate McClennen, Guest Author

Feb 5, 2026

Explore the CHOICE framework for critically human skills and redefine education to foster agency, compassion, and integrity in an AI-driven world.

	Beginning	Piloting	Implementing
From Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery	BeginningFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Beginning	PilotingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Piloting	ImplementingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Implementing
From One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning	BeginningFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Implementing
From Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry	BeginningFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Beginning	PilotingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Piloting	ImplementingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Implementing
From Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning	BeginningFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Implementing
From Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities	BeginningFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Beginning	PilotingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Piloting	ImplementingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Implementing
From Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment	BeginningFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Beginning	PilotingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Piloting	ImplementingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Implementing
From Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets	BeginningFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Beginning	PilotingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Piloting	ImplementingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Implementing

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