For the past couple of months, I've been working as an instructional designer for Seminole Academy of Digital Learning in Longwood, Florida. This is a new, K-5 virtual school. Rather than purchase a ready made curriculum, the district decided to develop their own, in alignment with curriculum and pacing of the brick and mortar schools in the district. Hence, my presence. Language arts has been my focus so far. Of course, with STEM initiatives, language arts is very science based. And Common Core Standards demand a strong emphasis on expository texts and non-fiction narrative reading selections. Twenty first century skills require that students learn how to harvest and use the world of information at their fingertips. Those three initiatives--STEM, Common Core Standards, and 21st Century Learning Skills--are the triumvirate of my curriculum design. Gee, that sounds good on paper! The big question has been how to bring that to life, and then tailor it for the distance learner.
I've been reading Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography by Susan Cheever. The author writes about Louisa's educator father, A. Bronson Alcott. She writes that Bronson believed teaching to be an act of love. That statement really struck home with me. I've always put a great deal of thought and energy into personalizing and individualizing education for my face to face students. A significant source of motivation for that approach has been my desire to let students know that I care enough about them to take the time to know what interests them and what helps them find joy in learning--and then to provide it for them. How do I develop an instructional framework that allows virtual school teachers to communicate that interest and provide individual choices for the students they serve?
I've been reading Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography by Susan Cheever. The author writes about Louisa's educator father, A. Bronson Alcott. She writes that Bronson believed teaching to be an act of love. That statement really struck home with me. I've always put a great deal of thought and energy into personalizing and individualizing education for my face to face students. A significant source of motivation for that approach has been my desire to let students know that I care enough about them to take the time to know what interests them and what helps them find joy in learning--and then to provide it for them. How do I develop an instructional framework that allows virtual school teachers to communicate that interest and provide individual choices for the students they serve?