The City as Your Campus: A How-to Guide Adam Nye, Assistant Head for Educational Strategy Amanda Welsh, Director of Middle School and Dean of Faculty
Unpacking City as Our Campus A research project in collaboration with Learning Research and Development Center at University of Pittsburgh. 1. What are the core components of the City as Our Campus model and what resources are needed to enact the model? 2. What are the core programmatic values and implementation qualities that guide the model? 3. What is the value-added for community-based learning?
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What is community-based learning? ● Authentic application of classroom learning to address “real world” problems ● Incorporates the community and its resources as a part of the educational experience to enhance student learning ● Utilization of learning pathways to connect different learning environments together ● Mutually beneficial relationships with the community to promote positive change
Introductions Not at all How comfortable are you using Moderately community- based learning? Very
City as Our Campus SM An initiative integrated in our core academic curriculum that engages, utilizes, and studies the community to provide experiential learning opportunities for students and teachers.
Winchester Thurston School actively engages each student in a challenging and inspiring learning process that develops the mind, motivates the passion to achieve, and cultivates the character to serve.
“Think also of the comforts and the rights of others.” Miss Mitchell, Founder
How does community-based learning align with your school’s mission?
Moment Expedition Project Unit Year-Long Study Course Residency
Gain exposure to our city to understand its culture and history.
Interact with community members to understand diverse viewpoints and stories.
Equip students with new skills and knowledge through authentic learning experiences.
Provide teachers with a co-educator model that opens possibilities and expands our thinking.
Partner with the community to become informed, engaged, and active citizens.
What community-based learning experiences are you doing at your school?
Formative Development
Growth Mindset “...the idea is not to only make a growth - mindset plan, but also to visualize, in a concrete way, how you’re going to carry it out.” -Carol Dweck , Mindset
Components of Faculty Formative Development ● Goal Setting ● Peer Observation ● Critical Friends Groups ● Parent/Student Feedback Surveys ● External Professional Development Opportunities
Supporting Community-based Learning ● WT Teach Newsletter ● Faculty-led Workshops ● Focused Goal Setting ● Affinity Grouping ● Experiential PD ● External Opportunities
90% of teachers all grade levels 100+ partners
What conditions exist at your school to support community-based learning? What’s missing?
Value-added by Community-based Learning Student Benefits ● Relevance of Content ○ Explores content within authentic settings and problems, process makes it relevant ● Mastery of Content ○ Through this authentic application of content, students attain a mastery of the content Teacher Benefits ● Adds Joy and Excitement ○ Teachers/students are more engaged in experiences that are authentic and meaningful ● Extends Resource Pool ○ Shifts role of teacher to be facilitators and learning partners with students ○ Broadens and deepens understanding of their knowledge for future implementations School Benefits ● Provides differentiation to increase desirability and uniqueness
Featuring ● Best practices, workshops, toolkits ● Panel of accomplished practitioners on the future of teaching and learning ● Field work and workshops with WT Faculty and Students June 24-25, 2019 Pittsburgh, PA Who: Educators and administrators (bring your team!) interested in building a community- based learning initiative Register: winchesterthurston.org/colearn Early bird ends on April 30, 2019 Group discounts available
Unpacking City as Our Campus A collaboration with Learning Research and Development Center at University of Pittsburgh Phase 2 1. What is the perceived impact of City as Our Campus on student learning, development, and behaviors? 2. How do stakeholder groups understand and to what extent do they value the City as Our Campus experiences for WT students?
Next Steps 3 champion teachers 2 existing partners 1 action item when you return
questions?
Contact Us Adam Nye nyea@winchesterthurston.org Amanda Welsh welsha@winchesterthurston.org
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