Personalized Learning Steering Committee Joint Statement

 The PL Steering Committee met on Thursday, December 16th from 3-5pm. As you'll recall, the committee is charged with the creation of the IgKnight Personalized Learning Academy AND infusing the tenets of personalized learning within all Kaneland schools. Please see below for an update on both areas of our work. 

Kaneland IgKnight Personalized Learning Academy- Several key topics related to planning for the opening of IgKnight Personalized Learning Academy in the fall of 2023 were reviewed and discussed at our recent meeting. Topics included using the colors from the graduate profile image when designing the Academy spaces, potential staffing numbers, use of a student-generated 20 block schedule, specific room locations at Meredith, student/ staff start and end times, learner profile tools, exploratory structures, and how to structure the first 6 weeks of school to acclimate students/ staff to the personalized environment. We continue to work with Becky Greenlee from the Kaneland Foundation to identify and apply for grants to support the creation of IgKnight Academy.

Infusing Personalized Practices District-Wide

• Vlog posts related to student voice and strong teacher-student relationships were recently released in the Curriculum Connection. These two elements of PL are essential foundations when supporting students in taking a more active role in their learning. 
• PL 2.75 Co-Constructing Feedback small group sessions are continuing. Several teams at all grade spans participated in the training throughout December. If you originally selected to complete this required training as a self-paced module, please remember that the application products are due by the end of February 2022. If you'd like to switch to an in-person team or individual session, feel free to email Laura Garland at 10166@kaneland.org to set that up.
• Training on the CASEL framework, ISTE standards, and the SAMR model has been taking place at all buildings. These topics are all essential elements within personalized environments. 
• Instructional Coaches continue to be available to support staff as they seek ways to infuse student voice and choice within existing classroom structures. Don't hesitate to collaborate with a coach as you work to place students in a more active and engaged role within their own learning.