The Adventure Begins!
|
On Friday, November 22 our Learning Adventure team will assemble at Nipmuc Regional High School for a full-day workshop to explore the future of learning in the Mendon-Upton Regional School District. Our team is comprised of learners from across our district including 24 students (four from the Clough School, four from Memorial School, eight from Miscoe Hill, and eight from Nipmuc) and ten teachers representing each of the schools in our district. Facilitated by Nipmuc's Co-Principals, Mr. Clements and Mrs. Moran - the group will work together over the course of the year to design non-traditional, active, and memorable learning experiences that encourage us to make our strategic plan actionable.
|
|
Throughout the year, our group will design innovative learning experiences that will allow us to bring our aspirational vision of learning to life. As a learning community, we are excited to help our students become global citizens, mindful learners, effective communicators, skillful collaborators, solution seekers, and inspired innovators. We recognize we have the opportunity to reimagine what school could be as we guide our students through their learning journey.
As we begin the journey to choose our adventure, we will have several goals including:
As we begin the journey to choose our adventure, we will have several goals including:
- Get to know your fellow adventurers!
- Explore the Portrait of a Learner
- Begin designing our Learning Adventure
Meet Your Fellow AdventurersYou've got your Learning Adventure t-shirt! You've picked up you lanyard and name tag! Maybe you even hear your suggested song playing on the Learning Adventure playlist! It's now time to get to know your fellow adventurers. Pick up a "Can you imagine..." question card from the sign-in table. Find a partner from another school, introduce yourself, and take a moment to answer the question. When you are done answering the question, trade cards and head off to meet another member of our team. We'll give you 2-3 minutes per round with hopes that you'll be able to get to know some of your Learning Adventure teammates as we begin this journey together. |
Learning Adventure Playlist
|
Life Raft Survival Adventure
What better way to get to know each other and explore the MURSD Portrait of a Learner than by embarking on an adventure? In the Life Raft Survival Challenge* we'll work in teams to take on the following scenario.
|
You have chartered a boat with friends, for the trip of a lifetime across the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, you encounter a fierce storm that causes damage to your boat. As the clouds begin to clear, you and your shipmates must get into a life raft. Your location is unclear and you have not been able to inform anyone of your condition. You have time to grab 10 items from your boat to take with you onto the life raft to help you on your survival adventure.
|
Spread throughout the media center you'll find your "life rafts". Gather with your shipmates and take on the action steps below:
- Identify your 10 items from your boat and write them on the whiteboard provided to your group.
- Review the list of top survival items as recommended by the US Coast Guard. Now, to honor creative and innovative thought - eliminate all the items on your list that the Coast Guard recommended.
- Take a few minutes to build your list back up to ten items.
- Now, let's shift our focus to the MURSD Portrait of a Learner. Each group will be assigned one of the Portrait of a Learner competencies. Each group will be asked to identify a survival item that relates to their assigned competency.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Processing Our Learning
As we wrap up our group work, each team will share out the most innovative item on their list and one item related to their assigned Portrait of a Learner competency. Together, we will build a survival list that values the innovative contributions of the entire group.
At the conclusion of this activity, each team member will get their "Lost at Sea" charm signifying their successful accomplishment of their first adventure.
As we wrap up our group work, each team will share out the most innovative item on their list and one item related to their assigned Portrait of a Learner competency. Together, we will build a survival list that values the innovative contributions of the entire group.
At the conclusion of this activity, each team member will get their "Lost at Sea" charm signifying their successful accomplishment of their first adventure.
Takeaways from the Life Raft Survival Adventure
- Team building - By working together, we'll get to know the members of our team, learn about each person's unique perspective, and build a bond through an adventure experience.
- Get to know the MURSD Portrait of a Learner - Through the activity, all of our Learning Adventurers will have the chance to gain a deeper understanding of the six competencies of the MURSD Portrait of a Learner.
- Get out of the box - Breaking free from tradition requires that we have a shared mindset that values innovative thinking. This activity encourages the group to think outside the box to come up with unique solutions to our challenges.
- Fun - Learning should be fun... enough said.
*The Life Raft Survival Challenge is adapted from the "Lost at Sea" team building activity.
Picture This!
|
A MURSD Portrait of a Learner competency has just become your superpower! All of our Learning Adventurers will break into groups aligned with the six Portrait of a Learner competencies. Working together (and with your props!), design a scenario that showcases the "superpower" associated with each of the competencies. Create a "freeze frame" of your scenario so that we can take a picture of your superpower in action.
|
Processing Our Learning
Each group will explain what their superpower allows them to do, helping us to gain a deeper understanding of the MURSD Portrait of a Learner and why it can be considered a superpower.
At the conclusion of the activity, each team member will receive a camera charm signifying their ability to picture the Portrait of a Learner in action.
Each group will explain what their superpower allows them to do, helping us to gain a deeper understanding of the MURSD Portrait of a Learner and why it can be considered a superpower.
At the conclusion of the activity, each team member will receive a camera charm signifying their ability to picture the Portrait of a Learner in action.
Takeaways from Picture This!
- Develop a deeper understanding of the Portrait of a Learner - At the conclusion of our Learning Adventure, each of our team members will be an expert in the six competencies of the MURSD Portrait of a Learner. This activity will help the group to build a shared understanding of the superpowers that the Portrait of Learner will provide to students in Mendon-Upton.
- Get to know your superpowers! - The Portrait of a Learner provides the superpowers that our students will need to be difference-makers in the world beyond our schools. This activity helps them to understand how these competencies can impact their potential, their communities, and their futures.
- Get to know the superpowers of your team members - This activity gets everyone - from fourth graders to veteran educators - a little out of their comfort zone as they work together and build trust in an exercise of creative thought.
Practicing Our Superpowers
Superpowers should be put to use in extraordinary circumstances! Now that we've explored our Portrait of a Learner superpowers, let's brainstorm different types of learning experiences that allow us to put our powers to the test. Beginning with your group, brainstorm five experiences that would allow you to practice your superpowers.
Got your five ideas? Now, make your way to each of the other competencies collaboratively adding three original experiences to each list. (Don't waste time - you only have a few minutes per station!)
Feeling like you have run out of ideas? Check out the "I can..." statement for each of the competencies or stop by the "Idea Table" to help spark some more ideas.
Got your five ideas? Now, make your way to each of the other competencies collaboratively adding three original experiences to each list. (Don't waste time - you only have a few minutes per station!)
Feeling like you have run out of ideas? Check out the "I can..." statement for each of the competencies or stop by the "Idea Table" to help spark some more ideas.
|
Processing Our Learning
As we work through this activity, our team will be prompted to think beyond the limits of traditional school experiences. The challenge of this work is seeing all of life's experiences as learning opportunities the the world of possibilities that exist beyond our schools. We'll encourage them to find the connection between the curriculum and their curiosities to design a learning adventure. At the conclusion of this activity, each team member will receive a globe charm signifying their contributions to the world of possibilities for a potential Learning Adventure. |
Takeaways from Practicing Our Superpowers
- Moving from Idea to Action - In this activity we move from the big picture goals of the MURSD Portrait of a Learner to the practical ways to explore the competencies.
- Beginning our design process - As they work together, our team members will be responsible for collaboratively brainstorming, testing their ideas, looking at the results, making adjustments, reflecting, and continually iterating. This activity models elements of the design process with hopes of building a mindset that our team will rely on throughout their adventure.
- Tapping into Curiosities - This activity encourages students to tap into the ideas, concepts, and curiosities that define them as individuals. As they share their suggestions, we hope to build a list of possible adventures that will lead to moments of inspired learning.
Would You Rather?
|
It's time to build consensus. Through the work of our Learning Adventure Team, we now have approximately 120 suggestions for potential Learning Adventures. While we would like to explore them all, our team needs to work together to narrow down the list and determine which direction our team will go on their Learning Adventure.
|
Our next step is to narrow down our list from 120 potential Learning Adventures to 34: one per person. Here's the process:
At the conclusion of this activity, each team member will get their compass charm for successfully navigating a day of adventure, team building, and planning! We are so excited to continue our work as the MURSD Learning Adventure Team!
- Each person selects a potential Learning Adventure from the bank of 120.
- The selected Learning Adventures will be distributed to the group so that everyone has an idea that is not their own.
- Everyone in the group will then find a partner. Each pair will be provided with 7 stickers.
- The pairs will then participate in a game of "Would You Rather?" in which they decide which idea they would rather experience. They then award each idea with a number of stickers that denote their preference. For instance, an idea that is extremely popular might receive all 7 stickers while a less well-received idea would receive 0. Or, when choosing between ideas that are both exciting - the pairs may award one idea with 4 stickers and the other idea with 3.
At the conclusion of this activity, each team member will get their compass charm for successfully navigating a day of adventure, team building, and planning! We are so excited to continue our work as the MURSD Learning Adventure Team!
Takeaways from Would you Rather?
- Taking a deep dive into innovative learning - As our group reviews the ideas, they engage in conversations about the logistics, impact, and design of the Learning Adventure.
- Co-constructed learning - A key component of Learning Adventures is that they are co-constructed meaning that they are designed and carried out through collaboration, reflection, and feedback. This activity ensures that all members of our team have a voice and a role in shaping the Learning Adventure.
Next Steps
In a single day our Learning Adventure Team has made tremendous progress! We've worked together to become a team that encourages each other's creativity, provides feedback essential for the design process, and values each person's unique perspectives. We've explored the MURSD Portrait of a Learner, gaining an understanding of how these aspirations will unlock our students' superpowers. We've gone from big ideas to concrete actions, supporting each other as we build innovative learning experiences that inspire.
With the progress we've made throughout the day, we have created a foundation that we will build upon in our next meeting in February 2020. At that time we will choose our Learning Adventure and jump into design process, blazing the trail to the future of learning in the Mendon-Upton Regional School District.
With the progress we've made throughout the day, we have created a foundation that we will build upon in our next meeting in February 2020. At that time we will choose our Learning Adventure and jump into design process, blazing the trail to the future of learning in the Mendon-Upton Regional School District.
