Planning. Easily one of the things I most enjoy about being an educator, particularly since swapping out “lesson planning” for planning “experiences.” Isn’t that what we really want? For learning to be an experience that is captivating; that stirs us emotionally? In our personalized learning classroom, there are two types of experiences: a Huddle Experience and a Pathway. The Huddle Experience involves the entire class and is used as a mechanism to build community, foster a deepening self-awareness and act as a jumping off point. It’s our chance to celebrate learning…together.
Pathways. Somehow inherently different from those differentiated tasks one finds on a “menu board.” I am always on the lookout for pathways, whether already fully formed or a seed just begging to be nurtured to it’s full potential.
A closer look:
Fully formed Pathways
- Edublog Student Blogging Challenge
- Slice of Life Challenge
- March Book Madness
- Mock Newbery Club
- Storium
- Booktalks
- BookClubs
Then there are the Pathways that are still in their infancy stage:
- Connections
- Summer Slide Program
- Book Challenges
- Lagniappes
Here’s a secret: Designing pathways both enriches the life of the designer and those fortunate enough to engage in the experience. The cherry on top? All of them, every single one of them, is rooted in the Common Core Standards.
Pathways. Beautiful Pathways.
I need to look closer at those links you provided us – but I love the nomenclature of “experiences” and “pathways” versus lessons!
I am wondering about the intersect between pathways as you describe them and project based learning.