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LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD:

Asynchronous Learning in High-Poverty, Competency-Based Urban High Schools

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Neil Geyette

Founding Principal, The U School

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Complete Google Form for access to Drive folder (tweeted link):

  • http://bit.ly/2exrJod

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THE U SCHOOL

QUICK FACTS

  • Opened Fall 2014
  • Opportunity by Design Challenge Cohort 1
  • Philadelphia Public School
  • “U” is symbol that means users-at-the-center
    • Allusion to our design process

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THE U SCHOOL | AT A GLANCE

  • Located in North Philadelphia
  • Non-Defining Data Points:
    • 100% socioeconomically disadvantaged
    • 83% African American
    • 15% Latino
    • 31% Special Education
    • 14 educators + counselor + secretary

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WHAT MATTERS AT THE U SCHOOL?

RESTORATIVE- BASED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

COMPETENCY- BASED INSTRUCTION

PERSONALIZED PROGRAMMING

DESIGN- THINKING

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OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES

LOVE

DREAM

DO

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OUR CORE VALUES

EMPATHY

AGENCY

CREATIVITY

PERSISTENCE

COLLABORATION

REFLECTION

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YEAR 1: LAYING STAKES

  • Using Google Classroom
  • Establishment of Youth Development frame
  • Experimentation with independent learning spaces

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YEAR 2: OPERATIONALIZING NEW LEARNING

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  • Operationalizing the asynchronous classroom
    • Focus on Instructional Model
    • Design of the Daily Action Plan (DAP)
    • Scaffolding
    • Standardizing the Student-facing Unit Guides
    • Standardizing the structures and use of Google Classroom
  • Implementing Stages of U School Learner (mid-year)

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YEAR 3: TRANSMISSION OF LEARNING

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  • Instructional Delivery - Deeper dive into the structures of our learning spaces to build legibility
  • Instructional Design - Integration of design process into all SFUGs
  • Adult Learning = Kid Learning
  • U-ology

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Questions

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LEARNING MODEL: ADULT ACTIONS

  • Targeted instruction
    • Mini-lesson
  • Focus on Feedback
    • Conferencing
    • Check-in
    • Tune-up

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LEARNING MODEL: STUDENT ACTIONS

  • Targeted instruction
    • Mini-lesson
  • Focus on Feedback
    • Conferencing
    • Check-in
    • Tune-up

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OUR SCHOOL-WIDE DESIGN CHALLENGES

HOW MIGHT WE... BUILD AND OPTIMIZE THE CLASSROOM STRUCTURES OF THE [ASYNCHRONOUS] COMPETENCY-BASED CLASSROOM?

HOW MIGHT WE... BUILD A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND COLLECTIVE CULTURE IN AN ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING ENVIRONMENT?

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TURN & TALK

At the U School this is how we group students. What do these labels mean to you?

TEACHER- DIRECTED

TEACHER- SUPPORTED

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SEMI- AUTONOMOUS

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AUTONOMOUS

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[Video #1 placeholder]

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STAGES OF THE U SCHOOL LEARNER

TEACHER- DIRECTED

SEMI- AUTONOMOUS

AUTONOMOUS

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IMPORTANT IMAGE: SUBWAY STOPS

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TEACHER-DIRECTED: DEEPER DIVE

  • Must attend their scheduled period
  • More teacher controlled time
  • Agenda set by teacher for all students
  • Common daily objective
  • Moving at similar pace through learning (synchronous)
  • More DIRECT teacher support everyday

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SEMI-AUTONOMOUS: DEEPER DIVE

  • Must attend their scheduled period
  • Students completely control their daily and weekly agenda
  • Focus on mini-lessons and conferences
  • Students working at different paces
  • Students receive less frequent support, but highly individualized
  • Opt-in/out of educator design learning / Independent Projects

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AUTONOMOUS: DEEPER DIVE

  • Students completely control their daily and weekly agenda
  • Focus on mini-lessons and conferences
  • Students working at different paces
  • Students receive less frequent support, but highly individualized
  • Opt-in/out of educator design learning / Independent Projects

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SELECTION PROCESS:

SELF-ASSESSMENT + PROGRESS/PERFORMANCE

SELF-ASSESSMENT

  • How do you rate yourself? (Using our Habits of Success)
  • Discuss what you believe you need right now (after different experiences to understand)

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PROGRESS/PERFORMANCE

  • How does the student perform during a 10 week cycle?

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Questions

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[Video #3 placeholder]

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CLOSING THOUGHTS

  • This work is hard! It helps to have committed and creative people as thought partners!
  • Special thanks to students who made clips!
  • Access to Artifacts:
    • Complete this form: http://bit.ly/2exrJod (see twitter/paper on table)

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NEIL GEYETTE

Founding Principal, The U School

  • @neilgeyette
  • ngeyette@uschool.org
  • www.uschool.org

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Complete Google Form for access to Drive folder (tweeted link):

  • https://goo.gl/forms/vIvAnTw0wv8RJSXq1