Shelburne Parent 1:1 Roll Out Letter

This year the Shelburne Community Middle School is excited to embark on a three year partnership with the Tarrant Foundation in conjunction with The University of Vermont.  Representatives from the Tarrant Foundation will be working with the middle school teachers to implement Personal Learning Plans (PLPs) for every student.  These learning plans are part of a transformation of education in Vermont through Act 77.  Students will be afforded opportunities to identify their individual strengths and challenges in school, and then work with teachers to craft goals that address those individual attributes.  

As part of this transformation the school has re-allocated the technology budget to allow each student access to a chromebook for their exclusive use.  These Chromebooks will be utilized as a tool to improve the educational experience for every student.  Students will use the Chromebooks to organize their workload, work on assignments, document their ongoing successes, and communicate more effectively with all members of the school community...including parents.  A huge component of this program will be ongoing instruction in “Digital Citizenship” for all students.  We want to make sure that all students understand what it means to live responsibly in a digital world.  Once students are clear on responsible use of technology these Chromebooks may come home to work on homework assignments, collaborate online with classmates, and communicate with teachers.  

In an effort to keep families informed as this initiative rolls out the Community School has setup a Tarrant Foundation Web Site that parent can visit to answer any questions that may arise.  The school will also be hosting a Grand Rounds Parent Night where parents can talk to teachers, technology support personnel, and representatives from the Tarrant Foundation.  Our overriding goal through all of this is to make sure that all students graduating from the Shelburne Community School are prepared to enter high school as a fully functioning 21st Century Citizen.

Team Shelburne's Tangible Outcomes

Tasks split up by PLP groups

Welcome to Our Blog

Here is our school is documenting evidence and reflections toward proficiency in the goals we've established for the MGI week. Please explore the tabs above to see evidence related to the topics of our work. Use the Proficiency links to the right to explore progress toward the proficiencies we're pursuing. I hope you find some of our work helpful as we all try to figure out personalized learning for young adolescents.

Personalized Learning Strand Topics - Do Not Delete

Identity 

• Who are we?
• Where are we on PLPs and proficiency based education?
• What do we need to know?
• Who are our partners to assist us designing and implementing this plan?
• What do we need from them?

Goals

• As you develop goals for the strand, and your vision for personal learning plans and curriculum, consider these standards. These support the development of student-centered educational experiences that align with the state of Vermont's move towards personalized and proficiency based learning. 

Growth and Reflection

• What are goals and action steps in learning about and designing a PLP implementation plan?
• What changes do we need to make during our work at the Institute?
• How can we design an Action Research Project that will allow us to gather information to modify and revise our plan during the fall and beyond?

Transformation 

• What does the plan look like in phase two (after we have implemented the PLP process/cycle one full round)?
• What is that time frame for each cycle (each quarter, semester, year)?
• What does it look like for teachers and students in year two who have gone through the process already (is this a 1 year implementation plan (grade 7) , a two year plan (grades 7 & 8), a three year plan (grades 6-8) or a 4 year plan (grades 5-8)?
• How do proficiency based learning and assessments become a part of the PLP process?
• How do middle grades PLPs prepare students for learning opportunities (in and out of school) at the high school level?

MSNB/Personalized Learning Proficiencies - Do Not Delete

Goals from Middle School Is Not A Building

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

1. All middle level learners participate in challenging, integrated, real world, standards based curriculum that promotes conceptual understanding, 21st-century skill development, and knowledge acquisition.

2. Instruction is engaging, personalized, and differentiated to meet individual student learning needs.

3. Student learning is measured by appropriate assessments, resulting in continual learning and high achievement.

School Organization and Community

4. Organizational structures and a school culture of high expectations enable all middle level students and educators to succeed.

5. Relationships for learning create a climate of intellectual development and a caring community that includes having an adult advocate for each student.

6. Ongoing family and community partnerships provide a supportive and enriched learning environment for each middle level student.

7. A supportive, safe, and healthy learning environment advances learning and promotes overall student and educator well being.

8. A democratic system of continual collaboration by all stakeholders allows for authentic student voice and a shared vision to guide decisions.

Technology Strand Proficiencies - Do Not Delete

ISTE Standards-T 1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

• a. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness 
• b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources 
• c. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes 
• d. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments

ISTE Standards-T 2. Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the Standards•S.

• a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity 
• b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress 
• c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources 
• d. Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards, and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching

ISTE Standards-T 3. Model digital age work and learning Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.

• a. Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations
• b. Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation 
• c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats 
• d. Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning 

ISTE Standards-T 4. Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices.

• a. Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources 
• b. Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources 
• c. Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information 
• d. Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital age communication and collaboration tools

Technology Strand Topics - Do Not Delete

• 
  
• Teaming for Change
  • Shared Vision
  • Shared System
  • Effective Planning Time
• Personalized Learning Plans
  • Goal Setting
  • PLP Conferences
  • PLP Workflow
  • Authentic Evidence
• Nuts and Bolts
  • Group Device Management
  • Room Arrangement
• Workflow Strategy
  • 1:1 Chromebook Workflow
• Team Culture & Digital Citizenship
  • Team Building 2.0
  • Teacher-Student Relationships
  • Exploring Identity
  • Belonging and Collaborating
  • Safe and Civil Community
  • Norms and Routines
  • Managing Change
• Family Involvement
  • Communicating
  • Parenting
  • Learning at Home
  • Collaborating
  • Decision Making
• Transitions
  • Exchanging Data
  • Engaging Stakeholders
  • Developmental Appropriateness
  • Continuity and Relationships
• Meaningful Curriculum
  • Grouping
  • Scheduling
• Core Apps and Extensions