A DIFFERENT KIND OF FINAL EXAM | Freshmen at Bullitt Central HS were challenged with a different kind of final exam last week. Instead of the traditional final for English 1, Bullitt Central HS teacher Arianne Austin required her freshmen to do a Presentation of Learning (PoL). During their PoL, they were tasked with using artifacts they’d produced throughout the year to reflect on their learning, demonstrate their growth in Bullitt County’s Graduate Profile competencies and to show interdisciplinary connections. This first time Presentation of Learning proved to be a great success as well as a learning experience for everyone with several important takeaways: -Students used rubrics actually designed originally for teacher use to reflect upon where they were with each profile competency and where they needed to grow. This was a great reminder of the power of making learning and success criteria transparent for students. -Despite being very nervous about the public presentation aspect of the PoL, students said they felt like it was much more valuable than the traditional final exam, saying they actually learned from the process. They said putting the PoL together was hard - one said, “I’ve never read so much in my life!” - but emphasized how they enjoyed being able to look back over their work and see how they’d grown. -We were reminded of the important role on-going reflection plays in the learning process. Research tells us that making intentional reflection part of every day will only improve learning outcomes. This short video from Digital Promise helps to explain why. -It seemed obvious that the leadership in Arianne’s school encouraged taking risks and trying new approaches. Not only did Adrienne invite teacher colleagues and district and school leadership to serve as panelists, she reached out afterwards asking for feedback. You won’t be surprised to learn Arianne cultivated that same kind of safe, supportive environment inside her classroom, for her students. It was truly a learning community.
When have you had to publicly share your learning? Do you remember how you felt as you prepared? Did knowing you would have an audience make a difference? How did it impact your effort and the quality of your work? SHARE YOUR LEARNING | Whether called Presentations of Learning, Exhibitions, Defenses, or something else, we’ve seen learners of all ages - even teachers in Rowan and Bullitt Counties - being given the opportunity to publicly share their learning over the last several weeks. Although grades and scores come with pressure for some, many might agree there’s just no greater accountability than knowing someone who matters to you will be coming to see what you have to share. SPOTLIGHT | This week, we are excited to spotlight iLead’s end-of-year Presentation of Learning - the Showcase. THE MOST QUALIFIED APPLICANT | At iLead, students are introduced to their graduate profile - called The Most Qualified Applicant - from their very first day. To begin, each student creates a digital portfolio containing five sections: Introduction, Education, Soft Skills, Technical Skills and Professional Identity. The Introduction asks that students share who they are - their interests, special talents, chosen pathway and areas of growth along with any other information they’d like to include. The Education section focuses on the education needed for their desired career. This requires students to thoughtfully map and connect their high school and post secondary plans. The Soft Skills section requires students to provide evidence and ratings for the skills their career interest and pathway consider to be the most important. They are required to provide one or more projects - or pieces of evidence - for each set of skills. The Technical Skills section requires students to compare their attributes and interests to those needed for their desired career, and to reflect on how they compare. There, they also provide examples of technical skills through industry certifications they might have earned toward their career pathway. The Professional Identity section requires students to develop and upload their resume and any evidence of service or extracurricular activities. SHOWCASE | Along with learning about the Most Qualified Applicant competencies and their digital portfolios, students also learn that they will exhibit their learning at an end-of-year Showcase . Showcase is a BIG DEAL involving year long preparation. In each class, students do a Presentation of Learning focused on at least one skill they’ve gained or improved along with a specific project or projects that played a key role prior to Showcase. Also, prior to the Showcase, students prepare a script they will use for their presentations. Presentations for Showcase focus on 2-3 projects students feel show their best skills. Each student has an interview with community and/or industry partner/s prior to Showcase. During those interviews, they discuss and share projects and the skills they’ve gained. These partners provide feedback to students using this form: Community Partner Showcase Feedback Questionnaire . The Most Qualified Applicant competencies for each pathway and the iLead Showcase Guidelines are shared with students early on to help them know exactly what they will need to prepare.
It’s no secret that one of the most pressing issues we face today is a growing teacher shortage. Though increased pay is certainly a significant part of the solution, is there more? Many teachers have told us that something they desperately need is time - time to come together with others to truly be the designers of student learning experiences they dreamed about as they entered the field. Making space for teachers to share, learn and grow together through special teacher cohorts is something several districts have started to help meet this need while also building capacity for the kind of inspiring, relevant and meaningful learning journeys we want for our students. HENRY COUNTY’S AUTHENTIC LEARNING ARCHITECTS | Last week, we kicked off with Henry County’s Authentic Learning Architects. This is a fantastic group of trailblazing teachers (aka learning designers!) who want to think differently about the kind of learning experiences their students need to be equipped for success today. They began their journey by learning about 5 Key Transformations , and applying those to existing tasks and even units - some of those coming from their new HQIRs. We are so inspired by this group! If you’d like to know more about Henry County’s work and their new teacher cohort, we encourage you to reach out directly to us or Chief Academic Officer Chelsey Tingle at chelsey.tingle@henry.kyschools.us. ARE YOU READY? Finally, if you are interested in forming your own network for trailblazing teachers in your district, let us know! We’d love to help.
Just as teachers who want to think differently about the student experience (like our Teacher Navigators above!) need time together to share and learn, so do forward-thinking leaders. KENTUCKY’S INNOVATIVE LEARNING NETWORK | A key support for Kentucky’s innovative leaders - the Kentucky Innovative Learning Network - is a partnership between local districts and KDE “providing a shared professional learning space for education leaders dedicated to creating vibrant learning experiences, accelerating innovation and building a bold new future with communities.” On June 7, KY ILN members from across the state came together for a fantastic day of sharing and learning. Featured in a recent Kentucky Teacher article , the day included presentations ranging in topic from using senior capstones to redesign the ILP process (Barren County) to a powerful, district-wide approach to authentic learning for everyone (Rowan County). You can find the full list of ILN presentations here including links to each district’s presentation. For more information about the KY ILN including membership details, visit the KY ILN page from the KDE website. We hope you’ll consider joining KY’s ILN as well as our Crew@elevatEDstudios for the 2024-25 school year!
A New Approach to the First Days of School
Spencer County's Parade of Homes: A Beacon of Authentic Learning
As I look back on my journey in education, from my early days as a superintendent in Danville, Kentucky, to my current role at the Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative, one thing remains clear: the transformative power of deeper learning. This journey, chronicled in a Leading for Deeper Learning article published by several who continue to be inspirations in this work: 2Revolutions , ASCD , NGLC and the Aurora Institute , has been both a personal and professional quest to redefine what education can and should be. In Danville, we embarked on an ambitious path to rethink the school experience. Our guiding question, "What does our diploma mean?" led to the creation of " The Danville Diploma ," a symbol of our commitment to graduating students equipped not just with academic knowledge but with the skills to create, collaborate, communicate, and persevere. This initiative was more than just a local endeavor; it captured national attention, ( Harvard Education Letter , PBS NewsHour , NPR , Getting Smart /multiple articles) highlighting the incredible work our students were doing and setting a new standard for educational excellence. Moving to Jefferson County Public Schools, I found myself in a larger arena but with the same passion for making a difference. Here, we faced significant challenges but also saw incredible opportunities for growth and change. By fostering an environment that valued deeper learning for all students, we aimed to ensure that every child could develop the critical life skills necessary for success. My experiences have taught me that education is not just about imparting knowledge; it's about inspiring a love of learning, nurturing creativity, and preparing students for the complexities of the modern world. I invite you to read more about this journey and the lessons we've learned along the way in hopes that it might provide inspiration, courage or affirmation for your own unique journey. Together, we can continue to push the boundaries for what’s possible - what school can and should be - and unlock the full potential of every student. [Read the fu ll article here]
Rethinking Student Success: A New Horizon
