Conversations at S.A. on New School Teaching Style, Saturday-May 17
Hello Parents, Students & Everyone Else,
Please consider meeting with a group of parents to discuss a new way of teaching children in our schools- student personalized learning plans. It involves a change in focus. Traditionally, the focus is on a teacher directed lesson plan to a "captured audience". The new method may also involve some of that traditional instruction but the focus will shift to student directed learning.
Our schools are working to better prepare our youth for the 21st century by creating more personalized learning opportunities and putting students at the center of their own learning. The State of Vermont recently enacted policies that support that work (Act 77). The Partnership for Change, an arm of the Burlington and Winooski School Districts that supports student-centered learning, is holding a series of Neighborhood Learning Conversations with community members to share information about our new approach to education and why it benefits our students and community.
A personal learning plan is developed by students—typically in collaboration with teachers, counselors, and parents—as a way to help them achieve learning goals, most commonly at the middle school and high school levels. Personal learning plans are generally based on the belief that students will be more motivated to learn, will achieve more in school, and will feel a stronger sense of ownership over their education if they decide what they want to learn, how they are going to learn it, and why they need learn it to achieve their personal goals.
While personal learning plans may take a wide variety of forms from school to school, they tend to share many common features. For example, when developing their plans, students may be asked to do any or all of the following:
* Think about and describe their personal life aspirations, particularly their collegiate and career goals.
* Self-assess their individual learning strengths and weaknesses, or reflect on what they have academically achieved, excelled at, or struggled with in the past.
* Identify specific learning gaps or skill deficiencies that should be addressed in their education, or specific knowledge, skills, and character traits they would like to acquire.
* List or describe their personal interests, passions, pursuits, and hobbies, and identify ways to integrate those interests into their education.
* Chart a personal educational program that will allow them to achieve their educational and aspirational goals while also fulfilling school requirements, such as particular learning standards or credit and course requirements for graduation.
The goal of a personal learning plan is to bring greater coherence, focus, and purpose to the decisions students make about their education. Plans may include learning experiences that occur outside of the school, such as internships, volunteer opportunities, and summer programs students want to pursue or books they would like to read.
We will gather for snacks and lively conversation on Saturday, May 17, 8:45-10:45am at the Sustainability Academy.
We welcome middle and high school students to attend with their parents; after all, this conversation is about them! If you need childcare for younger children in order to participate, let me know and I will make sure child care is available.
We will spend about 90 minutes exploring some of the tools of personalization and will discuss what other structures the schools might need in place to nurture student interest, We will be working with a student who has done some thinking about their own interests, goals and personal learning. We will also consider how this new system can work for all students.
If you are unable to attend this Neighborhood Learning Conversation, please contact info@partnershipvt.org and the folks at the Partnership will link you up with another conversation happening in our community.
Thanks for taking the time to consider this. Lets help the Burlington School District implement this innovative teaching style.
Charlie Giannoni~ School Commissioner~ Ward 3-the Best Ward.
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