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What I Missed (Or Even Got Wrong)

by Chris Sturgis

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“You t hink we are smart?” blurted one of the 6th graders. Two other heads swiveled around to listen. “I’m not!” declared one. “Why do you think we are smart?” asked the other.

Seeing my chance I enthusiastically declared, “Oh yeah! You are definitely all smart. I’ve only known you for a month and I can see that each of you are really smart and each of you have curiosity about different things” I had learned by now that at most I would have five precious moments of their attention…… Read More

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What Will Students Experience in a Competency-Based School?

by Chris Sturgis

Tags: competency-based learningmastery-basedperformance-basedpersonalized learningproficiency-basedschool culture

What will students experience in a competency-based school?

Below are a set of examples of experiences that every student should have in a well-developed personalized, competency-based system that was developed through a collaborative experience at CompetencyWorks in 2018.

1. I will be fully supported in developing academic knowledge and skills,….. Read More

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Making Sense of the Research on Learning

by Chris Sturgis

Tags: competency-based learninglearning sciencesmastery-basedperformance-basedpersonalized learningproficiency-based

A colleague scoffed the other day when I mentioned science of learning. It was the word ‘science” that drew the reaction as science had been used to harm people of color or justify their oppression. It’s been used against women as well. That’s why I have started to use the phrase ‘research on learning’….. Read More

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Steps Toward Maturity: Introducing the Concept of Student Autonomy (Part 2)

by Chris Sturgis

Tags: assessmentcompetency-based learninggrowth mindsethabits of learninghabits of workmastery-basedperformance-basedpersonalized learningproficiency-basedstudent agency

In the first part of this series, I call for us to be strategic in how we communicate the concepts related to student agency to the general public while also building a more precise understanding of what it means and how to help students develop the mindsets,….. Read More

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Steps Toward Maturity: Making Meaning of the Mindsets and Skills for Student Agency (Part 1)

by Chris Sturgis

Tags: competency-based learninggrowth mindsethabits of learninghabits of workmastery-basedperformance-basedpersonalized learningproficiency-basedstudent agency

Student agency is a phrase that is nearly impossible to use in everyday language and is certainly not a phrase that parents use to describe their children. “Look at the agency my darling Marla has climbing that tree.” “My Martin is doing so well, he is demonstrating such agency these days.”….. Read More

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Shining the Competency Education Light on Education in the Time of Covid19

by Chris Sturgis

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Has Covid19 lifted the window of opportunity for a massive transformation of the education system? During several presentations on rethinking schools and the future of education, many of the speakers and chatting participants have claimed that the closure of schools in response to the pandemic has created the conditions for radical transformation…… Read More

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Questions, Questions and More Questions

by Chris Sturgis

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I receive questions along the way from different colleagues, clients and people trying to find their way through personalized, competency-based education. Last week I had a chance to speak with students from Michael Golden’s class at UPenn. Here are some short responses to each of the follow-up questions I received:

1…… Read More

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Gallery

All the photos of students actively engaged in learning are courtesy of Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action.

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