Your weekly source of learner-centered inspiration
Dear Educator,
I am writing to you from the ASU + GSV Summit in San Diego, California! It is so great to be in community with so many individuals who are looking to create new and better opportunities for the future of education.
Although it is great to connect with educators and learner-centered leaders, my Bright Spot this week was connecting with students at the San Diego Met School.
With Gratitude, Katie
I'd love to hear from you! Reply to this email to share your Bright Spot this week!
BRIGHT SPOT OF THE WEEK
Personalizing Learners' Educational Path
At the San Diego Met School, located on a community college campus, students attend classes 3 days a week. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, students leave to learn in their internships. Based on their interests and goals, students choose from a variety of internships, such as: a hair salon assistant, a teacher aid, retail business aid, and a health aid, amongst many others.
As we sat in advisory, a 45 minute block in the schedule set aside for learners to connect with their mentor and a small group, I listened as students reflected on their unique experiences. One student mentioned that her internship allowed her to become more confident as a person and in her choices due to the support of her peers and teachers along her journey. She is now pursuing a study in theater education!
Each student shared how the variety of opportunities helped shape the people they are becoming.
As we listened to each story, we were able to notice how the school schedule and time was designed to prioritize relationships and meaningful learning to meet the needs of each individual learner.
On San Diego Met School’s website, it states,
“At the Met, we believe that every student has unique interests, skills, and learning styles, and as such, our teachers focus on ‘one student at a time,’ building a close relationship with each student and truly personalizing each student's educational path. We are located on the campus of San Diego Mesa College, and we leverage our strong relationship with Mesa to provide students with unparalleled college access and preparation."
I'm grateful for the opportunity to connect with students and educators at the Met this week, and I left my visit inspired and energized by the innovation taking place with learners at the center.
Interested in exploring personalized learning experiences in your school or district? Let's connect!
Below are some resources to support the implementation of student-centered design in your learning community.
1. Meet a student! Witness the impact of student-centered design firsthand as students from Big Picture Learning take you on a journey through their unique, personalized learning experiences. Watch now.
2. Foster learner agency in your classroom. Discover 3 high-impact practices that can help foster learner agency and empower students to lean into their strengths in this blog post.
3. Learning through internships. Learn more about how Big Picture Learning connects students’ passions to their classroom learning through internships in this Edutopia article.
LET'S SHARE OUR BRIGHT SPOTS!
How are you prioritizing personalized learning in your context?
Use #LCBrightSpots to share your experiences on social media!
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here
Connect with Us:
Learner-Centered Collaborative, 49 Stevenson Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
