This blog is our culminating project for the 21st Century Learning Institute. As you can see, we took the website we created for entry into the institute, and turned it into a living, breathing tool to highlight our journey from the summer to now. We wanted to make this website a viable place for us to document our work and share it with our community. A link to the website is posted on our school website: www.comstockmiddleschool.weebly.com. Our families, alumni, students and community can come here as we will continue to update our progress.
We have come very far this year, farther than we could have imagined when we started the institute in June, 2013 We have full implementation of Google Apps in English classes. All of our math classes are employing a blended learning model. Social studies is developing project based learning. We have progressed in our Maker program and won our first award in many years: SSU's Jack London Award for our Maker camp and elective. We also partnered with the SRJC's MESA group holding an elective this year that we will continue to develop.
We have used the book "The Leader's Guide to 21st Century Education" as a reference throughout the year. We adopted our vision at the institute; we were easily able to build consensus with our small and nimble staff. Aligning our systems has been our challenge as people are at different starting points and our tech and training structures are being reworked. Building professional capacity is on-going and we use our funds the best we can so that everyone is supported. Consistent improvement and innovation is a given at Comstock: we are amazed by the creativity here. Focusing our curriculum and assessment is our biggest challenge since so many new initiatives are in place and time is limited. We will continue to plug away.
Now, take a look at our journey (look from the bottom to the top) click on PREVIOUS to start the journey from the institute to today. I hope you agree that we have been moving forward. We will continue to do our best to help our students meet the demands of this new century.
Thanks for all your support!
Laura, Sasha, Jonathan, Kasia and Steve
We have come very far this year, farther than we could have imagined when we started the institute in June, 2013 We have full implementation of Google Apps in English classes. All of our math classes are employing a blended learning model. Social studies is developing project based learning. We have progressed in our Maker program and won our first award in many years: SSU's Jack London Award for our Maker camp and elective. We also partnered with the SRJC's MESA group holding an elective this year that we will continue to develop.
We have used the book "The Leader's Guide to 21st Century Education" as a reference throughout the year. We adopted our vision at the institute; we were easily able to build consensus with our small and nimble staff. Aligning our systems has been our challenge as people are at different starting points and our tech and training structures are being reworked. Building professional capacity is on-going and we use our funds the best we can so that everyone is supported. Consistent improvement and innovation is a given at Comstock: we are amazed by the creativity here. Focusing our curriculum and assessment is our biggest challenge since so many new initiatives are in place and time is limited. We will continue to plug away.
Now, take a look at our journey (look from the bottom to the top) click on PREVIOUS to start the journey from the institute to today. I hope you agree that we have been moving forward. We will continue to do our best to help our students meet the demands of this new century.
Thanks for all your support!
Laura, Sasha, Jonathan, Kasia and Steve