Overviews
Workshop content is designed in alignment with the Educator Principles and Guidelines and in service of the following Essential Question:
How do we design learning experiences that all learners can access and create a sense of belonging where all learners feel seen, heard, and valued?
Workshops focus on deepening participants’ understanding of designing engaging learning experiences that all learners can effectively access and are guided by 3 questions.
For who are we designing?
The goal is to design learning experiences that are accessible, engaging, and motivating to all learners while also creating supportive learning environments that foster growth and development. Deepening our understanding of the students we serve, their strengths, interests, needs, and challenges that are created informs the learning experience design.
Intentional design supports and promotes:
Learner Variability
Learner-Centered Education
Inclusive Education
A Sense of Belonging
How are we designing?
Workshops deepen participants’ understanding of specific design frameworks that prioritize learners and maximize access to meaningful and engaging learning experiences. Participants explore resources and make meaning, and experience these frameworks through the design of the workshop.
Frameworks include:
Universal Design for Learning
Understanding by Design
Learner-Centered Education
Project Based Learning
What do we need to be intentional and purposeful learning designers?
Workshops provide resources and experiences to deepen understanding of effective pedagogical practices that guide thoughtful design throughout the learning process to enhance engagement and success.
Pedagogical Practices include:
Learning Targets/Outcomes
Assessments. Formative assessment. Summative assessment
Learning Experiences. Meaning Making. Formative assessment. Formative assessment strategies
Workshop Examples
Explore some of the popular professional learning workshops with these overviews
Designing Accessible Learning Experiences
A major shift within education is that the role of educators moves from content knowledge experts to designers of learning experiences. During this series of workshops, participants will explore the design frameworks and philosophy of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Understanding by Design UBD), and Design Thinking, deepen their understanding, and continue to develop their skills to design learning experiences that are relevant, engaging, and accessible to all students.
Designing Accessible Assessments
Assessment, as a product and a process, is an integral part of the learning journey; it provides valid and reliable information to educator and learner. Assessments that are not accessible yield little or no valid information. Assessments - formative and summative - must be accessible and aligned to outcomes. In these workshops, participants deepen understanding of this assessment framework and analyze existing assessment practices to move toward creating assessments and assessment practices that are accessible to all students.
Creating A Sense of Belonging
Students having a sense of belonging, where they feel seen, heard, and valued is directly linked to their motivation, engagement, and achievement. In these workshops, participants explore their own beliefs and mindsets about learners and learning and deepen their understanding of practices and strategies. Participants plan how to apply their new learning to support creating a sense of belonging for all learners.
Creating A Positive Culture For Learning
Creating a culture of learning in classrooms is essential for fostering student growth, engagement, and long-term success. A positive classroom culture supports students' social and emotional needs, helping them develop skills such as empathy, emotional regulation, and responsible decision-making. These skills are crucial for thriving both in school and in life. In this workshop, engaging in the creative process through art-making is utilized to unpack the enabling conditions that create a positive culture; where students feel safe to engage in meaningful learning. Participants debrief the process and identify shifts in mindsets and application of practices practices.
Determining Workshop Content
Workshops can be thoroughly customized to effectively meet your specific needs and help you achieve your school goal(s). We have the capacity to work collaboratively with you in order to thoughtfully examine the following essential questions:
Where are you going? - What are your specific goals? What important shifts are you interested in making to enhance the educational experience?
Where are you now? - What is the current reality in your school? What are the strengths of your educators, the systems in place, and the existing structures? What are the possible next steps you can take moving forward?
How can we get there? - How might professional learning be designed to best support you, your educators, and your students in their learning journeys? What scope and sequence will produce the optimal results for your school community? Which workshops will best support your staff and ultimately benefit your students’ educational outcomes?
