Lincoln's Journey
Our Journey, Forward Thinking
Lincoln Elementary is an amazing school, with staff and families that are committed to providing the best education for every child. As we gradually phase in personalized learning, we have a multiple year process to get to full implementation. Through this transition, all students will continue to receive an excellent education.
2018-19
Our Journey, Historical Reflection
2011-12 School Year:
2012-13 School Year:
2013-14 School Year:
2014-15 School Year:
2015-16 School Year:
2016-17 School Year:
Steps towards implementation included
Lincoln Elementary is an amazing school, with staff and families that are committed to providing the best education for every child. As we gradually phase in personalized learning, we have a multiple year process to get to full implementation. Through this transition, all students will continue to receive an excellent education.
2018-19
- We will continue to aligned all of our work to the 5 year vision. We are in the process of streamlining our 5 year vision to our grant work with The Institute for PL and our school district's Promises.
- The primary focus for this year is developing and expanding peer feedback, continuing to engage stakeholders in our vision, developing lesson planning structures, and furthering co-teaching between EL and regular education classrooms
- Developing coaching structures and professional development model to support teachers in their work towards engaging and empowering learners
Our Journey, Historical Reflection
2011-12 School Year:
- Most classrooms were equipped with interactive whiteboards which lead to changes in thinking about planning and the opportunities now available because of the tools in classrooms.
- Practice still did not change much at this point as staff were researching and training to be comfortable with using the tools that were now accessible to them.
2012-13 School Year:
- The rest of the classrooms were equipped with interactive whiteboards.
- 60 netbooks were purchased and used as a mobile lab that could be checked out for short periods of time.
- Instruction started to change as students were encouraged to interact with the technology, but most instruction was consistent with traditional forms.
- A few tablet devices (iPads) were purchased as well as the existing devices being used in classrooms.
- Teachers were given permission to take educational risks and that it is okay to fail.
- Learning from failures lead to professional growth and comfort with technology.
2013-14 School Year:
- Technology devices were implemented as a pilot for the school district.
- Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade classrooms each had 5 student devices (iPad) as well as a device for each teacher (Dec 2013)
- 4th and 5th grade classrooms each had 5 devices (Chromebooks) as well as a device for each teacher (fall 2014)
- 3rd grade was the first 1:1 pilot with Chromebooks for each student as well as teacher (fall 2014)
- Instructional practices began to evolve as teachers were tasked with not simply substituting what they were previously doing without devices to now creating opportunities that wouldn't be possible without the technology.
- Gradually more devices were added to the classrooms ending the year at 8 student devices and 1 teacher device per classroom.
- Changed from a ‘technology expert’ facilitating the professional development, to our own staff presenting on the work they were doing.
- Shifted away from app specific training and focused on the "what and why" of implementing technology, and then found the best way to reach instructional goals through the use of the devices during differentiated professional development.
- Cultural shift to reciprocal mentoring, were no longer do you need to be a veteran staff to mentor. Any staff, or even student, could be a mentor to any other staff or student. We all have something to offer and something to learn.
2014-15 School Year:
- First year of a one 1:1 technology pilot with iPads in the Kindergarten -2nd grades and Chromebooks for the 3rd-5th grades.
- 5 staff piloted personalized learning, all 3 of the Kindergarten classrooms, a 2nd grade, and 3rd grade classroom were part of this work.
- Other staff started elements of personalization throughout the year
- Our work had the following 3 goals and steps toward implementation.
- Build teacher capacity
- Increase student engagement
- Increase student achievement
2015-16 School Year:
- There was the addition of three combined multi-aged classrooms doing personalized learning with a Kindergarten - 1st grade, 2nd - 3rd grade, and a 4th-5th grade classrooms with two teachers
- All other classrooms moved towards Personalized Learning at varying levels
- Developed Phases of Implementation and Phase One in Detail
- Started using Must Dos/May Do listed to provide learners voice and choice example
- Started large scale work to develop a proficiency matrix aligned to standards example
2016-17 School Year:
- All classrooms doing Personalized Learning in various degrees
- Five of the seventeen classroom teachers are new to Lincoln and beginning the work
- Hired consultant to assist with implementation efforts
- Year of reflection and innovation
- Developed 5 year vision
- Provided a Cohort model for new staff to PL outline
- Participating in grant with Institute for Personalized Learning and UW for implementing Honeycomb elements (Learner as a Resource Continuum)
- Working with PL consultant Scott Fuller of G&D Associates
- Partnered with two other Janesville Elementary schools to support work towards personalization. Group is called #SDJPL3
- Implemented Stoplight to help staff track progress towards implementation example
- Piloting technology program (MasteryConnect) as a tracking/feedback system for student progress towards mastery of standards
- Removed the official title of 'Multi-age' classrooms. Working towards flexible learning across our environment and don't want to limit ourselves with having specific classrooms for multi-age
Steps towards implementation included
- changing the professional development (PD) model to a differentiated tiered model that customizes supports for staff
- shift from a PD model that has an outside expert delivering content, to a model that builds internal leadership by having staff present and share
- reciprocal mentoring, where newer staff or students can be a resource as well as veteran staff
- encourage risk-taking and creativity
- building leadership by delegating responsibilities and not just tasks.
“Will not the good people respond to a united and earnest appeal from us? Can we, can they, by any other means so certainly or so speedily assure these vital objects? We can succeed only by concert. It is not "Can any of us imagine better?" but "Can we all do better?" Object whatsoever is possible, still the question recurs, "Can we do better?" The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.”
-Abraham Lincoln, Dec 1, 1862 Second Annual Message
-Abraham Lincoln, Dec 1, 1862 Second Annual Message