Many Ways to Learn
The SAIL course is designed so that the teacher learning experience mirrors the experiences of students learning formative assessment. During the course, teachers will experience continuous learning cycles consisting of new content, the application of formative assessment skills in the classroom, community of practice meetings, and self-reflection on progress.
Student Agency in Learning (SAIL) is a professional learning experience for teachers and leaders that uses a blended learning approach, combining digital content with classroom application, self-reflection and face-to-face collaboration over the course of eight months. Designed to create communities of learners (teachers and leaders), SAIL will transform teaching and learning in a classroom, school or district.
Professional Learning Elements
Teachers engage in many different types of learning activities in order to support their inquiry processes. The following five professional learning elements provide continuous, diverse learning cycles for teachers.
Online modules. New content is provided through six online modules that use a variety of modalities and resources to deepen educators’ understanding of formative assessment.
Application activities. Each module requires that teachers engage in applying key concepts from the course in their classroom. These application activities help bridge the gap between understanding formative assessment as a concept and using it as part of a daily instructional practice.
Site-based leadership support. School leaders play an important role in the successful implementation of the formative assessment process. Therefore, SAIL leaders participate in a leadership network to consider implementation challenges and strategies to support teacher learning.
Video study groups. This professional learning model uses an inquiry cycle whereby teachers implement new instructional practices and receive feedback from peers based on their videos of classroom practice.
Community of practice. These are meetings based on specific structures focused on developing a shared understanding. They prioritize reflection, analysis of practice, and new ways to understand formative assessment.
Sample Materials
Course Outline
The SAIL course outline identifies key teacher learning outcomes for each of the six course modules.
Graphic Organizer
Each SAIL module consists of a variety of activities that support a variety of learning modalities each week. Checkout the Graphic Organizer for Module 4 below.
Interested in bringing SAIL to your district?
To find out more about bringing this transformative professional learning and other related services to your district, contact us below.
You may also email Nancy Gerzon at [email protected]
or Bob Montgomery at [email protected].