The Top Ten GOA Blog Posts of 2019

We’ve had an incredible year at GOA! We worked with thousands of students and educators online and in person, and we launched a number of new offerings, including a series of online courses for students in grades 7 to 9, a Competency-Based Learning Toolkit, and new courses in our Rethinking School series.

Along the way, we’ve been writing about our work on our Insights blog. Below are the ten most popular posts from 2019. We love this list because it helps us know our community better: both what they care about and what they want to learn about.

What would you like us to write about in 2020? Let us know on Twitter or contact us.

1. Five Predictions for Schools in 2019. At the beginning of the year, Executive Director Michael Nachbar outlined five key issues facing education. Did his predictions come true? Will they be relevant in 2020? Keep an eye out for his 2020 predictions in January!
2. Why Every Educator Needs Their Own Public Narrative. Director of Learning and Design Eric Hudson explains how to use Marshall Ganz’s Public Narrative Framework as a guide for educators to clearly articulate, reflect on, and leverage their sense of purpose to design for deeper learning.
3. 15 Resources for Rethinking Assessment. How should we capture and measure learning? The GOA staff gathered the essential resources shared in our online educator course Rethinking Assessment.
4. 2019 Catalyst Conference Student Award Winners. Our April 2019 online conference asks an important question: “How can I use what I’ve learned to spark change in my community?” This post gathers some of the best student projects from the event.
5. How Competency-Based Learning Supports Culturally Responsive Curriculum. Associate Director of Professional Learning Sara Tahir writes about using a skills-based, culturally responsive approach to prioritize equity and inclusivity in the design of learning experiences.
6. 20 Guiding Questions and 10 Resources for Team Meetings. How might we make the most of our gatherings? We offer some prompts and resources to help keep meetings focused on learning.
7. What If We Replaced Academic Awards With Exhibitions of Learning? Sara Tahir argues that if we want to create equitable, student-centered learning environments, then we should hold student-led exhibitions of learning rather than traditional awards ceremonies.
8. Four Design Parameters for Rethinking Professional Learning. Director of Professional Learning Bonnie Lathram and Sara Tahir offer four strategies to ensure that educators learn deeply and are equipped with the skills they need to provide the same deeper learning opportunities for students.
9. Six Ways to Move Beyond the Classwork/Homework Divide (and Never Look Back). Associate Director of Faculty Susan Fine offers some driving questions and practical strategies for how to think more intentionally and holistically about the work we want students to do.
10. Designing a Graduate Profile: Four Essential Steps. Eric Hudson offers a guide to creating a visual, memorable, and public document that captures the skills and mindsets that matter to your school. This is an essential step in adopting competency-based learning.

Ready to put these ideas into action? Here's how to get involved with GOA in 2020!