Personal & Authentic: Designing Learning Experiences that Impact a Lifetime

Recent work in the learning sciences has helped paint a detailed picture of what it is kids need to thrive. Grounded in relationships, and built upon a culture for learning, personal and authentic experiences respect the hidden stories within each child and are learner-centered by design. These experiences are filled with moments of awe, and the learning is inherently relevant and contextualized. Appropriate levels of flexibility in pace and path are granted so that agency can develop, while authentic feedback ensures fidelity in the learning process. To support the personal and authentic experience, spaces and tools are leveraged in evidence-based, meaningful ways. The work is hard, but our kids are worth it!

Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow’s Schools, Today

Having no historical precedent, the current speed of technological breakthroughs has led to the coming age of workplace automation, dramatically altering the world of work that our students will enter upon graduation. With the vast disparities of inequity that have existed for centuries, all that is known about how students learn, and the predictions regarding the world that our students will face tomorrow, and the lessons learned throughout the pandemic, utilizing a traditional, one-size-fits-all approach to teaching and learning is educational malpractice. Built upon the foundation of leadership and school culture, a redesigned learning experience fundamentally shifts the teaching and learning paradigm to one that is personal, while altering the use of authentic assessments, how technology is leveraged, the spaces in which the learning occurs, the way educators grow professionally, how schools collaborate with the community, and ultimately, the sustainability of the system as a whole. In this session, ASCD best-selling author Thomas C. Murray will dissect these eight keys, which each serve as a puzzle piece for redesigning the learning experience, to unlock tomorrow’s schools so that today’s modern learners leave ready to create new industries, find new cures, and solve world problems. We must create tomorrow’s schools today and you are part of the solution.

Staying Personal & Authentic in the Midst of Adversity

The pandemic has brought uncertainty at every turn. Opening the past two school years in the midst of a global pandemic created significant anxiety and a loss of sleep for all educators, regardless of position. As we lead through uncertainty, how can we create a culture where both students and staff can thrive? How can we work to overcome fear and fail forward when things don't go as planned? How can we ensure technology plays its proper role, and “innovation” doesn’t become a graveyard of tech tools? Grounded in relationships, and built upon a culture for learning, personal and authentic cultures of innovation, respect the hidden stories within each individual and are learner-centered by design. Regardless of what happens outside our school walls, together we can work to create meaningful opportunities when we hyper-focus on the things that matter most. The work is hard, but our kids are worth it!

Leading with Purpose (admin focused)

What separates “leaders” from those who lead? As a school leader, are you walking in and towards your purpose? This session will help leaders explore their own personal WHY, connect their passion to their work, reflect on pandemic-lessons learned, understand the research behind effective leadership, and empower those around them to rise up and lead. Participants will take part in a handful of culture-building activities that they can back to those they serve to impact their schools and classrooms. Today’s modern learners need bold leaders who model the way and create a culture of innovation, and you are part of the solution!

Leading with an Equity Lens (admin focused)

Traditional educational structures have benefited particular groups of students while suppressing others. With the vast disparities of inequity that have existed for centuries, school and district leaders must work tirelessly to break many patterns of the past, particularly for traditionally marginalized groups. Beginning with self-reflection and recognition of one’s own bias and mindset, leaders must collaboratively problem solve to ensure both equity in access and opportunity. “Gazing at the gaps” changes nothing. Being intentional with our actions, and being concrete and transparent in our steps forward, can help dismantle unwanted patterns of the past. Join Thomas C. Murray for this solution-oriented session.