Our Blog

Dr. James Pelech’s Active Processing framework helps educators move learners beyond participation and toward deeper cognitive engagement. Through reflection, questioning, collaboration, self-explanation, and authentic tasks, learners actively make meaning instead of simply receiving information.

There is a moment in project-based learning when students share their work beyond the classroom, and everything changes. At Windsor Elementary in Des Moines Public Schools, students brought their learning to life through a powerful PBL public product. This post explores how public products give learning purpose, deepen engagement, and help students take ownership of their work as they create work that truly matters.

National parks don’t just preserve landscapes, they design experiences that teach, inspire, and empower visitors. This blog explores how K–12 teachers can borrow visitor experience principles from parks to create empowered, learner centered classrooms. Learn how to redesign your space, routines, and roles so your environment becomes a “third teacher,” giving students agency and support even when you’re not at the front of the room.

Welcome to the final post in our 4-part series on collaboration skills. In this post, we explore how feedback can fuel student growth—when students learn to give, receive, and reflect on feedback, they develop stronger learning habits and deeper relationships. Discover practical routines, sentence stems, and strategies to help learners engage in purposeful feedback throughout your classroom.