notes from the flight deck

The Stories Artifacts Tell

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 15:26:02 GMT

What we are exploring in these week's connections.

FROM THE FLIGHT LOG | Explore how the artifacts students share provide a window into the learning experiences we design.

RUNWAY READY | Use this ready-to-go discussion protocol to examine what student artifacts might reveal about their day-to-day learning experiences.

WHAT'S ON DECK | Join us on July 30 to design, refine or even reimagine the shape Defenses of Learning take in your school.

Designing Defenses | July 30 | 9:00-3:00

How might defenses become meaningful opportunities for reflection, ownership, and growth? In this collaborative design experience, teams will rethink defenses as authentic demonstrations of learning that center student voice and make growth visible.
Registration: bit.ly/JulyDefense

Vibrant Learning Collaborative | July 2026

Educators across Kentucky will gather at five locations this summer for the Vibrant Learning Collaborative — a free, educator-centered experience focused on vibrant learning, practical instructional strategies, and alignment with Kentucky's United We Learn vision.

Learn more, register, or submit a proposal to present: bit.ly/KYVLC

The Stories Artifacts Tell

Looking ahead to a new school year is always a time of reflection. What worked? What needs to change? As educators, we often ask these questions about curriculum, instruction, schedules, and systems. But, do we also reflect upon the evidence of learning we invite students to collect and share?

For many schools, Defenses of Learning have become a meaningful way for students to reflect on academic growth and the durable skills described in a Portrait of a Learner. More than a culminating presentation, a defense invites students to tell the story of who they are becoming as learners.

At the heart of every defense is a body of evidence - a collection of artifacts students carefully select to tell that story.

The word artifact is worth lingering on. In a museum, artifacts help us understand a culture. They reveal what people valued, how they spent their time, and what mattered most.

Student artifacts do the same.

They are more than evidence of learning. They are evidence of the learning experiences students have every day.

One third grader understood this almost immediately.

After overhearing teachers discuss the defense process, she quietly observed, " Worksheets won't make good artifacts."

In one sentence, she captured something really important. Worksheets may document completion, but they rarely tell a story. They seldom reveal curiosity, persistence, revision, collaboration, creativity, or impact.

A Tale of Three Artifacts

Imagine spending a day serving as a panelist for Defenses of Learning.

One student shares a collection of test scores from the school year along with several worksheets.

Another walks you through multiple drafts of a piece of writing, explaining the feedback they received, the revisions they made, and what they learned about themselves as a writer.

A third presents photos, interview notes, and design sketches from a project that challenged their team to solve a problem in the community.

Each student has brought artifacts. But each collection tells a very different story.

The question isn't simply whether students have evidence of learning. It's what those artifacts reveal about the learning experiences that filled their days.

If the artifacts students choose are primarily scores and completed worksheets, what does that suggest they spent most of their time doing? If instead they include revisions, reflections, performances, prototypes, community projects, design journals, and evidence of personal growth, what different story do they tell?

The artifacts students carry into a defense are not created during defense season. They are accumulated over hundreds of days in classrooms shaped by the experiences we design.

Perhaps that's another reason Defenses of Learning are so powerful.

They don't simply reveal what students have learned. They reveal what we have asked students to do and the kinds of learning experiences we design.

Planning Ahead

As schools begin planning for another year, perhaps the most important design question isn't, How will students defend their learning?

Instead, perhaps it's What kinds of learning experiences will produce artifacts worth defending?

If artifacts tell the story students will share during a Defense of Learning, then they're also telling the story of the learning experiences we create every day. Before asking students to curate stronger evidence, we need to ask a more important question: What kinds of experiences naturally produce meaningful artifacts?

This FREE protocol - Windows into Learning - helps teams examine what current artifacts reveal about learning, envision the evidence they hope every learner will collect, and identify simple shifts that make learning and growth more visible.

When Everything Matters, Coherence Matters Most

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 19:03:51 GMT

What we are exploring in these week's connections.

FROM THE FLIGHT LOG | "Over time, fragmentation becomes its own form of exhaustion." Drawing on insights from national education leader and Kentuckian Vicki Phillips , this week's feature explores the leadership challenge of creating coherence in complex systems - and why alignment is the key to turning great ideas into meaningful learner experiences.

WHAT'S ON DECK | What students experience every day reflects how adults learn, lead, and work together. ElevatED Studios' Summer Design Studios explores hot topics from joyful rigor and vibrant HQIRs to coherent, aligned leadership and meaningful Defenses of Learning - and ensures participants leave with ready-to-use ideas, strategies and tools. Join us!

Vibrant HQIRs | June 22 | 9:00-12:00

High-quality instructional resources are an important foundation — but they don't automatically create meaningful learning experiences. This session explores how small, intentional shifts within HQIRs can elevate student thinking, voice, and engagement while maintaining alignment.
Registration: bit.ly/VibrantHQIR

Leading for Vibrant Learning | June 23 | 9:00-12:00

What students experience every day reflects how adults learn, lead, and work together. Designed for leaders and coaches, this session focuses on aligning coaching, professional learning, and systems to create the conditions for vibrant, learner-centered classrooms at scale.
Registration: bit.ly/LeadingVL

Designing Defenses | July 30 | 9:00-3:00

Vibrant Learning Collaborative | July 2026

Learn more, register, or submit a proposal to present: bit.ly/KYVLC

For years, education celebrated the heroic leader. The tireless fixer. The person willing to work longer, move faster, and absorb more pressure than everyone else. We rewarded urgency and admired endurance. But the future will not be built by exhausted people holding together fragmented systems through sheer force of will. It will be built by leaders who can create coherence.

- Vicki Philips, Forbes, 2026

Coherence: The Missing Link

Portrait of a Learner. Vibrant Learning. Local Accountability.

It would be difficult to spend much time in a Kentucky school district today without hearing these terms. Yet for the teacher tasked each day with designing meaningful learning experiences for a room full of diverse learners, these initiatives may not be top of mind.

It's not a matter of commitment or willingness. More often, it's a matter of coherence.

Teachers need leaders who intentionally connect the dots - leaders who help them see how these priorities are not separate initiatives competing for attention, but interconnected parts of a larger vision for learning. When that coherence is missing, even the most promising ideas can feel like one more thing being added to an already overflowing plate.

And when leaders at all levels of the system - from instructional coaches to principals, superintendents, and board members - aren't clear about how the pieces fit together, these ideas risk becoming little more than buzzwords spoken in central office meetings while teachers are left to make sense of them in practice.

Feeling overwhelmed by a collection of seemingly unrelated initiatives isn't a reflection of resistance. It's a predictable response to fragmentation.

Fragmentation = Exhaustion

Educational leader and Kentuckian Vicki Phillips speaks directly to this challenge in a recent issue of Forbes :

"Too many systems today feel like a collection of disconnected parts. A new initiative arrives before the last one had time to take root. Schools are asked to solve every societal challenge while also raising achievement, integrating new technologies, addressing workforce shifts, improving well-being, and responding to constant political pressure. Leaders spend their days managing fragmentation instead of building alignment. Over time, fragmentation becomes its own form of exhaustion."

Unfortunately, far too many educators can relate.

Wanted: Architects of Coherence

Phillips goes on to describe the kind of leadership education needs now:

"The leaders who will move education forward are not simply efficient managers. They are architects of coherence. They help people see how the pieces connect. They create clarity when the world becomes noisy. They resist the temptation to chase every trend or respond to every wave of panic. They understand that transformation is not built through accumulation. It is built through alignment."

Coherence doesn't happen by chance, nor is it created simply by naming a vision. It is the result of countless intentional decisions that align coaching, professional learning, curriculum, assessment, improvement efforts, and even schedules and calendars all point toward the same vision for learners.

When these systems are aligned, educators experience clarity instead of competing priorities. When they aren't, even the best ideas can feel disconnected and overwhelming.

The challenge for leaders is not simply to communicate a vision, but to align the structures and supports that bring that vision to life.

An Opportunity | District Leaders, Building Leaders, Instructional Coaches

Next week, we're excited to offer Leading for Vibrant Learning: Aligning Adult Practice to Elevate the Student Experience . Designed for coaches, building leaders, and district leaders, this session explores a critical question:

How might we align our systems - coaching, professional learning, and other key components - to support vibrant learning at scale?

Together, we will examine how adult learning, leadership practices, and organizational structures work together to create the conditions and coherence that leads to more vibrant learner experiences. We'll share practical ideas and tools for strengthening coherence across systems.

What students experience every day is a direct reflection of how adults learn, lead, and work together. When leaders intentionally align those experiences, vibrant learning becomes more than an aspiration - it becomes the reality learners encounter every day.

Coherence doesn't reduce the complexity of our work. It reduces the confusion.

And in today's educational landscape, that may be one of the most important gifts leaders can give the people they serve.

A Look inside Butler County's Learning Ecosystem, Tackling Vibrant Learning Tensions and a FREE tool to use TODAY!

Wed, 20 May 2026 11:30:34 GMT

What we are exploring in these week's connections.

FROM THE FLIGHT LOG | Butler County Schools'

Defenses of Learning offer a powerful glimpse into the culture, collaboration, and shared vision at the heart of this very special district's learner-centered system.

READY FOR TAKE OFF | Feeling torn between vibrant learning experiences and pressures like HQIRs and state testing? Explore a free tool and join us June 1 to discover how to find the balance.

WHAT'S ON DECK | ElevatED Studios' Summer Design Studios explore hot topics—from joyful rigor and vibrant HQIRs to learner-centered leadership and meaningful Defenses of Learning - and ensure participants leave with ready-to-use ideas, strategies and tools. Join us!

Despite powerful moments like those shared during Butler County's student Defenses, many educators still feel caught in a false choice.

A choice between vibrant, authentic learning experiences or academic rigor.
A choice between meaningful projects or standards-aligned instruction.
A choice between engaging learning or preparation for state tests.

These dilemmas are genuine. But increasingly, we believe they point to a misconception that deserves unpacking: rigorous thinking and vibrant learning are not opposites. In fact, they depend on each other.

That's exactly the conversation we'll explore in our upcoming Joyful Rigor Design Studio . Together, we'll examine the barriers that often stand in the way of vibrant learning and explore how high-quality instructional materials, authentic experiences, deep thinking, and meaningful accountability can work together - not compete for space.

One tool that speaks directly to this tension is our Student Assessment Brain Stretch reflection protocol. Instead of treating assessment as simply getting answers or earning grades, the tool helps students reflect on the kind of thinking their work required, what their work shows they can do, and why the learning matters beyond the classroom.

In many ways, the reflections we heard during Butler County's Defenses mirrored these same ideas. Students weren't just presenting products, they were making their thinking visible. Questions like What did my brain have to do?, What does this work show I can do?, and Why is this work important? help shift assessment conversations away from compliance and scores toward deeper thinking, growth, relevance, and transfer.

Perhaps most importantly, the protocol reminds us that rigor is not about making work harder. Rigor grows when students are asked to think deeply about their learning, recognize their own growth, and connect their work to something meaningful beyond the assignment itself.

Access the free Student Assessment Brain Stretch tool here and sign up for our Joyful Rigor Design Studio below to continue exploring how vibrant learning and rigorous thinking can work together.

Joyful Rigor | June 1 | 9:00-3:00

What if rigor and vibrant learning were never meant to compete? In this Design Studio, educators will unpack the false tradeoff between engagement and rigor and explore practical ways to make deep thinking part of students' daily learning experiences.
Registration: bit . l y/JoyfulRigor

Vibrant HQIRs | June 22 | 9:00-12:00

Leading for Vibrant Learning | June 23 | 9:00-12:00

Designing Defenses | July 30 | 9:00-3:00

Vibrant Learning Collaborative | July 2026

Learn more, register, or submit a proposal to present: bit.ly/KYVLC

Butler County Schools ' Defenses of Learning offer a powerful glimpse into what's possible when an entire district aligns around a shared vision for learners. Rooted in a Portrait of a Learner that serves as the DNA of the system, their work reflects intentional collaboration, reflection, and continuous refinement—showing how learner-centered transformation happens not through isolated initiatives, but through a cohesive and deeply shared commitment to students.

Defenses of Learning: A Clear Purpose

From the first student who made the case that he was ready for his next steps, what stood out immediately was clarity of purpose.

Again and again, students began by explaining why they were defending their learning and what the experience was meant to show about who they are becoming.

Meaningful Artifacts

Students didn't simply point to artifacts. They connected those artifacts to Portrait competencies with confidence and specificity. Communication. Collaboration. Problem-solving. Growth. The language was authentic because the student understanding behind it was genuine.

Equally powerful was the range of evidence students chose to include. Some artifacts came from classroom projects and assignments. Others came from experiences outside of school: jobs, extracurricular leadership, community involvement, personal passions. The message was clear - learning is bigger than a grade or score.

At the high school level, the impact of work-based learning experiences surfaced repeatedly. Students spoke passionately about opportunities to apply their learning in real-world contexts, often describing those experiences as the moments where learning felt most meaningful and relevant.

When the Vision Becomes Visible

After the defenses, the high school principal reflected, “This speaks to me in a way test scores never have.”

Perhaps that is what makes defenses so powerful. They help make visible the very things schools say they value most: communication, critical thinking, collaboration, agency, and growth. Not as abstract competencies listed on a framework, but as lived experiences students can articulate, reflect upon, and own.

A Better Student Experience: The Result of Relentless Focus

What is happening in Butler County Schools serves as an important reminder that learner-centered systems are not built through isolated programs or one-time initiatives. They are built intentionally over time through shared vision, collaborative learning, and a relentless focus on the student experience. And when those pieces begin to align, students don't just complete assignments. They begin to see themselves differently as learners and as people.

Summer Learning Snapshots

Mon, 11 May 2026 19:37:32 GMT

Building Toward the Defense: One reflection at a Time

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:10:55 GMT

We see such powerful moments in Defenses of Learning. Students confidently name themselves as communicators, collaborators, and problem-solvers. They point to artifacts. They use the language.

Sometimes however, when a panelist asks, “How did your thinking change as a result of working with others?” or “What did you do when communication broke down?” or even “What did you learn about yourself as a collaborator?” responses sound much less confident, almost as if this is something the learner hadn't considered. It isn't because learning didn't happen, but because reflection hasn't always kept pace.

Research is clear: reflection is what helps learning stick . But too often, it's what gets left out when time runs short. Before we know it, it's time to prepare for Defenses - and students are stuck trying to remember. When that happens, reflection risks becoming a rushed retelling, not sense-making - and we've missed what could've been an impactful learning opportunity.

This week in Runway Ready , you'll find simple routines to build reflection into the rhythm of day-to-day learning. Before you know it, getting ready for Defenses will become much easier for your students. Thanks to routine reflection, they'll find they've been preparing all along!

Ready to get Started?

Try One of These Four Runway Ready Reflection Ideas!

1) Peer Reflection Loop

Time: 10 minutes

Students give and receive feedback tied to a skill:

“I saw you demonstrate [skill] when…”
“One way to strengthen this could be…”

Why it works: Students learn to recognize skills in real time—not just name them later.

2) One-Minute Reflection Talk

Time: 5–10 minutes

Students quickly share (or record):

One skill they developed
A specific moment
What they learned about themselves

Why it works: Builds confidence and clarity—students are practicing for defenses without it feeling like “practice.”

3) “Where Didn't It Show Up?”

Time: 5–10 minutes

Students reflect:

Where did I not demonstrate this skill—but could have?
What got in the way?
What will I try next time?

Why it works: Normalizes growth and leads to more honest, meaningful reflection.

4) Want a Simple Weekly Routine?

Try this Friday Reflection (10–15 min):

Choose a skill
Name a moment (What happened?)
Show evidence (What proves it?)
Reflect (What went well? What was a stretch?)
Set a next step

Pro tip: Ask students, “If you had to defend your growth this week, what would you say?”

✈️ The Communication & Collaboration Playbook

April 29 | OVEC Middleton | 9:00–3:00

The two skills most commonly included in Portraits of a Learner AND on job descriptions: communication and collaboration. But, what does it really mean to bring those skills to life in classrooms? This session explores practical strategies and simple shifts found in our Profile Playbook that help make these skills daily habits. With or without a learner profile, participants will leave with tools that empower students to take ownership and collaborate with purpose.
�� sign up here

PORTRAIT IN PRACTICE: Teaching the Skills we ask Students to Defend

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 14:00:02 GMT

We often hear students describe themselves as “effective communicators” or “strong collaborators” during Defenses of Learning.

But does what they say—and what they show—reveal a true understanding of the skill?

A new report from America Succeeds and Northeastern University (2026), The Path Forward: How Schools Actually Help Learners Develop the Durable Skills They Need for School, Work and Life , highlights a critical truth: We're not struggling to name these skills. We're struggling to teach them intentionally.

This is the very challenge driving the Portrait of a Learner/Graduate Profile movement. We've gotten clearer on what matters. Now we have to get just as clear on how those skills are developed in daily learning.

What's Different in Schools That Get This Right?

The report highlights several key practices in schools where durable skill development is a top priority. These schools don't just assume durable skills will emerge. They design for them.

THEY MAKE THE SKILLS VISIBLE | These schools make the skills visible. Students aren't guessing what good collaboration looks like. | Transformation: Learner-Owned |

THEY CREATE REAL REASONS TO USE THEM | Students aren't practicing skills for someday. They're communicating with real audiences, solving real problems, and adjusting in real time. | Transformation: Real World |

THEY BUILD THEM INTO EVERYDAY LEARNING | These skills don't live in special projects. They show up across classes, across contexts, and across the year. | Transformations: Learner-Led + Collaborative |

The Result?

Students don't just talk about durable skills.

They demonstrate them.

They reflect on them.

They grow them.

And when it comes time for a Defense of Learning…

you don't have to wonder if the skills are there. You can see them.

If we want students to demonstrate durable skills - not just name them - then we have to design learning where those skills are practiced every day.

That's the shift.

And it's the focus of our upcoming April 29 Design Studio: The Communication and Collaboration Playbook , where we'll explore practical strategies and simple moves that help turn communication and collaboration into daily habits—not occasional outcomes.

Whether you're working from a Graduate Profile or just beginning to name what matters most, this session centers on one core idea:

Durable skills are built through intentional, everyday design.

In the meantime, here are two FREE sample plays from our Learner Profile Playbook —a practical toolkit for helping learners build the skills they need to communicate, collaborate, think critically, and navigate learning with confidence.

COMMUNICATION: Play 1 Run this play when learners are preparing for presentations, interviews, performances, or public- facing tasks and need to strengthen their delivery presence with confidence, clarity, and connection.

COLLABORATION: Play 1 Run this play when learners are about to start a collaborative project and need to surface their collaboration strengths and preferences before assigning roles or responsibilities. This play creates self-awareness and helps teams form balanced, complementary dynamics.

✈️ The Communication & Collaboration Playbook

April 29 | OVEC Middleton | 9:00–3:00

Designing for Impact

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:50:53 GMT

Before You Design the Defense: Start with Purpose

Across Kentucky, Defenses of Learning are gaining momentum. The benefits of these powerful opportunities for our learners are vast. However, before designing slides, rubrics, or schedules, there’s an important question to answer:

What is our PURPOSE for asking students to do a Defense?

The most powerful defenses don’t start with a template; they start with clarity of purpose. That purpose becomes the compass for every design decision that follows.

Is the purpose…

To move the Portrait of a Learner from wall décor to lived experience by asking students to demonstrate how competencies show up in their actual work and growth?

To give students authentic opportunities to articulate thinking, tell their learning stories, and respond to questions from a real audience?

To assess competencies not just through artifacts, but through how students present, reason, adapt, and respond in the moment?

To help students synthesize evidence from multiple subjects and experiences rather than viewing learning as siloed?

To create transparency and shared understanding of what the district values, and what learning looks like beyond grades?

To ensure every learner has structured opportunities to be seen, heard, and recognized for growth — especially in competencies that traditional grading may overlook?

To provide formative insight that shapes future instruction, supports, and personalized pathways?

To normalize reflection, revision, and growth over time?

Designing with Purpose

All of these are worthwhile options - and there are others. Identifying and communicating the purpose of these powerful learning moments is not optional, however.

It is foundational.

Without clarity of purpose, defenses can quickly become compliance-driven events.

With clarity, they become transformative experiences.

Finding the Purpose | A Collection of Tools

We are excited to share our collection of’ practical (and FREE!) tools designed to help teams surface, refine, and align around their purpose, ensuring that every Defense of Learning is intentional, coherent, and learner-centered.

FOR LEADERSHIP TEAMS

Purpose setting Protocol (Getting Started with Defenses) | This protocol will take you through the identification of a clear purpose for your Defenses and the design implications that naturally follow.

Purpose Refining Protocol (Existing Defenses) | Use this protocol if your team needs a structured way to revisit the purpose of your current Defense structure and make intentional decisions about what to keep, refine, or redesign for greater coherence and equity.

FOR LEARNERS

Build Your Own Defense: A Tool for Learners | A simple, student-friendly process that helps learners reflect on meaningful moments, find patterns, and identify a clear purpose for their Defense.

Powerful Defense Question Library | Designing a Defense with a strong, reflective question helps learners make sense of their experiences rather than simply recounting tasks. This library provides a set of meaningful, purpose-driven questions that help students grow, develop agency, connect to purpose, and understand who they are becoming.

✈️ The Communication & Collaboration Playbook

April 29 | OVEC Middleton | 9:00–3:00

✈️ Learning Opportunity with Our Friends at NGLC

Vibrant Learning In Practice: The Power of Relevance

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:48:10 GMT

Vibrant Learning In Practice: The Power of Relevance

Across Kentucky, educators are asking an important question:

What does vibrant learning actually look like day-to-day, and how do we design learning experiences so this is the norm for every student?

Kentucky Teacher of the Year Michelle Gross offers a clear and compelling answer—and it may be simpler than we think. A seventh-grade math teacher at Spencer County Middle School, Michelle designs learning that aligns seamlessly with Kentucky's vision for vibrant learning. In her classroom, you won't find pages of disconnected practice problems. Instead, students engage in deep, collaborative analysis and apply mathematical concepts through relevant, personal connections.

Relevance isn't reserved for long-term projects—it's embedded daily. No matter the task, unit or assessment, real-world context for rigorous mathematical thinking while also creating space for collaboration, feedback, and revision are Michelle's priorities - and the norm for learning in her classroom. Students own their work, revise based on feedback, and make their learning public, all important hallmarks of vibrant learning in Kentucky classrooms.

When learning is designed to connect to students' lives, it sticks. By prioritizing relevance, and creating time for deep thinking and revision, Michelle Gross exemplifies vibrant learning—not as an initiative, but as a daily practice.

You can learn more about Michelle's approach to learning design and the shifts she makes to ensure learning matters to her students here: It's like Riding a Bike: A Classroom Culture of Personal Connections.

A Place to Start: Transformations and a Tool

Vibrant learning doesn't require a complete overhaul—it starts with simple shifts. ElevatED Studios' Transformations framework is a free tool that helps educators examine learning experiences and identify simple, sustainable shifts that increase relevance, learner agency, collaboration, and real-world application. Whether you're planning a lesson, assessment, or project, Transformations offers a practical lens for designing learning that sticks—just like the work happening in Michelle Gross's classroom

We also recognize the importance of making these shifts without compromising the integrity of instructional resources like HQIRs. Michelle Gross models this beautifully—using Illustrative Mathematics as a strong foundation while applying the Transformations to make daily learning more personal, relevant, collaborative, and meaningful.

To support this kind of intentional design work, we created the Vibrant HQIRs tool —another free resource. Using the five Transformations as a lens, it helps teams examine existing HQIR lessons, unit launches, and assessments to identify small shifts that elevate the learner experience while honoring standards and purpose.

Through classroom case studies and guiding prompts, PLCs and coaching teams are supported in identifying one shift to try—and then reflecting on what changed for learners. It's a practical way to move from implementation to interpretation, making vibrant learning possible in classrooms every day.

If you'd like support in simple shifting an HQIR or to think more about how to leverage the Transformations, we'd love to connect!

Your Spring Learning Flight Plan

Designing Defenses of Learning

February 18 | 9:00–3:00
Back by popular demand! Every student has a learning story worth telling. This design session supports teachers, coaches, and leaders in creating or refining Defenses of Learning that center growth, reflection, and student voice. Through inspiring examples, exploration of common pain points, and digging into 50+ tools and strategies, you'll leave with ideas and resources to make your Defenses of Learning impactful for your entire school/ district community.
sign up here

The Communication & Collaboration Playbook

March 12 | 9:00–3:00
The two skills most commonly included in Portraits of a Learner AND on job descriptions: communication and collaboration. But, what does it really mean to bring those skills to life in classrooms? This session explores practical strategies and simple shifts found in our Profile Playbook that help make these skills daily habits. With or without a learner profile, participants will leave with tools that empower students to take ownership and collaborate with purpose.
sign up here

Learning Opportunity with Our Friends at NGLC

April 9–10, 2026 | Portland, Maine
Next Generation Learning Challenges invites educators to a Learning Excursion to Casco Bay High School , focused on rigor, relevance, and relationships in innovative instruction and proficiency-based grading. Participants will experience student-led, community-connected learning in action and take home bold yet practical ideas. Early bird pricing is available through February 1, with additional discounts through March 1.
Learn more & register: https://nglc-2026.eventbrite.com

Braided Learning:Strengthening What Already Works

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 14:42:00 GMT

Braided Learning: Strengthening What Already Works

Across classrooms, coaching cycles, and leadership meetings, we're hearing a similar tension surface: AI is everywhere—and yet we are still trying to figure out where it actually belongs. We know not as a replacement for professional judgment. And not as another initiative to manage. But a tool that can strengthen reflection, planning, and clarity in service of more vibrant learning experiences . Without flattening the human side of teaching and learning.

That tension is captured beautifully in the Getting Smart article, “Braided Learning: How AI Can Enhance What Educators Already Do Well” . The author offers a powerful metaphor: instead of treating AI as a separate strand—or worse, a shortcut—we can braid it alongside educator expertise, relationships, and lived experience. In this view, AI supports the work teachers and leaders are already doing: noticing patterns, drafting ideas, asking better questions, and making sense of complex information, while humans remain firmly in charge of meaning, values, and decisions. That stance closely mirrors our core belief at elevatED: transformation happens when tools amplify human judgment, learner experience, and community values, not when they replace them. It's also what we're seeing in the field: educators don't want more tools; they want tools that strengthen the work they already trust.

From Braided Thinking to Intentional Action

What we appreciate most from the article highlighted above, is it doesn't offer a silver bullet. Instead, it invites educators to ask questions: What work do we want humans to hold tightly? Where could AI reduce friction or surface insight? How do we design conditions where the braid strengthens, rather than tangles?

These are the same questions we ask when designing for vibrant, learner-centered experiences—and the ones we believe are worth slowing down for.

How teams might use this article:

In a PLC : Use the article as a shared read and invite teams to highlight one passage that affirmed their instincts and one that challenged their thinking. Pair that with the question: Where could AI support reflection or planning without touching the heart of our instruction?
With coaches: Read the article through a coaching lens and ask: Which parts of our coaching work should never be automated? Where might AI support prep, sense-making, or follow-up without replacing conversation?
With school or district leaders: Use the braided learning metaphor to ground AI conversations in enabling conditions. Ask: What policies, norms, or supports would help educators use AI as a partner—not a pressure? What guardrails matter most?

One tool that can support these conversations is our AI Braiding Protocol , a short, reflective process that helps educators start with the work they already do, notice where friction exists, and explore one small way AI might support thinking— while keeping learner experience, equity, and human judgment at the center.

When adult learning is personal, learner-owned, collaborative, and grounded in the real world, tools like AI don't lead the work, they quietly strengthen it.

Your Spring Learning Flight Plan

✈️ Designing Defenses of Learning

February 18 | 9:00–3:00

Back by popular demand! Every student has a learning story worth telling. This design session supports teachers, coaches, and leaders in creating or refining Defenses of Learning that center growth, reflection, and student voice. Through inspiring examples, exploration of common pain points, and digging into 50+ tools and strategies, you'll leave with ideas and resources to make your Defenses of Learning impactful for your entire school/ district community.
�� sign up here

✈️ The Communication & Collaboration Playbook

March 12 | 9:00–3:00

✈️ Learning Opportunity with Our Friends at NGLC

April 9–10, 2026 | Portland, Maine
Next Generation Learning Challenges invites educators to a Learning Excursion to Casco Bay High School , focused on rigor, relevance, and relationships in innovative instruction and proficiency-based grading. Participants will experience student-led, community-connected learning in action and take home bold yet practical ideas. Early bird pricing is available through February 1, with additional discounts through March 1.
�� Learn more & register: https://nglc-2026.eventbrite.com

Designing Defenses of Learning

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 18:59:00 GMT

How might Defenses of Learning become powerful spaces for students to reflect, grow, and share their stories.

Before the holiday break, school and district leaders from across our state came together to wrestle with this question at our Defenses of Learning Design Studio. Defenses of Learning offer more than a culminating event. When designed with intention, they become moments where students reflect on their growth, connect evidence to purpose, and practice telling the story of who they are as learners. They also give educators and leaders rare, meaningful insight into the student experience: what's working, what's sticking, and what matters most.

During the design studio, leaders stepped into the role of learning archeologists , uncovering simple shifts and practical tools for designing their very first Defense of Learning or reimagining ones already in place. Together, we explored multiple layers of the process—from establishing a clear purpose, to collecting meaningful evidence, to preparing students for defense day with confidence and clarity.

We also examined the behind-the-scenes moves that make defenses more seamless and more human: preparing panelists for rich conversation, designing defense-day structures that reduce stress and elevate voice, and harnessing defense data to inform reflection, instruction, and next steps.

The takeaway was clear. Defenses of Learning don't have to be complicated or cookie-cutter. With thoughtful design and a learner-centered purpose, they can become joyful, reflective spaces where students are seen, heard, and valued and where learning is made visible in ways that truly matter.

Fuel For Your Next Big Design Move

With Defense of Learning season quickly approaching, many schools are preparing for Defense of Learning season. This week, we're featuring a free resource from our Defenses of Learning Toolkit , along with a free opportunity to continue the learning. This tool is just one of the 50+ strategies, templates, and design moves leaders explored to make defenses more human, purposeful, and student-centered.

The Panelist Dialogue Menu addresses a common challenge we hear from schools: panelists often want to be supportive, but aren't always sure what to ask or may feel unfamiliar conversing with students in reflective, non-evaluative ways. This simple menu offers clear, compassionate conversation structures like Notice–Wonder–Hope and Shining Moments, helping panelists engage learners with curiosity rather than judgment. The result? Students feel seen and affirmed, panelists feel confident and prepared, and defenses become powerful conversations, not performances.

And for those ready to dive deeper, we're repeating the Defenses of Learning Design Studio on February 18 . See What's on Deck below for details.

Your Spring Learning Flight Plan

✈️ Designing Defenses of Learning

✈️ The Communication & Collaboration Playbook

✈️ Learning Opportunity with Our Friends at NGLC

Inspiration and Resources for Reimagining High School

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:22:09 GMT

The Prichard Committee's newest work on the Meaningful Diploma lifts up a challenge many districts feel: seniors often spend their final year in courses that feel disconnected from the futures they're stepping into. Fleming County High School saw that firsthand. Many seniors—especially those heading straight into work or technical programs—were sitting in traditional English classes that didn't match their goals, while their CTE pathways were buzzing with real-world learning, certifications, and purpose.

That tension sparked a simple but powerful question: What if senior English lived where students already felt meaning? Fleming County's answer: allow seniors to earn their English credit inside their CTE pathway, where reading, writing, and communication flow from the authentic work they're already doing.

The results are alive in classrooms. Instead of Beowulf, welding students analyze OSHA manuals tied directly to the safety skills they're building in the shop. Early childhood students write narratives grounded in their fieldwork with local preschoolers. Ag seniors craft informational pieces connected to the certifications they're earning. Family & Consumer Sciences students develop business concepts from the ground up: researching requirements, outlining processes, and writing the accompanying plans. It's still English—every priority standard intact—but suddenly relevant, embodied, and connected to a future students can see. CTE teachers teach English 12 themselves, using Schools PLP as the spine and collaborating with ELA colleagues to ensure rigor stays high—an approach that shows how staffing, standards, and pathways can work together instead of competing for time.

The benefits are already visible: stronger writing across the building, clearer purpose for seniors, and a staff that sees itself less as “departments” and more as a unified team designing for student futures. Fleming County is illustrating how aligned, purposeful design of the student experience can strengthen both engagement and the quality of student work.

Across the country, schools are redesigning high school so it feels connected to the futures students are actually building. Fleming County's senior English model is one example: instead of siloed courses, they've embedded English inside CTE pathways. It's a reminder that relevance isn't an add-on; it's a design choice that changes everything.

The Prichard Committee's new report, Kentucky's Edge A Diploma That Means More , shows why shifts like this matter. The report surfaces a reality many educators feel but rarely see captured so clearly:

Graduation ≠ readiness. Fewer than one in three Kentucky graduates demonstrate proficiency in core academic skills.
Employers aren't confident. Only 12% say recent graduates are fully prepared for the workforce.
High school is still fragmented. Students experience academic courses, pathways, and career exploration as separate tracks when their futures demand something more coherent.
Durable skills matter more than ever. Communication, problem-solving, and real-world application are emerging as essential currency for both college and career.

This report doesn't just name problems– it offers a vision for what comes next: mastery of core academics, integrated real-world learning, and a clearer launch into work, college, and community life. If your team is exploring senior-year redesign, pathway integration, performance tasks, or simply wants shared language to anchor your next steps, A Diploma That Means More is a powerful place to begin.

LAST CALL

December 9 – Designing Defenses of Learning (9am–3pm)

COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS:

Whether you're launching defenses for the first time or ready to reimagine the ones you have, this session is your design lab. We'll spend the day exploring:

What makes a defense truly learner-centered
How to design prompts, artifacts, and reflection arcs that spotlight growth
Ways to bring students, staff, and the community into the experience

You'll leave with a defense model that's bold, doable, and ready to showcase the strengths and journeys of your learners.

sign up here

Learning from Local Accountability Trailblazers

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 19:27:13 GMT

Learning from Local Accountability Trailblazers

Last week, our Local Accountability Cohort grounded its learning in the lived experiences of Fleming County and Shelby County —two districts shaping local accountability long before the term became common in Kentucky. Their journeys echo many of the moves described in KDE’s Local Accountability Design Guide & Toolkit , which draws on UK Next Gen’s Local Accountability Continuum to name the actions districts often take as they design this work alongside their communities.

Both districts traced their beginnings back to the same starting point: engaging their communities to define what success looks like for their learners, the heart of Action One of UK's Continuum—Define Success for Students. For Shelby and Fleming, this work took shape through their Portraits of a Learner. More than posters or initiatives, these portraits became the foundation for building systems that center the student experience and reflect what their communities and learners value most. As the cohort listened, leaders shared how affirming it felt to recognize their own early steps—developing portraits, shifting learning experiences, gathering evidence of student growth—reflected both in the continuum and in the stories from the field.

All of this is unfolding as Kentucky is in the midst of the advocacy phase for a future accountability system outlined in Framework 4.0 . And while the path ahead is still taking shape, Shelby and Fleming offered a grounding reminder: districts don’t have to wait for statewide rules to create meaningful change. The systems they’ve built with their communities are already strengthening relationships, building trust, and creating richer learning experiences for students right now.

And that became the quiet but steady theme of the day—local accountability isn’t about building a dashboard: it’s about improving the learner experience to ensure learners have the skills they need to be successful. When districts stay rooted in that purpose, the work remains clear, energizing, and worth doing regardless of what comes next at the state level.

Map Your District’s Local Accountability Landscape

Both Shelby and Fleming named how central their Portrait of a Learner has been in shaping their local accountability work. For districts beginning to define success for students—or wanting to strengthen an existing Portrait—staying in genuine dialogue with the community is essential. One powerful way to do that is through Alumni + Employer Roundtables, a simple 90-minute conversation that brings recent graduates and local employers together to name the skills, mindsets, and habits that matter most after high school.

This tool can support districts at any stage:

Defining success for students if you’re creating your Portrait for the first time, or
Revising a Portrait you already have by checking whether it still reflects what young people truly need for college, career, and community life.

How to use it:
Invite 3–5 alumni and a small group of employers, share your current (or draft) Portrait for context, and facilitate the prompts provided. Capture themes using the Roundtable Summary Template. Use that feedback to refine your Definition of Success.

Alumni + Employer Roundtables lift up the voices of students, graduates, and local partners as anchors for defining success. That clarity keeps your Portrait a living reflection of what your community values most, which is the heart of meaningful local accountability.

Access the complete tool here . If you'd like support in hosting an Alumni + Employer Roundtable or to think more about next steps for Local Accountability in your district, we'd love to connect!

Your Fall Learning Flight Plan

✈️ December 9 – Designing Defenses of Learning (9am–3pm)

COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS:

Whether you’re launching defenses for the first time or ready to reimagine the ones you have, this session is your design lab. We’ll spend the day exploring:

What makes a defense truly learner-centered
How to design prompts, artifacts, and reflection arcs that spotlight growth
Ways to bring students, staff, and the community into the experience

You’ll leave with a defense model that’s bold, doable, and ready to showcase the strengths and journeys of your learners.

�� sign up here

Coaching for Vibrant Learning: Stirring Up Parallel Pedagogy

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 19:22:00 GMT

Coaching for Vibrant Learning: Stirring Up Parallel Pedagogy

Last week, coaches and leaders from across Kentucky gathered for a full-day learning feast: Coaching for Vibrant Learning. Our kitchen was buzzing with conversation, curiosity, and creativity. With a cooking theme and the sweet aroma of collaboration in the air, we explored what happens when coaching becomes as vibrant as the learning we want for students.

The day centered on a simple but powerful truth: if we want vibrant learning for learners, we must create it for educators, too. Through rich discussion and hands-on exploration, participants unpacked common hurdles to more vibrant coaching, like time, overwhelm, and compliance, and experimented with low-lift, high-impact ways to shift everyday practices in PLCs, professional learning, and 1:1 coaching.

In parallel to our Transformations for Learners , we unveiled a new companion framework: Coaching Transformations . These five shifts—Relational, Educator-Driven, Contextualized, Growth-Minded, and Collective—invite us to reimagine coaching as a living, learning process that honors educator identity, agency, and community.

Just as vibrant classrooms are built on curiosity and connection, so, too, are vibrant coaching cycles. Coaches left the day not with recipes to follow, but with ingredients to remix the way educators themselves are challenged and inspired to grow.

Free Tool: Coaching Cards Sample Deck

Want to bring more vibrant educator experiences to your district? This free �� Coaching Cards Sample Deck �� offers a slice of one of the activities from our Coaching for Vibrant Learning design studio.

In the session, coaches used our full Coaching Card Deck to explore what makes coaching feel affirming, authentic, and growth-filled through the eyes of a teacher. Using real coaching moments captured on the cards, they reflected on what “feels really good” in coaching and where small shifts could spark deeper trust, agency, and curiosity. Those discoveries led naturally into the Coaching Transformations Framework —five design elements that move coaching from transactional to transformational.

The sample deck includes instructions for trying this conversation with your own team. Just remember: as you explore each card, keep your teacher hat on. Viewing coaching through the learner’s lens is what turns reflection into transformation.

Transformation doesn’t have to start with an overhaul: it starts with curiosity. If you’re ready to test simple shifts that make coaching more human, joyful, and connected, we’d love to partner with you.

Your Fall Learning Flight Plan

✈️ November 12 – KDE: Designing Local Accountability Systems (9am–12pm)

DISTRICT + SCHOOL LEADERS, TEACHERS, AND COACHES:

Ready to reimagine what accountability can look like when it’s locally designed and learning-centered? Join us to explore:

What “success” truly means for your students, schools, and district
How to design vibrant learning experiences that demonstrate growth
Ways to build a community-owned system that reflects your local story

This interactive session co-hosted by the KDE Division of Innovation, UK Next Gen, and elevatED studios features the new KDE Local Accountability Design Guide & Toolkit.

�� sign up here.

�� Flyer

✈️ December 9 – Designing Defenses of Learning (9am–3pm)

COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS:

Whether you’re launching defenses for the first time or ready to reimagine the ones you have, this session is your design lab. We’ll spend the day exploring:

What makes a defense truly learner-centered
How to design prompts, artifacts, and reflection arcs that spotlight growth
Ways to bring students, staff, and the community into the experience

You’ll leave with a defense model that’s bold, doable, and ready to showcase the strengths and journeys of your learners.

�� sign up here

FullScale Symposium: Pushing the Edges of Competency-Based Learning

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 19:15:40 GMT

FullScale Symposium: Pushing the Edges of Competency-Based Learning

Last week, educators from across the country gathered for the FullScale Symposium , a national convening on the future of competency-based learning. Our team joined forces with leaders from Mesa Public Schools to explore one of the most practical, and often underestimated, levers for change: the master schedule.

In our session, we framed the schedule as the proverbial fence between traditional and competency-based models. Knocking the fence down entirely, redesigning the whole schedule from scratch, sounds bold, but it’s also incredibly hard. The structure of school is stubborn; bell schedules, credits, and class periods pull us back toward what we’ve always done. Too often, we end up painting the same six-period fence a different color instead of changing what it’s made of.

We offered another path: find the edges—the places where the fence is already cracked or has a few holes in it. This means finding places that are low-risk, potentially high reward: for example, reimagining an underutilized homeroom period to be a launching pad for passion projects or piloting an interdisciplinary model with a math and science teacher excited about the idea. These are the entry points for small, research-and-design shifts you can try right away with a team of teachers and learners.

Participants explored a protocol called “Pushing the Edges” to map their own schedules, spotting moments where rethinking how we allocate time, people, courses & credit, and technology could be powerful entry points for a better learner experience. Big change, especially sustainable change, doesn’t have to begin with bulldozers; it begins at the edges, where bold ideas and willing teams start carving new paths through the fence.

Tool for Reimagining Master Schedules: Pushing the Edges Protocol

Is your team looking to reimagine time, but not sure where to start? The Pushing the Edges protocol helps schools move from big aspirations to actionable ideas by uncovering what’s already possible within the schedule you have.

Instead of prescribing a model or template, this tool turns the conversation itself into the design space. Through a series of structured rounds, teams surface small but meaningful opportunities—the edges—where new ways of using time, people, courses & credit, and technology could take root.

Each round moves the group from individual sparks to shared insights to collective next steps, often ending with a why statement that captures what they want their schedule to make possible for learners. It’s a simple but powerful way to build momentum: to notice the cracks in the fence, and decide, together, how to widen them to create a more meaningful learner experience.

�� Download the Pushing the Edges protocol to try with your own team.

We partner with schools and districts to begin pushing on the edges. If you’re ready to find places to push that are low-risk high reward we are here to help!

Your Fall Learning Flight Plan

�� LAST CALL! ��

✈️ November 5 – COACHING FOR VIBRANT LEARNING (9am–3pm)

COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS:

You spend your days feeding others…but who’s feeding you? This session is your refill. We will spend the day exploring:

What’s fueling, and draining, your current coaching cycles
What kind of nourishment those you serve might need
How to create low-lift, high-impact moves that energize both you and your team

�� sign up here

✈️ November 12 – KDE: Designing Local Accountability Systems (9am–12pm)

DISTRICT + SCHOOL LEADERS, TEACHERS, AND COACHES:

Ready to reimagine what accountability can look like when it’s locally designed and learning-centered? Join us to explore:

What “success” truly means for your students, schools, and district
How to design vibrant learning experiences that demonstrate growth
Ways to build a community-owned system that reflects your local story

This interactive session co-hosted by the KDE Division of Innovation and UK Next Gen , features the new KDE Local Accountability Design Guide & Toolkit .

�� sign up here.

�� Flyer

✈️ December 9 – Designing Defenses of Learning (9am–3pm)

COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS:

Whether you’re launching defenses for the first time or ready to reimagine the ones you have, this session is your design lab. We’ll spend the day exploring:

What makes a defense truly learner-centered
How to design prompts, artifacts, and reflection arcs that spotlight growth
Ways to bring students, staff, and the community into the experience

You’ll leave with a defense model that’s bold, doable, and ready to showcase the strengths and journeys of your learners.

�� sign up here

Coaching for Vibrant Learning

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 19:08:28 GMT

Coaching for Vibrant Learning

Vibrant learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door. It grows in the spaces where teachers gather, plan, and learn together. If we want students to experience curiosity, creativity, and agency, then our educators, and the coaches who support them need those same sparks in their own learning. This week, we’re spotlighting districts who are turning coaching into a living model of what we want for every learner.

Bullitt County Public Schools is building a culture where coaching thrives. Each month, instructional coaches gather not just for logistics, but for learning- diving into authentic practices aligned to their Graduate Profile while cultivating genuine community. From exploring design for real-world learning to keeping joyful traditions alive (like embedding holiday celebrations into meetings), Bullitt’s coaches model what it means to blend purpose, connection, and culture.

Allen County Schools is investing in leadership that learns together. Across the year, school and district leaders, including coaches and principals partnered with our team to strengthen the conditions for vibrant learning. Together, they experienced immersive lessons, unpacked the Transformations framework, and used protocols like the Bullseye Idea to explore how system-level supports empower teachers to “hit the mark.” Through this process, teams mapped the unique conditions, structures, and supports surrounding their instructional model, ensuring that what happens across the system mirrors the vibrant, learner-centered experiences they want in every classroom.

By investing in the learning of our leaders, we’re not just strengthening instruction, we’re nurturing a culture where curiosity, reflection, and growth flow in every direction. That’s what parallel pedagogy looks like in action: when the way we teach, learn, and lead all move together toward something more vibrant.

Bullseye Idea:

A strategy to help systems and schools align what they value with what they do.

In Allen County, leaders didn’t just study their instructional model, they stepped inside it. During their partnership sessions, they used the Bullseye Idea to explore how system-level supports empower educators to “hit the mark.” Together, they mapped the unique conditions, teacher supports, and district structures that bring vibrant learning to life, revealing where alignment was strong and where new possibilities could grow.

The Bullseye Idea helps teams see how the system itself can model the very Transformations we want for students: coherence, creativity, and agency. It’s a simple visual strategy that sparks deep conversations about how we teach, lead, and learn together.

✈️ Explore the Bullseye Tool Here

Want to experience this kind of alignment firsthand? Join us November 5 for Coaching for Vibrant Learning (9am–3pm) a day designed to refill your cup and reimagine what coaching can do when it’s rooted in vibrancy.

Your Fall Learning Flight Plan

✈️ November 5 – COACHING FOR VIBRANT LEARNING (9am–3pm)

COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS:

You spend your days feeding others…but who’s feeding you? This session is your refill. We will spend the day exploring:

What’s fueling, and draining, your current coaching cycles
What kind of nourishment those you serve might need
How to create low-lift, high-impact moves that energize both you and your team

�� sign up here

✈️ November 12 – KDE: Designing Local Accountability Systems (9am–12pm)

DISTRICT + SCHOOL LEADERS, TEACHERS, AND COACHES:

Ready to reimagine what accountability can look like when it’s locally designed and learning-centered? Join us to explore:

What “success” truly means for your students, schools, and district
How to design vibrant learning experiences that demonstrate growth
Ways to build a community-owned system that reflects your local story

This interactive session co-hosted by the KDE Division of Innovation and UK Next Gen , features the new KDE Local Accountability Design Guide & Toolkit .

�� sign up here.

�� Flyer

✈️ December 9 – Designing Defenses of Learning (9am–3pm)

COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS:

Whether you’re launching defenses for the first time or ready to reimagine the ones you have, this session is your design lab. We’ll spend the day exploring:

What makes a defense truly learner-centered
How to design prompts, artifacts, and reflection arcs that spotlight growth
Ways to bring students, staff, and the community into the experience

You’ll leave with a defense model that’s bold, doable, and ready to showcase the strengths and journeys of your learners.

�� sign up here

From PLCs to Real-World Relevance

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 18:58:49 GMT

From PLCs to Real-World Relevance

In Rowan County Schools , transformation is happening one PLC at a time. Rather than treating high-quality instructional resources (HQIRs) as fixed scripts, teachers are reimaging them as launchpads for community-connected learning.

Grade-level PLCs gather not only to unpack their HQIRs, but to ask a bigger question: “Where does this connect to our community?” Together they look for ways to extend the unit into the community or amplify it with digital tools. These “simple shifts”, small design choices build toward the five Transformations : Personal, Learner-Led, Real-World, Learner-Owned, and Collaborative.

Across grade levels, those shifts are easy to spot:

2nd Grade – Pollination Collaboration: Partnering with the Rowan County Senior High School Civil Engineering class, second graders explored pollination through hands-on STEM learning. Older students built bee boxes and shared design insights, while elementary learners connected their EL module to real-world engineering and ecology.
3rd Grade – Schools Around the World Simulation: Students read about education across cultures, then turned their playground into a global learning space, building “classrooms” on a bus, under a tent, and beside a picnic table to experience how school looks different around the world.
3rd Grade – The CES Unloved Books Podcast: A reading strategies lesson evolved into a student-produced podcast that gave learners a public voice and an authentic audience. They even presented their project at the state STLP competition.
7th Grade – Epidemics Unit: Students in an EL module on Patient Zero created their own digital campaigns to explain how information (and misinformation) spreads, connecting literacy and science through storytelling.

Across every example, the pattern is clear: Rowan’s PLCs are incubators for transformation. Through intentional coaching and collaboration, Rowan County is proving that vibrant learning isn’t about replacing resources, it’s about reimagining how they connect to the world students live in.

A Toolkit for Designing with integrity:

Using HQIRs to bring The Transformations to life.

Rowan County’s story reminds us: transformation doesn’t always start from scratch, sometimes it starts with just a new lens. Their instructional coach used PLC time to help teachers look at the lessons they already have and ask, “What small shift could make this more authentic, connected, and alive for our learners?” That same idea is also captured in our HQIR Case Studies Tool .

This PLC-ready resource helps teams study side-by-side examples of HQIR lessons, the original version and a simple-shifted version redesigned through The Transformations . Each case comes with reflection prompts, design questions, and a process teams can use to plan their own shifts.

Whether your next PLC is 15 minutes or a full block, this tool makes it easy to practice designing with integrity over fidelity, shaping high-quality resources into vibrant learning.

✈️ Explore the HQIR Case Studies here .

We partner with schools to bring these moves to life, in PLCs, faculty meetings, co-teaching cycles, and custom PD sessions. If you’re ready to simple shift your HQIR we are here to help!

Your Fall Learning Flight Plan

✈️ November 5 – COACHING FOR VIBRANT LEARNING (9am–3pm)

COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS:

You spend your days feeding others…but who’s feeding you? This session is your refill. We will spend the day exploring:

What’s fueling, and draining, your current coaching cycles
What kind of nourishment those you serve might need
How to create low-lift, high-impact moves that energize both you and your team

�� sign up here

✈️ November 12 – KDE: Designing Local Accountability Systems (9am–12pm)

DISTRICT + SCHOOL LEADERS, TEACHERS, AND COACHES:

Ready to reimagine what accountability can look like when it’s locally designed and learning-centered? Join us to explore:

What “success” truly means for your students, schools, and district
How to design vibrant learning experiences that demonstrate growth
Ways to build a community-owned system that reflects your local story

This interactive session co-hosted by the KDE Division of Innovation and UK Next Gen , features the new KDE Local Accountability Design Guide & Toolkit .

�� sign up here.

�� Flyer

✈️ December 9 – Designing Defenses of Learning (9am–3pm)

COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS:

Whether you’re launching defenses for the first time or ready to reimagine the ones you have, this session is your design lab. We’ll spend the day exploring:

What makes a defense truly learner-centered
How to design prompts, artifacts, and reflection arcs that spotlight growth
Ways to bring students, staff, and the community into the experience

You’ll leave with a defense model that’s bold, doable, and ready to showcase the strengths and journeys of your learners.

�� sign up here

Michelle Gross, KY Teacher of the Year

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 18:51:45 GMT

Michelle Gross, KY Teacher of the Year

If you’ve ever met Michelle Gross, you know: her brilliance shows up quietly, in the deep relationships she builds, the authentic learning experiences she designs, and the humility she carries into every room. Now named Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Michelle still does what she’s always done, use math to empower, connect, and inspire.

Her 7th graders don’t just calculate square footage, they design dream homes. They research floor plans, draw to scale, estimate mortgage payments, and present their blueprints to real architects and designers. In her Ratios Recipe Project, they scale recipes to feed a crowd (or just one) and bring their math to life in the kitchen. Every unit in Michelle’s classroom is a chance to do something meaningful with math, and that meaning sticks. As one student shared, “I’ll look back at this when I build my actual house.” That’s what happens when learning is personal, real-world, and learner-owned.

Michelle, one of our longtime Teacher Navigators, is a master of the quiet shift. Her classroom hums with the kind of learning we want more of: joyful, rigorous, relevant, and real. She reminds us that when we trust students with the good stuff, work that matters to them, the math (and everything else) lands deeper.

Want to learn more about Michelle’s Dream House Project?

�� Read the full story here.

Strategy Spotlight: Make it Real (literally)

Michelle’s Dream House project didn’t end with a test, it ended with blueprints, physical models, and presentations to real architects. That’s the Real-World Transformation in action.

This week, we’re pulling two go-to strategies from the Real-World section of our Transformation Strategy Deck to help you bring that same energy into your own classroom:

These are just two of the 60+ vibrant learning strategies in our deck.

Want a deeper look? Let’s talk.

We partner with schools to bring these moves to life, in PLCs, faculty meetings, co-teaching cycles, and custom PD sessions. If you’re ready to make learning more real, we’re here for it.

✈️ November 5 – COACHING FOR VIBRANT LEARNING (9am–3pm)

COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS:

You spend your days feeding others…but who’s feeding you? This session is your refill. We will spend the day exploring:

What’s fueling, and draining, your current coaching cycles
What kind of nourishment those you serve might need
How to create low-lift, high-impact moves that energize both you and your team

�� sign up here

✈️ December 9 – Designing Defenses of Learning (9am–3pm)

COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS:

Whether you’re launching defenses for the first time or ready to reimagine the ones you have, this session is your design lab. We’ll spend the day exploring:

What makes a defense truly learner-centered
How to design prompts, artifacts, and reflection arcs that spotlight growth
Ways to bring students, staff, and the community into the experience

You’ll leave with a defense model that’s bold, doable, and ready to showcase the strengths and journeys of your learners.

�� sign up here

Your Fall Learning Flight Plan

Vote. Learn. Lead.

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 18:40:21 GMT

Vote. Learn. Lead.

What happens when you give kids the power to choose their own learning path? At Gutermuth Elementary School , Special Area has become the answer. Instead of being told where to go, 4th and 5th graders pull out their devices every three weeks to vote on their next unit, casting ranked choices after watching short teacher-made “ promo videos .” The result: buzzing excitement before units even begin.

The system behind it is both structured and flexible. Each teacher designs a three-week unit; from podcasting to LEGO engineering to photography. Student votes are gathered through Google Forms , and the teacher team works to give everyone a first or second choice. When a unit overfills, they spin the Wheel of Names to keep things fair.

The learning itself is hands-on and capped with authentic exhibitions. In the one of the first units Picture Perfect , students explored techniques like rule of thirds, light filters, and symmetry before creating photography portfolios, six-word stories, and a gallery exhibition where they shared their best work with peers and staff . Each unit also includes a “ Profile of a Learner ” artifact, so by year’s end, every learner has a collection of 12 authentic demonstrations of growth.

And the impact? Engagement is high, behavior issues are rare, and teachers are energized. As the teacher leading the charge Cindy Hundley shared: “The kids are so well-behaved because they are doing what they are interested in. If you don’t like coding, don’t pick coding.” What started as a bold idea is now a learner-led system that proves choice isn’t just a perk, it’s a powerful pathway to ownership.

✈️ For more information check out Cindy Hundley's presentation HERE

Playing with Time

Gutermuth's Special Area redesign is a powerful example of the Learner-Led Transformation in action. By giving students real choice in their units, they created a structure where ownership, motivation, and engagement all rose naturally. It’s a reminder that when learners help decide the “what” and “how,” the energy in the room shifts.

But you don’t need to rework an entire block to bring that same spirit into your classroom or school. Sometimes, the key lever is time. How we organize minutes, hours, or weeks can either limit choice or unlock it.

That’s why we created the Learner-Led Menu: Playing with Time. It highlights six practical ways teachers and leaders can carve out space for student choice, from one-day immersions to weekly blocks to passion project cycles. Think of it as a menu of entry points: small shifts you can try right away, or bigger experiments you might pilot with a team. Each option is a way to make the Learner-Led Transformation visible and doable in your own context.

✈️ Explore the full Learner-Led Menu: Playing with Time here.

Your Fall Learning Flight Plan

COACHES + INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS:

✈️ November 5 – Coaching for Vibrant Learning (9am–3pm)

Why settle for coaching that feels like compliance? This day is built for instructional coaches, team leads, and anyone who supports teachers —giving you the tools and energy to make coaching joyful, impactful, and impossible to ignore.

�� sign up here

COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS:

✈️ December 9 – Designing Defenses of Learning (9am–3pm)

Whether your school is launching defenses for the first time or ready to reimagine the ones you have, this day is for you. Together we’ll design (or redesign) defenses of learning that center growth, reflection, and student voice. Through inspiring examples and a collaborative design sprint, you’ll leave with a model ready to showcase the strengths and journeys of your learners.

�� sign up here

Snapshots of Collaboration & Communication

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 18:33:14 GMT

Snapshots of Collaboration & Communication

Last week, educators from across the region came together to explore one big question: What does it really mean to bring the Profile of a Learner to life? In a full-day design session, teachers, coaches, and leaders dug into the Learner Profile Playbook, unlocking practical tools and strategies to make communication and collaboration daily habits in the classroom .

Through hands-on mini-lessons, rapid-fire design sprints, and vibrant team huddles, participants experienced the Playbook from the learner’s perspective. They wrestled with real “tough calls” educators face every day, like how to honor different communication styles without labeling them “less than,” or how to make collaboration energizing instead of exhausting . By stepping into the plays themselves, educators didn’t just hear about strategies, they practiced them, reflected, and imagined how they could adapt them for their own classrooms.

The day closed with a collective sense of momentum: a toolkit of ready-to-run plays, a deeper understanding of the Transformations that anchor learner-centered design, and a renewed commitment to shaping student experiences that are personal, collaborative, learner-led, real-world, and learner-owned .

Plays that Stick

During our Learner Profile Playbook PD, one challenge kept surfacing: students often have powerful ideas, but without the right structures, those ideas get lost, either in scattered collaboration or unclear communication. To tackle this, we turned to two strategies from the Playbook that help learners launch with clarity, whether they’re working as a team or crafting a message.

Project Huddle: Goal Check

Every strong project begins with clarity. Goal Check helps teams pause at the start of any collaboration to answer one essential question: What are we trying to accomplish together? By co-creating a one-sentence “By the end of this project, we will…” statement, learners align their efforts and establish a shared north star .

✈️ Explore the full Project Huddle: Goal Check play.

Message Distiller

Big ideas lose power if they can’t be expressed clearly. Message Distiller teaches learners to boil down their thinking by running it through three lenses: What’s the big idea? Why should it matter? Can I say it in one clear sentence? The result is sharper, more memorable communication, whether in a pitch, PSA, or presentation .

✈️ Explore the full Message Distiller play.

This preview is only the beginning. If you would like to bring these tools and others to life in your district, school, PLC, or team we would love to partner with you to co-design a session that fits your needs.

Your Fall Learning Flight Plan

COACHES + INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS:

✈️ November 5 – Coaching for Vibrant Learning (9am–3pm)

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COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS:

✈️ December 9 – Designing Defenses of Learning (9am–3pm)

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After the Tassle

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 16:27:24 GMT

Ready for the Real-World

Bullitt County is charting a bold course toward transformational learning. As part of their journey to build a Community-Based Accountability Model, one message from families and community members has been clear: graduates must be ready for the real world.

Enter After the Tassel . This program connects seniors with meaningful work experiences, linking local businesses hungry for fresh ideas with students eager to gain skills and purpose. Internships, mentoring, and real-world projects give learners a launchpad while strengthening community connections.

It’s more than career prep. It’s a system-wide commitment to Personal and Real-World Transformations , where every student can graduate with confidence, opportunity, and a pathway forward.

Together with business partners, families, and educators, Bullitt County is proving that when schools and communities align, both the future workforce the future of learning get stronger.

Connecting Learners to Mentors

Bullitt County’s After the Tassel program is a bold vision for connecting students with paid internships and real-world learning before graduation. Is your district interested in giving learners more real-world, work-based experiences but not sure where or how to start?

That’s where this resource from Learner-Centered Collaborative comes in: Connect Learners to Mentors . It offers practical, scalable ways to deepen professional-mentor connections, whether through community partnerships, professional mentors, or even virtual networks that extend beyond your town’s borders.

Think of it as a toolkit for building the bridge between classrooms and careers. Whether you’re just beginning or ready to expand, these strategies can help you design experiences that spark confidence, purpose, and real-world readiness. And, as always, we’re happy to be your thought partners on the journey.

Your Fall Learning Flight Plan

�� WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SUMMIT!

We’re teaming up with the Kentucky Department of Education and UK Next Generation Leadership to introduce the new Local Accountability Design Guide —a resource with tools, strategies, and ideas to support your district’s journey toward local accountability.

�� September 22 | 1:15–2:15 PM

�� September 23 | 1:45–2:45 PM

DISTRICT LEADERS: READY TO REWRITE YOUR STORY OF SUCCESS?

✈️ September 29 – Local Accountability Cohort Kickoff (9am–12pm)

Current systems only tell part of the picture, and it’s time for more. This cohort is designed for superintendents, district teams, and leaders who are ready to move beyond compliance and shape a richer narrative of learning .

�� sign up here

COACHES + INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS: THIS ONE’S FOR YOU.

✈️ November 5 – Coaching for Vibrant Learning (9am–3pm)

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Elevating Authentic Learning at Bullitt Central

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:16:17 GMT

Elevating Authentic Learning at Bullitt Central

When Algebra II turns into amusement-park design, magic happens.

At Bullitt Central High School, Mr. Jackson’s students used matrices to create food stands and gift shops for an imaginary park, tailoring designs to their own interests. His creativity earned him the school’s Transformational Lesson of the Week —complete with a championship belt.

Behind the fun is something bigger: a leadership team committed to making vibrant, what Bullitt County refers to as ‘transformational’ , learning the norm. Bullitt Central’s Transformational Learning Leadership Team is building a culture where lessons like this aren’t one-offs but everyday practice. By elevating teachers and students in visible ways, they’re:

showing the community what authentic, transformational learning looks like,
celebrating innovation as a team value, not just an individual win,
creating momentum that spreads across classrooms and subjects.

The belt is playful, but the message is serious: when leadership lifts up vibrant learning, it becomes part of school culture.

Visiting Classrooms with Fresh Eyes

At Bullitt Central, a championship belt lifted up the kind of learning we want more of. How else might we ensure these kind of learning experiences are the norm? One answer: classroom visits designed not for compliance, but for celebration and noticing.

This week we’re sharing a preview from our Field Guide for Transformational Learning Observations . One of the tools inside, Transformation Bingo, turns a learning walk into a playful way to spot the five Transformations in action. Instead of filling out a checklist, you’re filling in squares with the moments that matter: a student asking a powerful question, peers pushing each other’s thinking, or a teacher making real-world connections come alive.

Just like we empower students with choice, this guide empowers educators to choose how they observe, reflect, and celebrate. If you’d like to bring the full tool to life in your school or district, we’d love to partner- whether that means customizing it for your building, planning a site visit with your educators, or co-designing a learning walk with your leadership team. Reach out, and let’s keep elevating and celebrating the kind of learning that deserves the spotlight.

Classroom observations are just one tool instructional leaders have to fuel authentic learning experiences. Join us November 5 as we explore tools and moves for Coaching for Vibrant Learning . See details in What's on Deck!

Your Fall Learning Flight Plan

CALLING ALL LEADERS WITH A PORTRAIT OF A LEARNER!

✈️ September 22 – The Learner/Graduate Profile Playbook (9am–3pm)

A profile on paper isn’t enough—it’s time to make it real. This full-day, high-energy session is built for principals, coaches, educators and leadership teams who are ready to turn words into action and equip their teachers to bring collaboration + communication to life for their learners in everyday experiences.

�� sign up here sign up here

DISTRICT LEADERS: READY TO REWRITE YOUR STORY OF SUCCESS?

✈️ September 29 – Local Accountability Cohort Kickoff (9am–12pm)

Current systems only tell part of the picture—and it’s time for more. This cohort is designed for superintendents, district teams, and leaders who are ready to move beyond compliance and shape a richer narrative of learning.

�� sign up here

COACHES + INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS: THIS ONE’S FOR YOU.

✈️ November 5 – Coaching for Vibrant Learning (9am–3pm)

�� sign up here

Reimagining Writing at Williamsburg

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 16:07:37 GMT

Reimagining Writing at Williamsburg

How do we design writing experiences that feel relevant, human, and joyful for today’s learners? At Williamsburg Independent School ’s Jacketpalooza, educators took on this challenge in our session, Not Your Grandma’s 5 Paragraph Essay, exploring how simple shifts can bring new life to writing.

The session began with educators reflecting on their own most meaningful writing moments. From there, they surfaced the five Transformations that spark vibrant learning and considered how small design changes can move writing beyond the page and into the real world. One example: instead of a generic “how-to” essay, learners might ask, “How can we make our littlest learners feel welcome?” After empathy interviews with current kindergartners, they create guides—videos, pamphlets, or infographics—for incoming families at Kindergarten Camp. These shifts deepen critical thinking while positioning students as creators with a genuine audience.

Educators also dug into shifts in the writing process itself:

Idea Generation – How can we help learners connect to their writing and think freely?
Drafting – How can writers draft with less pressure and more purpose?
Revision – How do we make revision about voice and vision, not red ink?
Collaboration – What does it look like for peers to act as sounding boards and co-creators?
Publication – How can students share their work beyond the classroom walls?

The takeaway? Reimagining writing doesn’t require an overhaul. Even small, intentional shifts at each stage can spark more joyful, authentic, and sustainable writing for both learners and teachers.

Not Your Grandma's Guide to Vibrant Writing

Are you asking the same kinds of questions Williamsburg teachers wrestled with: How do we make writing more relevant, more human, more joyful especially in the age of AI? Ready to try a few simple shifts in your own classroom? We’ve pulled together a free preview of our resource, Not Your Grandma’s Guide to Vibrant Writing , so you can explore some first steps.

In these opening pages, you’ll find the five Transformations that spark vibrant learning, a table of contents of all the moves, and the first three “launch” strategies designed to help writers get started with energy and authenticity. Say It Out Loud First invites students to speak their ideas before they write, capturing their real voice and letting the words flow more naturally. Ask Your Own Question gives learners the chance to frame their own inquiry, so their writing begins with genuine curiosity rather than compliance. And Draft in the DM asks writers to jot down their thoughts as if texting a friend, lowering the stakes and surfacing the heart of what they really want to say.

This preview is only the beginning. If you would like to bring this tool to life in your district, school, PLC, or team we would love to partner with you to co-design a session that fits your needs.

Your Fall Learning Flight Plan

✈️ September 22 – The Learner/Graduate Profile Playbook (9am–3pm)

�� Make collaboration & communication the heartbeat of your classrooms

Your Learner Profile can be more than a poster on the wall. In this full-day deep dive, teachers, coaches, and school/district leaders will:

Design powerful learning for collaboration + communication
Walk away with ready-to-run lessons and strategies
Profile or no profile—you’ll leave with tools to transform teaching and learning, because a profile isn’t the goal, the learning it sparks is.
�� Sign up here

✈️ September 29th - Local Accountability Cohort Kickoff (9am-12pm)

�� It’s time to rewrite the story of success

Current systems only tell part of the picture. This kickoff invites educators, coaches, and leaders to:

Learn alongside districts breaking free from compliance-only measures
Explore real prototypes + models that are working now
Build the foundations for scalable, community-powered accountability
�� Sign up here

✈️ November 5 – Coaching for Vibrant Learning (9am–3pm)

�� Coaching that’s joyful, energizing, and impactful

Why settle for coaching that feels like compliance? This day gives coaches and leaders the chance to:

Learn protocols + frameworks that bring joy to coaching
Build feedback routines that motivate teachers
Walk away with tools, inspiration, and a plate full of fresh ideas ��️
�� Sign up here

From Classrooms to Playgrounds

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:05:10 GMT

From Classrooms to Playgrounds

Carroll County High School launched its first Project-Based Learning unit of the year by inviting students to step into the role of hometown heroes. Their challenge: design a model of either a new playground or a mini golf course for the community. To ground their ideas in the real world, learners visited local sites—General Butler State Park and the new accessible playground at Camp Kysoc—while also hearing from Magistrate Scott Nab about how young people can shape county government and civic life.

This is a powerful example of the Real-World and Learner-Led Transformations in action. Students aren’t just studying government and civic engagement in theory—they’re grappling with authentic questions that matter in their own backyard, making decisions about what to create, and seeing the pathways for their voices to influence their community. By blending field visits, civic connections, and design challenges, Carroll County is giving learners an early glimpse of how their creativity and agency can fuel real impact.

Making Learning Visible

In Carroll County , high schoolers are designing new playgrounds and mini golf courses for their community, authentic projects that blend creativity, problem-solving, and civic voice. With great project-based learning often comes a culminating exhibition: a chance for students to showcase not just the product they built, but the process and learning that shaped it.

Exhibitions of Learning make this public celebration possible. Think of them as gallery-style events where learners invite peers, families, and community members to engage with their work, ask questions, and reflect together. And while exhibitions often grow naturally out of rich PBL experiences, they don’t require one. Any unit, a science investigation, a history project, even a math challenge can end with an exposition, turning private assignments into public contributions.

We’re excited to share our Exhibitions of Learning one-pager — an invitation to make learning visible in your classrooms and schools. The guide highlights purpose, practical tips, and launch steps so you can design experiences that spotlight student growth, voice, and pride in authentic ways.

This strategy is part of a larger vision—a System of Performance Assessments designed to elevate student voice, deepen reflection, and make learning visible across the year.

Your September Learning Flight Plan

✈️ September 22 - The Learner/Graduate Profile Playbook (9am-3pm)

Ready to move your Profile of a Learner from words on a page to real impact in your classrooms? This full-day session will take you deeper into the Learner Profile Playbook to:

Learn practical ways to design for two essential skills in any profile: collaboration and communication.
Leave with ready-to-run lessons, embedded strategies, and tools that make these skills visible, intentional, and powerful in your classroom.
�� Sign up here

✈️ September 29th - Local Accountability Cohort Kickoff (9am-12pm)

How do we design systems that tell a complete story of student, school, and community success? Join our OVEC Local Accountability Cohort to:

Learn alongside districts reimagining accountability
Explore real models and prototype tools
Turn bold aspirations into sustainable, scalable systems
�� Sign up here

✈️ Personalized elevatED studios Partnerships

Ready to reimagine the learner experience for your school or district? Check out some of our Partnership Snapshots for inspiration on how we might co-design a more vibrant future for your learners!

Building Collaboration from Day One

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 23:55:39 GMT

Collaboration shows up in nearly every Profile of a Learner. But it doesn’t just happen because students sit in groups. Without intentional design, group work can quickly slide into uneven participation and missed opportunities to grow the skill.

This summer, educators at Old Mill Elementary and Elizabethtown Independent Schools took on the challenge of teaching collaboration intentionally. Guided by the Transformation Framework , they explored how to design learning so collaboration is meaningful, builds on learners strengths, and gives space for reflection and ownership.

They worked from a simple game plan: inputs (standards plus the Transformations ), plays (strategies and tools that bring those inputs to life), and outputs (the standards and learner profile skills students develop, like listening deeply, navigating perspectives, and moving ideas forward).

Their work centered on practical entry points from the new Collaboration Learner Profile Playbook:

Mini-Lessons – teaching a single collaboration move (like active listening or shared decision-making) before students start a task.
Plays – weaving collaboration strategies into authentic content.
Equipment Room – tools and organizers to ensure balanced participation and reflection.

These educators left with concrete ways to help students not just do group work, but learn how to collaborate with purpose and confidence from day 1.

Our Learner Profile Playbook is packed with ways to teach essential skills, like collaboration , with the same intentionality we bring to content.

Conflict Playbook is one of those Plays. Run this play when you spot conflict or tension emerging in a pair or team, instead of letting discomfort derail collaboration.

When tension rises, call a Conflict Time-Out and guide learners through the play:

Step 1: What’s the Rub?

Each team member names the tension from their perspective, brief and without blame:
“What feels stuck or off right now?”

Step 2: Common Ground Check

Refocus on the shared goal:
“What are we actually trying to accomplish together?”

Step 3: Choose a Play Call

The team selects one conflict resolution strategy from the menu below:
Swap & Explain: Each person restates the other’s viewpoint to show understanding
Pick & Test: Try one idea for 10 minutes—then reassess
Third Voice: Invite a neutral peer or teacher to help suggest a merge or alternate solution
Quick Write: Everyone writes their thinking silently first, then shares
Vote & Commit: If truly stuck, take a quick team vote and move forward together

Step 4: Make the Next Play

“What’s our next step, and who’s doing what?”

Challenge Mode (Optional Upgrade):

Team Choice Menu: Let each team customize their Conflict Playbook—choose 3 favorite play calls and give them team-specific names (e.g., “Lightning Round” or “Silent Think”).
Weekly Retrospective: Add a brief “How did we handle conflict this week?” question to team journals or project reflections.

�� Access the full play here: Conflict Playbook

✈️ September 22 - The Learner/Graduate Profile Playbook (9am-3pm)

Ready to move your Profile of a Learner from words on a page to real impact in your classrooms? This full-day session will take you deeper into the Learner Profile Playbook to:

Explore more Plays (like the Conflict Playbook) you can run right away
Learn practical ways to design for two essential skills in any profile: collaboration and communication.
Leave with ready-to-run lessons, embedded strategies, and tools that make these skills visible, intentional, and powerful in your classroom.
�� Sign up here

✈️ September 29th - Local Accountability Cohort Kickoff (9am-12pm)

How do we design systems that tell a complete story of student, school, and community success? Join our OVEC Local Accountability Cohort to:

Learn alongside districts reimagining accountability
Explore real models and prototype tools
Turn bold aspirations into sustainable, scalable systems
�� Sign up here

✈️ Personalized elevatED studios Partnerships

RISE STEM Academy for Girls Is Leading on Two Fronts

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 20:04:40 GMT

If we want transformational classrooms, what kind of leadership does that require?

At RISE STEM Academy for Girls , that question is fueling two bold commitments: designing vibrant, learner-centered experiences and building the kind of leadership that can sustain them. Last week, we had the privilege of partnering with RISE to launch their brand new Guiding Coalition—a team of educators stepping into shared instructional leadership for the first time.

Together, we facilitated a full-day leadership retreat where the team:

Defined a shared vision for instructional leadership at RISE
Discovered what makes learning transformational
Named the conditions that make feedback useful and sustaining transformational learning
Prototyped bold, doable ideas to move learning forward

This is more than a new team. It’s a new direction.

At RISE, leadership isn’t a separate track from teaching and learning. It’s how transformation takes root. And we’re proud to be walking that path with them.

Start the Year with Identity, Voice, and Belonging

This back-to-school season, we’re spotlighting a launch move that does more than break the ice. Getting to Know Me Exhibitions invite learners to share their identity, interests, culture, and goals through low-stakes, high-trust formats like identity maps, artifact museums, and snapshot storytelling. These aren’t just activities- they’re early performance assessments that help every learner feel seen, heard, and valued.

TRANSFORMATION IN ACTION:

Personal : Learners begin by naming what makes them them—centering background, interests, and identity as essential starting points for learning.
Learner-Owned : Learners choose what to share, how to share it, and why it matters—curating early evidence of who they are and how they want to grow.

TRY THE TOOL:

✈️ Start Strong with Getting to Know Me Exhibitions

MAKE IT A SYSTEM:

This launch strategy is part of a larger vision—a System of Performance Assessments designed to elevate student voice, deepen reflection, and make learning visible across the year.

✈️ Explore the Full System Here

Destination: More Than a Moment: Building a Culture of Performance Assessments

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 21:40:25 GMT

Across the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a groundswell of change has taken root. For many districts, this transformation began with the creation of locally defined Portraits of a Learner—community-driven visions of the skills and dispositions learners need to thrive.

Building on that foundation, many school districts now offer system level performance assessments, often called Defenses of Learning, at key transition points like 5th, 8th, and 12th grade—moments where learners reflect on their growth and present evidence of readiness for what’s next.

These capstone moments are powerful. They shine a bright light on students’ thinking, creativity, and growth. But as more districts engage with this work, a critical question is surfacing:

What if we didn’t wait until the end of the learning journey to offer students that kind of meaningful reflection and voice?

Performance assessments are designed to measure not just content mastery, but students’ ability to transfer their learning to meaningful, real-world tasks that demonstrate growth in competencies like communication and critical thinking—skills we value in our Portraits of a Learner.

How Fleming County’s System of Performance Assessments is Transforming the Learner Experience

Fleming County is answering that question with a bold and holistic response. Their approach treats performance assessments not as one-time events, but as a key lever in a broader ecosystem of vibrant learning.

They’ve built a dynamic, evolving K–12 system that gives every learner repeated, authentic opportunities to reflect, showcase their learning, and connect with real audiences. It’s not “stop, drop, and defend.” It’s: “This is who I am, and here’s how I’ve grown”—at every stage of the journey.

This commitment to performance assessment is about more than a few big moments. One of the most important shifts in Fleming County has been creating consistent opportunities for students to talk about their learning—to reflect, explain, and share their growth with others.

Presenting learning isn’t a special event; it’s part of the rhythm of school. Across the district, learners are expected to articulate what they know, how they’ve grown, and why it matters—building confidence, communication skills, and a stronger sense of ownership of their learning.

Two Layers: System and Classroom

At the system level, performance assessments are not reserved for the end of the year or a select group of students. Instead, they’re embedded across the K–12 journey—regular, expected, and accessible to everyone.

Every learner, every year, has the chance to reflect on their progress and share their learning.

“The old accountability model is exclusive for ECE kids,” noted Tiffany Lane, Director of Special Education. “Through this new approach, we have non-verbal kids presenting alongside their peers. This levels the playing field.”

All students are supported to share their voice in ways that honor who they are and how they communicate.

Highlights of Fleming’s System:

K–2: Passion Projects and Early Voice
Learners explore and share what excites them. These scaffolded projects help teachers understand students’ interests and give even the youngest learners practice in sharing their voice.

Grades 3–12: Exit Interviews
Every student builds a personalized website (digital portfolio) to showcase growth aligned to Fleming’s Portrait of a Learner—known locally as Bridge Performance Indicators (BPIs). These portfolios are used in annual Exit Interviews.

Additional Grade-Level Assessments Include:

3rd Grade: Career Exhibitions
4th Grade: Science Fair
5th Grade: Wax Museum
6th Grade: Resilience Speeches
7th Grade: Service Project Proposals
8th Grade: Amazing Shake Debates
9–11th Grade: Career-Aligned Mini Exit Interviews
12th Grade: TED Talks & Final Exit Interview

Performance Assessments in the Classroom

Fleming County’s classroom-level assessments, called Next Generation Readiness Assessments (NxGRAs), are used across grades 4–12. These teacher-created, standards-aligned projects empower students to demonstrate mastery in personalized, real-world ways.

Projects are interdisciplinary and designed to reflect students’ interests, passions, and learning styles. One standout example is the Panther Dig in 9th grade—a simulated archaeological excavation that integrates history, science, math, English, and art.

“Learners’ evidence and artifacts can only be as rich as the experiences we provide them with.”
— Michelle Hunt, Chief Academic Officer

Students took on roles like cultural anthropologists and environmental geographers to analyze artifacts, write journal entries, build digital presentations, and create visual art that reimagined life 300 years ago.

How to Get Started...

Fleming County is not new to this work. Through years of iteration, feedback, and a relentless focus on learner growth, the district has developed a system of performance assessments that doesn’t just celebrate learning—it shapes it. For schools and districts looking to move in this direction, the Fleming team offers several key insights:

Support Teachers in the Instructional Shift

Performance assessments can't just be an add-on—they have to emerge from the daily learning experience. Every teacher is expected to pilot at least two NxGRAs per year, and the district builds in virtual coaching, summer sessions, and paid co-planning days to support this shift.

Make Performance Assessments Personal

Fleming County ensures assessments reflect each learner’s identity. Students curate work that matters to them and tell the story of who they are becoming.

“If we don’t see you, we don’t want it. Grades are great, but I want to know who you are. You ride a bull? How are you using these skills there?”
— Superintendent Brian Creasman

Be Patient and Celebrate Small Shifts

Transforming assessment systems takes time. “The shifts are happening in inches,” Creasman said, “but those inches are seismic.” Every step counts—and culture change happens one moment at a time.

First Time Defenses: Longterm Wins

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Fri, 02 May 2025 14:15:17 GMT

First Time Defenses: Longterm Wins

It’s Defense of Learning season—a time when schools across the country give students the mic to reflect on who they’re becoming as learners and people. For Maurice Bowling Middle School, this season marked a bold first in their school’s story: every single student participated in a Defense of Learning aligned to their district’s Portrait of a Learner.

And it wasn’t just a checkbox event. It was a full-on celebration.

Students showed up prepared—nervous, but excited to share their learning. And this wasn’t a moment reserved for a few. Every learner—non-verbal, ESL, homebound—had a platform to reflect on their growth. Families and the community showed up in force, filling the audience with pride and even a few tears.

Some donated to a new “Dress for Success” closet so students could feel confident stepping into the spotlight.

The school made it special, with a student-led social media blitz, photo ops, and every defense recorded. And the celebration isn’t over—a letterman jacket “coat” ceremony is on the way to honor each student’s accomplishment in style.

But what happened after those defenses?

It’s tempting to bask in the post-defense glow—to celebrate the big day, share the photos, and move on. But the real opportunity lies in what comes next. When we pause to reflect after defenses, we unlock insights that can shape everything from daily instruction to long-term system design.

That’s where the team at Maurice Bowling leaned in.

Reflection Isn't a Bonus— It's the Work

What often gets overlooked in Defense of Learning is what happens next. It’s easy to focus all our energy on the presentations themselves—the spotlight moments. But when schools lean into reflection after defenses, that’s where growth takes root.

Maurice Bowling used the Echoes of Learning tool not just as a post-event wrap-up, but as a way to:

Examine where the Portrait of a Learner was coming to life. Staff looked closely at which competencies students naturally leaned on in their defenses—like community service—and which ones were less visible, helping to identify where shifts in the student experience might be needed.

Surface patterns in the stories students told. From sports and church groups to specific classroom projects, the team reflected on what types of experiences students cited as evidence of growth, offering a window into the learning opportunities students valued most.

Dream up what could come next. The process inspired new ideas—like student-led conferences and ongoing reflection checkpoints—to keep student voice and celebration alive beyond the big day.

A Tool for What Comes Next

The Echoes of Learning tool is designed to extend the power of defenses—not just document them. It helps schools make meaning out of the moments and ensure that insights from student stories actually shape instructional next steps.

If you're diving into defenses this season, don’t miss the moment to pause after and ask:

What patterns are emerging in student reflections?
Where do we see the Portrait of a Learner thriving?
What structural shifts can we make to elevate student voice all year long?

Want to Dig In?

Download the Echoes of Learning reflection tool or reach out to learn how we can support your Defense of Learning season.

WHAT MIGHT THE NEXT STEPS BE FOR YOUR CLASSROOM, SCHOOL OR DISTRICT?

Whether looking for ways to bring your Profile to life, rethinking the way we use time, designing your local accountability system, creating a performance assessment system or finding simple shifts to create a different - and much more meaningful and memorable - learning experience, we’d love to be your design partners. Check out some of the key ways we can partner with your school or district here !

Not sure what your next steps need to be? We can help with that too! Contact us at elevatED studios !

PLANNING FOR 2025-26 | What’s your next step in your school or district’s Transformational Learning Journey? The team at ElevatED is ready to travel with you! Whether looking to rethink the way time is used each day to using performance assessments at the classroom, school or district level to change the student experience to reimagining Tier 1 to something completely different, we’d love to be your design partners.

Learn more about what we do here !

One proud Owen County middle school defender proudly poses for a photo op with all of those who came to support him on his special day.

Maurice Bowling Middle School student Annystan shares about being an Effective Communicator on MBMS Live, with a student-created Portrait of a Learner visual as the backdrop.

This week in CONNECTIONS :

POST DEFENSE REFLECTION IN OWEN COUNTY | We’re celebrating and learning this week with Maurice Bowling Middle School after their first time Defenses. Whether some kind of defense-like process is new for your district or something your students have been doing for years, don’t miss the takeaways - and a new resource from ElevatED Studios - in this special story!

A NEW TOOL FOR POST DEFENSE DEBRIEF | Download our Echoes of Learning Tool and use to celebrate successes, find opportunities for growth and imagine what’s possible.

A SUMMER OF INSPIRATION | AI for Kentucky Educators, Momentum 2025 and new opportunities to learn with ElevatED Studios. Details in What’s on Deck below!

From Event to Habit: Reflection as Everyday Learning

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 02:39:48 GMT

From Event to Habit: Reflection as Everyday Learning

Defenses of Learning taking place across the state almost always ask that students reflect on themselves as learners both academically and in terms of the durable skills found in district and school graduate/learner profiles.

However, we put students in a difficult situation when reflection only takes place when preparing for an event like a Defense.

Years of study about the way humans learn makes it clear that reflection isn’t something to be overlooked. Probably all of us through our educator preparation programs learned about John Dewey and his theory that learning doesn’t simply happen as result of experiences but instead, as result of reflecting on those experiences.

Despite Dewey’s work and the research of others who emphasize the essential role reflection plays in learning, it’s still sometimes an afterthought - something we have students do if there’s time.

How might reflection become an integral and intentional part of lesson design?

Rob Collins, former English teacher at Greenup County High School, now an Innovative Programs Consultant at KDE, shared an important question from one of Kentucky’s Innovative Lab Network Teacher Fellows and his response through a recent LinkedIN post.

Today, we are sharing Rob’s post below with his permission. We hope it might spark some new thinking about the shape reflection can take - and if it does, please let us know! We’d love to share and learn from your ideas.

Rob’s post: Important food for thought - and action

Reflection is the most powerful, most enduring assessment we do in life. So why do we often overlook it as a meaningful measure in school?

During a recent meeting of the teacher fellowship I facilitate, one of our excellent teacher fellows asked: "Does student reflection on their attainment of standards actually count as enough of an assessment?"

She was reflecting on a classroom project that culminated in a community exhibition of learning, where students shared stories of their town’s history—how they are part of it and how they plan to contribute in the future.

In previous years, she had walked around with a clipboard and rubric, scoring student projects and engagement. This year, she made a different choice:

Instead of scoring projects in real time, she focused on being present—engaging in conversations, truly listening as students shared their work.

The assessment? Student reflection.

Instead of being graded by a rubric in real time, students completed a guided reflection—self-assessing their attainment of the project’s standards and their mastery of key skills.

For me, the answer was immediate: Of course, that’s assessment! And a damn good one at that if her students’ reflections are any indication.

But it raises a bigger question: Why do we so often discount reflection as a true, valid assessment of learning?

�� We assess ourselves through reflection all the time—at work, in relationships, in personal growth. These self-assessments shape who we are.

�� Tests fade. Projects get archived. But reflection endures.

�� When students reflect deeply, they’re not just showing what they’ve learned—they’re shaping how they learn (and who they are) in the future.

How can we elevate reflection as a main course assessment, not just a formative tool or an afterthought?

This week in CONNECTIONS :

REFLECTION | Moving from afterthought to intentional as part of the learning process.

AI AS CO-PILOT. HUMANS AS THE HEART | Discover the role AI plays for Jordan, a 14 year old high school student, in his reimagined journey through school in HAPPENING IN THE FIELD.

HOW MIGHT ELEVATED STUDIOS SUPPORT YOUR WORK? Learn more about what we do here ! No matter where you are in the work or geographically, we’d love to be your design partners.

WHAT MIGHT THE NEXT STEPS BE FOR YOUR CLASSROOM, SCHOOL OR DISTRICT?

Not sure what your next steps need to be? We can help with that too! Contact us at elevatED studios !

AI AS CO-PILOT. HUMANS AS HEART | Discover the role AI plays for Jordan, a 14 year old high school student living in Anytown, KY, in his reimagined journey through school thanks to this recent article from Sujata Bhatt and Mason Pashia in Getting Smart’s H3 series, Kentucky’s Learning Ecosystem in 2040: A Day in the Life .

A NEW SPIN ON US HISTORY | Bullitt County High School teacher Lexie Bewley-Gilley’s work is being featured in a newly released book by Karin Hess, Applying Depth of Knowledge and Cognitive Rigor. Thanks to a connection with OVEC Digital Learning Consultant Adam Watson, Hess used Gilley’s overhauled US history unit, designed by applying principles from table-top role-playing game design, as a “Story from the Field.” You can find a screenshot of the excerpt providing more detail about Lexie’s unit above. What a great example of vibrant learning! Congratulations, Lexie!

HOW MIGHT WE REIMAGINE HOW WE USE TIME? Educators from across the OVEC region as well as Fayette, Boone and Allen Counties came together last week to answer this question. While doing that, teams looked for risk-free ways to try potential prototypes that would allow them to learn and continue to iterate. We are really looking forward to their next steps!

Why Student Agency Matters and How to Build It

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:51:35 GMT

MAKING AGENCY TOP PRIORITY | Painted Stone Elementary (Shelby County) teacher Morgan Seely knows the importance of helping students develop agency, and makes it a priority in her 4th grade classroom.

This article , first published in 2023, provides a look inside Morgan’s learner-centered classroom and describes simple shifts you can make today to begin empowering students with this critically important skill.

This week in CONNECTIONS :

STUDENT AGENCY | What it is, why is matters, how to build it - and an opportunity to look inside a KY classroom where developing agency is top priority.

BUILDING AGENCY THROUGH SCHEDULING | Find out how one middle school uses their lunch period to provide students opportunities to make decisions about how they spend their time.

EMPOWERING STUDENTS WITH AI | Join us for a special webinar later this month to explore possibilities and ideas with d’Skills . You won’t want to miss this! Details in What’s on Deck.

“All I’m hearing right now are questions - Where are you going to college? What will you major in? Who will you room with? And what I’ve realized is that for 13 years in school, I’ve been told what classes to take, when to eat lunch, how long papers have to be, and what books to read. I’ve never made any decisions. And now I don’t know where to begin.”

-High School Senior

Student agency. It’s a term often used in education circles, but what does it mean? And why does it matter?

We know what agency isn’t. The senior who shared his realization paints a clear picture of a soon-to-be-graduate whose experiences in school don’t seem to have prioritized the development of agency. Considering that preparing students to work in factories was a priority during the Industrial Age, maybe that’s not surprising. Compliance was key. However, we have significant evidence to show this isn’t working for the learners of today.

We’ve heard employers are saying the workforce isn’t prepared. Like that high school senior, graduates often say the same thing. According to a recent guest essay from the New York Times, “In a survey by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation of more than 4,000 members of Gen Z, 49 percent of respondents said they did not feel prepared for the future.”

So why is this happening? “Many recent graduates aren’t able to set targets, take initiative, figure things out and deal with setbacks — because in school and at home they were too rarely afforded any agency” (NYT, Jan 2, 2025). Could this be another example of a system producing exactly the outcome it’s designed to produce - even if that outcome isn’t at all what we say our goals are?

The term “student agency” is sometimes misunderstood. Agency is often described with words like voice and choice - and those are important. However, agency doesn’t mean that school becomes a free-for-all, with all decisions being made by students.

From that same NY Times essay, “Giving kids agency doesn’t mean letting them do whatever they want. It doesn’t mean lowering expectations, turning education into entertainment or allowing children to choose their own adventure. It means requiring them to identify and pursue some of their own goals , helping them build strategies to reach those goals , assessing their progress and guiding them to course-correct when they fall short.

So how might we begin to reshape our students’ experiences so that school isn’t something they just show up for, waiting passively for directions? Are there simple shifts we can make that begin to build motivation and autonomy - ultimately, agency? The short answer - YES - and it’s not all or nothing.

Engaging students in meaningful goal-setting and planning is a great place to begin. Whether making intentional time for reflecting on important durable skills, academic skills or something else - setting goals, planning for reaching those goals, and reflecting on progress - just as suggested by the shifts under the Transformation we call learner-owned - are all impactful ways to give students control over their learning.

Some schools are building agency by incorporating some kind of flex time into their weekly schedules. This is a block of time - whether an hour, half of a day or even a whole day - when students are given the opportunity to plan their time in the way they need. Flex time might include time for students to get additional help from a teacher, time to explore a new passion or work on a project. The point is - students plan for the ways in which they use their time.

Waukesha STEM Academy , a middle school in Wisconsin, has incorporated several ways for students to have choice - developing agency - into their schedules. One of those is called CONNECT.

“CONNECT happens at lunch every day, with students touching base with staff as needed or as requested. This is a very unique approach to lunch, because 100 percent of students have their lunch period at the same time. No one tells students when they need to eat or where they need to go. In this hour, students choose when they eat and which teachers they will go to connect with.

At first, there were conversations about schooling this concept and telling groups of students when they needed to eat and where they needed to go. This quickly fell by the wayside when the mission of this time was looked at closely. We wanted to help our students build skills in time management and ownership of their day. When you do it for them and tell them when they can eat and where they need to sit, and make them raise their hands to throw their trash out or excuse themselves from the table, you have removed the ability and need to develop that sense of growth. Our goal was to build independence, not dependent students who didn’t need to think for themselves.”

James Murray, Principal

Ready to design?

If you are interested in designing learning experiences and environments that develop that important sense of agency for your students, let us know. Contact us through our website or via email: ralbright@ovec.org, leckels@ovec.org or ccoleman@ovec.org.

In the meantime, check out these resources - one being from Morgan Seely, a 4th grade teacher in Shelby County , who makes agency a priority in her classroom (a GREAT place for a visit for teachers of all levels!):

The Drive Towards Student Agency: Empowering Students to Make Choices on Their Learning Pathwa y | Morgan Seely, Aurora Institute blog post (2024)
Waukesha STEM Academy: Rethinking Space, Time and Reporting | Chris Sturgis (2020)
Getting Started with a Learner-Driver Classroom: A Guide for Educators | Getting Smart (2024)
Transformations: Simple Shifts for a Different Student Experience | See Learner-led and Learner-owned for moves especially focused on student agency. elevatED studios (2024)
Agency by Design: An Educator’s Playbook | Aurora Institute (2023)
The Promise, Practice and Power of Student Agency | ASCD (2022)
Giving Kids Some Autonomy Has Surprising Results | Guest Essay,* New York Times (2025)

*By Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop; their book on this subject is The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better (Crown, 2025)

WHAT MIGHT THE NEXT STEPS BE FOR YOUR CLASSROOM, SCHOOL OR DISTRICT?

Whether looking for ways to bring your Profile to life, how to organize the time we have with students differently, simple shifts to create a different - and much more meaningful and memorable - learning experience, building student agency, or something else, we’d love to be your design partners.

Not sure what your next steps need to be? We can help with that too! Contact us at elevatED studios !

Destination: Casey Duvall's Classroom iLEAD Academy

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 21:45:12 GMT

Designing meaningful, inspiring learning

experiences that honor students’ personal

strengths and interests while also aligning academic standards can seem overwhelming.

We know an all too real barrier to providing students with authentic learning experiences that do that, like PBLs, inquiry-based learning, and performance assessments, is the sheer amount of time it takes a teacher to design.

At the same time, we want students to own their learning. Our learner profiles value skills like ‘self-directed learning’, ‘setting goals’, ‘failing and trying again’, ‘designing solutions to complex problems’.

So, how might we, with our limited time and

resources, do both: design meaningful learning

experiences AND empower students to lead

and own that learning?

iLEAD Academy Math teacher, Casey Duvall, has one promising solution. Throughout this year, Duvall’s students have been engaged in numerous project-based performance assessments she designed such as proposing a solution for a community health concern or designing a mini golf course.

Midway through the school year, she began looking for a way to create an even more learner-led environment. She wondered, ‘What might happen if I asked students to design the performance assessment for the next unit?’

How Duvall is transforming the student experience...

So she did just that. Duvall challenged students to design something that would illustrate that they had learned and could apply the standards behind their unit on quadrilaterals and other polygons. Put another way, she empowered students to design their own performance assessments.

She began by giving students a taste of the standards for the upcoming unit and co-creating the criteria for success. “We really had to break the standards down together so that they could understand the rigor of the math that their proposal would need to include.”

From that taste, students wrote proposals using a planning template Duvall created. Initially, many students were stumped. They’d never been asked to design learning like this.

They sought inspiration in many forms.

One student, Lizzy, discovered a personal connection: “My mom was working on stained glass at the time, and from our talks in class, I recognized that the art has many of the shapes our standards required combined.”

Some students, like Arlis, designed with their talents and interests in mind, “My partner on the project was really artistic and loves gardening, so we wanted to incorporate those talents in our project.”

Still others, like Keydi, weren’t sure where to start, “My partner and I had a hard time at first coming up with ideas. I am very conscientious and really wanted to be sure that whatever we did included every standard. We thought about designing a frame, a board game and even a scale model of a city. In the end, we decided on creating a maze.”

Simply submitting a proposal didn't give students the green light to go ahead. Duvall scrutinized each proposal ensuring that it aligned to the rigorous math standards, “Many students had to rewrite their proposals three times. Some were frustrated because they just wanted me to tell them what to do.”

One student, Sebastian, realized that the desk mount he was designing outside of math class actually involved many of the standards. However, when he submitted the initial proposal to Duvall he discovered it didn’t quite fit the standards. After revisions, he had a couple of ideas that were interesting and met the rigor of the standards.

Instruction in the unit was similar to that of others Duvall led that year. “I still taught the lessons like normal, and I built in time throughout for kids to work on their projects. At the end of the unit, I gave them a few days to finalize their projects with peer reviews.”

The shift to student-designed assessments had a lasting impact on Duvall’s students.

Lizzy remarks, “This project was my favorite one I did in all of my classes freshman year. It made geometry a lot easier, and it let me stand out in my own way.”

Arlis agrees, “This was more fun because we could build a project around things that we are good at. By designing a project around our strengths, everyone was included and no one felt left out.“

For others, it was the relevancy of designing the project. “I am in the engineering pathway. Problem solving is my skill set. This project made me think a lot more, I get more out of it when I design it,” Sebastian states.

In fact, every student shared skills they learned beyond the math content. They reflected on their growth in skills like creativity, problem solving, reslience, and time management- skills we know communities value.

How to get started...

If you’re looking to empower students as learning designers, Duvall and her students share some lessons learned . First and foremost, Duvall advises humility, “You’ve got to be okay with not knowing everything. You have to be comfortable with kids trying things you have no experience with. You’ve got to be able to empower and push the kids to find the person who is the expert.”

Gradually easing into more and more student- led models can prepare students for the heavier lift of designing their own assessments. iLEAD Director, Jenna Gray, compliments Duvall’s model, “First semester she did the major designing of the projects while still giving students many choices about their learning. That laid a foundation of what a well designed project looks like so that in the spring students knew better how to design.

Lizzy agrees, “I wouldn’t make it the first unit. I needed to learn what makes a good project.”

One pain point for teacher and students alike in this experience was the proposal process. “You’ve got to really be prepared to give kids feedback on their proposals. Being ahead in my planning helped with that,” says Duvall.

For supporting students in the proposal process, Keydi suggests that “teachers could give students some ideas to help them start. One of the hardest parts was seeing other groups get started while my partner and I were still struggling to come up with an idea.”

Arlis cautions not to do too much of the thinking for learners, though, “A lot of students were asking for advice. Help them a little, but not too much.” There is beauty in the struggle.

And finally, just like we want to create spaces where our learners feel comfortable to try new challenging things, fail, and try again, our teachers, too, need that space.

Duvall states, “I felt like I had the freedom to just try. If I messed up, it would be okay.”

By creating opportunities for students to lead their learning, Duvall’s students created not only physical projects that were unique and imaginative, but also learning that will last due to the students’ personal connections.

As Sebastian puts it, “Give students freedom, and they will create something awesome.”

Join the Crew: Creating an Ecosystem for Authentic Learning from Day One

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 14:55:00 GMT

There’s an unmistakable excited, albeit a little nervous energy that pulsates through a classroom just before a meaningful presentation of learning. Some learners focus on finalizing each of the tiniest details while others improvise, re-designing components that have failed on most recent attempts. Teachers conference with learners, giving feedback on products or presentations.

For many learners, this kind energy and excitement about learning is something that occurs ‘after the basics’. There’s a belief that permeates educational culture that we must first cover basics, both in content and behavioral expectations, before we can engage learners in meaningful, relevant work.

Mt. Washington Middle School doesn’t buy it.

We visited their school to see how they immerse learners in authentic learning from the beginning. The entire school was abuzz, engaging in a project bringing awareness to local nonprofits. Hallways were filled with parade floats, art supplies, and the occasional supervised power tool. Learners were collaborating to research local non-profits, giving each other feedback on designs, and building products together while teachers facilitated, acting as coaches when needed.

Learners and teachers collaborated with a sense of familiarity and rapport that might otherwise take weeks to develop. The tasks classes engaged in were learner-led and learner-designed. Moreover, in their conversations with one another, learners communicated with a sense of humor and community. To put it simply, learners seemed like they felt at home and were doing work they were invested in.

This was not in an isolated classroom or even a grade-level team. This was happening in every single classroom at MWMS. What’s more is learners didn’t have to wait for any basics to get to this experience.

It was the fourth day of school.

How MWMS is transforming the student experience…

MWMS teacher Jessica Talley wasn’t satisfied with those typical first days - going over rules, consequences, schedules, and procedures. She completely changed her approach after attending a conference session led by Spokane Valley High School about something called Crew. She immediately went back to school, shared the idea with her principal, and as result, Crew has reshaped the opening 6 days of MWMS for the past two years.

Crew is an advisory structure originating from EL Education. The model suggests a special approach with specific goals for the first 6 days of school. At MWMS, the primary goals for Crew include -

Giving students a sense of belonging within the school
Developing a strong sense of community both within the school, and between the school and the larger community
Introducing students to the BCPS Graduate Profile .
Immersing students in an authentic learning experience.

At MWMS, learners spend the majority of each of the first six days with their Crew. Each day’s activities align with one of the BCPS Graduate Profile skills. You can see a detailed outline of each day on this presentation . Although there are several components of Crew taking place each of the six days - students visiting one of the classes on their schedule for the new school year, attending sessions focused on important topics like accessing grades in IC, navigating Google Classroom, and reflecting on their Graduate Profile skills - the school takes a unique approach to the rollout of the authentic learning challenge. For MWMS, this takes the shape of a school-wide PBL.

Over those first six days, each Crew learns about a variety of non-profit organizations in their local community and chooses one to raise awareness about. This year their challenge is to do that through designing a mini-parade float in a community parade.

One sixth grade Crew working on painting their space themed float shares their collaborative approach to tackling the project. “This kid in our class had a really good idea for design. So we all worked together to make the design even better, and then actually made it. Now we're painting it.”

A classmate explains how Crew is helping them, “It helps connect students and if students aren’t nervous around everyone they’re with, then they’re actually going to feel more compelled to actually work. I love what we are doing right now.”

8th graders at MWMS recall what starting school was like ‘the normal way’. “The way we started in 6th grade [before MWMS implemented Crew] was just too much. We jumped right into classwork. But this way is sort of a slow start where you get to learn your teachers more.”

Another 8th grader interjects, “and do fun stuff!”

“Yeah! That helps you really get into school. When day seven comes, you’re really ready.”

It’s not just the learners who are fans of starting this way. Tammy Powell, an 8th grade teacher agrees with her students, “There is so much team building I am able to do with them. It helps us ease the transition back to school while engaging them in fun work. I feel like I really know my students better this way.” One group in the school community perhaps benefiting most from this new approach is Newcomers.

One 8th grade student, new to the district, shares, “If we started school like my old school did, I wouldn't really get to know as many people. This is a way better plan for starting. I really like this school.”

Learners new to middle school shared similar sentiments. One 6th grader shared her apprehensions about coming to middle school, “In the beginning, my stomach started hurting the night before, but then as soon as we got to my Crew I was like, oh my gosh, I love it here!”

Her classmate agrees, digging into how her relationship with her Crew teacher has made middle school feel, “She's made it very safe to ask questions in front of my class. We play a lot of games and get to spend a lot of time with each other and her. It makes me feel like I know a lot of people. Sometimes I don't even wanna go home. Like, ‘Can I just stay here?’”

New educators also see the benefits of Crew. Katie Hoben is an 8th grade Crew leader new to MWMS, “I love that the first six days are all planned out for me, but then I get to deliver it to my Crew in my own individual way. That’s a big load off my shoulders.”

The Crew structure is also familiarizing Hoben with implementing the district’s Graduate

Profile. “Each day we have a different portion of our Grad Profile that we highlight. So, today is Self-Directed Navigators. We worked on self-reflection and hitting our goals and what happens if we don't achieve our goals.”

And perhaps most importantly, it’s helping her form relationships with learners, “My Crew now already has somebody they can trust in the first six days of school.”

Danielle Parish, a teacher at MWMS, elaborated on the trust and community that Crew builds, “I want them to come in here and to feel like they belong. You could tell it's loud in here, but they are doing what they care about. A week ago, they truly didn't know each other. This structure kind of breaks down that barrier.”

On day six of school, projects must be ready to go! Families are invited to the parade. Taking the place of a traditional structure, like open house, learners showcase their hard work while also teaching their families about local nonprofits and their school.

Jessica Talley reflects on the impact Crew is having on families, too, “Parents were so pleased because they said they've never had their kids come home excited about school during the first week. And they could tell them everything they were doing and why they were doing it and what they were going to do tomorrow.”

Doug Osbourne, another teacher at MWMS, described the first six days as “transformational”.

Amy Leasgang, his colleague, added, “What it really shows us is how learning should always look. If kids are this excited about school, we have to keep trying to make every day like this where kids are doing authentic work they care about.”

MWMS’s approach to starting school with Crew pushes on the learner experience in numerous ways-from creating learning communities with trust and safety to engaging learners in relevant tasks.

If you’re specifically looking to transform the start of the school year, starting with Jessica’s overview slides of Crew are helpful. Learners and staff at MWMS also have some words of advice.

First, it helps to have a crew, literally. Jessica shares, “I needed a team to help me pull this off. Tammy and Amy helped me by coming up with a list of activities that would align to our Grad Profile. They were so helpful in planning and getting our whole staff on board.”

Second, anticipate some healthy growing pains. Tammy Powell shares, “Last year was more of a challenge, just with the newness of it.

How to get started ...

Now, in our second year, we are figuring out that sixth graders and eighth graders don’t always need the same amount of time for every activity.”

Furthermore, be sure to establish a healthy culture of learning. Danielle Parrish shares, “Make sure it’s a positive thing. There’s no risk. They’re not getting graded. It allows them to enjoy it, have fun, be themselves, and take risks they might not take in a normal classroom assignment.”

Lastly, it’s ok to start small and still make a big difference. Katie Hoben advises, “Even if you can't do it for six days, try it for a little bit. It definitely helps with your community and your culture at your school. Starting like this is a great way to make your adults excited and make your kids excited”.

What a big difference MWMS is certainly making starting the school year this way. As we left our visit, one sixth grader shares, “I'm also really sad that it's Friday. I love school now.”

A NEW STUDENT EXPERIENCE THROUGH AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Sat, 27 Jul 2024 19:44:56 GMT

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.

Destination: Morgan Seely’s Classroom, Painted Stone Elementary Shelby County Schools

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Wed, 01 May 2024 13:28:20 GMT

Not So Secret Agency: How Students Make Mastery Their Mission

On October 26, 2022, the Kentucky Department of Education announced the names of 11 educators across the state who had been chosen to become part of the state’s first Innovative Teacher Cohort.

Teachers were chosen through an application process and are charged with creating “innovative learning experiences that connect to the three big ideas of the United We Learn vision—creating vibrant learning experiences, accelerating innovation and building a bold new future with communities.”

Shortly after the announcement, we reached out to Morgan Seely, a 4th grade teacher at Painted Stone Elementary School in Shelby County and one of the newly selected cohort members in the OVEC region, to ask if we could visit her classroom. It made sense that teachers who would be interested in this opportunity might already be thinking differently about the student experience and would make great thought partners for our region’s deeper learning initiative.

We knew our hunch was right when we received Seely’s reply:

" I want you to know that I share everything with my students and I showed them your e-mail about being interested in coming to watch us work. They were thrilled! I always

want them to make these decisions with me because I truly feel that I am a member of their classroom and we work as a team to facilitate a wonderful learning experience together. That being said, we would love to invite you to come visit."

How Seely is transforming the student experience

When we got to the classroom, students were busy in collaborative groups working to decide the literary characteristics of poems, prose and dramas using Venn diagrams to organize their thinking. This was part of their quest to answer the unit’s driving question, “How do different styles of writing affect readers?”

Conversations with students revealed that collaboration was the norm in their classroom. “Collaboration,” one student shared, “is when you work together to figure something out. You listen to each other to find the best solutions.”

Students were making individual notes in learning journals while they worked. These special notebooks were formatted with an academic standard at the top, and a mastery scale underneath. Students indicated where they were on the scale, and continuously made notes on the page. These notes included their brainstorming for what kind of student work might be good evidence for each of the scale levels (in this case, 1, 2, 3 and 4). As they explained, this is one way they reflected on what they were learning, and it helped them to know what they still needed to work on. Just this simple habit made it clear that on-going learning was the norm and a process.

And, just as Seely indicated in her email, intentionally building agency with her students was certainly a focus. In fact, the word “agency” was written on chart paper on the wall, and when asked what it meant, students said things like -

“It’s something you own. It’s making your own decisions for your learning.”

“It means you have to understand yourself and make good decisions.”

“It means you are in charge of controlling your actions.”

Students also shared that everyday at 2:00, they held “Agency Meetings” in the class. During these meetings, students talked about where they’d seen agency in action that day. Their conversations followed a protocol for reflection focused on what went well, what didn’t go well, and what should be done differently. This was also a time, Seely shared, when they reflected intentionally on their district’s Profile of a Graduate. The power of this reflection was obvious as students could easily describe each of the profile competencies when asked.

An environment like what Seely has created - one that prioritizes agency - can also inspire impressive student-initiated projects. We learned about this when we saw a student carrying brightly colored yarn wound around a makeshift spool across the room, obviously excited. Seely’s students learned to crochet in art class and decided to find out just how far a crocheted string could reach. Their goals continued to change as the string became longer and longer. Currently, the goal is to reach the middle school next door!

Not only is Seely encouraging the student-initiated project, she is using it to reinforce and/or introduce academic standards and durable (aka grad profile) skills as the students share their progress and plans with her. Calculating distance, estimating, subtracting, collaborating, problem-solving and communicating are a few occurring regularly with this challenge.

Projects like this one occur regularly in Seely’s classroom. Not long ago, students asked if they could create a math game using recent learning about division and remainders to help players crack secret codes. Of course, Seely said yes! She shared that they struggled at first to create the code but she kept encouraging them. After some productive struggle, the games were road-tested and ready - and students demonstrated that they could apply both academic content standards and durable skills in a very authentic way. All of this because they wanted to - not because it was a requirement. Curiosity, reflection, feedback. This environment cultivates student agency in every way imaginable!

How to get started

From the start, Seely “wanted the veil to be lifted for the kids. I wanted the business of school to be transparent for them.” The learning environment she’s created certainly does this. As my colleague said, “The whole classroom is annotated!” It really was! In Seely’s classroom, you are surrounded by learning. The walls were living notebooks, full of works in progress, driving questions, possible answers and thinking about answers, and timelines. Everyone entering this classroom could easily know exactly what students were learning and thinking.

“I always think about competencies when I plan.” Seely describes competencies as “the real learning I want my students to take away from the standards. The big idea. The so-what.”

“The advice I have for a teacher just getting started would be to start in one place. Create the experience you want to have and be bold enough to try and fail,” Seely began.

“For a teacher to move in this direction they must deconstruct the way they see the system of education. They also must understand that we are working towards a new horizon. Our focus must shift away from the powerful ‘assessment’ data that is too little too late and move towards a truly student-centered model of learning in pathways and understanding processes.

“I think of a new CBE teacher as a potential pioneer into a new field,” Seely shared. “You go as far as you choose to go with the tools you choose to use. I believe empowering teachers is the first step. I never would have gotten this far if I hadn't had the support of my principal and coaches.”

Simple Shift call-outs

Provide specific time each day for reflection upon PoG competencies using a specific protocol (i.e. what went well, what didn’t, how to improve)
Allow students to self-assess learning Seely’s students have tools, like the Standard Mastery Tracker, that allow them to continually make notes about their learning and self-assess.
Spark wonder and curiosity by building units and lessons around driving questions

Destination: Bryan Quillen's Classroom Fairdale High School, Jefferson County schools

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Wed, 01 May 2024 13:22:26 GMT

Cultivating Connection: Teaching With Joy, Learning With Purpose

Imagine a space where string lights and floor lamps create a ‘homey sensation’. Work-in-progress covers the walls along with the occasional Marvel character peeking through. The room immediately sparks curiosity, inviting you to learn more and stay awhile.

Continuing to explore, you see diverse groups of scholars working on ad designs - part of a bigger unit designed around the novel All Rights Reserved (Katsoulis, 2017). They are engaged in thoughtful discussions using terms like ethos and pathos. There’s an obvious depth of understanding of content. Chart paper hangs around the room covered with Post-Its, each containing detailed observations of targeted print media. It seems obvious that all are accustomed to giving and receiving feedback. This is a space where learning, collaborating, communicating, revising and creating happens.

It isn’t some sort of corporate think-tank or cushy, fancy office. This is Bryan Quillen’s English classroom at Fairdale High School.

As one student puts it, “His classroom shows his personality and who he is. Students feel welcomed and encouraged when walking through his classroom door.” The physical space is just the start of the magic of Quillen’s classroom- a place where teacher and students alike harness their passions and personalities to make a difference in the world.

How Quillen is transforming the student experience

One student describes his experience this way: “Mr. Quillen knows how to teach like every other teacher, but one thing he does differently is that he shows his personality and is open with the kids. When I walk into his classroom, the way he has it decorated, it makes you feel comfortable and welcome. He always jokes around with all of the kids a little bit just to learn who they are and to know what they need. He learns what will help make the biggest difference for them. He adjusts work to everyone’s different learning styles so they are encouraged.

Everyone feels that they can do the work instead of just looking at an assignment and giving up. He makes the best effort with all of his kids no matter what. If I could give any teacher advice it would be to let loose with your students and be who you are.”

How do you go about creating this kind of space for learning - one that is a beautiful living example of the Exemplary indicators from Danielson’s Domain 3 ? Quillen shared some helpful insights. “Once I brought my own interests and passions into the classroom, I really fell in love with teaching. It became so much easier to build lessons when I was excited to do it.”

The work isn’t just interesting for Quillen; it’s meaningful and relevant for students.

Reflecting on the Quality Work descriptors, Quillen shares which he believes best capture his priorities when planning. “It’s 4: Connects ideas to broader frames and concepts. I want my students to realize the world around them…to discover how they can make an impact. I always think about what I want them to be able to do and what connections I want them to make with the world. It’s not about isolated standards.”

Where does the planning process begin for Quillen? “I start with an idea, something I’m excited about or my students are really into, then figure out which standards best fit. I always think about what will make the learning relevant for them. I try to create a mini world in my classroom.”

Quillen described his planning for the upcoming George Orwell novel, 1984. He will immerse his students in an environment that will allow them to experience firsthand the theme of the novel, and then ask them to apply that learning through the creation of their own fictional worlds just as Orwell did.

“Experience” is a key verb for Quillen’s planning. His priority is always to help students experience what they are learning, and to see the connections between what they are learning to issues today.

Is this the approach Quillen takes only with certain groups of students and specific classes? “No way,” he replies. “Relevance matters for everybody. Do I adjust text levels and other aspects to meet students’ needs? Absolutely. But my goals and approach are the same.”

Conversations with Quillen’s students echo all the things we know about what school can and should be. One student shared that before Quillen, English had been the class she most dreaded. When asked what changed her mind, she said, “The fact that he ties everything together that we do and relates it to what’s happening in society today amazes me. Everything we do has a purpose. The projects we do make me think harder than I ever have. Every assignment is an interesting adventure that changed my perspective. The assignments are easy to finish because they draw me in and keep me thinking.”

Students even cited specific lessons learned from the books and characters they’d read and learned about in Quillen’s class several months ago. “Harrison Bergeron, for example, helped me to realize that it only takes a couple people to make a change.”

“The work we do in Quillen’s class is about how to solve problems in our real world,” another shared.

“Mr. Quillen’s class is a place where everyone can be themselves and not be judged, where all different types of people - no matter their personality or looks - are welcomed and treated like family. We do work that challenges our minds, work that makes us actually sit and think about how a problem or issue might affect our lives in two years or ten years if continued.”

One student explained, “On Fridays, everyone in the classroom gathers around in a circle. We discuss what we did for our assignments that week and share any questions we have. With the help of classmates and our teacher, we get everyone’s questions answered.”

As many students noted, they want teachers to see them as the young adults they are: “Maybe to joke around with us, make us actually feel like we’re being seen, like we’re being heard.”

What about the challenges that plague many high school classrooms, like cell phones? Quillen believes you have to embrace them. Instead of trying to think of all the ways he can prevent students from using their phones, he provides intentional time for this in his class. In fact, an opening slide read, “Two minute cell phone break.” When asked about this, Quillen shared, “That’s time when I’m passing out papers or doing something else in preparation for the next activity. There’s no reason they can’t use their phones then. And, because I allow it, they’ll focus on what I need them to focus on when I’m ready.”

What about ChatGPT, the recently released artificial intelligence that can produce anything from an outline for a presentation to a well-written editorial or scientific paper with only a simple prompt? “I’m teaching them how to use it productively,” Quillen shares. “For example, how might it help with a first draft? How might it help teach students the art of asking good questions?” From the time he first learned about the new technology, he began thinking about how he might reshape tasks, allowing students to use the AI in positive, productive ways that will extend their thinking and learning

How to get started

While Quillen’s classroom might sound utopian, he gives practical steps for creating this kind of learning environment, “Think about what makes you excited. What do you enjoy? If it brings you joy outside of school, it will bring you joy inside. If you are excited about it, the students will be too.”

Quillen also remembers teachers who allowed him to explore his personal passions as a high school student. By his own admission, he wasn’t very engaged in class. What he loved though was creating videos, and he had a special teacher who gave him the time and space to use his interest and talent in ways that benefitted the other students in class. This is an example he tries to follow. “Building on students’ interests and talents is a must if you want them to engage, learn and think.”

Quillen advises teachers to start with a question that students “have an opinion on - something they will want to yell about. If they’ll yell, they’ll care.” As he puts it, “Nobody really cares about semicolons. I care if my students understand the world around them as a living thing they have the power to change.”

Finally, it’s important to note that just like Quillen creates space for students to try new things, fail, and rebound, he models that in his work, too. Quillen recalls sage advice he got from a school leader early on: “You’re going to burn out, and I’m worried about it,” his principal stated. “Everything doesn't have to be perfect- you can try new things and don’t be afraid of failing.” That permission made a world of difference. For school leaders looking to empower teachers to create spaces like his classroom, Quillen says “Allow teachers to take some risks. Give us the chance to realize why we love this job.”

Simple Shifts Call-Out

Feedback circles Hold a weekly sharing/feedback circle to provide an opportunity for students to share any questions they might have about the week’s learning or assignments and to help one another answer.
Provide brain breaks Provide an official “Cell Phone Break” during a time when you are involved with something that doesn’t require students’ attention.
Bring YOUR passions Think about what you enjoy, and bring it to your classroom. Share your passions with your students. Start planning with an idea that excites you.

Destination: Laura Jones’ Classroom South Oldham High School

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Wed, 01 May 2024 13:14:29 GMT

Experience First, Formalize Later: Math Outside the Fluorescent Box

When you think of one of the most inspiring, meaningful courses in school, you would be forgiven if Stats II was not one of the classes that comes to mind. But in South Oldham High School, you would be wrong.

During our visit, we were first put to work in a blind taste-testing of Pepsi versus Coke. As the students shared our results, their curiosity was evident beyond reciting some numbers on a page. They asked questions like: “Do people pick two cups as the same product because of the way the cups are placed in front of the tester?” “If people like Pepsi more than Coke in the taste test, is it because they prefer its sweet taste more in small doses but would feel differently if they drank from a larger cup?” “Does age play a role in the results?”

Other student-initiated projects in Jones’ class have involved investigations such as the density of restaurants amongst certain local zip codes and attaching rubber bands to Barbies, throwing

them off a bleacher, and seeing just how close their heads could come to hitting the ground without actually doing so. Choosing two rubber bands versus three or four came with calculated cost, but even more than coming up with a “linear regression model,” the students’ enthusiasm for trial and error via messy critical thinking was evident.

Risking a mess and having a teacher let go of total control seems to be the point. As one student reflected, “learning, and to be human, is to change. And if you're not changing, you're not growing. This class specifically I think teaches us how to both be flexible and how to know what to expect in a sense.”

“When you think about just regular math class,” one student lamented, “it's a lesson preparing for a test, taking a test, then starting something new. You're just kind of thinking, where does this math really apply or what does it apply to? So when you're in this class, you think about how it can actually relate to outside of school.”

From Barbie Bungee to deep conversations about what it means to really learn, Laura Jones’ class demonstrates the results of empowering students to pursue interests and explore real-world issues.

How Jones is transforming the student experience

Laura Jones is a National Board Certified 23 year veteran of math instruction at South Oldham High School. For nearly two decades, her teaching would be what you might call traditional – a demonstration of a new math concept at the board, students working individually on practice problems, students studying for a summative assessment, taking the quiz, rinse and repeat. But Jones has transformed the culture and curriculum of her classroom with a couple of key levers.

The first is to build up relationships with her students. “I have learned that a strong sense of community is vital to student learning,” Jones reflected. “Students must feel comfortable in the classroom. When strong relationships are formed, students ask more questions, are more willing to share their work because they are not afraid to make mistakes and will ultimately learn material at a higher level when they have a sense of belonging to a community.”

Inspired by her father, who wrote words of gratitude to many people in his life before passing away, she began writing handwritten notes as a ritual every Thursday afternoon. Jones picks one student from each of her six classes, and in her note, thanks them “for their hard work, and I mention specific things I noticed about their efforts in class.”

The note writing ritual has made Jones see more of the simple gestures of students supporting their peers: classmates who not only grab a calculator for themselves but for the rest of their group, a student who gives some unprompted encouraging words to another. “Before writing the notes,” Jones explained, “I missed a lot of this because I was focused mostly on content and not enough on community. Even though I must address problems that come up, I don’t dwell on them. Instead, I look for improvements that struggling students are making in my class.”

This investment is noticed by students, too. As one student remarked, “This class feels a lot closer than some of my other classes. Some of them are really quiet. In this class, you’re never made to feel bad about failing. Failing is a good thing.”

Complimenting that focus on relationships, Mrs. Jones also had a shift in mindset. Jones used Stats Medic , and after finding success, also brought in Math Medic . More important than any particular lesson plan, however, was how its mantra for math transformed her teaching: “Experience first, formalize later.”

In a typical scenario, class begins with students working collaboratively in small groups around the room to solve a problem. There is a culture of risk and innovation as each group may come up with somewhat unique solutions. No formulaic plug and chug here! Afterwards, Jones has students break out colored markers and walks them through annotating various steps of the solution – “See what you did there? That’s called a correction factor” – and only then does she break out “the law of cosines.”

The shift toward mathematical inquiry has even influenced the way she grades. For example, in her AP Statistics class, she still assesses a student response on the AP scale of 1 to 9; however, all students receive a 10 points out of 10 for their effort. The emphasis is on the learning, not the score, and the approach has had a quantitative payoff: she has seen the first unit summative test average score rise from a 70% to an 86%.

The students of Stats II clearly appreciate the effort. As one student put it, “I would always describe the feeling of other classes as ‘trapped,’ like being trapped in a building because you know, school is kind of like a fluorescent box. But sometimes when you're actually able to think, it makes it feel like you're there to learn instead of you're there to just be.”

Another summed up our reflective conversation well: “Right now we're talking about math but it doesn't feel like we're talking about math. We're talking about life, but we're also talking about how Stats ties back into it. And that's what really makes this class unique because it's not just stat skills, it's life skills.”

How to get started

Jones’ practices illuminate some simple shifts that worked for her as she began to pivot her own instruction: make it collaborative, provide choice, and begin with a challenge.

She also suggests there's power to the ‘slow and steady’ approach. When attempting some substantial instructional change, try it with just one unit first. Choose the unit you like the least – perhaps it feels like a bit of a slog to get through – or the one with the content you see students struggle with the most. Reflect afterward on what went well and what you would do differently.

There is a needed balance between tight and loose classroom structures, between intentionality and a willingness to see where a tangent takes you, between one less rubberband not letting students stretch out to their academic challenge point and one more rubberband causing an academic concussion. But on that admittedly tricky tightrope, Laura Jones is cooking with gas. “When I was a new teacher, I was always taught to over plan. And now I really try to under plan. But also I feel like because I am an expert at my content, I know it a lot better than I did before. So I can throw out things and I can improvise. But I think when you under plan, you let kids have more time to let things marinate.”

Finley, a student in the class, gave succinct advice to teachers looking to transform the student experience: “First, you have to commit yourself to it.” Embrace the silly and the fun, right up to “the line of cringey.” It creates an atmosphere of academic and relational vulnerability that allows others to, metaphorically speaking, jump off their bleachers with the trust that a Laura Jones won’t let them bonk themselves on the head.

Simple Shift Call-Outs

Making learning more collaborative Students working together through a problem or a formative quiz creates a lower individual risk of “getting it wrong,” and they can learn solution strategies from each other at least as much as they can learn from the teacher.
Provide choice to spark curiosity One way Jones brings choice to life in her classroom is a ‘Project Menu’ where students can select from a variety of projects or even suggest one of their own. This structure sparked student interest and ownership in their work.
Begin with a challenge Rather than front-loading, providing direct instruction, students discover the math - and the need for it - through starting with a challenge. Students might be asked, for example, how they might share a group cell phone plan with each person paying an equal amount. Ultimately, this leads to an introduction of rational functions. Jones especially likes Math Medic, as the resource is designed to do exactly this.

Destination: Henry County High School

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Wed, 01 May 2024 13:06:33 GMT

Bridges to Belonging: A School-wide Culture of Authentic Mentorship

Most of us vividly remember the fall of 2020: widespread anxiety about schools being open or closed, hyper focus on learning loss and academic deficits, and the non-stop use of hand sanitizer. However, for many educators, one thing took precedence- we saw it in the way our students struggled to communicate with one another and their blank, disinterested stares. Our students needed connection, or a sense of belonging.

Henry County High School saw this in their own data- in informal surveys seeking to understand what they needed from their school after lockdown, students overwhelmingly said ‘mentoring’ or descriptions like ‘ways to build relationships with my peers’, ‘ways to connect back with my teachers’. Adding to this was concerning data from the annual Suicide Prevention Survey that said 68% of students said they did not have a trusted adult- a rise from the pre-Covid 47%.

So, HCHS leaders took action. They knew that despite academic deficits students might have, they absolutely had to create intentional time to build relationships with kids. This took the form of Mentoring Bridge Groups- an advisory structure in which teachers and students connect weekly with the goal of student empowerment and relationship building.

Two years later, Wednesdays, the Mentor Bridge Group meeting day, boast the highest attendance of the week. Administrators report kids telling their parents things like, ‘Don’t schedule that doctor appointment on Wednesday. I can’t miss Mentoring!’

The day our team visited, we had the pleasure of speaking with one young man who shared the impact Mentor Bridge Groups have had on him personally, “I feel like I belong here. I haven’t felt that way before.” In just 30 minutes a week, in the aftermath of a global pandemic, Henry County High School teachers and leaders have created a school culture in which students feel safe, seen, excited, and ultimately, have found a place they feel they belong.

How mentoring is transforming the student experience

If you have the fortune of visiting HCHS during Mentor Bridge Groups, in those 30 minutes you would have the opportunity to work on your balance in yoga, compete in a drone obstacle course, strategize moves with a friend n your fantasy league, laugh at ridiculous Pictionary drawings, brighten someone’s day with an uplifting note, discuss a book you’re deeply invested in with equally invested peers, build something awesome with legos, or process and cook delicious meat - just to name a few.

While advisory structures are not unique to HCHS, their approach is uniquely focused. Rather than have a period with an advisor that serves a myriad of functions (academic goal setting, personalized learning planning, SEL), this school intentionally reserves this period of time, 30 minutes, once a week, for developing meaningful relationships with students.

Each year teachers decide on a topic they’re passionate about for their mentor group focus.

This is a unique opportunity for teachers to share an interest or passion with students, or as one student put it, “It’s a chance for us to see teachers as people, not just teachers.”

Students get to select their Mentor based on the teacher and their chosen topic. Some students choose a Mentor because they share a passion for the same topic; others choose their Mentor because they simply like the teacher. Logan Marsh, a student at HCHS, loves this structure because “they [teachers] all have things they like to do in their lives, and letting them do that makes it special. Then we as students get choice and decide our path which can lead us to discovering new things that we love.”

Once students select their Mentor, many feel like they instantly have a connection with the teacher and other students in their Mentor Group. Skylar Norton, another HCHS student, shares that Mentor Groups allow students to “find your group” and “relate to teachers based on what they’re into.” Many students shared this sense of camaraderie and belonging, comparing it to the feeling of being a part of a sports team or club. However, unlike extracurricular activities, all students participate.

This not only builds a sense of community between students and teachers, but within the student body as well. Leah Southworth shared “it [Mentor Groups] allows you to widen your friend group.”

Marsh agreed, adding, “Yeah, it really helps freshmen like me. Like the lunchroom is a more comfortable place now; that upperclassman who may have intimidated you before is just some silly guy that does yoga with you.”

These connections have led to many students feeling much more comfortable and connected at school. Another student, Breigh Banta, describes the impact the structure has had on her own education, “I have been able to build my communication and problem-solving skills while also learning more about others. It has made me want to be at school and want to perform better academically because my mentor shows me how my learning affects my future.”

How to get started

Student Taylor Corum insists that if schools are looking to add a mentoring structure, you have to “go about it the right way.” Students repeatedly insisted that teachers needed to have choice in what topics they cover because it leads to authentic relationships.

As simple as the HCHS Mentor Bridge Program sounds, it is helping to address very complex and important needs. The idea for the personalized approach came from Media Specialist, Rachel Burgin - and the Principal, Shannon Sagesar, listened. The first year, faculty members each chose a book based on his or her personal interest. Then, students chose which group they wanted to join based on a common interest in that same book.

Year two, they decided to expand by having faculty members choose something they were interested in for focus. It could be a book, but could be a wide range of any other personal hobbies or interests. From Chess to meat processing, the range of topics provides all kinds of new avenues for students to explore. You can see how that’s continued to evolve in this year's Mentor Group offerings as well. While some offerings here might require an investment in speciality equipment, such as the drones, Burgin reminds us that you can create these with no expense. Some groups simply used board games to build relationships or post-it notes to spread kindness.

Jim Hook, a social studies teacher urges that “[teachers] should do whatever they feel the most comfortable with and love to do.” He adds that this has built community among teachers as well. “You really get to learn about your coworkers’ interests.”

As an integral leader in the mentoring program, Burgin adds that allowing teachers, like Hook, choice, brings some joy to teachers as well. Coming into this school year, Hook was admittedly feeling a little overwhelmed by the prospect of preparing for Mentor Groups with a new baby and coaching responsibilities on his plate. Burgin asked Hook, “What’s something you’re having to give up that you love to do because of these obligations? What’s a passion this could make time for?” Hook realized he wouldn’t have to give up his fantasy sports leagues, but rather, he could use his mentor group to share that passion with kids.

Leadership at the school adds that for the program to be successful, you have to start with the why. Principal Shannon Sageser and Assistant Principal Kevin Webster recall that there were some ‘nay-sayers’ along the way, but starting with the why and coming with data to support it made all the difference. Webster shares an example that made that why clear. “We posted all of the kids' names with checks beside them to show who in the school knew them. Some kids didn’t have any checks. It’s hard to argue the need for a program like this when you see numbers like that.”

Sageser adds, “We are trying to do what’s best for kids. We’re trying to form connections with our students. There’s not a program out there that I can buy to do this. Teachers are the single most important resource we have.”

Once you have that why, it’s important to stick to it. Mentoring Bridge Groups at HCHS are strictly about building meaningful relationships with kids. That’s it. Burgin adds that sometimes Bridge Groups “just play. It’s okay to play. It’s okay to do that at school. Relaxing is good.”

Webster agrees, “We pause that bell-to-bell mentality for a bit. Yeah they might ‘just’ be playing basketball, but that gets kids in their comfort zone and they’re more likely to open up and start talking.”

Making time for connections over basketball or robotics during the school day provides equitable access for all kids to form the kinds of friendships, bonds with teachers, and development of passions extracurriculars traditionally offer. As Sageser explains, “Not everybody plays a sport or belongs to a club, but everybody has a Mentor Group.”

For HCHS, the success of the program is all about the smiles they see as students head to Mentor Group- smiles that tell them students have found a place amongst their community, a place they belong where, as Skylar Norton puts it, they “get out of their shells and help each other grow as people.”

Destination: Michelle Gross’ Classroom, Spencer County Middle School

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Wed, 01 May 2024 12:49:22 GMT

It's Like Riding a Bike: A Classroom Culture of Personal Connections

If you are in the market for a new home, you know the process can be quite overwhelming. For 7th graders in Michelle Gross’s math class in Spencer County, that process will be much less intimidating when the time comes. From appraisals to mortgage payments, they know how it works. All result of a single driving question, “How can I use proportional reasoning in the real world?”

To answer that question, these ambitious 7th graders designed their dream homes. They mastered calculating square footage, conducted research on floor plans, and drew a scale model with their own personalizations to the existing blueprints using the tools of architects. Additionally, they calculated what a reasonable home price would be by averaging three similar homes in the area, calculated the mortgage payments with and without down payments, and ultimately calculated a yearly income they’d need to afford that home. Finally, they shared their plans with professional architects and contractors, peers, teachers, and younger students.

Gross’s students know more about the home-buying and building processes than many adults! Of course, this wasn’t a class in architecture, design, or finance. It was a 7th grade math class studying ratio and proportional relationships- the same content many of us probably learned comparing obscure baskets of fruits. While our worksheets likely went swiftly into the trash, Olivia, one of Gross’s 7th graders, says she won’t be throwing her Dream House Project away, “I’ll look back at it for future reference.” Her classmate, Bella, agrees, “I’ll definitely use it [my project] in the future like for building my own house.” It was obvious these students deeply understood the content and are proud of their work.

This project is just one example oStudents share that learning in her class is “hands-on and fun” and “relates to stuff you do.” On a daily basis, from large scale projects to flashback routines, Gross creates a community of mathematical thinkers invested in solving relevant, rigorous problems.

How Gross is transforming the student experience

In Gross’s class, you won’t see pages and pages of problems unrelated to students' lives in any way, but instead an in-depth, collaborative analysis and application of mathematical concepts using relevant, personal examples for each student.

“I don't want them to see math in isolation,” says Gross. “When kids are thinking about math in relation to things they care about, engagement is higher.”

When teaching about the relationship between circumference and diameter, Gross begins with the prompt, “Describe your first bike.” Students recall and find pictures. They show each other and laugh. Gross shows an ad for a child’s Spiderman bike, “What’s the size of that bike’s wheel?”

A student responds, “16 inches.”

Gross, “What’s that referring to?”

Another student, “The circumference?”

Gross, “Would that make sense?”

Student, “No, that’s too small. Maybe the diameter?”

Gross, “That’s it!”

Students then research their dream bicycle identifying the diameter of their respective wheels. Some show pictures of mountain bikes, others speedsters, and even a unicycle. She asks kids which of those bikes they would select to ride from one end of a football field to the other. How many revolutions would it take on that bike? Students work together to come up with an answer, then discussed, whole-group, the strategies they used until all students had a conceptual understanding of the relationship between circumference and diameter.

Gross designed the lesson in hopes of making the math relevant, “If I just taught the lesson and had them do practice problems, as long as they had that formula, they would be able to answer questions in isolation. We would move on. They wouldn’t think about it again. But my hope is that when that circle comes back up, they immediately picture bicycles in their mind. If they have to look at a formula, that’s okay- that’s what we have Google for. But that connection and conceptual understanding is there and it sticks with them.”

Learning that is relevant sticks. Gross’s students can attest to this. After sharing photos of the Dream House project on Facebook, students from years ago responded remembering fondly when they did the project in her class. Furthermore, parents notice the difference. Gross shares, “I had posted it on our seventh grade support page and our parents were like, ‘oh, my kid came home and they were talking about it. And I love seeing their creativity!’”

Gross’s students echoed this excitement about learning math in her class. Kimberly, one of Gross’s students, shares, “In here, it’s hands- on, fun learning that relates to stuff you do. We go deeper in explanation and understand WHY.”

Another student, Nate, adds, “We also have freedom, like in our Dream House Project, it wasn’t just a set of questions. You couldn’t really get it wrong because it’s yours! We got to learn about others and see what they were doing.”

A third student, Cali, agrees, “Yes, we got to help each other and keep revising our work.”

Time for feedback and revision are essential in Gross’s classroom, “I think people need time to think. I try to give them time to think about it themselves. Then time to talk to each other about it.”

That time makes all the difference for students like Olivia who says, “I always feel rushed. I always feel like I need more time, and Ms. Gross gives us that time. In my Dream House Project, I got feedback and learned from my mistakes on my blueprints. I actually revised it to make an extra closet.”

Collaboration and revision are the norm in Gross’s class, not a ritual reserved for larger projects. Daily, her class engages in a student-led flashback routine. The class is posed a series of questions revisiting content. Students work in their table groups to collectively solve each problem, asking each other clarifying questions and thinking through strategies together. Each day a different student leads a whole class reflection on the questions. When the whole class has consensus on an answer, they move onto the next question.

When the class disagrees, the student leader guides the class through a reflective process to reach consensus. Ms. Gross observes the process, only interjecting to encourage a hesitant student’s thinking. Throughout the routine, students have the opportunity to revise their answers. This emphasizes the process, the student collaboration and feedback, is what’s important, not the answer in and of itself.

That on-going reflection, grounded in work students deeply care about, pays continuous dividends. Gross shares, “The other day when we were preparing for the presentations, one of the girls was like, ‘wow, I'm learning so much. I did this work and I'm still learning so much.’”

How to get started

Gross acknowledges that finding relevant connections might seem overwhelming. Her advice? “It could be as simple as looking at a textbook question and finding the question in there that you're like, I can connect to the kids with this question.” Hence the bicycle lesson.

“When I first started teaching geometry, I was a little intimidated by teaching it because it was my least comfortable thing to do in school. So I knew I needed some real world applications,” Gross shares.

That was the genesis for her Dream House Project. “Scale was one of those things that kind of bridged the gap between proportional thinking and geometry. I had seen some people do the Tiny Home Project, and I know that for years and years, math teachers have had kids do blueprints because it's the most real world thing. So that's where I started. And it was very, very basic. It was really just like, let's start drawing.”

That project continually evolved, becoming more relevant and rigorous with each iteration. The real shift for her came when she started thinking of the project “as the umbrella.”

“A lot of people teach the lessons, do the activities, take the test, and then have the project- they tack it on. There’s just not enough time. So I shifted my focus to the project- I saw it as my umbrella- the Dream House was a vehicle for students to reproduce scale. Each piece to get there is like a spoke on the umbrella.”

Students echo this emphasis on the importance of projects as a vehicle for learning. Cali’s advice for weighing how to ‘fit projects in’: “Do the project instead of the worksheet. We need to do these projects because we will learn what we need to in ways we care about.”

Lastly, Gross shares that it's okay to borrow from others, “If creating something completely new is intimidating, start with something that someone has already created and make it your own. That’s exactly how the Dream House Project started.”

Simple Shift Call-Outs

Provide Structure for collaboration, feedback, and revision Gross's flashback routine and Dream House project gave students protocols for engaging in collaborative, continuous learning.
Make it personally relevant Look for opportunities, even as small as the bicycle questions, to connect learning to students' lives.
Make thinking visible Create spaces and time, such as sharing blueprint designs or collaborative problem solving structures, for students to learn from each other's thinking.

Destination: Game Based Learning

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:19:26 GMT

Playing Roles, Rolling Dice: Dungeons, Dragons, Academic Standards and Durable Skills Combine for Authentic Adventures in Learning

Patrick La Mar, a social studies teacher at North Oldham High School, was seeking a way to make his content more accessible and exciting for students. He recognized that his previous lesson iterations were not very engaging: “Most students have a hard time, both middle school and high school today, empathizing with literary characters and historical people.” La Mar therefore came up with the idea of combining Dungeons & Dragons rulesets with the premise of the classic video game The Oregon Trail , and an immersive learning experience was born.

This idea of game-based learning may be something you occasionally see in classrooms. However, most would agree that incorporating tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons (often shortened to D&D, or DnD) is a fairly novel subset of game-based learning! And yet, such innovation is happening here in the OVEC region of our state. Recent examples have been highlighted in Kentucky Teacher, an episode of Kentucky Edition , and by NGLC .

If you’re unfamiliar with role-playing games (RPGs) in general and table-top role-playing games (TTRPGs) in particular, let’s define them compared to a typical board game like Monopoly. Board games are usually competitive – one player declared a winner – whereas RPGs are usually cooperative, with players working together to achieve a common goal. A board game has a very fixed path and limited opportunities to be “in character.” On the other hand,RPGs ask for players to take on the roles of characters who actively co-create and “act” in their shared story, often refereed by a person called the “Game Master” or “Dungeon Master” who helps narrate the adventure and play the parts of the non-player characters they encounter. TTRPGs add elements to role-playing games such as rolling dice to determine the outcomes of choices like fixing a spaceship or battling a dragon. D&D is the most well-known example of a TTRPG.

What La Mar found by incorporating these games that emphasize perspective-taking into his classroom was that not only did students better understand the hardships of American pioneers in the 1800’s after the session, they had a deeper appreciation for a historical perspective different than their own. Without the game, La Mar felt “getting them to recognize what are people’s motivations, and based on their motivations, how are they going to respond when certain things happen to them” was difficult.

How role-playing games are transforming the student experience

Justin Gadd (Marnel C. Moorman, K-8, Shelby County Public Schools) not only runs an extracurricular D&D club, but incorporates TTRPGs into his lessons. Recently, he had students play as Romans marching into Brittania around the first century AD. As students in small groups encountered various trials and tribulations (self-DMed by clicking through a slide deck), they had to work together, with their choices and dice rolls determining success or failure. According to Gadd, student collaboration in TTRPGs is key: “Teamwork is a huge part of what makes D&D fun. I remind my students that your party is your team and everyone has a job to do for you all to be successful. It teaches them that even though we all may have different backgrounds, we can all work together to accomplish a goal.”

And besides discovering the content of the historical record of the past, there is other academic learning, too: “There’s creative writing, problem-solving, math, statistics, probability and more in the process of creating characters and managing actions during the game.” Indeed, Gadd echoes the durable skills of his district’s Profile of a Graduate when describing what is necessary when playing TTRPGs: “You gotta be a Critical Thinker. You have to be an Effective Communicator. You have to be a Responsible Collaborator, working with teams.”

When students reflect, they often see how such TTRPGs can make a positive difference in their learning. Bryson, a student of Mr. Gadd’s, even saw benefits outside of his social studies class: “I used to not be that very imaginative and creative. But going into D&D has helped expand my outlines of what makes a good story and whatnot. And so when I’m in ELA, I can usually write better.”

For Mr. Gadd and Mr. La Mar, D&D began as a passionate hobby outside of school. When they brought that joy and personal interest into their classrooms, students responded at least as much to their willingness to reveal their authentic selves as they did to the mechanics of the instructional gameplay.

So, if students have a positive learning experience from a TTRPG integrated into a lesson or unit, what might happen if an entire course was built around such a concept? John Brewer, an English teacher at Shawnee High School (Jefferson County), offers an answer.

Stepping inside John Brewer’s classroom immediately gives you the impression that his curriculum and culture are different. Posters and maps alluding to sci-fi and fantasy worlds adorn the walls. Student desks are clustered into collaborative pods. A Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook sits just down the shelf from a James Baldwin book. The interactive flat panel displays the following instructions for today’s Creative Writing class: “Mindfulness Journal Prompt: How do we both fear and desire the unknown? If you haven’t fought the Wendigo, or completed the Wendigo week Mastery, consider fighting it today for a grade!”

DnD is woven into the DNA of Brewer’s class. As he puts it, “DnD – as a scaffold for student exploration, inquiry, and engagement – is extremely potent.” In his Senior English course, students choose a “class” (such as The Poet, The Innovator, The Musician, etc.) in the same way you choose to be a Sorcerer or a Paladin in D&D, and this “class” determines its own unique pathway of assignments to demonstrate learning. “The Artist” can demonstrate their understanding of Reading standards by researching production art in animation, reflecting on a VR experience of Van Gogh’s paintings, or “reading” modern art and creating an artist “PowerPoint Portfolio” of observations.

Brewer goes further in his Creative Writing course: “The course focuses on creating and understanding tabletop gameplay through DnD. The first fifteen weeks of ‘Progress Assignments’ for students are divided between practicing tenets of creative writing and learning more about how to play and plan for a DnD campaign.” After the first part of the course where students create a character and learn some D&D basics, they can continue down the D&D/gaming path or choose other ways to demonstrate mastery. “We finish the year out with an exploration of different monsters to discuss how various cultures produce monsters and what purpose those monsters serve as ‘guardians’ of that culture's values.”

Students enjoy the Creative Writing class and Mr. Brewer in equal measure. Alex enthused how supportive Mr. Brewer has been: “Anytime you need help, boom, right on the spot right there. Helping with another student, he gets done with him, you next.”

Marcell shared how Mr. Brewer “tries to make it more fun and educational per se than other teachers. He pulls the videos, he makes sure that we're all interacting, answering questions, and he makes sure that we're doing the work.” He also complimented Mr. Brewer that he “has more energy, he’s more enthusiastic” and is a “happier, more positive” teacher. Marcell also noted how making a D&D character helped him improve his fundamentals of creative writing.

Alajah concurs with her peers. She started the year creating her character Ophelia, a siren that became the center of several creative writing scenarios for Alajah throughout the course. In her opinion, D&D gaming has become a vehicle for Mr. Brewer “getting into like teenager's minds cause that's sort of what we do after school. You know, the boys play their games, girls play games too.” Brewer introduced the scholastic Cohen’s Monster Theory into class, and as Alajah explained, it became a lens the students can use to analyze not just literature, but life: “If you use this theory . . . [it] made me broaden my view on things and to look closer at things than how they really are.” In short, Alajah described Mr. Brewer as “really fun.”

How to get started

Brewer recognizes that structuring a class around a TTRPG requires trust from administrators, and a personal sense of responsibility. As he puts it, “I’ll come with receipts” when a principal needs evidence that academic mastery is occurring. But Brewer also admits that innovative teaching requires risk taking, and he’s been thankful for administration that supports him in a failing forward approach. After all, “failure doesn’t tell the whole story. The key is to learn from the failure and grow.”

Like so many teaching strategies or approaches, you can begin by taking one lesson to “gamify” – just like Mr. Gadd and Mr. La Mar did. As Gadd advised, don’t let the idea of a perfect lesson get in the way of a good one, so long as students are joyful “active participants”: “D&D has a lot of improvisation in it, and your students will have fun and don’t know when you mess up.”

Brewer feels the effort is worth it. While he is passionate about student agency, and believes that D&D has been a key part of his students owning their learning, D&D or other TTRPGs are not limited to high school English classes: “DnD not only plugs extremely well into ELA curriculum, but it allows for many natural spaces to do cross-curricular work.” (As an example of this, D&D offers teacher resources and lesson plans for literacy and numeracy down to the elementary level.) With a happy sigh, Brewer confided, “This class gives me a lot of life.”

Between the fictional selves created by students and captured on D&D character sheets, or the skills learned that will matter for students way past a graduation ceremony, classes that integrate tabletop role-playing games have the opportunity to authentically enrich student lives in all their adventures to come.

Simple Shits Call-Out

Create active learning Use a TTRPG to make academic content acquisition more creative and vibrant.
Durable skills as play Have students learn, practice and reflect upon durable (i.e. Profile of a Graduate) skills through play and immersion, instead of just describing and defining what such skills are like.
Bring YOUR authentic self Students will notice and appreciate your energy and positivity and feel safe to bring their full selves, too.

Destination: Frankfort High School

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:08:56 GMT

Pathways to Purpose: Enlivening the Grad Profile Through Internships, Feedback, and Reflection

It’s June 1st- a day when many students in the Commonwealth of Kentucky are already soaking up the whimsy of summer. However, seniors at Frankfort High School aren’t yet basking in the sun. In fact, they’re in school to share with their community the very best of their work, to describe how their school experience has changed them as a person, and ultimately defend why they’re ready to take on whatever path they’re choosing to pursue after their time at FHS.

On the surface, this might sound like a daunting task- one that seniors on the brim of graduation might find burdensome, but as you enter the halls of the school, there’s an unmistakable buzz of excitement. Smiles, hugs and students pumping each other up in classrooms putting the final touches on their presentations. Community members, local business leaders, parents and family members, past and current educators, friends, and curious visitors from elsewhere file into classrooms taking a seat for each senior’s Profile of a Graduate Presentation.

At the front of the classroom shines the young adult we’ve all gathered to learn about and celebrate. She begins, “I’m so excited to be here today. What I’m going to be sharing with you has been my favorite part of high school. Today feels even better than graduation because I get to show you what I’m proud of.”

She goes on to share with her panel of family members, community partners, teachers, and classmates all of the wonderful experiences she’s had in her internship over the past year- how she went from being someone who hated collaborating before because she always felt she could get things done more efficiently and better on her own to someone who discovered the power of “being a thought partner.”

This glimpse into one Frankfort senior’s Profile of a Graduate Presentation isn’t an anomaly. In fact, each presentation you visit, student after student makes it clear that Frankfort High School has dramatically changed the trajectory of students’ lives by providing them opportunities for authentic learning experiences and just as important, the space to reflect upon and share that learning.

How Frankfort is transforming the student experience

If you were to visit Frankfort High School any typical day of the school year, you’d likely find yourself wondering, “Where are all the seniors?” For the majority of most school ays, seniors at FHS leave their school campus as students and enter community spaces where they’re serving and learning as interns.

Shane Hecker, Frankfort High School’s Panther Profile Coordinator, says this structure was purposefully designed to “make senior year more goal oriented. What we were seeing is that if [as a senior] you’re on track to graduate and you’ve done what you need to, you have two credits left.” Essentially seniors were left with only two ‘required’ courses and the rest of their schedule was left to be filled with what seniors might want to take or what was available from

the school’s offerings. Hecker reflects, “It was fun, they got to do some things they enjoy, but senior year didn’t really help kids with what they wanted to do after high school.”

It wasn’t just a hunch that senior year wasn’t meeting the needs of their learners. There was evidence of that story in their graduates’ stories as well. Hecker elaborates, “At one time our ACT scores weren’t where we wanted them, so we worked and got those scores where almost all of our kids were getting into colleges. However, we saw that kids weren’t staying at the schools, many weren’t even staying past the first semester. What we found was we had

prepared them for a test but not for what life actually looks like.”

So the school took action, seeking to continue its rich tradition of empowering students with the academic knowledge they’d need to succeed but now coupling that with the durable skills like communication and collaboration. Their Profile of a Graduate was born. In their current system, junior year students complete a Profile of Graduate Presentation, much like other districts with a Graduate Profile might engage in at key points along their K-12 journey.

Juniors curate evidence of their learning from their classroom experiences that they believe demonstrate their abilities in Grad Profile skills like ‘creativity’. However for students at FHS, this defense is a launching point for senior year. In the final component of these presentations, juniors articulate their plans for senior year. Specifically, each senior lays out an internship placement they’d like to pursue the next year and how the Grad Profile skills they’ve developed

demonstrate their readiness to tackle that internship.

Of course, having a plan to intern and actually getting to the internship takes hard work- work that the Frankfort High School team strategically supports students in leading. One senior describes the lengths she took to find his own path and earn his ideal internship, “I started out in an orthodontist office and I was quickly like no, no please don't let me look at teeth anymore. So I worked with Mr. Hecker to find a better fit. He’s super good about helping you figure out the internship that’s right for you.”

Eventually that student discovered his passion for government, “I wanted a more full picture of the Kentucky government. I wanted insight into the governor's office, so I called there but I didn't get a response. Eventually, I was like, ‘you know what, I'm going’, so I went up to their office and I was like this is my application. I've emailed you guys and I want to go here for my internship. They ended up giving me one which was super exciting.” Hecker has worked diligently to establish relationships with community partners, both inside and outside of Frankfort. Students interned for places such as local dentist offices, auto shops, the Kentucky Department of Education, and 2nd Street School. Some interned for companies outside of Frankfort digitally as well. The hard work Hecker puts into establishing and

maintaining these relationships is evident at every senior defense.

As one senior put it, “in my internship, I learned about REAL collaboration. At school when we collaborate, it’s always a little fake or turns out to be independent. In my internship I really had to work alongside and with my mentors.”

Another senior reflected on how their internship allowed them to refine their Profile of Graduate skills and see their importance, “My internship was all about having effective communication and good conversations. I think [communication] is the most important skill because if you can't have an effective conversation with somebody and be polite and respectful, then they won't respect you and then you're going to get nothing done.”

Perhaps the greatest payoff of all, though, is the unmistakable passion and confidence seniors are leaving Frankfort High School with. The concluding words of one senior’s Profile of a Graduate Presentation capture the transformative power this system has had on her life, “Thank you, Frankfort High School. I’m so excited for my life after I leave here because I KNOW this is what I want to do.”

How to get started

Frankfort High School’s model reveals many levers for transforming the student experience. One of those simple shifts is the intentional use of feedback and reflection. Each month, seniors gather for “Senior Seminar”, a time focused on being reflective. As Hecker puts it, “ Kids struggle with actively collecting evidence of their PoG skills for their presentations. Each time we meet, they give a mini presentation on a single PoG skill. We put them on the spot to give 2-3 minute presentations to another to get practice and update others on what they’ve been doing.”

This wasn’t comfortable for students at first, but Hecker reminds students, “If you’re uncomfortable, then you’re learning something.” Hecker acknowledges that meaningful feedback and reflection requires special conditions. “You have to make it safe and then constantly give feedback. Quick.” In these sessions, students received on-the-spot feedback from peers and mentors.

Hecker leverages the safety of that learning community to hone students’ presentation and feedback skills. “Our Senior Seminars built up to practicing a mini-PoG Presentation where they went through each of the six skills. This built a sense of community and created some friendly competition. Hecker remembers students remarking after seeing peers’ presentations, “Crap! That’s really good, after seeing these others I know I need to keep working.” The intentional

structure of timely feedback from a meaningful audience paired with time for reflection and revision led to beautifully designed and expertly delivered PoG Presentations.At the school level, Hecker acknowledges that the transformation Frankfort High School has made is a huge lift. One place to get started would be to look for existing structures that might be entry points, “This idea actually started decades ago in the 90’s as a senior project. It continued to evolve throughout the years, but the development of our district’s Profile of a Graduate gave it something real to base it off of. It made the ask of those original senior presentations more meaningful- show us the best of your work on your PoG skills.”

To get started having students in internships, Hecker emphasizes that it’s all about relationships, admitting, “What we do wouldn’t be possible without our community support.”

One way to get started is to begin a little smaller in order to develop those trusting community partnerships, “We used to do a job fair junior year. That’s where students would find their placements.” “We also have students complete some job shadowing that allows students to do some networking in their earlier years of high school. That networking often turns into an internship opportunity senior year or helps kids rule out a place or industry they don’t want to pursue.”

Hecker also notes that ‘virtual job shadowing’ is a useful tool. “Pathful Explore is a helpful tool we’ve used to get students thinking about what they might want to do and expose them to career opportunities they might not have considered. We use their exploration in that virtual job shadowing as a tool in our mentor period at the high school to start the conversation about ‘what might you want to do’ and get to know our students better.”

Whether it be a full blown senior internship or meaningful conversations with a trusted mentor about possible careers, Hecker has seen the payoff, “Getting them into the workforce, regardless of at what level, is beneficial."

Destination: Eminence

carmen@elevatedstudios.org (Carmen Coleman) — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:54:46 GMT

From Micro-Credentials to Macro Confidence

It's 3:45 in the afternoon on the Monday after Thanksgiving Break at Eminence Schools. EDhub Integration Specialists, Kendra Waddell and Jen Gilbert, wrap up dismissal responsibilities and, without missing a beat, begin facilitating a Micro-Credential Monday session over the program Makey-Makey with about a dozen students.

The program creates electronic circuits and interactive models that then allow users to write code for any conductive physical object. Today kids use play-dough. Students are already playing and experimenting while Waddell provides a quick demo. A couple of students successfully create circuits and write code before she can finish. We laugh as the sound of a cat's meowing fills the room when a student rapidly pushes on the play-dough he's used as a key of sorts.

As students continue experimenting, I hear one girl say, 'I feel kinda dumb' followed by nervous laughter. She doesn't give up. A few moments later she says, "Wow, I figured it out! This is awesome!"

While Makey-Makey fascinates as a program, the true magic of Micro-Credential Monday wasn't the fluency with an innovative technology students gained. It's the fact Waddell and Gilbert managed, in 20 minutes, to create the kind of learning experience teachers spend their careers striving towards.

How micro-credentialing is transforming the student experience

Gilbert describes Micro-Credentialing as one small piece of Eminence Exemplars (their Graduate Profile) which empowers teachers and students to explore new tools and technology. Earning a micro-credential badge shows they have familiarity with the tool and have completed some small project to demonstrate that mastery which could lead to much bigger things.

“What I love about our micro-credentials is the ownership of students becoming makers. We have students in love with the sublimation printer,” adds Waddell. "We have this one kid who just enjoys making weird, sarcastic shirts for his family and friends. I don’t think he’ll grow up to be a screen printer- that’s not why we micro-credential on the sublimation printer. It’s that ownership we feel sharing when we’ve made something we’re proud of...it’s empowering and builds self-confidence. It gives you the confidence to try other things.”

Gilbert concurs, “I took middle schoolers for an OVEC presentation. My 6th grade son was the wrap up- a skinny, little quirky kid, nervous- forgot a lot of his lines, but what he didn’t forget, what saved him, and was the highlight of the presentation, was what he made. His name is Lincoln and he had a micro-credential in Canva. He designed an Abraham Lincoln shirt with a quote he loves from Lincoln and then he learned sublimation and actually made the shirt. It gave him so much confidence to share. It is different to have something physical to share with people.”

Students demonstrate mastery of the Eminence Exemplar ‘Synthesize’ through earning micro-credentials. All students have access towards earning micro-credentials in their core classes. They can also attend Micro-Credential Monday to earn additional badges, like the Makey-Makey session.

Zoey, a 6th grader, earns her Makey-Makey badge the day I visit. As the hour draws to a close, one of her friends walks into the room. Zoey lights up, “Come see this! I’m proud of

it!” She shows her friend the play-dough keys she had programmed to operate as a piano, “Look I even programmed it in order!” Her friend is intrigued. “Here, I’ll teach you!”

Delight, perseverance, creativity, community, and ultimately confidence- that’s the power of Micro-Credentialing at Eminence.

How to get started

If you’re considering Micro-Credentialing, Waddell poses the question, “In your dream scenario, what technology would you love to incorporate in your curriculum? Instead of ‘I want to buy ‘x y z’, what do I want kids to be able to do? What do I already have? Start by talking to teachers to see what they’re dreaming of. For a pretty low cost, you could really up

your micro-credential game in the realm of digital making - digital visual arts (Adobe Express, Canva), podcasting, digital media. And that all leads to kids sharing their learning in a new way.”

“Start with what you’re comfortable with. At no point are we like ‘oh we want to make more work for ourselves.’ Let’s use what we have to start,” Waddell suggests.

Gilbert explains, “For example, we’ve had 500 seats for Adobe for as long as we’ve been here, but they were just being used in pockets. Covid comes and suddenly I’m teaching more and find a way to use those unused seats. I used Adobe with middle schoolers to teach graphic design.”

Of course, micro-credentialing isn’t all fun and games. “We knew nothing when we started” admits Gilbert. “It is all self-taught or we are teaching it to each other. Be mindful when you are buying technology to have the full vision. Not just learning technology, but cleaning it, maintaining it, repairing it. You don’t want to be the person who broke the $4,000 machine.” Waddell and Gilbert laugh reminiscing about upside down shirts and disintegrated masks.

“I also wouldn’t start by making it [earning micro-credentials] a requirement. I think you’d be surprised by how much kids will reach for voluntarily” Waddell adds. "It can be overwhelming. In the beginning we are just saying here are some options, who wants to come party with us?”

Spencer County's Parade of Homes: A Beacon of Authentic Learning

Sat, 17 Feb 2024 20:27:30 GMT

Spencer County's Parade of Homes: A Beacon of Authentic Learning .

Last week, Spencer County Middle School showcased the epitome of authentic learning with its 7th grade "Parade of Homes," masterminded by the awesome, yet incredibly humble, Michelle Gross. The event was a community celebration, highlighting the ingenuity of student architects and designers who took on the challenge of creating scaled models of their dream homes.

These young innovators had the freedom to choose between physical and digital formats, with Minecraft, Roblox, and floorplanner.com being a few of the tools of choice. The buzz of creativity was electric, with one student 3-D printing their model, a testament to the blend of technology and learning.

But why does this matter? It's simple. Authentic learning, as demonstrated by Michelle's students, isn't just about grasping mathematical concepts; it's about applying them in ways that spark excitement and pride in creation. One student's sleepless anticipation, driven by the desire to perfect her project, speaks volumes about the impact of such an educational approach.

The event also served as a learning ground for educators, with neighboring Bullitt County teachers in attendance to glean insights and ideas for fostering similar experiences in their classrooms. This underscores the importance of collaborative learning and sharing among teachers, a principle championed by our Teacher Navigator Network.

ElevatED Studios celebrates authentic learning design that not only enhance academic understanding but also ignite a lifelong passion for learning. Join us as we continue to explore, design and celebrate powerful learning experiences that prepare students for the future.

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