Year: 2018

In Episode 24, we had a wonderful conversation about learner-centered education, specifically, the World of Work initiative, with Dr. David Miyashiro, superintendent in the Cajon Valley Union School District in California, and Ed Hidalgo, Chief Innovation and Engagement Officer at Cajon Valley. World of Work is focused on designing career development awareness in K-8 schools to prepare teachers and students for the future world of work. We learn how the World of Work initiative is focused on the learner and has been one element in Cajon Valleys learning transformation.

Key Competency

Learner-centered leaders develop the resources, the people and the conditions necessary for transformation. In the case of Cajon Valley, the district developed the World of Work resources once the need for career awareness was identified. The board supported the development of the material resources with financial resources. David and Ed have developed their people in this process – helping learners and teachers uncover their own strengths, talents and values to amplify the why of how learners at all levels of the system fit into the future world of work. As leaders, they have also created the conditions that have allowed the people demonstrate their own agency and for the program to be successful. As David shared, “There are no passengers on this ship – we are all crew. We are all rowing.”

Takeaways

In a short period of time, Cajon Valley has moved from a technology desert to a digital environment under David’s leadership. This transformation was approached through a design process that engaged teachers. External partners such as TED.com and Google have helped accelerate and support the transformation.

The World of Work initiative is learner-centered as it is designed to help learners uncover their unique strengths, interests and values. What is at your core? What do you care about? What engages you? Answers to these kinds of questions lead to increased learner agency which is, and will be, highly valued in a world or work where employees are expected to manage their own careers.

Questions to ask learners: What is something you do really well? What is a strength you have on which you have recently been complimented? What do you think your work values might be?

The World of Work initiative is also highly personalized, contextualized and relevant to learners. The initiative has reinforced Cajon Valley’s greater WHY…. Happy students, building healthy relationships, on a path to financial and social well being. Every child will need some sort of job, business or career that will sustain them and a network of people that they can engage with once they leave secondary school. Career development is a whole new language for teachers, but it can be integrated into the work they do everyday. Revisiting the greater WHY has helped teachers think of the purpose of education beyond test scores in math and ELA.

The Holland RIASEC framework has been used in Cajon Valley as the foundation of the program designed for learners to find their people – to help them classify their interests. Once learners find their people, they will find their interests. In the World of Work curriculum, learners experience jobs on the RIASEC framework each year. At the end, learners use the TED talk framework to share their reflection. Putting them in this role is not only learner-centered but fosters the development of leadership.

The primary barriers to this work is time and a lack of understanding of how the economy has changed and will be changing between now and the time learners enter the world of work. The world of work has shifted since the current educational model was designed in the 19th century. The dominant paradigm of school is not designed for the success of all students. Business and industry is telling us we are not properly preparing our learners for success in the current and evolving economy and job market.

The World of Work resources are a scalable means of bridging the gap between K-12 and the world of work. Physical tools and the World of Work curriculum were developed by Cajon Valley. The board supported the development of these resources.

In terms of leading this work, leaders need a shift in mindset. Rather than thinking of themselves as principals, teachers or superintendents, a more realistic frame is as a company executive, rethinking the business model of public education. Do this by asking questions such as: What is the problem we are trying to solve? We hear about unfilled jobs, shrinking middle class, college graduates with no career in their major field. These things are the problems of K12. We may need to improve test scores, but there are larger issues included in our responsibility. And these larger issues should drive what we do.

We can blame policymakers for the shortcomings of our current system, but we need to do something from the ground up – rethinking the WHY of what we are trying to solve. We as leaders have the skills; we need to shift the mindset.

We can do this work – not more, but differently – when we collaborate with each other. Let’s let go of some of the things we think have to drive us. Refocus on the why and the level of engagement from everyone will rise. Let’s not tether ourselves to the local and state measures of the accountability movement.

Everyone has unique strengths and talents that are needed in the world. Moving to a strengths-based model from a deficit-based model will help every learner understand they have a place in the world.

Connections to Practice

• We have created a prototype for an internship program at our high school this semester. This is one way we are tapping into the strengths, interests and passions of our learners connected to their future world of work.
• Career awareness has become a component of our SPP score here in Pennsylvania.
• We have been having conversations around the greater WHY of transformation.
• Professional learning and the development of our people around the transformation has been important. 

Questions Based on Our Context

• How will we expand our internship program next year?
• How can we engage our younger learners in planning for careers and the world of work?
• How would our learners answer these question: What is something you do really well? What is a strength you have on which you have recently been complimented? What do you think your work values might be?
• How can the RIASEC framework help us to create a personalized experience to meet the college/career standard in PA?
• How can we partner with outside businesses and organizations to learn what skills and dispositions are most needed in today’s economy?
• How does thinking about the future leverage transformation?
• What is the TedX literacy curriculum?  How could our learners benefit from this tool?
• How do we engage policymakers differently in the work of transformation? What do we connect it to? Unfilled jobs? Shrinking middle class? Unfulfilled workers?
• What are we doing to uncover and release learner interests?

Next Steps for Us

• Evaluate our current internship program, planning for expansion on a larger scale.
• Work with school leaders to plan with intentionality how we can support our learners to think about the world of work beyond high school.

As we have become more proficient in the learner-centered paradigm through our work in the Salisbury Township School District, we have started spreading the learner-centered message!

Voice and Choice: The Learner-Centered Lens

What does it mean to give learners voice and choice in their learning? What distinguishes personalized learning, competency-based learning, open-walled learning, socially-embedded learning and learner agency in learner-centered environments from school-centered environments? What does it mean to innovate within your classrooms, school or district through the learner-centered lens?

 

Leading Innovation

Leading organizations with the learner at the center. Should this kind of leadership look different? How do we build our knowledge, skills, and dispositions to lead in new learner-centered environments? We think leadership in our schools today should look different! To explore this new territory, leaders in the Salisbury Township School District have been engaging Education Reimagined, learner-centered leaders and learners across the country in the Shift Your Paradigm podcast to uncover the characteristics needed to guide learner-centered transformation. The conversations are revealing the boundaries of what makes or breaks a shift. What are the lessons learned from national leaders who are co-designing innovative learning environments?

In Episode 23, we had the pleasure of speaking with Ezekiel Fugate and Jenny Finn from Springhouse Community School in rural Floyd County, Virginia. Springhouse Community School is a unique leaning environment where questions such as these are explored:

• How does a child successfully shed his or her childhood to fully enter adolescence?
• What does a young person need to deal with the complexity of adolescence?
• What does it take to emerge from adolescence prepared for young adulthood?

Key Competency

Learner-centered leaders create a learning culture that balances structure and freedom. Learners are invited to explore what is true for them and what they are curious about while also being introduced to experiences and learning they may not have otherwise.

Takeaways

Learner-centered leaders have a curiosity about culture change – creating healthy culture, helping teenagers get comfortable in their own skin through a learner-centered approach.

“The way in which we educate isn’t as important (competency-based, project-based) as the way we very intentionally choose to meet the learners here in our environment. We are committed to seeing learners as whole human beings who are capable of coming to know themselves and their potential. That has been the guiding light for us – the focus on wholeness and the belief that each of us carries something unique to offer to the world. Our job as teachers and mentors is to figure out how to connect our learners to that and how to empower them to offer that to the world.”

Springhouse is a competency-based school, with competencies rooted in its mission: to prepare adolescents for young adulthood by providing an educational experience that is individualized, rigorous and engaging.

Competencies are divided into four core areas – four pillars: relating, critical thinking, innovating, leading.

Relationship and relating is central to everything they do: relationship to self (Who am I? What are my gifts? What’s getting in the way? What brings me alive? What puts me to sleep?); relationship to other (How do I show up in a world where there are people I may not like, people I really like? How do I tend to human relationships? How do I cultivate the skills to navigate challenge, tension and all the issues that may arise?); relationship to earth and the natural world (We are not strangers to planet earth. How do we rework the human/nature relationship?)

Critical thinking is some of where the more conventional learning takes place: thinking scientifically, investigating mathematically, analyzing the past and present, being an effective communicator.

Innovation is developing the skills to create – from idea to bringing it into the world. This encompasses artistry and entrepreneurship.

Leadership manifests itself in the notion that the individual needs to know how they might show up in the world as an individual leader, the person who they are.

Springhouse has nine program areas: mathematics, language arts, science, humanities, design, entrepreneurship, world language, coming of age, and  health. These program areas are explored through four core practices: project-based learning, one-on-one mentoring, community collaborations and nature connections.

The adults in the Springhouse community are passionate and have the capacity to spark curiosity and listen to students. Students are empowered to explore a year-long passion project under the guidance of a mentor. Projects have focused on learning how to rap, homelessness, solar energy, evaluating water quality and just about anything you can imagine.

Springhouse has a significant component that engages the community – internships and experience Fridays. Community members volunteer their gifts and passions they want to share with students. Students are exposed to something new each week.

Everyone at Springhouse is there to become more fully who they are – adults and children. Every person has a light inside of them. The school and those working and learning in it are there to support and invite out. Everyone has a gift to offer and the world has a need for that gift.

Ezekiel and Jenny believe that transformation is by its nature counter-cultural. They are asking students and parents to step away from a culture of education with different values and engage in a deeper way of learning and relating. The culture they’ve created is rooted in “soul” and is used to speak to that place where everyone can be their authentic selves. There is less centeredness around the ego and material worlds at Springhouse. While offered, stepping into transformation is often not easily received in our culture. Springhouse, one could say, invites transformation on many different levels.

Springhouse is a school that doesn’t privilege the intellect. It values the development of the whole child.

Connections to Practice

• Ezekiel and Jenny are curious leaders who have spent a lot of time translating their thoughtful planning of a school into a reality for their learners. There is a lot of intentionality in how we are approaching change in Salisbury with the development of the Profile of a Graduate, interrogating our beliefs about learning and designing professional supports to assist our teachers and leaders in this work – Leading #YourSalisbury.
• The four practices – project-based learning, one-on-one mentoring, community collaborations and nature connections are areas we have considered exploring in terms of designing learning environments. We are currently exploring PBL within the Leading #YourSalisbury cohort. We have loose connections to mentoring, but are exploring community collaborations through a high school internship program. We have offered workshops on place-based education which has some connection with the natures practice.

Questions Based on Our Context

• How can we remain curious about this work amidst the successes and challenges?
• How do we uncover the gifts in others?
• Do our learners know they have a responsibility to share their gifts?
• This conversation helps frame the notion of relationships – among ourselves as educators and our learners. How do we take the conversation about relationships beyond the transactional that tends be our focus in a fast-paced, always-on world?
• How do we help learners understand relationships – relationship to self, to other, to the world?
• What do competencies look like within our Profile of a Graduate? How do we begin to provide some structure to the Profile?
• How might we be more intentional about a design for appropriate practices that will support our Profile of a Graduate and learning beliefs? Do we see other practices in our learning community? What are they?
• How can we draw our community in and help them understand we need them to do this work?

Next Steps for Us

• Relationship to self – understanding ourselves as learners – is one of the key components of relationships and a gateway to personalization. What supports can we put into place that make relationship to self – self-awareness – an intentional core experience of being a learner in Salisbury, whether young or old?
• Look at our Profile of a Graduate and identify competencies in various areas – such as the nine program areas.
• Determine which practices best support learning in the context of our Profile of a Graduate and learning beliefs.

In Episode 22, we learn about learner-centered education in the Fraser Public Schools. Superintendent, David Richards, along with learners Emily Ruebelman and Julia Wallace shared stories that highlight learning in Fraser. a school district of over 5,000 students located in Macomb County, Michigan. The District is currently in the process of implementing a competency based education model across all grade levels which will allow students to progress through their academic experience based upon demonstration of proficiency in each of the subject areas.

Key Competency

Learner-centered leaders provide learners with new opportunities. While this can be difficult and very different from traditional learning, leaders can open a new realm of possibilities.

Takeaways

We started the conversation by asking the learners to share three words to describe their learning. The learners described their learning as engaging, well-rounded, valuable, new, personalized, and open. Because the learning is competency-based, learners see the value in learning. Because the learning is personalized, the learning is self-paced and different for each learner. Learners may be more receptive to this kind of learning environment because they appreciate being co-creators.

What does personalized learning/competency-based learning look like in Fraser? It is difficult to personalize learning without making it personal. The District is driven by a system that allows every child to proceed at his/her own pace toward mastery. Learners in a learner-centered environment need to persevere. Learners need to learn, monitor their learning, and re-learn. The focus is on mastery and proficiency instead of having learning be fixed around time or the school year. Can they create a system which allows every child to advance at their pace?  “This is not a one and done environment.”  Some students need more time, and other students need less. While learning in Fraser still has community and social emotional components, the grade levels become more blurred.  

Students have the opportunity to have 1:1 time with teachers in a seminar. During seminar, students have diverse opportunities for their learning. Sometimes the learners need individualized time with teachers during the seminars in order to master content. There are also seminars for clubs and other activities (student council, peer-to peer, band). Learners may also use the seminar time for collaboration in the media center.

Technology makes personalization more convenient and efficient. In addition to getting extra practice, students can also accelerate. Teachers build content in the learning management system, and students can access the resources. Having this learning management system has given more control to the learners. Teachers have transformed by letting go of control of content in the LMS. Students appreciate that they can accelerate and move at their own pace.Even learners as young as 3rd or 4th grade understand they can create an individual path and move on to new content when they are ready.

Learners shared some challenges in this new system. Self-motivation can be a challenge for students. Learners have to learn new skills to manage the choices in a more personalized learning environment. Learners need to own the learning, and that can be a challenge.

Memorable learning experiences included a student-selected inquiry project as well as respectful, safe class discussions. Students relate content to their world and their personal values. Real-world connections are a norm.  

Learners are leaders in Fraser. Learners need to take initiative and understand growth. Because they are responsible for their own learning, they need to have their own drive and devotion.  Students are required to persevere throughout the competency-based learning process.  Learners trust learners during these discussions and group collaborations.

Thinking about advice for learners and leaders…Today’s learners have grown up with technology and are learning differently than students in the past. We need to be open to the new changes and adaptations so today’s learners are different. The heavy lift is creating flexible environments where learning is the focus. Learner voice is critical as we look at how we will redesign schools. Leaders need to rethink, redesign, and take back the conversation!

Connections to Practice

• Our learners are different from the learners when many of our staff members started teaching. Do we all understand our Generation Z learners?
• We have some opportunities for learners to earn college credit through dual enrollment and specific programs. Additionally, we are piloting an internship program this spring.
• We need a clear profile of what it takes to graduate. Students need to have the 4Cs. They need to be equipped with how to learn and relearn, They need to have grit and get through learning struggles. They also need to uncover their passions. How do we help people to do this?
• In Fraser, learners are leaders. Certainly our elementary students view themselves as leaders largely due to the Leader in Me.  Do all of our secondary students view themselves as leaders?
• Releasing control is necessary to release agency. What are our challenges in releasing control? How do we help learners and the adults manage choices?

Questions Based on Our Context

• How would students benefit if they could set their own pace?
• How do our students have the opportunity to develop inquiry projects?
• How do we provide authentic audiences for our students?
• How can we embed college experiences?
• How can we be courageous enough to provide opportunities so all learners have a personalized path?
• How do we balance the struggle of covering content for the test and ensuring each student reaches competency in a given skill?
• When is self-motivation addressed? Before an implementation or during?

Next Steps for Us

• Engage in conversations with learners about their experiences in our schools.  Do they view themselves as leaders? Do they own their learning?
• Engage in conversations with our leaders. What components of the Profile of a Graduate and Learning Beliefs do they have a deep understanding of? What support do they and our teachers need to understand better? What are the best ways they see to build that capacity which will lead to greater opportunities for our learners?

In Episode 21,  we return to Maine and a second visit with RSU 2 (Regional School Unit 2). You may recall earlier in Episode 6 we spoke with superintendent Bill Zima, and Mark Tinkham, principal. With this episode we dig more deeply into what learning looks like in RSU 2 through the eyes of two learners/graduates: Will Fahy and Rose Warren.

Key Competency

Learner-centered leaders listen to learners and support them as they develop agency.

Takeaways

Students at RS2 relate their learning to freedom, exploration, and flexibility.  Teachers empower learners to utilize their choice, voice, and freedom as they move along their learning path.

Learners value being empowered and learning about topics which are of interest to them. For example, Rose, redesigned the school’s health curriculum to be more inclusive of the LGBT community. Will studied food science and investigated perceptions of people and how they viewed processed food. Students select project ideas at the end of their junior year, and they work with their advisors to develop the idea for a Capstone Project.

Capstone projects are facilitated through Google Classroom, where students submit and edit proposals. Every Capstone Project includes goals, has a research component, at least 15 hours of field work/interviews in the chosen topic, and a 25-minute oral presentation. A capstone Committee of teachers and administrators facilitate the Google Classroom, and the research paper is embedded in the senior English course. During the presentation, two staff members assess the project. Following the presentation, the student participates in a reflective exit conference which contributes to the final assigned grade.

On presentation day, underclassmen register to view several different presentations. This allows underclassmen to learn more about the process and the outcomes so they have experience from which to draw when they create their Capstone Proposals and Projects.

Time management and motivation can be two potential challenges in this learner-centered environment. Because the students own the learning, these factors are internal. Some students may need more support. Rose suggested one way to combat these challenges is to encourage learners to learn about something they really like and connect to.

Learners have opportunities to hold themselves accountable for their learning. Rose wanted to be engaged in literature class discussion so she completed the reading. Will genuinely wanted to see how his experiment unfolded so he developed the work to satisfy his personal inquiry.  As he truly enjoys learning, he became a member of Academic Decathalon with the sole purpose of expanding his knowledge (India, World War II.) Loving to learn has prepared him for college.

Does voice and choice exist across the organization? Yes.  For example, in AP Language Rose learned about genetics through art. Rose suggested completing a project in which the students developed an art project instead of an essay.  The teacher was open to and supported this idea.  Teachers are open to feedback from the learners about the content.

Thinking about the idea of leadership, what other opportunities are available to develop leadership?  Rose shared examples of students leading clubs, and Will shared an example in which he took the leadership role to build some of the content for the courses and Robotics Club. Everyone is encouraged to assume a leadership role.

Developing connections with faculty is imperative. Rose shared, “Students can work with teachers and administrators and do something they are passionate about – if they just ask.” She shared insight about how students contributed to ideas about events such as a Courageous Conversation Event.

Bill reminds us to “Listen to the learners. We can’t give them agency. They have to develop it themselves.”

Connections to Practice

• How can we provide more opportunities to listen to learners?  We have the Superintendent Advisory Council and recently added a high school social media council. What else can we do?  If we want to hear more about food service from our kids, could we create a child nutrition focus group?
• Is our curriculum biased towards one group of stakeholders?
• What opportunities do our students, K-12, have to work on extended projects connected to interests and passions? As we develop more opportunities, how do we ensure that we engage them in the design process?

Questions Based on Our Context

• Years ago, we discontinued the graduation project. How could our students benefit from a Capstone Project?
• How often do our students learn about topics in which they are interested?
• What barriers would need to be navigated in order to implement a Capstone Project or similar project?
• Would our students say they have voice and choice in some or most courses? How do we more actively listen to our learners?
• As leaders, how do we help everyone in the organization – teachers, leaders, parents – assume more agency? Is this an opportunity to practice enrollment?

Next Steps for Us

• Engage learners in a conversation around the concept of a Capstone project.
• Brainstorm a list of areas of focus in the district and schools that we want to engage the voice of our learners as we build the idea of agency in each of them.
• Intentionally create opportunities throughout the grade spans for learners to engage in extended projects that connect to interests and passions.