Learning is Different in the East Troy Community School District! These are not just words to us. We have an unwavering belief in the ability of each student to achieve success by creating conditions that allow them to be inspired, invested, interested, kind, caring, and respectful people. By focusing on the right work, we will continue to move from educator-driven environments—in which learning is personalized to the leaner—to learner-empowered environments, in which learning is personalized by the learner.
As we continue forward, we are focused on all sides of our educational system:
- Ensuring a year-plus of learning growth for each child, each year.
- Ensuring programming opportunities through systems and practices that recognize the talents of each child in an era of globalization.
- Providing individualized learning by empowering students through personalized learning environments.
- Employing the highest quality professional staff.
- Adopting facilities for current and future educational needs.
- Demonstrating fiscal responsibility through efficiency.
We recognize the challenges that lie ahead. We also believe we must view these challenges as opportunities to improve our systems and practices to keep student learning at the center of all we do. We must create conditions to support the learning and emotional well-being of each child. This statement has never been truer than right now, as we take the necessary actions to provide students with opportunities to meet their learning, overall well-being, and personal interests.
We also must create conditions that help children become good learners, rather than just good students. We should never sort and select students. They must develop skills that reinforce a strong understanding of what they are to learn. They should be able to reflect and seek feedback—and to know what to do if they understand or do not yet understand a concept. To make this happen, we must set the conditions that support empowering our learners via student voice and choice, thus leading to an environment that’s personalized by the learner.
Another way of reflecting upon this idea is: Do we provide assessments to our students or with our students? By focusing on the learning process and the learner, we enhance authenticity, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, depth of content, and curiosity. It’s not about doing more work, but rather doing the right work more. This empowers students to take ownership of their learning.
Finally, I will leave you with five quotes: “Education is not about learning facts, but the training of the mind to think” – A. Einstein. “Our job is not to prepare students for something; our job is to help students be prepared for anything” – A. Julianna. “Students wait to be assessed while learners assess themselves” – A. Julianna and J. Spencer. “Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children” – W. Disney. “A year from now you may wish you had started today” – K. Lamb. These quotes reflect what we are working to achieve here in ETCSD.
Respectfully,
Dr. Christopher G. Hibner, District Administrator
|