Your weekly source of learner-centered inspiration
Dear Educator,
I was reminded this week that most often we come to school to see our children and their classmates in a play, or a music recital, or to watch them compete in sports. Many of these experiences are what we remember about school and what brings young people joy. We invest and celebrate so much of what happens outside of the classroom that, too often, the learning experiences, the learning process, and the great joy of creating something is reduced to a number instead of being celebrated and shared with families and the community.
For this week’s Bright Spot, I am excited to highlight a district-wide exhibition of learning.
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
Celebrating and Sharing Learning!
Our Learner-Centered Collaborative team visited Logan County, Kentucky, who we have partnered with for the last 3 years, to visit schools and take part in their district-wide exhibition of learning. The building was packed before the event even started as families and community members congregated to learn and celebrate what students had been learning and creating.
You could feel the tremendous sense of pride from students, teachers, and families in the room!
We learned all about the “Firstie Bubble Gum Factory” where students researched, made, and sold bubble gum. We even got a lesson on how to blow a bubble, step by step!
High Schoolers pitched us on the idea of creating Blue Zones and shared their research and why this matters to them and others.
Young learners demonstrated their innovative toys and so much more!
At a time when I hear the national dialogue continue to focus on the challenges of learning loss, disengagement, and apathy, I am continuously inspired by what I see in classrooms. The teachers and learners that I get to engage with provide me with a sense of hope and possibility.
I think this is best summed up by one of the teachers who shared, “When our administrators empower us to be the experts in our classroom, we as teachers are able to empower our students to be the experts in their learning.”
Interested in opportunities to celebrate and share students' learning in your school or district? Let's connect!
Below are some resources to engage students in their own learning process and encourage them to share their learning.
1. Share your learning movement.Yes, such a movement exists and we're so glad it does! Explore their freetoolkits and resources to celebrate students’ work by making it visible.
2. Leading the way to authentic learning.Devin Vodicka discusses key enabling conditions, along with examples, that pave the way to authentic learning experiences grounded in real-world problem-solving in this blog post.
3. Engaging students in learning exhibitions. This Edutopia article provides a real-world example of howshowcasing interdisciplinary project-based learning can be so powerful for students.
LET'S SHARE OUR BRIGHT SPOTS!
How are you engaging students in the learning process?
Use #LCBrightSpots to share your experiences on social media!
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Learner-Centered Collaborative, 49 Stevenson Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
