"Big thinking precedes great achievement."
Wilferd Peterson
Develop a Clear Vision |
A school's values and beliefs are the foundation of everything that takes place in the learning community. They are inclusive of all perspectives and represented in teaching, learning, communication, social interaction, and every other aspect of a school's culture. Once a community knows its priorities, it can begin the process of defining how to set and achieve new goals.
In the images to the right you see Nipmuc Regional High School's beliefs about learning. These statements were determined through collaboration of students, teachers and community members. These beliefs serve as the building blocks of our 21st Century Learning Conferences. |
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Using Digital Tools to Create a Vision Based on Voices...Not Volume
Developing a vision that is powerful enough to drive your 21st Century Learning Conference is a deliberate process. Students, teachers, and leaders need to ensure that your vision is not only connected to your values but also inclusive of all stakeholders.
Although this is a challenging task, you can use digital tools to collect feedback from students, teachers, parents and community members. After hearing from representative groups in the school community, determining a vision for your 21st Century Learning Conference becomes a manageable, actionable process. Tools such as Google Forms, Mentimeter, PollEverywhere, and more allow you to collect the various viewpoints and opinions of your school community in order to guide decision-making and programming.
Let's see how quickly we can build consensus by capturing the beliefs about learning of everyone in this workshop.
Although this is a challenging task, you can use digital tools to collect feedback from students, teachers, parents and community members. After hearing from representative groups in the school community, determining a vision for your 21st Century Learning Conference becomes a manageable, actionable process. Tools such as Google Forms, Mentimeter, PollEverywhere, and more allow you to collect the various viewpoints and opinions of your school community in order to guide decision-making and programming.
Let's see how quickly we can build consensus by capturing the beliefs about learning of everyone in this workshop.
School-Wide Brainstorming: Capturing Voices of the Entire School Community
In planning our events, we always host a school-wide brainstorming event approximately two months before the 21st Century Learning Conference. These events focus on capturing the voices of students, educators, faculty, and often parents as well. Participants are asked to share their ideas for sessions in response to a guiding question(s). During our last brainstorming event, students answered the questions, "If you had an hour, a 1/2 day, or a full day to explore our district's Portrait of a Graduate, what would you do? What experience would you want to have?" You can find that list of topics generated here. It is important to remember to infuse the "fun" into these events. Offering food, games, music, prizes, raffles, etc will add an element of excitement for the entire school community.
What if you had a full day to devote to a topic, theme, or exploration that would excite or engage your students?
Join us in participating in our own brainstorming session. Let's pretend we have a full day to devote to our "Adventures in Learning" 21st Century Learning Conference. How would you answer the question, "If you had an hour, a 1/2 day, or a full day to embark on a learning adventure in which you learn something new, what would you want to learn about?"
What if you had a full day to devote to a topic, theme, or exploration that would excite or engage your students?
Join us in participating in our own brainstorming session. Let's pretend we have a full day to devote to our "Adventures in Learning" 21st Century Learning Conference. How would you answer the question, "If you had an hour, a 1/2 day, or a full day to embark on a learning adventure in which you learn something new, what would you want to learn about?"