PBL / Linked Learning News @ SDUSD

Welcome to the second quarterly PBL / Linked Learning Newsletter for San Diego Unified. After the PBL/ Linked Learning Institute this summer, we asked how we, the Office of Secondary Schools and CCTE, could better support you over the course of the year. One of your suggestions was to keep the information flowing, including resources, conferences, and professional development opportunities, and to confirm dates for events, such as the Linked Learning Institute 2017 (which will be held 6/19-6/30 2017).

In this newsletter you will find:

- Upcoming Events & Relevant Resources

- News on PBL / LL around the district

If you'd like to make a suggestion, would like submit something for a future newsletter, or would like to be removed from the list of recipients, please contact Liz Perry, San Diego Unified PBL/ Linked Learning Resource Teacher, at eperry2@sandi.net.

PBL Institute - Don’t forget! The PBL Institute 2017 runs from 6/19-6/30. Whether your new to PBL or a veteran, you don’t want to miss out. Whatever your starting point, there are some great new features of the Institute that will help you deepen your practice and streamline the process of project design.

What can you expect? The Institute will provide you with the time, materials, and support to fully develop an integrated and rigorous project. In addition to some of the highlights from last year, like the job shadow experience, this year we have some exciting new features, including:

• A design thinking workshop aboard the USS Midway
  
• Differentiation of experience for teams new to PBL and for veterans
  
• The option to participate in a Community Of Practice (COP) for designated lead teachers or teachers who want to lead the work.
  
• A new rubric, glossary and project template that streamline the process.
  
• Involvement of SDUSD students with knowledge of how PBL works!

For more information or to sign up yourself and/or team, please contact Liz Perry at eperry2@sandi.net

The CCTE Showcase will be held this year on 5/24 from 4-6:30 in Liberty Station (2600 Laning Rd). This is a great opportunity for students to showcase their hard work real-world projects and solutions. For more information, contact Lance Larson at llarson@sandi.net

The final STEAM Leadership series event this year (June 1) will be aboard the Midway and focus on the Blue Economy. The event will feature speakers and exhibits that highlight new developments and technologies and the diversity of jobs in the maritime industries. It’s going to be super cool! Space is limited. For more information on how to get your students involved, reach out to Michael Goodbody at mgoodbody@sandi.net

UCSD’s Department of Education Studies and CREATE are hosting their fourth annual Teaching & Learning Conference for P-16 educators on Saturday, March 11, 2017, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., UC San Diego. Visit their website for a list of this year’s conference presentations and workshops. To register: https://ucsdbreakthrough17.eventbrite.com.

From March 5-7th various CTE teachers and teams from SDUSD will be attending the Educating for Careers Conference in Sacramento. Are you going or do you want to know more about what SDUSD teachers are learning while they are there? Use (or follow) the hashtag #EFC2017SD for live updates from the conference.

From Jan 23-25th, various SDUSD teachers traveled to the Linked Learning Alliance Convention in Oakland, California, including teachers from Kearny, Hoover, Serra & Clairemont. The convention featured speakers and presenters from all over the United States learning about and engaging in the Linked Learning model. You can access the slides to ALL presentations from the conference at http://www.linkedlearning.org/convention-2017/ The two presentations from SDUSD employees included:

1. PD to Develop Integrated Team Teaching & Project Based Learning

2. Partnering with Business to Unlock Student Genius.

Keep your eyes peeled for info on the Linked Learning Convention 2018 and consider attending or even presenting on the great work being done at your site!

(Below L to R): Lance Larson, CCTE; Michael Pedersen, Serra; Genevieve Clark, OSS; Pat Hornbrook, Clairemont. Photo Credit: Linked Learning Alliance

Clairemont High School hosted two incredible events in February with the generous support of ConnectED, the Moxie Foundation, and the STEAM Leadership Series. On February 15th, Clairemont High School received around 80 visitors participating in a Linked Learning Experiential Site Visit. Visitors participated in classroom tours, revisited the core concepts of the Linked Learning model, learned about the transition of Clairemont HS to a wall-to-wall Linked Learning school, and heard from a panel of teachers and administrators about what it looked and felt like on the ground. It was a great day of sharing and showcasing the hard work of all involved. If you are interested in participating in a Linked Learning Experiential Site Visit, you can check out upcoming events: http://www.connectedcalifornia.org/ideas_resources/events_for_the_field

Then, on Feb. 16th, the school hosted an all-day STEAM Leadership event on gaming called GAME DAY. In reality, it was like a full blown conference for kids with incredible speakers and breakout sessions on a variety of topics related to gaming, such as: Virtual Reality, animation, entrepreneurship, programing, game design, etc. Check out the website created for the event for more details: http://www.steamleadership.com/gameday/ If you’re interested in upcoming STEAM events or in learning more about Linked Learning, demonstration sites, or district support for PBL / Linked Learning, contact Liz Perry at eperry2@sandi.net.

Did you know that the Linked Learning Alliance has an easy to use online tool to get certification for your Linked Learning pathways? According to the LLA Certifcation page: “Linked Learning certification helps you improve your pathway over time, unlocks benefits for your students, and gives you the recognition.” Even if you are not a Linked Learning school or in a Linked Learning pathway, consider checking out the site to review some of the requirements of what gets a pathway certified as Candidate, Silver or Gold. If you are in a Linked Learning school or pathway, consider putting in your information and using the tool to track and to be recognized for your progress.

https://certification.linkedlearning.org/

Ed Hidalgo, Director of the World of Work Initiative at USD and a stellar leader in the SD education community, shared this interesting article on apprenticeships! Interested? Take a look. What role do you think apprenticeships will play in the future? http://www.citylab.com/work/2017/02/why-apprenticeships-are-taking-off/514977/

Email: eperry2@sandi.net
Phone: 210-843-3506