Meeting Pattern

Online/Google Classroom

Description

Curious about personalized learning but not sure where to start on your own? This course applies the six key elements of personalized, competency-based learning to real ND classrooms, helping you design one small, meaningful change for your own context. No district-wide mandate required. Fully self-paced and built for teachers, coaches, counselors, and district leaders alike.

Syllabus, Objectives, and Outcomes

Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain personalized, competency-based learning using a framework and distinguish it from related practices such as differentiation, self-paced learning, or simply offering choices.
• Analyze a learning environment using the six key elements of personalized, competency-based learning to identify current strengths and opportunities for growth.
• Connect learning to mastery by explaining how competencies, prioritized standards, proficiency criteria, evidence, and learner progression work together.
• Design a learner-centered shift: one realistic change that increases learner agency, relevance, meaningful demonstration of learning, or support.
• Reflect on and revise a proposed change using feedback, demonstrating the same evidence-based improvement cycle the course teaches.

Topical Outline:

Module 1 (WHY): Why Personalized, Competency-Based Learning? (2 hrs.): the purpose of PCBL, the shift from time-based to demonstrated learning, participants' own "why".

Module 2 (NOTICE): The Six Elements in Practice (3 hrs.): recognizing and self-assessing against Learner Agency, Learner Supports, Relationships, Relevant Learning Opportunities, Demonstration of Learning, and Continuum of Learning, using ND examples (Northern Cass, Empower[Ed], etc.)

Module 3 (DESIGN): From Standards to Mastery (3 hrs.): competencies, prioritized standards, and proficiency criteria; redesigning one assessment or learning target.

Module 4 (CONNECT): Relevant Learning Beyond the Classroom (3 hrs.): community asset mapping, ND's Learn Everywhere policy, designing one authentic/community-connected learning experience.

Module 5 (ACT): Start Small and Build (4 hrs.): choosing one implementation entry point and building a 30-day action plan with evidence and learner-voice checkpoints.

Required Student Resources:

• Computer & internet access