Welcome to #isedchat. Tonight we are excited to have @michaelnachbar from @GOAlearning moderate as we reflect on 2017 and look to new ideas and trends for 2018!
Please introduce yourself, share where you are from and your role at your school.
A1. Educators are talking about learning science, transfer of knowledge and asking big questions: What did my students learn? How do I know they learned it? #isedchat
More and more schools were embracing #EdTech for personalized learning, touches of #DeeperLearning growing and some saying they are using DT, more push for community schools esp in #urbaned#isedchat
Yes, I would say we have many elements of a community school - family partner coordinator @HFAfamily and Ss success Coordinator @HFA_IDL help lead these initiatives #isedchat
A1: More focus on shortcomings of traditional assessment practices, more focus on student wellness, more conversations about blended learning #isedchat
Hi #isedchat! I'm Ayako, teacher and Academic Technology Specialist at Noble and Greenough. Also a long time teacher at GOA. A1: I felt a big shift in technology needs ... needs for teachers, needs in classroom (moving away from notetaking on computer).
Beth from @StAnnesBelfield. We added a learning and academic specialist to support neurodiversity in 2017. Student agency key role with new position #isedchat
A2. Not a trend from 2017 -- but I wish the focus on the college list, APs, sports specialization would retire. Can we focus on finding balance? #isedchat
A2: I'd like to see the mindfulness trend move from a stand-alone thing that schools bolt on and turn into something integrated. We have tech integrationists; need mindfulness integrationists. #isedchat
A2: I hope schools can move from a "data driven" mindset to a "data conscious" mindset. Especially when working with students from marginalized backgrounds. #isedchat
A2. It's not really a "trend," but if we could stop thinking of time in terms of linear blocks that must be filled independently with specializations, that would be great, too. #isedchat
Starting our new Upper School at @BennettDay with an entirely competency based learning structure. Won't be 2018, but would love to have people visit in 2019 when we open! #isedchat
A3) Not sure how relevant it is here, but still wondering how what’s happening on the outside (national politics) is affecting/infecting schools. #isedchat
I would love to see more innovative community models, where instead of keeping parents in poverty w/ vouchers + scholarships, parents can gain skills to achieve higher paychecks, while children learn. #isedchat
Ah, dual enrollment - there’s so much happening with this outside of indy schools. Are there many indy dual enrollment programs out there that you know of? #isedchat
A2. Can we retire the term "personalized" learning? It's always bugged me. In English teacher, terms: Who is the subject of that term (teacher) and who is the object (student)? #isedchat
A3. Shifting the concept of school as a place you go TO learn to a place FROM which you go to learn. An extension of the change we've seen in libraries over the last 5 years. #isedchat
No - mostly APs, we went the dual enrollment route and it’s worked great. Very fundable and we have 45/90 11/12th grade Ss enrolled at three colleges #isedchat (we modeled after what we learned being an affiliate of @bigpiclearning) #isedchat
In reply to
@michaelnachbar, @lcarroll94, @bigpiclearning
A3: I think the political and cultural context will continue to challenge us to think about how we can facilitate productive dialogue inside and outside of the classroom, including on social media #isedchat
I have worked with a couple, and I think it's a fad. Temporary threat. Homeschooling is down by 50% - I suspect it's due to vouchers + moms going back to work. #isedchat
I wouldn’t rule them out just yet - I’m starting to see many opening up as charters at community centers etc partnered with Home schooling orgs and cyber schools #isedchat
Strong mixture of both. Understanding that though students might share particular identifiers doesn't mean they share the same identity. Particularly in private schools, treating students of marginalized backgrounds as unique stories, not part of a collective narrative. #isedchat
A3. I am hoping a trend for 2018 will be teaching kids about healthy relationships. No means no... empowering girls to stand up for themselves. #isedchat
A3: I think in general we're going to see families and students take a more entrepreneurial approach to education.
Why pay enormous tuition for a traditional, campus-based experience when the "real world" is more accessible than ever? #isedchat
A3. One trend I'd like to see develop: that more schools begin to understand that "diversity" requires a redistribution of power in decision making, not just photos on a brochure. #isedchat
#isedchat I am hopeful 2k18 will be the year more and more school leaders gather to disrupt the broken systems across all sectors of edu by #RemakeLearning
I think colleges crave students who demonstrate initiative, innovative thinking, and self-awareness. They are as nervous about "excellent sheep" as we are. #isedchat
A4. Being in the Lower School gives me a perspective of what could be possible in Upper grades. Teachers are more able to collaborate and brainstorm better ways to reach students- cross curricular/interdisciplinary learning. Hoping to promote this more. #isedchat
That definitely leads to a good answer for Q4: Faculty across the country are going to have to learn to cede some of the power they have in curricular decisions. #isedchat
How very Velveteen Rabbit of you. Reminds me of this idea of IRL vs. online life, and how those are merging so much that there's less of a distinction (if at all). #isedchat
Strong mixture of both. Understanding that though students might share particular identifiers doesn't mean they share the same identity. Particularly in private schools, treating students of marginalized backgrounds as unique stories, not part of a collective narrative. #isedchat
Professional learning has to modernize. It should look like the kinds of experiences we want for our students, the kinds we’re talking about in #isedchat!
IF ONLY! Numbers are way closer to 21-22%. While SOC numbers are raising every year. Both numbers heading in completely opposite directions unfortunately. One of the biggest trends I wish would change in 2018. #isedchat
Right: we tend to define real world as professional and adult, which can have a negative impact on the kind of experiences we encourage kids to have. #isedchat
Exactly - we have our first graduating class and given our focus on mindsets, Internships and exhibitions in addition to some of the basic core academics, it’s setting Ss apart even though they might not have top scores #isedchat
I know several independent school grads who can't hold a job. College education does not mean much, if you can't hold a position. It's not just the skills - but the whole package. #isedchat
Community is such a problematic term in indy schools, don't you think? Can veer into insularity instead of engagement with the broader world. #isedchat
A4. More #coaching for teachers and edleaders at all levels. Students and educators (ALL OF US!) benefit from coaches who can push us to meet and exceed what we think is possible #profdev#PD#isedchat
This is a huge problem in IndySchools but in many of our public schools also.. we need to support and encourage young ToC to enter into the field #isedchat
Oooh, hiring practices! That's a good one. Let's reverse the trend of caring whether or not a teaching candidate came from an indy school-->Ivy League university. #isedchat
In reply to
@_brandonjacobs, @ConsultJodi, @michaelnachbar
Q5: Who are your trendspotters? What are you reading, watching, or listening to that is informing you about what’s trending and what’s not? #isedchat#Canaries
We have students from dozens of countries, and send service trips around the world. Our Quaker mission doesn't permit insularity. But I grant that this may be a problem for some indy schools. #isedchat
I bet they do, too, Eric. I am wondering how volume of applications impacts this ability to do more of a qualitative dive into the student packet. #isedchat
I believe so - many are 1st gen college Ss and several are entering into trades and direct to 40k jobs where company will help pay for college #isedchat
Yes, I agree w/ you. Hoping to change that @GOALearning with amazing on the ground coaches who work as faculty in schools. AND schools can cultivate teacher leaders to become coaches as leadership and sustainability at schools. #isedchat
Totally agree: it's a problem that is enormously difficult to solve. How do you create an efficient, scalable system to assess individuality? #isedchat
We had an instructional coach our first two years and she led 80+ CPL (collaborative professional learning) sessions, co-taught etc. model has evolved now as we’ve aged to more Ts lead coaching #isedchat
I can't believe how much I get out of this free website. Here's a thread of folks I follow who taught me something in 2017. I hope you follow and learn from them in 2018!
What part of the city are you afraid of? That's the question, I would ask first. Too many individuals are afraid of entering ethnic communities. Not me. #isedchat
In reply to
@michaelnachbar, @martinmoran21, @_brandonjacobs, @Ensenenme
Incredible question. Do we have a model of anything similar that works at scale? Does scale tricks standardization? Anyway, always found this to be a fascinating read— author sees her Yale application review from the admissions readers... https://t.co/LmmjojEPJZ#isedchat
A5. Best recent book: Whiplash: How to Survive our Faster Future @medialab@Joihttps://t.co/tH9Mq1tyOw Implications for ed 1. Get out of content silos 2. Focus on less content/more depth 3. Diversity is a strength 4. Teach students to navigate ambiguity #isedchat
This--it's the non-negotiable. Happy to discuss scalability with virtually every other part of school, but without the ability to develop deep relationships between student and teacher, nothing matters. #isedchat
A6: new Ubuntu Reality Pedagogy Educator PD cohort program, having certified pre-apprentice programs with PA DOL, moving more to mastery based assessment to go with our trans-disciplinary PBL/exhibition process and expand our Network Campus Program. #isedchat
25% of students in America are immigrant or refugees. Their parents don't even understand private school dynamics. And, so many have never been to school themselves. #isedchat
In reply to
@Learn21Tech, @michaelnachbar, @martinmoran21, @_brandonjacobs, @Ensenenme
Can't wait to read this. If I can make a suggestion without endorsing the companies/culture, I wonder how Facebook/Google/etc were able to scale hiring practices and still get high quality employees. Maybe a diffused peer assessment model? #isedchat
What do you mean by "serve"? I don't think independent schools are afraid of going to be different areas. It comes down to be attractable and attracting. As a former student from an inner city, I found out about private school through an outside program. #isedchat
In reply to
@ConsultJodi, @Learn21Tech, @michaelnachbar, @martinmoran21, @Ensenenme
A6: Read more academic research. Be more evidence-based in my thinking and practice. Stop reading hot takes (but I'll probably keep writing them). #isedchat
Last year I participated in #shadowastudent and spent the day as a 5th grader. It was amazing. I feel bonded to the students and their experience. Gained so much perspective. Highly recommend it. Going to be a 2nd grader this year. https://t.co/RkZa3YBhGX#isedchat
I love this ?. I try to read books that are TANGENTIALLY related to education, because EVERYTHING IS related to learning nytime we are, well, learning. I love Peter Block's consulting books, anything by or from @MediaLab and autobiographies. Fiction by @DaveEggers#isedchat
Sounds like an amazing global program! My question and concerns are more locally focused: how does your (and by that I mean, any) school exist in the context in which it literally sits? #isedchat
Most Indy schools are out of reach for traditionally marginalized Ss because of $$ and if they do get in, often not inclusive nor are teachers trained on reality pedagogy practices #isedchat
In reply to
@_brandonjacobs, @ConsultJodi, @michaelnachbar, @martinmoran21, @Ensenenme
I've learned an enormous amount from designers and entrepreneurs via podcasts, magazines, twitter, etc. It seems like many of these folks are who we want our students to become, so we can learn from them. #isedchat
In reply to
@belathram, @GOAlearning, @medialab, @DaveEggers
Literally participated in every part of the day. Sat in uncomfortable chairs (hence this year we had a lot more flexible seating!) Did the academic work, played at recess, PE, snack... I was EXHAUSTED! #isedchat
But parents should be cautious, not send their child to the school of hard knocks. Real world experience can be tough teacher. There’s a difference between experience and experiential learning. #isedchat
A6. Be light. Work hard. End every conversation with peace and well wishes towards the other person or people #isedchat Thanks @michaelnachbar@lcarroll94
Hard to believe that an hour has passed already. Thank you @michaelnachbar from @GOAlearning for moderating #isedchat tonight. What a fantastic discussion! Great connections!
Good question. Need to pay attention to this every year. Build bridges, host events for community on campus, send reps to local planning board meetings, etc etc. #isedchat
