SOCSD first year teachers were hard at work with Innovative Designs in Education consultant, Shane Johnson, on developing a deeper understanding of the role of a facilitator and how to foster student autonomy in a Learner-Active Classroom. Teachers created activity lists, problem-based learning tasks, and rubrics that can be used by students to monitor their progress. This was a unique opportunity to gather teachers from a variety of grades and disciplines to work on one of our core district goals, preparing all students to be digitally literate citizens who can conduct reliable research and apply their learning to real-world problems.
The session also focused on the characteristics of a Learner-Active Classroom: Learning From a Felt Need – Students are presented with meaningful, higher-order activities; High Academic Standards – All students are expected to achieve at high levels; Higher-Order, Open-Ended Problem-Solving – Problem-Solving activities are the focus of the learning environment; Student Responsibility for Learning – Students take responsibility for setting goals, scheduling time, utilizing resources, and making other decisions. Connected Learning –Students see learning as being connected across the disciplines, to the “real world,” and to their own lives; Collaboration – Students engage in collaborative problem-solving; Individual Learning Paths – Teachers differentiate instruction and assignments to meet the needs of each individual learner; High Social Capital – Students have strong, consistent relationships with adults in school; parents and other adults are involved as partners in the learning process; Technology Infusion – Technology is used as a tool and a resource to support learning; Global Citizenship – Students understand their role as contributors to a global society and make strides to contribute to the betterment of their world.
