Personalized Learning Environments Program

To deepen PLE Educators understanding and usage of innovative instructional technology strategies in order to enable personalized learning and deeper learning (in literacy instruction). The PLE Program brings PLE Educators together throughout the school year to share, create and explore resources that support personalized learning design and implementation and access research to:

• Connect PLE mindsets to Deeper Learning core instructional priorities in Literacy

• Build capacity within school sites beyond PLE teachers

• Create a SFUSD video library of literacy video examples from PLE  teachers using Gholdy Muhammad’s humanizing pedagogy HRL framework to 

  • Capture and share examples/best practices within and across schools sites

  • Capture and share examples/best instructional practices for technology integration 

  • Capture and share strategies that allow educators to engage in the Deeper Learning framework and SFUSD Core priorities.

 Our cohort of K-5 Personalized Learning Environment Schools seeks to create models for technology-enabled, personalized learning environments that transform student learning across SFUSD  that will benefit our African American/focal students and can eventually be scaled districtwide so that each and every SFUSD student can achieve the competencies of the Graduate Profile.

• To deepen understanding of innovative and effective teaching strategies for technology-enabled personalized learning, deeper learning and the graduate profile.
• To share examples and build capacity for technology-enabled learning within and across school sites.
• To explore  the implementation of practices learning in the PLE PD and study the relationship between implementing PLE practices and student growth in literacy.

The Personalized Learning Environments Program started as a pilot program in 2018 with a cohort of 14 elementary schools and 48 teachers. Now entering our fifth year, we are continuing to add schools, teachers, literacy coaches, IRFs (Instructional Reform Facilitators), administrators to the program each year. Each school has a Digital Learning Cohort partner as a coach to better enable deeper learning using technology. 

Implementation

If we... create the conditions and culture to empower educators as designers of technology-enabled personalized learning environments

Immediate Impact

Then.. educators will frequently implement lessons designed with personalized learning guiding principles

Short-term Impact

Thereby... changing conditions for learning and shifting mindsets of educators and students through reflective practice

Medium-term Impact

So that... educators and students have increased agency and ownership in their teaching & learning

Longer-term Impact

So that ultimately... every day we provide each and every student the quality instruction and equitable support required to thrive in the 21st century.

Upon completion of deliverables listed below, Certificated  Educators will receive $1000 stipend

• Meetings -Teachers can attend meetings live or watch meeting videos asynchronously.  Professional learning from the meetings will be demonstrated through completion of the artifact (video or slide.) 

  • 4 x Meetings for Teachers: October, December, February, April (90 minutes each) 

    • Alternate months - check-in with DLE Cohort Partners and Site Lead (Minimum 3x, more if wanted)
• At least 2 PLE Design Cycles (Dec. and Apr.)
  •  unit/lesson plan 
    • highlighting tech-integration with deeper learning
  • accompanying artifact(video recording, images or student work examples) highlighting tech-integration with literacy instruction
    • Virtual Peer Observation: 
      • Share at least 2 recorded classroom videos( one including the use of technology and one without technology)  with grade level colleagues to showcase best practices around the impact of technology integration in literacy instruction 
  •  Self reflection, Student Story & Reflection Artifacts:
    • Contribute written or video recorded teacher reflection to highlight a teaching practice and student impact story connected to Deeper Learning core instructional priorities.
• Interview with researcher 

Please Note: Digital Learning Team Cohort Support partners will be available to support you in this work.

Upon completion of deliverables listed below , PLE Site Lead Assignments will receive $1000 stipend.

• Co Facilitate 1 site pd 
  • Plan and Facilitate at least one site pd around PLE practices/technology Integration and highlight how there are connected to school site priorities 
• Lead at least 3 PLE site team meetings 
  • Plan and Facilitate at least three PLE site team meetings around Technology integration/PLE practices and highlight how there are connected to school site priorities
• Interview with researcher 

Please note: A PLE Educator can also be a Site Lead, they will have to complete the deliverables for both to receive compensation and Digital Learning Team Cohort Support partners will be available to support you in this work.

Our ask is that PLE Administrators (Site Admin who have PLE Educators/Site Leads)

• Review PLE Monthly Newsletters to stay up-to date with PLE Happenings throughout the school year 
• 2 x Meetings for Admins: 1:1 check-in with DLE Cohort Partners and Site Lead  - Sep/Oct and Feb/Mar (more if wanted) -- Principal, AP 
• Support and co- facilitate with PLE site lead to provide on site pd/planning
  •  Plan and Facilitate at least one site pd around PLE practices and highlight how there are connected to school site priorities
  • Highlighting how they are embedding tech integration into coaching cycles 
• Participate in PLE Research
  • Participate in our Stanford research partnership by responding to a survey

Please Note: Digital Learning Team Cohort Support partners will be available to support you in this work.

Since the beginning of the PLE program in 2018, we have been researching and documenting our work through a partnership with Stanford. To continue the research we need everyones participation. 

This year we are asking  

• All  PLE participants to participate in our Stanford research partnership by responding to at least 2 surveys 

Additional Research Interview 

• Teachers may participate in an additional research interview with Stanford researchers for an additional stipend of $140.

Literacy Coaches 

• Last year we invited literacy coaches to participate in our PLE research meetings  to advise us on analyzing teacher growth in using digital tools for literacy instruction.  We will be reaching out PLE Sites in the next weeks to see if their Literacy coach would be interested in participating this year. If you are interested a Literacy Coach and are interested in participating please Email Devalin Jackson, PLE Program Lead at jacksond1@sfusd.edu for more details.  (Lit Coach Stipend: $1000)

• To learn more about that partnership and recent publications please check out these resources 

  • Personalized Learning Environments (PLE) Research Project

  • SFUSD Personalized Learning Environments Pilot: Lessons from a Year of Distance and Hybrid Learning, 2020-2021

  • Lessons from Teachers’, Students’ and Families’ Experiences with Distance Learning in SFUSD’s Personalized Learning Environments Pilot

  • PLE Project Summary of Preliminary Results  June 2022

Meeting #1 Objectives:

• Explore the interrelatedness of the Deeper Learning Framework and the Personalized Learning Environments Program  
• Understand the scope of the PLE program, research and next steps 
• Collaborate and share ideas with fellow PLE Educators 
• Develop strategies to bring PLE practices into your classroom/school site.
• Connect with school site/cohort PLE team to foster site capacity around PLE practices

Slidedeck

Recording

Meeting #2 Objectives 

• Explore and make meaning around empathy interviews to be able to inform teaching practices 
• Understand how digital learning resources can support a learning environment that honors the student experience
• Collaborate and Connect with grade level/ job alike educators to foster alignment across sites around PLE practices
• Develop resources to bring PLE practices into your classroom/school site.

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Recording

Meeting # 3 Objectives: 

• Explore digital learning resources to use in your classroom/school site.
• Collaborate and Connect with grade level/ job alike educators to foster alignment across sites around PLE practices
• Develop understanding on how digital learning resources can support a learning environment that honors the student experience

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Recording

Coming Soon !

Objectives:

Explore the Deeper Learning framework with a focus on Equitable Access & Demand strategies.

Collaborate and share ideas with grade level colleagues.

Understand the scope of the PLE program, research and next steps for teacher deliverables

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Recording

Objectives:

Explore the Deeper Learning framework with a focus on Assessment for Learning strategies.

Collaborate and share ideas with grade level colleagues.

Understand the next steps for teacher PLE deliverables.

Slide Deck

Recording

Objectives:

Explore the Deeper Learning framework with a focus on Collaboration strategies.

Collaborate and share ideas with grade level colleagues.

Understand the next steps for teacher PLE deliverables.

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Recording

Objectives:

Explore the Deeper Learning framework with a focus on Inquiry strategies.

Collaborate and share ideas with grade level colleagues.

Understand the next steps for teacher PLE deliverables.

Slide Deck 

Recording

Deeper Learning Bonanza- A view from 5th grade

PLE Site Lead Showcase Slide Deck 

PLE Educators Artifact Slide Deck

Objectives:

Share successes and challenges in distance learning 

Brainstorm ideas for enhancing Seesaw math activities to use in your classroom

Discuss strategies for assessment and feedback

Understand action items and next steps for PLE deliverables

Slide Deck

Objectives:

Brainstorm ways to increase student engagement and feedback

Discuss strategies for making thinking visible

Understand action items and next steps for PLE deliverables

Slide Deck

Objectives:

Reflect on other teacher’s classroom examples

Discuss takeaways from peer observations

Share ideas for hybrid learning and return to school

Slide Deck

Recording

Seesaw Activities Shared by PLE Teachers