#VAis4Learners Innovation Network

Monthly Cohort Update - February 2021

#VAis4LearnersInnovation NetworkMonthly Cohort Update - February 2021

March 25th VALIN Network Event

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It is hard to believe it has been nearly a year since we were together for the Virginia is for Learners Innovation Network Cohort II launch event. Even though it will be a virtual experience this time, we a looking forward to bringing everyone together again on March 25th. The agenda is designed to invite you to join us as we collectively learn, celebrate, and plan from your unique positions along the innovation framework. Watch your email in the coming weeks for a full detailed agenda that includes the webinar links. Until then here's a little summary of what you can expect:


8:30 - 9:30 Welcome Messages

9:30 - 12:00 Panel-style Storytelling Sessions (see below)

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch with Opportunities to Connect

1:00 - 3:00 Team Planning Time

3:00 - 3:30 Closing Remarks


Mark your calendars and get ready to reconnect with colleagues from across the state.

Share Your Story

During the morning block on March 25th, we will host 15 minute panel-style storytelling sessions to hear from VALIN colleagues about their innovation journeys. Stories will be shared from work happening at all phases of the Innovation Framework. If you and your team are interested in sharing your story during our time together on March 25th please let us know by completing this brief interest survey by March 10th. Your ALP coach will be available to support you.

Coaches Corner

Your ALP coaches have the distinct pleasure of reflecting with you on your innovation journeys. We recognize the pride you have in your work and often share your stories with each other when we get together to plan and share resources. These snippets represent a small fraction of the things we've talked about recently.

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Bearcat Bridge Seals

The Bristol City innovation team is preparing to seeing the first of its graduates earn their new "Bearcat Bridge" seals on their diplomas this year, the focus for the Division's VALIN work. The program includes student advisory time, digital portfolios, and work-based learning opportunities that will allow students to demonstrate their workforce readiness skills, both at a job fair organized by the district and later to local employers. The team accomplished this through collaboration with the local Chamber, which has provided the diploma seals. The team wasn't able to implement all of the components of the program this year but has laid the foundation to seeing the program reach maturity in the next academic year. Congrats Bristol City team!
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Summer of MORE

New Kent County is working to reinvent summer school. With a plan to expand this offering to more students, the team will be creating a curriculum with a thematic approach that will activate higher order thinking and encourage engagement. The Summer of MORE (Meaningful Opportunities for Real-World Engagement) will be offered to students in grades K-8 grade. The Summer of MORE will also embed professional learning communities to encourage teachers to take risks and learn to be better teachers. The summer program at the high school will also take on a different look with a thematic approach focused on the five C's. The intention is to continuously reactivate the joy for learning and to learn lessons to be better teachers in the next year.
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Concurrent Model

The team at Norfolk City Schools has been a model of perseverance throughout the VALIN journey. Like many divisions, their innovation has shifted a few times to meet the challenges of our day. With the primary focus of "how do we make learning better for kids and easier for teachers," they have recently developed a concurrent model of instruction for their upcoming return to school. Building upon this chart, they will be capturing teacher examples and approaches not simply to address the immediate environment but to be building blocks to blended learning in the future. (Keep in mind this document is still in draft form and has been a wonderful collaboration of so many) It's been a pleasure to have been a small part of their adventure and will be a great resource to the rest of the VALIN network!
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Power of a Whiteboarding Session

The Pittsylvania County Schools team is definitely using small steps to realize big plans. During a recent whiteboarding session, current and future programs were aligned and mapped out. These programs are the building blocks of new and interesting learning pathways for learners in PCS. In the near future, kindergarteners to 12th graders will navigate these pathways with the skills embedded in Virginia’s profile of a graduate, making choices in their learning, engaging in authentic experiences, and ultimately tackling any and all opportunities that are ahead. The PCS team realizes the importance of its PCS resources and plans to continue to promote, plan and partner with the surrounding community to help realize this future for their learners. They took some time to share a little of their story with me here. VaLIN Stories - Episode 1 - Pittsylvania County Schools
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Pockets of Innovation

Like so many of us, the fine VALIN team members from Shenandoah County have been pulled in a million directions this year as they have worked to meet the needs of students and families. Through it all, they have been steadfast in their commitment to promoting and supporting innovation on behalf of those students and educators. They have found that scaling up pockets of innovation can lead to district-wide success. Recognizing that their 5th grade team has taken a student-centered and project-based approach to incorporating citizenship skills into the study of local history, they are building out from there. Their HS media lab will showcase these innovative practices on their TV show which allows older and younger students to interact, while also showcasing pedagogy for other teachers, who can then collaborate with their own teams on similar projects. While this year has been full of struggles, the Shenandoah team is grateful that teachers have used hybrid models and testing flexibilities to allow students to be more creative with their own learning. The Shenandoah team has found a way to see some silver linings during this time!

What School Could Be

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You may have heard that Ted Dintersmith has a new venture brewing. Check out the recently released website www.whatschoolcouldbe.org, that includes the Innovation Playlist, new COVID content, and submissions from VaLIN.

Also underway, a national celebration of educators campaign. Nominate colleagues for national recognition (and a small stipend). Also be on the look out for information on a fellowship program that will provide financial support for innovative projects.

Finally, a new networking app for educators will be released officially March 11th that you can use to find events, podcasts, other innovator educators, and to join open and closed groups. Want early access? Contact becky@whatschoolcouldbe.org to register as a beta tester.

For more information about any of these things, contact becky@whatschoolcouldbe.org

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About Advanced Learning Partnerships

ALP is a partner, designer, and agent of change. We move beyond the expert mindset and one-size-fits-all, quick fix solutions.

Email: ALP@advancedpartnerships.com
Website: http://alplearn.com
Twitter: @alplearn

Virginia is for Learners is an initiative of the Virginia Department of Education, the Virginia School Consortium for Learning (VaSCL), The New American History Project at the University of Richmond, and James Madison University with support from Ted Dintersmith. Coaching is provided by Advanced Learning Partnerships , Dr. Scott McLeod from the University of Colorado at Denver, and Kaleb Rashad from High Tech High Graduate School of Education.