Themes
This section of the website highlights the ways in which DC is distinguishing itself as a center for innovative teaching and learning through the work of our DCPZ network educators.
You can read about their exciting classroom experiments and thoughtful reflections through the lens of the following themes:
* Civic Agency: Resources, ideas, and exemplars for empowering students to make positive changes in their communities and the world.
* Cultures of Thinking: Ways to deepen the capacity of students to think critically and creatively, inspired by the research of Ron Ritchhart of Project Zero.
* Maker-Centered Learning: Discovering the many ways educators can cultivate student sensitivity to design, systems, analytical thinking and their own creativity.
*Museum Learning: Ideas, resources, and pictures of practice from educators using cultural institutions to enrich the learning and broaden the horizons of their students.
The Ripple Effect of Administrators’ Learning
Facebook Twitter The Ripple Effect of Administrators’ Learning: When Administrators Learn, All Learn Or how a small in-house learning group might end up impacting hundreds of learners! This blog post […]
“The More Things Seem to Change, the More They Stay the Same”: Theory to Practice Across Disciplines
Facebook Twitter “The More Things Seem to Change, the More They Stay the Same”: Theory to Practice Across Disciplines This blog post was written by Rebecca Ljungren, Education Programs Manager […]
09/05/2023
Investigating the Many Ways Our Children Are Citizens
Facebook Twitter Investigating the Many Ways Our Children Are Citizens This blog post was written by Dr. Christiane Connors, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at The River School in Washington, […]
08/22/2023
A Call to Action: Start Small, Make Change
As educators, we have the privilege and responsibility to guide our students towards a deeper understanding of the world around us.
04/27/2023
Empowering Students to Explore: A Journey of Curiosity and Creativity
As educators, we have the privilege and responsibility to guide our students towards a deeper understanding of the world around us.
04/13/2023
My Learning Journey with “Peeling the Fruit”: Modeling Thinking Routines in Professional Development Settings
What is “Peeling the Fruit,” you might be asking? For those who don’t know, it’s a thinking routine, developed at Project Zero, in the Visible Thinking project. You’ll also see it referred to as “Peel the Fruit.”
03/21/2023
Escaping the Curriculum by Returning to Student Voice
It was a typical day in 8th Grade Design Technology class, at the start of a new unit about sustainable design. My carefully planned lesson was disrupted when a student suggested an escape room unit.
02/07/2023
Unlocking Student Potential with a Global Competence Framework
What does an antiracist, student-centered curriculum look like? How can we ensure that our students, many of whom are English language learners, have access to meaningful, globally competent learning experiences? How do we cultivate opportunities for all students to show what they know and who they are in our classrooms, celebrating their learning differences?
01/13/2023
Stepping into Our Power: Student, Teacher, and Community Voice in the John R. Lewis Leadership Program
The John R. Lewis Leadership Program fosters meaningful, hands-on learning about leadership, justice, service, and advocacy for all Lewis High School students (Fairfax County Public Schools).
11/23/2022
Reimagining Museum and School Partnerships
In the post-pandemic world, The Phillips Collection (located in Dupont Circle, Washington, DC) has been revisioning what school-museum partnerships can look like.
