Educational Leader
Community-minded, Inclusive, Effective Communicator, Strategic, Mission-driven
A Personalized Approach to Learning
Educators who want their students to be challenged, take ownership of their learning, and to become independent learners must nurture a strong sense of self-efficacy (Zimmerman, Bandura, & Martinez-Pons, 1992).
Students in personalized learning environments are more likely to thoughtfully consider where to allocate their energies for the greatest success and consult with classmates and teachers to overcome challenges (Rickabaugh, 2016).
Playing a key role in planning and demonstrating their learning, students develop a greater sense of self-efficacy, ownership and independence-key skills needed in life.
We must know each student and understand their unique learner profile if we are to fully personalize the learning experience and inspire and prepare each student to be successful- at all levels of the learning continuum.
As educators, our aim is to insure that each student is academically and personally engaged, challenged and successful. To fulfill this aim, we must design learning environments that address the unique needs of each student, across the spectrum.
Students require a highly personalized approach to learning that is matched to their unique learning needs and tailored to learning preferences.
A fully personalized learning environment moves beyond differentiation and individualization.
In a personalized learning environment, students set learning goals, plan their learning paths, track their progress and serve as co-designers of their learning.
With greater choice and voice supported in their learning, interest and motivation to learn soar to new heights.
An Inclusive School
An inclusive school welcomes, values, empowers and supports the academic, social/emotional, and language and communication needs of all students in shared environments and experiences for the purposes of attaining the goals of education (Villa & Thousand, 2016).
Inclusion is a value, a belief system, an intentional community commitment and attitude that is taught and modeled by example.
Inclusive schooling is making a commitment to provide each student in the community with the right to belong and assumes that living and learning together benefits everyone.
Inclusion focuses on how to support the special gifts and needs of each and every student in the school community to feel welcomed and secure (Falvey, Givner & Kimm, 1995).”
An inclusive school values its students, staff, faculty, and parents as a community of learners.
An inclusive school cherishes and honors all kinds of diversity as an opportunity for learning about what makes us human.
Areas for Further Exploration
How day-to-day classroom experiences can more fully reflect experiential, creative, social and entrepreneurial aspects of learning.
Ways in which transfer skills, competencies and values can further impact student learning.
How the design of learning spaces and the structuring of learning time are driven and shaped by the learning community’s intended learning impacts.
How increasing the use of metacognitive strategies and written reflections on learning help learners to develop solutions to learning problems.
Further explore ways in which innovation might extend far beyond the use and integration of technology tools. Innovative schools cultivate, design and share innovative learning experiences and practices that are grounded in research and authentic application.
In a highly collaborative and collegial teaching environment, enthusiasm for sharing innovative practice is contagious.