果冻传媒 is a learning school. 果冻传媒鈥檚 unique design as a place where both teachers and children learn, where early career teachers develop their practice, and where experienced teachers research and design curriculum, gives rise to its innovation. In line with its mission, 果冻传媒 uniquely serves to prepare teachers, educate children, and develop innovations in curriculum and teaching. If we are raising the thinkers, problem-solvers and citizens equipped with the skills to work together and lead in the future, we believe the best way to instruct those children is to model inquiry, design, excitement, and collaboration. Critical to our school culture is that everyone views themselves as a learner, a leader, and a teammate.聽

One of the ways that 果冻传媒 facilitates its learning culture is through its Graduate School of Education (GSE). The 果冻传媒 GSE is truly a one-of-a-kind graduate program in Washington state, offering a master鈥檚 degree in education that emerged from and is situated in a practicing school for children, with a faculty composed of highly experienced teachers. The 果冻传媒 GSE takes a progressive educational approach that emphasizes the teacher鈥檚 role as a designer and leader, the child鈥檚 uniqueness as a learner, and the critical importance of a shared learning culture in effective schools.聽

Throughout its schools for children are GSE faculty who, by designing, researching, and facilitating graduate-level classes, are staying current in the field of education. As well, there are graduate students working side-by-side with mentor teachers in the classrooms for children; these adult learners are asking questions, reflecting on their teaching practice, and bringing innovation, modeling, and energy to the classroom. And through this learning culture, innovations such as Mackenzie鈥檚 oracy curriculum take root and have a broad, positive impact on learning throughout ucds.

The post How 果冻传媒’s Graduate School of Education Drives a Culture of Learning appeared first on 果冻传媒.

As the Student Services Director and Core Faculty Member of the 果冻传媒 Graduate School of Education, I teach our graduate students each quarter. Last year, I partnered with Sara Hoofnagle, a seventh-grade science teacher at Eckstein Middle School, Seattle Public Schools, to teach Designing Curriculum for Critical Thinking and 21st Century Skills. As we set out to refresh the course, we reviewed the syllabus previously used to guide the course and considered what updates would benefit our students. The course is designed to address Critical Thinking and 21st Century Skills through the lenses of Science and Social Studies. So, we decided to integrate the Teaching Tolerance Social Justice Standards as an additional framework for our students.

When the course got underway, the graduate students experienced, created, and facilitated learning opportunities that reinforced 21st-century skills, and aligned with social studies, science, and social justice standards. In-class provocations engaged them with the complexities of the content, the vital role of social justice education, and the need for explicit instruction of skills. The course curriculum modeled practical tools and ways to develop a classroom culture rooted in critical thinking, inclusivity, student voice, and real-world application. Students then applied these skills to their teaching practices by developing original lessons, teaching within their own schools, and reflecting on how these experiences did or did not yet meet their goals.

Throughout all of this work, the four social justice anchor standards鈥揑dentity, Diversity, Justice, and Action鈥� provided a unifying thread. Students discovered how this anti-bias framework complements the 鈥渒nowledge acquisition and skills鈥� featured in the social studies and science standards. As one student shared, 鈥淚 felt like there were multiple ways for engagement in this course, and I was able to find new ways to share my ideas and opinions.鈥� This reflection highlights how, when the content and anchor standards are interwoven, students can more fully and authentically participate and engage in class. Students are less likely to 鈥渃heck their identities at the door鈥� of the classroom, enabling them to more deeply engage with curricular content.

The post Continuous Design in the Graduate School appeared first on 果冻传媒.

Making the decision to attend graduate school is an exciting prospect but it comes with some extra considerations. Continuing education requires a commitment of time, energy and resources. There are a number of variables to consider and the decision you make can have a lasting impact on your career.聽 Choosing a graduate program that has a lasting value offers the opportunity to become immersed in new practices to deepen the passion for learning.

To help students through the decision-making process, I鈥檝e consulted a panel of educators who have each intentionally selected 果冻传媒 to grow their teaching and leadership capacities.

Betsy Watkins, Director of Accreditation at Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS)

Meg Roosa, Principal at Ascend International School

Lily Burgess, Teacher at 果冻传媒

Q: When seeking a place to grow professionally, what considerations drove your choices?

Garrick: Many Master鈥檚 Degree programs offer coursework that is oriented toward giving you information.聽 Mentorship and reflection, a chance to practice what you are learning about, these are elements that can have a lasting impact on your career and help you identify your true professional trajectory.

Watkins: After completing my student teaching requirements at a public school in Iowa, I moved back to my home state of California and began working as an elementary school teacher. To be honest, I wasn鈥檛 the best math teacher鈥擨 knew I needed to do whatever it took to become an excellent math teacher.

I was early in my career and knew that I needed hands-on mentorship. 果冻传媒 provided an opportunity to learn from others and become the fantastic math teacher I wanted to be.

Q: Do students need an undergraduate degree in education to enter an education-focused graduate program?

Garrick: While teacher certification requirements vary by state, there鈥檚 often flexibility between undergraduate degrees and graduate program eligibility. For example, 果冻传媒鈥� Master of Education program only requires that a student鈥檚 undergraduate degree was earned at an accredited university. We actively seek students with a wide variety of educational backgrounds.

Burgess: I attended Scripps College in California. Though I had a lot of interest in education, I ended up double-majoring in studio art and psychology. My passion for teaching didn鈥檛 fade, and I ended up participating in a volunteer program where I tutored students in reading. That鈥檚 when I decided to participate in 果冻传媒鈥� resident teacher program.

Many of the resident teachers I鈥檝e talked to are interested in education but don鈥檛 have it as their undergraduate degree. That鈥檚 what makes teacher residencies and graduate programs so important鈥攊t gives those who are interested in education an opportunity to pursue a career in it.

Q: What are some steps to take prior to selecting a professional development program?

Burgess: I consulted my peers before deciding on 果冻传媒鈥� resident teacher program. My undergrad experience was very round-table鈥攔eflection and critical thinking were integral to the learning process. I wanted to find those same environmental factors in a graduate program, where students are learning and growing together. Luckily, I found that intellectual stimulus at ucds.

Watkins: I read through websites, researching the philosophy and background of different programs. My goal was to find a program with the features that are important to me, such as academic rigor, a true passion for teaching and learning from faculty.

Roosa: Schools need more educators who know the 鈥榳hy鈥檚鈥� instead of just the 鈥榳hat鈥檚鈥�. If you鈥檙e looking for a way to hone your skillset while learning how to become an innovator, an education-focused grad program is for you.

Q: How important is the size, location and culture of a graduate school?

A: Watkins: Culture is everything. I wholly believe that a graduate school should be welcoming and focused on nurturing adults as learners鈥攖his unfortunately gets ignored in many institutions. New generations are comfortable taking risks and making 聽mistakes as part of the learning process. An effective graduate program will reflect this.

Burgess: In my experience, a smaller program allowed for more engagement and support. As a student and current teacher at 果冻传媒, I feel valued and part of a community. I think that鈥檚 really important.

Roosa: When I left 果冻传媒 to start a leadership position at Ascend International in Mumbai, school culture was top-of-mind. My education experience exposed me to the power of culture, and I was able to translate that at a new school, in a different country. Whether you choose to teach, serve in an administrative role or any other position in education, school culture is incredibly important. Programs with a strong culture that feel welcoming and evoke a sense of belonging for students are vital.

Q: What are some positive indicators of an effective Master of Education graduate program?

A: Roosa: Any Master of Education program that equips students with a usable framework is a solid choice. When educators have a foundation to work off of, it becomes easier to innovate within a new institution.

Burgess: Positive indicators come in many forms. It may be the energy you feel, or it could be the enthusiasm you have for what you鈥檙e working on. Does the program feel like a fit for you? Everybody learns differently, and it鈥檚 important that the program you鈥檙e enrolled in caters to your style.

Q: What career outcomes should students expect after completing a professional development program?

A: Watkins: After finishing the resident teacher program, I worked as a K-5 teacher at 果冻传媒, at a nonprofit with students who had varied developmental disabilities, and was one of the founding principals at Ascend International School in Mumbai, India. I currently work as the Director of Accreditation at NWAIS. The 果冻传媒 Resident Program gave me the knowledge and skills I needed to grow as an educator鈥攖hat鈥檚 what students should expect to gain from their programs.

Roosa: The instructional practices and frameworks taught during a graduate program lead to open-ended opportunities for students. When you have knowledge and the ability to execute it, you can choose a role that aligns with your passions.

To learn more about the 果冻传媒 Master of Education graduate program, please visit ucds.org/institute/graduate-program/.

The post Graduate School FAQ: A guide to selecting a Master of Education Program appeared first on 果冻传媒.

Culture is the embodiment of a community鈥檚 shared driving purpose. In schools, this purpose is ideally driven by the unique needs of students, families and staff. To create and define positive school culture, administrators and teachers must start by identifying these needs, recognizing community assets, and making sure every decision reflects them.

Whether it is clearly defined, intentionally created or not, culture is present at every school. Culture is about implicit and explicit agreements, and defines the way that a school community works together. Culture is manifest in how people enter the building, what they eat and who they sit with at lunch, and who speaks and how much inside classrooms. It impacts the experience of everyone: staff, students, families and the community.

Throughout my career, I鈥檝e come to appreciate more and more the importance of defining and elevating school culture. When we can define, identify, and question our school culture, we can become advocates for its continual improvement.

To improve it, we must first define school culture

School culture is as obvious and invisible as the air we breathe, which is its very challenge.

There are many ways to understand school culture. Tracking, for example, who is doing most of the talking in class (students or teachers), carefully observing students鈥� movements in (and out) of class, or regularly asking students and parents for anonymous feedback through surveys can all help shine a light on culture.

One of the most powerful ways of gaining a better understanding of an existing culture is to shadow a student throughout their entire school day. A from educator Alexis Wiggins demonstrates the power of stepping into the students鈥� shoes. Wiggins transformed her experience by identifying culture, first and foremost.

Teachers are the biggest advocates

When we can name elements of school culture, we can do something about it. New or experienced, teachers can be intentional about how their instruction impacts the overall culture of their school. Involving students in the learning process and giving teachers an opportunity to make that happen (I call it ) is one of the most powerful cultural changes a school can make.

Each of us may have a slightly different definition of inquiry-based instruction. I see inquiry as part-disposition and part skill set. The purpose of inquiry is to promote student curiosity; to have them asking the questions and seeking the answers. The teacher鈥檚 role is to design and guide experiences that promote student discussion and collaboration as they seek answers, or expand their understanding.

When we鈥檙e creative and thoughtful in our instruction, students notice. In a positive school culture, I see teachers creating an emotional bonds with and between students and their families. To take a lesson from improvisational theater, when we rid ourselves of the 鈥測es, but鈥︹�� mindset, and shift towards 鈥測es, and鈥︹�� Everyone feels respected; and when we feel respected, we can take risks and push each other鈥檚 thinking.

No matter the career, everyone is at risk for falling into a rut. It can be eye-opening to get meta-cognitive about what鈥檚 really happening in our work environment, and see if it matches to our beliefs. By asking reflective questions, we can recognize what needs to be changed.

Collaboration matters when defining school culture

An elevated school culture will reflect the reality of the community it serves. Being aware of students鈥� situations is a necessary step in relationship-building. We can鈥檛 afford to be disengaged.

For example, Seattle is a rapidly growing urban population. What is a school鈥檚 role in addressing social and racial justice issues with students? How do we include these in curriculum? Who does the school serve; who is left out?

Strive for continuous improvement

Traditional school models tend to be dug-in, but they are human created 鈥� they are changeable. Professional development can help educators stay on the cusp of new trends, hone their skillset and strengthen their pedagogy. But this only takes us so far. Defining and becoming aware of school culture means going beyond curriculum and instruction, and the four walls of individual classrooms.

During the 果冻传媒 College for School Culture鈥檚 Master of Education 听辫谤辞驳谤补尘 design process, we collaborated to analyze work culture and what it means. After creating a map of the leading progressive teacher training programs in the United States, we identified patterns and innovations to create something unique. It was a thoughtful and purposeful project, made possible with colorful Post-Its and plenty of wall space. 果冻传媒 is a real-world example of 鈥榳alking the talk.鈥� During the design process we continually spoke to the culture we created and maintained as a design team.

Culture permeates everything we do. It takes courage to expose it. To truly elevate culture, we must be comfortable defining it, and work together to strengthen it.

The post How To Define School Culture and Elevate Your Teaching appeared first on 果冻传媒.

In , Ron Ritchhart reveals the hidden tool for transforming our schools: culture. Every school has a unique organizational culture. The most effective school cultures support great teaching and learning. They empower teachers to communicate, collaborate, reflect, inquire and innovate.

Everything that we do at 果冻传媒 is designed to promote innovation and excellence in education. In our more than 40 years of honing and evolving our programs, we鈥檝e learned that school culture is at the foundation of a school鈥檚 success.

As defined at in 2018, school culture is made up of connections, core beliefs and behaviors of students, families and educators. It is crucial that we encourage current and future teachers to become stewards of, and true advocates for effective school cultures. This is our focus at the 果冻传媒 College for School Culture Master of Education degree program, because we believe in deepening the teaching practice and equipping graduate students with skills to lead positive change in education.

Culture directly impacts the success of students and staff. It embodies the relationships that we create with one another. Great cultures encourage active participation, you must shape it and we all have a role to play.

We have you covered if you are wondering, 鈥渨here does my school stand on culture?鈥� Here are five characteristics of an effective, healthy school culture:

#1 Attention to culture is everywhere

As author and researcher Samuel Casey Carter, while students do learn during class, there鈥檚 also much that is learned implicitly, outside of the classroom, during a school day. A collaborative school where the mission is reflected in each interaction will take this into account.

A school鈥檚 culture is made up of the traditions, routines, expectations and interactions that take place. Attending to these factors in a way that reflects the mission and values of the community, in and outside of the classroom, are key to a healthy culture.

Shared vision and high expectations go a long way toward achieving a school’s mission. When faculty, staff, and students are deeply engaged and embrace their school’s culture, it reverberates throughout a school community.

The understanding that culture deeply influences outcomes, and that stewarding culture is the shared responsibility of all members of the community is key to having a positive and lasting impact.

#2 A nurturing environment with high expectations

Culture isn鈥檛 dictated by one person, it鈥檚 created by a community. Supporting and challenging individuals in a nurturing environment not only drives growth, but ensures that community members are engaged.

A school鈥檚 culture encompasses the perspectives and backgrounds of its members as well as the school environment itself. School leaders who seek out every opportunity to stretch the skills, goals, and strengths of their community – students, teachers and parents alike – display a commitment to a healthy, nurturing environment.

Individualized support is important for establishing a nurturing environment that meets students where they are and establishes clear and relevant expectations. As put by nationally recognized speaker and author Almitra Berry-Jones, adopting a student-first mindset and understanding the enables teachers to move toward academic equity.

#3 Engaged staff, engaged students

According to a 2018 , engaged students are 4.5 times more likely to be hopeful about the future than disengaged peers. A study from echoes the importance of engagement, finding that students who reported high levels of teacher support indicated that they also had higher levels of engagement.

The point? School cultures that promote engagement from students and staff display a greater sense of positivity and investment in the institution and its community.聽 Educators who are equipped with the resources and skills to drive change within their schools while echoing the importance of culture are some of our biggest allies in transforming education.

#4 A commitment to lifelong learning

Beliefs, values and actions spread the farthest when learning is actively happening at every level. In education, every member of the school community should feel compelled to participate in the learning process.聽 Teachers who model inquiry, curiosity, and even uncertainty create the understanding that what students have not yet learned, can be learned. And that a desire to learn is the first and most essential step in this process.

An established, sound vision and practices that model learning go hand-in-hand with effective school cultures. It鈥檚 important to keep in mind that as we learn, culture can change. A school that consistently reflects about the needs of students and staff is more likely to sustain an effective culture.

#5 Holistic sense of responsibility

As stated in Harvard Business Review鈥檚 , when aligned with strategy and leadership, a strong culture drives positive organizational outcomes. Selecting or developing leaders for the future requires a forward-looking strategy and culture.

Responsibility for the upkeep of a culture lies with everyone who is impacted by it. Culture embodies the relationships that faculty, staff, families, students and administrators create with one another.聽 Schools that promote true collaboration, beyond the simple division of labor, invite contribution from all members of their communities.聽 When this happens, the responsibility for institutional success is equally shared and attended to.

At the 果冻传媒 College for School Culture, we help teachers to build a better understanding of school culture and to deepen the practices and philosophies that support student success. Together, we are enhancing and informing the way schools support students and staff.聽 We are transforming the learning experience across our wider academic community.

The post Five Characteristics of Effective School Culture appeared first on 果冻传媒.

Teachers use what we learn everyday to improve our teaching and better design the learning experience for our students. 聽The students participating in 果冻传媒 Institute鈥檚 Designing a Culture of Inquiry course are shifting their gaze from theory to practice (For more information on this class see Oct 31 post). 聽November sessions focused on bringing inquiry to life as students observed in classrooms, discussed facilitation strategies, applied principles of backwards design and analized methods for assessing student engagement and learning.

The month began with focused observations in 果冻传媒 classrooms. 聽Culture of Inquiry students looked for evidence of inquiry-based teaching in Art, Music, Technology and Design, Early Childhood, and Elementary Classrooms. 聽This experience was an opportunity for focused observation of expert practitioners. Taking time to observe and reflect bridged the gap as Culture of Inquiry students prepare inquiry-based lessons for their own classrooms.

The rest of November sessions focused on facilitation, backwards design, and assessment. 聽Students discussed what role culture plays in determining what we value and what we share when it comes to facilitation. 聽They compared different pop-culture icons for great teachers to their own experiences and discussed facilitation strategies outlined by Kimberly Mitchell鈥檚 book Experience Inquiry as well as models from Jeff Marshall and Elena Aguilar. 聽聽聽

Adding another layer, Culture of Inquiry students participated in a science lesson to test structural integrity of different shapes for designing bridge-decks. 聽After building a variety of different models, they defined possible learning outcomes for the experience and used models from McTighe and Wiggins鈥� book Understanding by Design to create recording sheets that helped young students provide evidence of learning. They discussed models for designing learning experiences that promote student engagement and evidence of learning.

November鈥檚 final session focused on assessment. 聽Students shared memories of assessment from their own schooling. 聽They surveyed a variety of student work, formal assessments, and standards. 聽Conversations about these learning artifacts focused on what information each piece of evidence provided, what was missing, and what further questions were brought to mind. 聽Students also discussed diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments and how they can inform teaching practices. Finally, they turned their attention back to culture. Students compared two different middle-school syllabi, each with a different model for how students were assessed. 聽They discussed what each syllabus implied about the values of each class and, by extension, the culture of each school.

Designing a Culture of Inquiry will wrap up with two final sessions focused on helping the students bring our coursework to the classroom. 聽Students will write and refine inquiry-based lesson plans, teach their lessons, and finish with presentations and reflections about the experience.

The post 果冻传媒 Institute: Turning Inquiry into Action appeared first on 果冻传媒.

What is inquiry-based learning?

How can you integrate inquiry in the classroom to spark curiosity and engage students in deeper learning? Students participating in 果冻传媒 Institute鈥檚 Designing a Culture of Inquiry are examining the definitions, theories, and impacts of inquiry as a construct for designing learning experiences. 聽This fall-quarter class for new teachers meets on Thursday evenings in the 果冻传媒 Institute Hub room from 4:30 to 6:30. The course offers both clock hours and credits in partnership with Seattle Pacific University.

The first three weeks of the course consisted of a mix of hands-on experiences and theoretical discussion. 聽Students brought these ideas into their consciousness and their teaching practices between class sessions. In the first week of the course students experienced and discussed the concept of inquiry as a lense for instructional design. 聽The second week shifted focus to school culture. Students discussed elements of culture and explored how different constituencies experience the same culture in different ways. This cultural examination was then applied to the concept of inquiry. 聽Week three focused on questions. Students generated questions and discussed different taxonomies for organizing and prioritizing them.

In the coming weeks, students will put theory to practice as they observe inquiry in action in 果冻传媒 classrooms and design lessons with inquiry at the center of the student experience.

The post 果冻传媒 Institute: Creating a Culture of Inquiry appeared first on 果冻传媒.

鈥� 鈥� 鈥� 鈥�

Envisioning the College for School Culture began all the way back in 2009 as the Board of Trustees created a long term strategic vision for ucds. At that time, the Board was determined to 鈥渓ay the groundwork for an accredited Master Teacher Program.鈥� The initial groundwork was research and mission-making. How can we start a graduate program? Wait, can we start a graduate program? What will it take? Our entire faculty and staff discussed what we believe about learning as adults, our values and aspirations for the program and its purpose, and how to capture the best attributes of learning and teaching at 果冻传媒 in a deep and comprehensive learning experience for educators and educational leaders. We leaned into and evolved our organizational knowledge about adult learning built over decades of engaging in teacher professional development across the country (and world)! We envisioned that our program will be relevant and meaningful because practicing educators will create and teach it. We envisioned that students in our program will learn by doing as they will spend time collaborating in classrooms and schools throughout the program. We examined and learned from other programs around the country that share characteristics with our vision for the program: are located inside a practicing school for children, heavily focus on practice and practicum, and offer students the opportunity to progress through their learning with a cohort of professional colleagues. 聽

For awhile, the program was mostly just that, a vision, an idea. It didn鈥檛 occupy much space. As we started to build the tangibles and we could feel the program taking shape, we needed a way to ensure that we weaved the new program into our existing organizational culture. 果冻传媒 has a culture of collaboration, inquiry, innovation, communication and shared reflection. So, we started conversations and asked questions. In fact, we became the collectors and curators of questions, which grew up everywhere. We formed an advisory committee with people inside and outside of 果冻传媒 who asked hard questions and tried out answers. We formed groups inside 果冻传媒 to build frameworks and systems for continuing design and collaboration. We discovered that we wanted to sustain questions as a building block of the design of the program. Our faculty committee chairs dedicated a committee to facilitate much of this work and keep the dialogue going with the faculty as a whole. We documented our ideas as they took shape in visuals, frameworks and processes so that we could see, share and refine them. We tried out the work by designing some quarter-long courses and invited our first group of students to join us this fall for this experience. We asked the students about their experience throughout the course and reflected on how to shape the course in response. We reflected afterwards on what we learned and how this trying it would shape the work moving forward.

Through all of these iterations, communications, working it out, revising it, asking more questions, wondering aloud, trying again, the program is now occupying space. It鈥檚 becoming real. This work is inspiring, stretching and growing us. This new program is reminding us of the best aspects of our culture and reaffirming our identity as an organization.

The post Growing a New Program inside an Existing Culture appeared first on 果冻传媒.