Developing 21 st Century Skills through Competency Based Expanded Learning Opportunities

Transcription

1 Developing 21 st Century Skills through Competency Based Expanded Learning Opportunities March 27, 2015 The Summit on 21 st Century Learning Washington, D.C. Heather Loewecke, Asia Society Asia Society Arts & Culture Business Education & Leadership Policy 2 1

2 Goals Define terms related to informal learning and explore emerging models Identify policies and practices that support credit bearing activities during informal learning time Provide examples of what global learning in an expanded learning opportunity looks like in practice through a pilot program in New Hampshire Share tools, templates, success stories and lessons learned Discuss the applicability of the model for other contexts Agenda Asia Society overview Define terms: expanded learning opportunity (ELO) competency based education global competence & GPS framework Overview of the program model: NH framework competencies alignment process professional development protocol for increasing student voice and choice rubrics creation Example student projects & success stories Conclusions/lessons learned Discussion 3 Expanded Learning Opportunities Competency based Credit is awarded based on proficiency (vs. seat time or completion of tasks) Driven by students academic or social support needs or interests (or a combination) Individual or group based School or community based Student or adult initiated Tied to a class or extracurricular 4 2

3 Competency based Education Students advance upon achieving mastery. Mastery is the consistently successful application of a set of knowledge (facts), skills (processes), and behaviors (actions) to complex problems and novel situations. Competencies include explicit, measurable, transferable learning objectives that empower students. Assessment is meaningful and a positive learning experience for students. Students receive timely, differentiated support based on their individual learning needs. Learning outcomes emphasize competencies that include application and creation of knowledge, along with the development of important skills and dispositions. CCSSO, inacol, and MetisNet: 5 Competencies vs. Standards Standards are outcomes (the what knowledge and skills) Competencies are behaviors (the how habits and dispositions) 6 3

4 What Is Global Competence? Possession of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to understand and act creatively on issues of global significance. Globally competent young people: Investigate the World Recognize Perspectives Communicate Ideas Take Action globalcompetence.pdf 7 Importance of Global Competence Develop 21 st Century Skills via Global Learning Critical thinking Communication and collaboration skills Creativity and problem solving Prepare a Global Workforce Leadership skills Cultural competence Academic mastery Strengthen Communities and Global Citizenship Engaged and informed voters Cultural awareness and interpersonal skills Cooperation to address complex issues 8 4

5 Building Capacity through the GPS The Graduation Performance System (GPS) is the innovation engine that transforms curriculum, instruction, and assessment in ISSN schools. schools/professional learning/gps future success 9 Competency based Education in NH The Minimum Standards for School Approval state that local districts must have a competency assessment process and defined course level competencies in place for all public high schools. The Department of Education does not mandate either the content of the course level competency or the grading method used for the competency assessment process. These are local decisions. Credit toward graduation is to be awarded based on student demonstration of mastery of these course level competencies. Local districts must develop a plan and method of assessing course level competencies which is supported by a policy that will include the implementation of the standards. It is expected that the plan and method will be regularly reviewed and evaluated for effectiveness. 10 5

6 Vision of ELOs in NH Expand traditional high school classroom options Create rigorous, relevant and personalized learning experiences Real world learning for all students Grant credit based on demonstration of mastery of course competencies 11 NRHS Partnership with the Asia Society Goal: Align and support global learning across the formal school day and the non formal learning program after school, providing a structure for students to earn course credit for global learning completed during afterschool hours. Project objectives were to develop & implement: 1. an alignment process to bring together academic competencies from school courses, non academic outcomes supported in the afterschool program, and global competencies as defined in the Graduation Performance System; 2. a structured program of professional development to help afterschool staff infuse global learning across afterschool activities and work with inschool staff to create competency based projects and activities; and 3. an assessment protocol that guides discussion between adults, educators, and students about how student work is assessed and can be improved to meet targeted competencies as well as how to represent student learning through a portfolio of work. 12 6

7 Aligning Competencies Knowledge (content areas) Skills (ELO) Dispositions (global competence) 13 Aligning Competencies 14 7

8 Professional Development Reviewed existing afterschool activities and learned how to infuse, augment or transform activities to ensure a global focus. Trained students on what it means to be globally competent and why it is important. Brainstormed community assets and project ideas to support students becoming globally competent. Teachers and students met to discuss and choose project ideas to address selected competencies. Then, they used a task design template to storyboard the formative and summative assessments that would connect to their project goals and competencies. Teachers learned how to encourage student voice and choice throughout the entire project design and implementation process using a facilitation tool. Teachers learned how to combine relevant rubrics to facilitate feedback sessions with students and to determine levels of proficiency in ELO, course and global competencies. 15 Student Voice & Facilitative Methods 16 8

9 Rubrics ELO CATEGORIES EMERGING DEVELOPING PROFICIENT ADVANCED CONTENT AREA CATEGORIES EMERGING DEVELOPING PROFICIENT ADVANCED GLOBAL COMPETENCE CATEGORIES EMERGING DEVELOPING PROFICIENT ADVANCED 17 International Club Target Competencies: NRHS competency: The student artist will choose and evaluate a range of subject matter and ideas to communicate intended meaning in artworks. Global competency: Students will recognize that people from diverse backgrounds perceive information differently, even when receiving the same information. Arts Project Idea: Global Art Exchange We can set up galleries where students from other countries send art pieces, and we send our art back to them. By exchanging art, we will be able to express ourselves and understand each other better. Art is an immediate way to understand aspects of culture. 18 9

10 Success Stories International Club Art Project about Chinese New Year teacher impact Outdoor Club disconnected youth impact Trisha implications for potential individual, school, program and community impact 19 Conclusions/Lessons Learned The model requires a strong commitment and buy-in from school leadership, teachers and afterschool staff so that structures are put in place to support implementation and sustainability. Projects must be student driven and teachers must have on-going support to ensure their commitment and active participation. Educators must be able to successfully integrate course, afterschool, and global competencies and rubrics in order to assess students with a high level of fidelity and quality and to ensure implementation consistency across teachers and/or schools within districts. Schools and afterschool programs should create multiple pathways and hybrid models that offer flexibility and varying levels of credit for students differing needs. This model should promote school-wide conversations about student voice and how to support student-centered learning across the school and the learning day

11 Discussion: Policy & Practice 1. What are you currently doing, if anything, to implement competency based education programs? What are the successes and challenges? 2. What are your initial impressions of the model and process presented today? What aspects could you use, adapt or integrate into your program or school? What challenges or needs might arise with this model in your context? 3. There is ongoing debate about awarding credit for nonformal/out of school time/expanded learning experiences. Does awarding credit take away from or change the learning experience? When is it valuable? 21 Resources Educating for Global Competence: Preparing Our Youth to Engage the World (2011) by Veronica Boix Mansilla and Anthony Jackson: globalcompetence.pdf Global Learning Beyond School resources: learning beyond school Graduation Performance System: Succeeding Globally Through International Education and Engagement (2012) US Dept. of Education s International Strategy for : strategy pdf CompetencyWorks: Maximizing Competency Education and Blended Learning: Insights from Experts (2015) by CompetencyWorks: Promoting Partnerships Between K 12 and Expanded Learning through Competency based Approaches 2014 webinar hosted by AYPF: Extended Learning Opportunities Beyond the Classroom Resources from New Hampshire s competency based ELOs: New Hampshire s Journey Toward Competency Based Education (2015) on Education Next: journey toward competency based education/ Competency Based Learning or Personalized Learning US Dept. of Education s website: news/competencybased learning or personalized learning 22 11

12 Contact Information Heather Loewecke Senior Program Manager Afterschool & Youth Leadership Initiatives Asia Society (212)