ST1.3

Strengths

At Lincoln Elementary School, students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning. Teachers and faculty members work together to empower students with self-directed learning experiences that enable them to achieve at the highest level. As a Leader In Me School, students track their data, set goals, and evaluate their performance both academically and through STEAM learning. The driving force behind students’ self-directed learning is choice - students are empowered to be owners and managers of their STEAM learning experiences and processes. Students are personalizing their own learning through passion projects by solving authentic and relevant problems through STEAM integration. They are able to draw on their own social, cultural, and personal experiences. The teacher acts as a facilitator and encourages the students to find creative approaches. Our commitment to the innovator’s mindset has given us a gateway to tap into talents students were unaware they had and has opened doors to their future they were unaware existed. There are multiple pathways to learning the content that has always been taught. The focus on innovation has changed the way students view subjects such as math and science. It has also shown students that these areas are for everyone. As a school, we recognize the positive effect our commitment has had on engagement as student discipline has decreased significantly.

Weaknesses/Challenges

Our area in need of improvement is the consistent, ongoing evaluation of self learning. Students share their learning with stakeholders and are evaluated through rubrics, however vertical evaluation processes across projects is an area where students could gain a deeper perspective of their performance.

Action to Sustain Strengths/Action to Address Weaknesses

In order to sustain strengths, teachers at LES will continue to embed these opportunities in daily instruction. Ongoing professional development will support the growth of our teachers which will come in the form of whole group, small group, and 1:1 sessions.

In an effort to overcome our challenges, we must develop students metacognition abilities. Students need to understand themselves as learners. In order to understand their needs as self-directed learners, they must be able to engage in self-reflection and self-evaluation of their learning goals. By reflecting vertically from project to project, students can see their growth and the evolution of performance indicators.