Your weekly source of learner-centered inspiration
October 26, 2023
Dear Educator,
For 10 years as I worked at the classroom, school, and district level, I was also going to graduate school. I loved being able to test what the research was saying and contextualize it in my own practice. As a novice teacher I learned about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and understood in both research and practice that variability is the norm and designed projects to remove barriers for my learners. As an instructional coach, I loved learning about the literacy practices and sharing new research-based practices with my colleagues and collaborating to improve together. And over the MANY years getting my Ph.D, I learned about the research on effective professional learning and refined the ideas to ensure a shift in classrooms across systems.
We want to hear from you! Share your Learner-Centered Bright Spot with us here.
BRIGHT SPOT OF THE WEEK
Kicking off a groundbreaking research and practice collaboration
This week Devin Vodicka, our CEO, and Alan Daly, renowned UCSD Professor in the Department of Education Studies, facilitated the convening of regional district leaders, educators, and researchers to kick off the research partnership which aims to address critical challenges in education, develop evidence-based solutions that have real-world impact, and disseminate findings to contribute to the broader education community and influence policy and practice. The goals of the initial convening were to:
connect with one another,
anchor the collective on our current context, and
align on what is needed to evolve our outcomes, shift instructional practices, and create the enabling conditions to shift to a learner-centered system.
As one group highlighted, “The status quo is not working for many learners, so we must urgently make intentional and focused changes to transform the educational system.” We know this work cannot and should not be done in isolation and requires collaboration across districts along with research partners to inform and understand what changes are making an impact toward our desired goals.
Seeing the teams listen, learn, and reflect on what is possible together left me inspired to grow the research base that reflects the context and needs of our modern world. We have the opportunity and the obligation to develop the systems that prioritize knowledge, skills, and mindsets necessary in today’s evolving world, not just incremental improvement in standardized test scores. As another group shared, “If not us, then who? If not now, when?”
What are some of your questions or curiosities around learner-centered education? Reply to this newsletter to share or tag me @katiemartinedu and #LCBrightSpots on social.
RESOURCE ROUNDUP
More information about the research partnership and resources around learner-centered practices and enabling conditions.
1. Research partnership concept paper. Dig into the objectives, process, and questions this partnership grounded in research and practice aims to address in the concept paper.
2. Free tool. If you're a leader looking to cultivate a more learner-centered school or district I highly recommend checking out the guiding principles and reflection prompts in 4 Guiding Principles for Learner-Centered Leadership.
3. Self-paced course. Get an introduction to the 10 enabling conditions needed for learner-centered transformation in our enabling conditions course.
LET'S SHARE OUR BRIGHT SPOTS!
What gets you excited about the possibilities of learner-centered education?
Share your #LCBrightSpots on social media!
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Learner-Centered Collaborative, 1611 S Melrose Dr., STE A #334, Vista, CA 92081
