Virtual School Meanderings

September 29, 2020

Aurora Institute “All Fall Webinars” This Week – Mastery-Based Learning, Science of Motivation, and More

An item from the neo-liberals.

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Aurora Institute - A New Dawn for Every Learner | Stay Connected
Virtual Pre-Symposium Webinar Series 

This Week in the Aurora Institute Symposium “All Fall” Webinar Series 

Register
Increasing Capacity for Mastery-Based Learning in Washington State
*TODAY* Monday, September 28, 2020 | 2 PM ET

Increasing Capacity for Mastery-Based Learning in Washington State

Washington is identifying barriers to mastery-based learning (MBL) and proposing recommendations to increase capacity for an MBL pathway to a diploma. School closures resulting from COVID-19 present an opportunity to rethink how we deliver education and move toward MBL. Participants will hear from cross-sector members of a workgroup including a student and representatives from the Legislature and State Board of Education and engage with panelists about applicable lessons learned for other states.Learning Outcomes

  • Identify policies and practices that both support and inhibit the opportunities for mastery-based learning at a state level.
  • Describe and communicate how systems and policies enacted and being considered in Washington state compared with their own local setting.
  • Access resources available in Washington.

Presenters

  • Alissa Muller, Policy Manager for Career and College Readiness, Washington State Board of Education
  • Dr. Paul Pitre, Chancellor, Washington State University, Everett
  • Ashley Lin, High School Student, Union High School
  • State Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, Chair of House Education Committee, Washington State House of Representatives
  • State Senator Lisa Wellman, Chair of the Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee, Washington State Senate
  • Dr. Kory Kalahar, Principal of WestSide High School, Wenatchee Public Schools
Register Now
Robin Ahigian, Natalie Lacireno-Paquet, Drake Bryan, Geoff Zimmerman, Dr. Kraig Steinhoff
September 29, 2020 | 2:30 PM ETScience of Motivation: 5 Barriers to Student Motivation and How to Fix Them

Register Now
October 1, 2020 | 2 PM ETDeveloping Equity, Efficacy, and Effectiveness in a Competency-Based System

Register Now
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More “All Fall” Webinars


10/5/2020 Building Educator Capacity for Equity: Competency-Based Approaches to Professional Learning for Teachers and Administrators
10/6/2020 Impact of Personalized Learning Through Interest-Based Internships
10/8/2020 Improving the Equity in Personalized Learning through a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Approach
10/13/2020 Implementing Student-Centered Learning: Lessons Learned from Leaders in the Arena
10/15/2020 Lessons from COVID-19: How Competency-Based Education Provided for Continuity of Learning in Three North Carolina Schools and Is Shaping the Path Forward
10/19/2020 High School Internships in the Time of COVID-19: Mentorship, Connections, and More in Virtual Work-Based Learning
10/22/2020 Choice in Learning: Examination of Students’ Use of Flex Time in High School
10/26-28/2020 2020 Aurora Institute Virtual Symposium
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September 25, 2020

Plugged In | 09.25.20 – Aurora Institute Pre-Symposium Webinar Series & More

An item from the neo-liberals.

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Aurora Institute - Plugged In
Pre-Symposium “All Fall” Webinar Series Continues

Join us on Monday, September 28, 2020, at 2 pm EST for Increasing Capacity for Mastery-Based Learning in Washington State, a timely and relevant conversation with cross-sector members of a workgroup including a student and representatives from the Legislature and State Board of Education:

  • Alissa Muller, Policy Manager for Career and College Readiness, Washington State Board of Education
  • Dr. Paul Pitre, Chancellor, Washington State University, Everett
  • Ashley Lin, High School Student, Union High School
  • State Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, Chair of House Education Committee, Washington State House of Representatives
  • State Senator Lisa Wellman, Chair of the Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee, Washington State Senate
  • Dr. Kory Kalahar, Principal of WestSide High School, Wenatchee Public Schools

Participants will learn about how to identify policies and practices that both support and inhibit the opportunities for mastery-based learning at a state level. We will describe and communicate how systems and policies enacted and being considered in Washington state compared with their own local setting and lastly access resources available in Washington.

Register Now
This conversation is part of our “All Fall” Webinar Series leading up to our virtual Symposium, Oct. 26-28, 2020. Additional webinars in the series include:

  1. Science of Motivation: 5 Barriers to Student Motivation and How to Fix Them | September 29, 2020 | 2 pm EST
  2. Developing Equity, Efficacy, and Effectiveness in a Competency-Based System | October 1, 2020 | 2 pm EST
  3. Building Educator Capacity for Equity: Competency-Based Approaches to Professional Learning for Teachers and Administrators | October 5, 2020 | 2 pm EST
  4. Impact of Personalized Learning Through Interest-Based Internships | October 6, 2020 | 2 pm EST
  5. Improving the Equity in Personalized Learning through a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Approach | October 8, 2020 | 2 pm EST

The schedule is being updated regularly, so watch this space for the full slate of webinars in this series. And stay tuned to our 2020 Virtual Symposium site as details are updated.

Education Domain Blog
Aurora Institute Symposium 2020 Is Going Virtual

We were encouraged by more than 500+ colleagues across the field to continue with hosting a virtual conference, and we wanted to share the details on planning this year’s Aurora Institute Symposium 2020. We are going to make this happen.

Read More
Education Policy Issues for the COVID-19 Issues  
The Aurora Institute Center for Policy has released Education Policy Issues for the COVID-19 Era: Policy Actions and Responses to Leverage the Moment for Future Readiness a just-in-time report offering strategic guidance to policymakers who seek to emerge from the pandemic with a stronger, more capable, and more equitable K-12 education system.
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Featured Resource
Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials

 Developing a Student-Centered Workforce through Micro-Credentials

The idea of student-centered learning is not new; teachers have long sought to design personalized, competency-based environments that are tailored to individuals and that empower students to drive their own learning. What is new is the emergence of an online learning ecosystem and, with it, the technical possibility of equipping all students with a student-centered model. Add to this mix COVID-19, which has provoked unprecedented demand for reinventing what teachers do, and it’s the perfect combination of catalysts for a rapid conversion to student-centered schooling.

This report helps dismantle that barrier by identifying specific student-centered competencies for educators in the field that can be stacked to create customized student-centered teaching micro-credentials.

Learn More

Plugged In Headlines: News About Education Transformation


What it’s like to start high school during COVID-19
Laura Faith Kebede, Chalkbeat 

Responding to crisis with a tiered supports system
Eric Nentrup, Getting Smart 

Fighting for fairness amid a pandemic
Christina A. Samuels, Education Week

An antiracist roadmap for discussing tough topics in class
Rann Miller, Edutopia

Student engagement remains a challenge in distance learning
Shawna De La Rosa, Education Dive 

Self-directed, project-based learning
Seth Godin, Seth’s Blog

This school is giving families meaningful options as they reopen. You should too.
XQ Super School

CDC Details Color-Coded Risk Levels for In-Person Learning During Pandemic
Evie Blad, Education Week 

Aurora Institute in the News

Rockford school isn’t adapting to coronavirus, it’s changing forever– via Rockford Register Star
Interest in dismantling traditional models, in which students attend a series of classes each day taught by teachers in school buildings, and replacing them with more fluid systems that utilize technology and give students more choices is on the rise, according to Susan Patrick, president and CEO of the Aurora Institute.

Competency-based learning puts students at the center. It’s perfect for now. – via EdSurge
“The CompetencyWorks initiative of the Aurora Institute (formerly iNACOL) is a leader in this area, advocating to replace what they view as outdated structures and pedagogies. Their definition of competency-based education is based on empowering students with agency, providing relevant and timely assessments and feedback and providing personalized learning with varied pacing. It is a model where students “progress based on evidence of mastery, not seat time,” and it asks schools to develop strategies for ensuring equity for all students almost as a precondition.”

7 policy moves that could transform K-12 education – via District Administration
“Alternative grading and blended, competency-based learning models are two key shifts superintendents and their teams might consider making as they lead COVID recovery in their districts. These concepts are among the many ways district leaders can use the COVID crisis and the renewed focus on equity as opportunities to transform K-12 education, according to the Aurora report, “Education Policy Issues for the COVID-19 Era: Policy Actions and Responses to Leverage the Moment for Future Readiness.”

Our Center for Policy  leads the multi-stage evolution of policy necessary for the growth of effective student-centered learning models toward the goals of high-quality learning and equity. Our policy priorities are designed to ensure the nation’s education system is fit for purpose and help move states forward from their current state of education to future systems.
CompetencyWorks
CompetencyWorks is an online resource dedicated to K-12 competency-based education. Drawing on lessons learned by innovators, we share knowledge through a practice-focused blog, research reports on emerging issues, policy advocacy, and resources curated from across the field.
The Aurora Institute hosts a resource library containing more than 200 materials. Working collaboratively with diverse experts in the field, the Aurora Institute produces reports, books, policy briefs, blog posts, webinars, and related resources on key topics and tough issues that equip and empower educators and leaders to catalyze and scale personalized, next-generation learning models.
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Aurora Institute

The mission of Aurora Institute is to drive the transformation of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all.

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1934 Old Gallows Road, Suite 350, Vienna, VA, 22182-4040 United States

September 23, 2020

Aurora Institute “All Fall Webinars” This Week – PBL in Indiana, Putting Data to Work, & NCAA Review Process

An item from the neo-liberals.

Web Version
Aurora Institute - A New Dawn for Every Learner | Stay Connected
Virtual Pre-Symposium Webinar Series 

This Week in the Aurora Institute Symposium “All Fall” Webinar Series 

Register
Lauren Bailey, Dr. Byron Ernest, Dr. Robby Goodman, Sarah Koontz
*TODAY* Monday, September 21, 2020 | 2 PM ET

Integrating Project-Based Learning in Online and Blended Courses in Indiana

Join this collaborative group of experts on taking online and blended learning to new facets where the typical box-checking online format is pushed aside for students to be given opportunities to dive deep into meaningful and relevant work-based learning. Explore ways to give students choice in their online courses and show innovation and deep learning. Middlebury Community Schools is excited to give examples of their personalized project-based learning model used in their blended learning classes.

Presenters

  • Lauren Bailey, Blended Learning Teacher, Middlebury Community Schools
  • Dr. Byron Ernest, Director of Noble Education Initiative, Indiana State Board of Education |
  • Dr. Robby Goodman, Assistant Superintendent, Middlebury Community Schools
  • Sarah Koontz, Project Manager, Horizon Education Alliance
Register Now
Robin Ahigian, Natalie Lacireno-Paquet, Drake Bryan, Geoff Zimmerman, Dr. Kraig Steinhoff
September 22, 2020 | 2 PM ET

Putting Data to Work: Formative Evaluation and Continuous Improvement in Transformative Education Efforts

Register Now
September 24, 2020 | 2 PM ET

NCAA Review Process: Why and How…and What’s Different During COVID-19?

Register Now
NCAA logo

More “All Fall” Webinars


9/28/2020 Increasing Capacity for Mastery-Based Learning in Washington State
9/29/2020 Science of Motivation: 5 Barriers to Student Motivation and How to Fix Them
10/1/2020 Developing Equity, Efficacy, and Effectiveness in a Competency-Based System
10/5/2020 Building Educator Capacity for Equity: Competency-Based Approaches to Professional Learning for Teachers and Administrators
10/6/2020 Impact of Personalized Learning Through Interest-Based Internships
10/8/2020 Improving the Equity in Personalized Learning through a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Approach
10/13/2020 Implementing Student-Centered Learning: Lessons Learned from Leaders in the Arena
10/15/2020 Lessons from COVID-19: How Competency-Based Education Provided for Continuity of Learning in Three North Carolina Schools and Is Shaping the Path Forward
10/19/2020 High School Internships in the Time of COVID-19: Mentorship, Connections, and More in Virtual Work-Based Learning
10/22/2020 Choice in Learning: Examination of Students’ Use of Flex Time in High School
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This email was sent by: Aurora Institute
1934 Old Gallows Road, Suite 350, Vienna, VA, 22182-4040 United States

September 17, 2020

Aurora Institute Symposium 2020 Is Going Virtual

An update on this neo-liberal conference.

We have made the decision to shift our in-person Aurora Institute Symposium 2020 to a virtual convening.

We were encouraged by more than 500+ colleagues across the field to continue with hosting a virtual conference, and we wanted to share the details on planning this year’s Aurora Institute Symposium 2020.

We are going to make this happen.

The 2020 Symposium will have two elements:

  • The virtual Aurora Institute Symposium 2020 will be held on the original dates of October 26-28, 2020 (save-the-dates)
  • An “All Fall” webinar series is being offered with conference presenters delivering online sessions from August to November.

Virtual Symposium: October 26-28, 2020

We will hold our flagship “Symposium” event virtually October 26-28, 2020, with plenary sessions, spotlights on promising practices and programs, birds-of-a-feather lunches, breakout sessions, networking events, and book clubs with authors.

An at-a-glance agenda provides an overview of the program, including:

  • Day 1 – October 26: Opportunities and Inspiration: Leveraging the Crisis to Leapfrog & Advance Systems Change
  • Day 2 – October 27: Competency-Based, Personalized, Anytime, Anywhere Learning Best Practices
  • Day 3 – October 28: Personalized, Competency-Based Education Designed for Equity and Focused on Whole Child/Social-Emotional Learning.

We’ve designed the event to offer multiple networking opportunities and foster hands-on engagement in a variety of sessions. The Symposium Networking Event will occur on October 27, 2020, at 5 pm ET.

Virtual Symposium Webinars: All Fall

We’ve launched a series of webinars running throughout the fall, leading up to and culminating in the main event on October 26-28, 2020. The schedule for the “All Fall” series is below and on the upcoming webinar events page of our website. All virtual sessions will be archived and available on the past events page of our website. Register for the “All Fall” webinars now!

Here’s what we are learning together during the “All Fall” webinar series:

September

  • We’re Still Working! (Virtual) High School Internships in the Time of COVID-19 (register here) for September 14, 2020, at 1 pm ET
  • Measuring Personalized Professional Learning: A Three-Year Study of What Works Best, For Whom, Under What Conditions, and Why (register here) for September 15, 2020, at 2 pm ET
  • Strengthening the Learning Relationships Between Teachers Families and Students: Our Framework, Interventions and Evaluation Efforts (register here) for September 16, 2020, at 2 pm ET
  • Assessing Field-level Change: Lessons from the Evaluation of the Assessment for Learning Project I (register here) for September 17, 2020, at 2 pm ET
  • Integrating Project-Based Learning in Online and Blended Courses in Indiana (register here) for September 21, 2020, at 2 pm ET
  • Putting Data to Work: Formative Evaluation and Continuous Improvement in Transformative Education Efforts (register here) for September 22, 2020, at 2 pm ET
  • NCAA Review Process: Why and How…and What’s Different During COVID-19? (register here) for September 24, 2020, at 2 pm ET
  • Increasing Capacity for Mastery-Based Learning in Washington State (register here) for September 28, 2020, at 2 pm ET
  • Science of Motivation: 5 Barriers to Student Motivation and How to Fix Them (register here) September 29, 2020, at 2:30 pm ET

October

  • Impact of Personalized Learning Through Interest-Based Internships (register here) for October 6, 2020, at 2:00 pm ET
  • Implementing Student-Centered Learning: Lessons Learned from Leaders in the Arena (register here) for October 13, 2020, at 2:00 pm ET
  • Choice in Learning: Examination of Students’ Use of Flex Time in High School (register here) for October 22, 2020, at 2:00 pm ET

November

  • Competency-Based Education Systems: Performance Assessment Using Proficiency Scales (register here) for November 5, 2020, at 2:00 pm ET
  • Deeper Competency-Based Learning: Making Equitable, Student-Centered, Sustainable Shifts (register here) November 10, 2020, at 2:00 pm ET
  • Designing Engaging, Purposeful, Rigorous Tasks for Remote and In-Person Learning (register here) November 12, 2020, at 2:00 pm ET

Past “All Fall” Webinars Are Archived.

  • Shifting to Online Bite-Sized Professional Learning (archived webinar here) with Dallas ISD from September 10, 2020
  • Transitioning to Remote Learning: Free Online Professional Learning Opportunities for Teachers with Michigan Virtual (archived webinar here) from September 9, 2020
  • Using Research & Development to Redesign: Immediately Implementable Methods and Practices to Accelerate Learning and Results for ALL Kids with Transcend (archived webinar here) from September 8, 2020
  • Learning Models for Difference Making in Communities with Tom Vander Ark (archived webinar here) from September 3, 2020
  • When Access Isn’t Equal: How the Pandemic Amplified Our Nation’s Equity Gaps (archived webinar here) from September 2, 2020
  • Elevating Student Experience to Build Equitable Learning Environments and Outcomes (archived webinar here) from September 1, 2020
  • Taking an Equity-Based Approach to Advancing a Research and Learning Agenda with City Year (archive webinar here) from August 18, 2020

Stay tuned! And, join us by engaging with us on social media with @Aurora_Inst and #Aurora2020

P.S. – COVID-19 has impacted our schedule in notifying presenters on acceptance. If you submitted a proposal during the open RFP earlier this Spring, we apologize that we have not notified all submitters of the status of their proposals. As we are still developing the program, COVID-19 has upended the process. We are in communication with presenters to ensure they can deliver a virtual presentation session at specific dates and times. Please bear with us. We will be notifying you soon and are currently finalizing the program in its entirety. Thank you for your patience.

To view the original, visit https://aurora-institute.org/blog/aurora-institute-symposium-2020-is-going-virtual/

September 14, 2020

Aurora Institute “All Fall Webinars” This Week – Measuring Personalized Professional Learning, Strengthening Learning Relationships & Assessments For Learning

Note these webinars coming up that are sponsored by the neo-liberals.

Web Version
Aurora Institute - A New Dawn for Every Learner | Stay Connected
Virtual Pre-Symposium Webinar Series 

The “All Fall” Webinar Series Continues

Register
We’ve planned more than 20 webinars leading up to and following our first-ever virtual Aurora Institute Symposium. This week, join us for sessions on professional learning, family engagement, and assessments.

Below are the titles and registration links for the September slate of webinars. Additional webinars are planned following the Symposium. Keep watching this space for updates to this series.

Amalia Lopez, Beth Holland, Eliot Levine
Tuesday, September 15, 2020 | 2 PM ET

Measuring Personalized Professional Learning: A Three-Year Study of What Works Best, For Whom, Under What Conditions, and Why

Over the past three years, Lindsay Unified School District has collaborated with The Learning Accelerator to measure the effectiveness of their personalized professional learning program. Ultimately, the district sought to understand “the black box” of which combinations of professional learning would lead to the greatest student growth. This seminar will share lessons learned and help participants consider ways to design professional learning programs to support personalized learning.

Presenters

  • Amalia Lopez, Director of Special Projects, Lindsay Unified School District
  • Dr. Beth Holland, Partner, The Learning Accelerator
  • Dr. Eliot Levine, Research Director, Aurora Institute
Register Now
September 16, 2020 | 2 PM ET

Strengthening the Learning Relationships Between Teachers, Families, and Students: Our Framework, Interventions, and Evaluation Efforts

Register Now
September 17, 2020 | 2 PM ET

Assessing Field-Level Change: Lessons from the Evaluation of the Assessment for Learning Project

Register Now

More “All Fall” Webinars


9/21/2020 Integrating Project-Based Learning in Online and Blended Courses in Indiana
9/22/2020 Putting Data to Work: Formative Evaluation and Continuous Improvement in Transformative Education Efforts
9/24/2020 NCAA Review Process: Why and How…and What’s Different During COVID-19?
9/28/2020 Increasing Capacity for Mastery-Based Learning in Washington State
9/29/2020 Science of Motivation: 5 Barriers to Student Motivation and How to Fix Them
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