A New Year - Part 2
Reflections on 2023
Greetings WOL Friends,
This is a continued reflection on some of our thoughts before we headed to our winter break. It’s part of our process to continue to learn from what we face each day as we work with schools and districts.
I am proud of our team who made amazing things happen when schools and districts struggled to find a teacher in World Languages, our typical Calculus and Chemistry, and new to us, Library and STEM! (We love to talk about how to solve problems.)
We also added a Full-Time program for K - 12 students for our IU8 districts.
Here are a few reflections that give some insight into the work we do and how we think about that work:
Lauren McMinn
I learned this year that relationships in education are essential.
Our relationships with partner districts as well as the relationships between our instructors and the learners are the most valuable assets that we have at the World of Learning. The time and resources invested into those relationships make anything possible!
Spending time this summer diving into cognitive load theory taught me that students are also building relationships with new material, transforming and growing with each subject they study with us. The relationships between the students’ webs of knowledge and our learning community have many parallels.
The most important work we do centers around strengthening those ties.
What is the most important work you do?
Melissa Henderson
In my new role supporting teachers and students at Extended Campus, I've been learning a lot about what helps online students succeed.
We've been working on putting supports in place to help our students so that they can take ownership of their learning, and it's been really rewarding to see the positive impact.
It's made me even more confident that what we do every day really matters in shaping the educational experience for each student.
What are you and your colleagues doing to support students?
We look forward to hearing from you in the new year. As you plan for 24 - 25 keep our catalog of courses and resources close by. We are here to help.
Happy New Year,
Pat