Last week the OCSU Administrative team had their annual retreat. This was a great opportunity to build new relationships, reconnect old relationships, and continue the work towards our vision and strategic objectives. One of our strategic objectives focuses on the implementation of proficiency-based learning (PBL). Unbeknownst to me, Superintendent Davis had scheduled me to lead a professional development workshop for the admin team during one of our mornings of the retreat on PBL. I wasn’t sure if this was part of some OCSU ritual that occurs for the new folks and I am sure that hazing is illegal but considering I am always up for a challenge I sheepishly agreed. Talk about pressure and first impressions!
Joking aside, the intention of the workshop was to model what it might look and feel like for a student to be in a proficiency-based classroom, as well as to connect the 10 principles of PBL and learning and the brain. These are big and broad topics and truth be told, we could spend weeks and months on the research. However, for this session, I wanted to provide a foundation and then allow the team to invest time in area of interest. As I have come to learn, there are a variety of entry points into the PBL world. Our learning outcomes for the morning were:
Each principal was to create a goal and plan for how they would meet these learning outcomes. In the end, principals were asked to complete a performance task (in groups) that would demonstrate their learning. By the end of the workshop, my cheeks were sore from laughter and excitement with the products the teams had created. Along the way there was some authentic teachable moments that we all reflected upon as our session closed.
Overall, I was truly thankful for the level of risk-taking, engagement and learning that happened with these school leaders. Best of all, each principal came away with a product that they will take to various stakeholders to communicate the importance of PBL as a model of education that OCSU is moving towards.
Joking aside, the intention of the workshop was to model what it might look and feel like for a student to be in a proficiency-based classroom, as well as to connect the 10 principles of PBL and learning and the brain. These are big and broad topics and truth be told, we could spend weeks and months on the research. However, for this session, I wanted to provide a foundation and then allow the team to invest time in area of interest. As I have come to learn, there are a variety of entry points into the PBL world. Our learning outcomes for the morning were:
- I can hypothesize how my learning today connects to a student’s experience in the classroom.
- I can construct a logical argument that makes connections between the 10 principles of PBL and learning and the brain.
Each principal was to create a goal and plan for how they would meet these learning outcomes. In the end, principals were asked to complete a performance task (in groups) that would demonstrate their learning. By the end of the workshop, my cheeks were sore from laughter and excitement with the products the teams had created. Along the way there was some authentic teachable moments that we all reflected upon as our session closed.
Overall, I was truly thankful for the level of risk-taking, engagement and learning that happened with these school leaders. Best of all, each principal came away with a product that they will take to various stakeholders to communicate the importance of PBL as a model of education that OCSU is moving towards.
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