Heather Harlen

Learning Innovation Network Power of Networks

Aurora 2024: Insights and Highlights

We were thrilled to have been able to take sixteen talented educators from across the Building 21 Network to the 2024 Aurora Symposium in New Orleans! Their reflections underscore the…

Heather HarlenDecember 10, 2024

Learning Innovation Network

My Ah-Ha Moment: Building Durable Skills through Outdoor Learning

Spotlight blogs celebrate excellence in our Learning Innovation Network. This Spotlight is an interview by Heather Harlen, Learning Innovation Network Instructional Coach and Designer, with Rob Kalpinski, a teacher at…

Heather HarlenOctober 1, 2024

Launchpad Learning Innovation Network

Launchpad Spotlight: Ignite

Spotlight blogs celebrate excellence in our Learning Innovation Network. This Spotlight features a pitch competition in Launchpad, a workforce development program designed to support young Philadelphians interested in tech careers.…

Heather HarlenApril 16, 2024

Learning Innovation Network

2023 Aurora Symposium Recap

Sandra Moumoutjis, Executive Director of our Learning Innovation Network, was struck by the family reunion vibe at the 2023 Aurora Institute Symposium in Palm Springs, California. It was the first…

Heather HarlenMarch 11, 2024

Learning Innovation Network

Academy of Alameda Spotlight – Redlining and Math

Spotlight blogs celebrate excellence in our Learning Innovation Network. This Spotlight is co-written with Jennifer Whatley, a middle school math teacher at The Academy of Alameda, near San Francisco. Find…

Heather HarlenDecember 5, 2023

Learning Innovation Network

Celebrating 1000 Members: Building 21 Open Resource Library Hits a Milestone

We are thrilled to announce that the Building 21 open resource library has reached over 1000 members! This milestone is a testament to the engagement of our community and the…

Heather HarlenSeptember 6, 2023

Learning Innovation Network

Building 21 Allentown Spotlight – Impact in Practice

Spotlight blogs celebrate excellence in our Learning Innovation Network. This Spotlight is co-written with Megan Justice, a social studies teacher at our Building 21 Allentown Lab School in eastern Pennsylvania.…

Heather HarlenMay 3, 2023

Learning Innovation Network

West Ada Academies Spotlight – The Value of Staff Voice and Choice

Spotlight blogs celebrate excellence in our Learning Innovation Network. This Spotlight was written in collaboration with Julia Miller and Tracy Poff, instructional coaches in the West Ada School District in southwest…

Heather HarlenApril 4, 2023

Competency-based Learning Learning Innovation Network

Three Glows and a Grow: 2022 Building 21 Summer Design Institute Recap

Saturday mornings in my childhood often involved a bowl of Rice Krispies sprinkled with sugar and a cartoon marathon. One of my favorites was The Jetsons, a space-age family who…

Heather HarlenDecember 6, 2022

Competency-based Learning Learning Innovation Network

Transcend: 41 Ideas For Reshaping School (And We’re One Of Them)

Building 21 is proud that our model is among the inaugural set of innovative designs included in The Models Exchange — a free, searchable library to drive innovation for schools. …

Heather HarlenOctober 27, 2022