Jhone Ebert, Nevada's State Superintendent, and Jeanine Collins, Chief Innovation Officer at Ed Extraordinary, join Claire Romzek, Magnet Coordinator at Lied STEM Academy, to discuss the transformative 'Portrait of a Learner.' They delve into community collaboration, emphasizing competency-based education tailored to individual needs. The conversation reveals how industry partnerships and innovative strategies improve student engagement and foster essential life skills. Key insights include the iterative process of creating graduate competencies and the positive cultural changes within schools.
Collaboration among educators, community members, and industry leaders is essential for reshaping Nevada's educational landscape and ensuring alignment with local values.
The Nevada Portrait of a Graduate emphasizes holistic student development by integrating skills for workforce readiness, civic engagement, and personal growth into the curriculum.
Deep dives
The Importance of Collaboration in Education
Collaboration among various stakeholders is crucial in transforming the education system. In Nevada, the initiative to improve education came from engaging community members, higher education, and industry leaders in discussions about necessary changes post-pandemic. By creating the Nevada Future of Learning Network, educators and community partners came together to identify goals and strategies for personalized competency-based learning. This collaborative approach not only encourages community investment but also ensures that the educational framework aligns with the needs and values of the local population.
Building a Portrait of a Graduate
The development of the Nevada Portrait of a Graduate focuses on instilling shared values and essential skills for students' future success. Through extensive community engagement, including interviews, focus groups, and surveys, stakeholders voiced their visions for what students should learn and embody. The portrait emphasizes skills that support workforce readiness, civic engagement, and personal growth, ensuring that students can thrive in various aspects of life beyond academics. This comprehensive approach fosters a holistic development trajectory for students, preparing them for both higher education and the workforce.
Implementing Student-Centric Learning Practices
Innovative instructional practices emerged from the Portrait of a Graduate initiative, encouraging teachers to embrace student-centric methodologies. Schools have reframed STEM education to highlight essential skills such as problem-solving, effective communication, and mental perseverance, which are applicable across all subjects. For instance, educators at Leeds STEM Academy have implemented a bingo card system that rewards students for demonstrating these skills in various settings. This experiential learning fosters not only academic growth but also nurtures a culture of accountability and collaboration among students.
Fostering Joy in Learning and Growth
Creating a positive learning environment where students feel a sense of joy, accountability, and ownership is central to the Nevada education reform. Schools, such as Jerome Mack Middle School, have emphasized the importance of building student identity and pride through their mascot, encouraging students to take responsibility for their educational journey. The implementation of systems designed to recognize and celebrate student achievements has contributed to improving attendance rates and overall engagement. This joyful, student-led approach not only enhances academic performance but also enriches the educational experience, tapping into each student's potential.
In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, we are joined by an inspiring lineup of educational leaders who are at the forefront of transforming Nevada's educational landscape. Our guests are Jhone Ebert, Nevada's State Superintendent, and Jeanine Collins, Chief Innovation Officer at Ed Extraordinary. They discuss their pivotal roles in the creation and implementation of Nevada's State Portrait of a Learner. Alongside them, Brently Garbutt, Principal of Jerome Mack Middle School, and Claire Romzek, Magnet Coordinator at Lied STEM Academy, share firsthand experiences of how this is already reshaping learning environments and empowering students across the state.
The episode dives deep into the contents of Nevada's State Portrait of a Learner, exploring how it serves human values and a sense of belonging within educational systems. Through community collaboration and competency-based learning, the initiative shoots to equip students with essential life skills that extend beyond traditional academic knowledge. Our guests discuss the importance of industry partnerships, the integration of design thinking in school projects, and the transformative impact on school culture and student engagement. This episode is evidence of the power of collective vision and action in creating a more inclusive and future-ready educational system.