21st Century Skills & Meeting Them Where They’re at

Today you’ll hear from Lauren and Ria about how they appreciate getting to learn in a variety of ways.

What you won’t see is that as soon as we turned the camera off there were hugs and high fives of excitement from our students running the camera and helping with cue cards.

What you also won’t see is that the students doing the recording and helping with the cue cards are older and have recorded live videos, tutorials, and even a mini-documentary to near perfection. They weren’t congratulating Lauren & Ria on a recording that neared the caliber of theirs but rather the fact that they knew that it was Lauren & Ria’s first time ever recording a vlog and that this was an accomplishment FOR THEM!

We always talk about how we can actually differentiate for our students. What’s “good” for one, doesn’t have to be “good” for another. An “A” for one, doesn’t have to equal an “A” for another. What works for them one time, doesn’t have to work for them the next.

What it does mean is that we expect each of our students to move and grow at their own pace. Which means that they feel comfortable taking risks (like putting yourself out there and recording your ideas to share with the world) and that is easier knowing that everyone at Indi-ED respects differences and supports one another. Academically, socially, and personally.

We wouldn’t expect Lauren or Ria to nail their first vlog without spending some time preparing and writing cue cards. (It was actually their idea to do so so of course we encouraged because discussion, written practice, and rehearsal not only prepares them for this vlog but also reviews the content they’ve been learning.) Similarly, we wouldn’t expect the two behind the scenes, to require that Mrs. Laurenzi be on camera with them for moral support. Or maybe they would, and we’re happy to oblige there too.

The hours that these girls put into collaborating and rehearsing to create a succinct message knowing that their ideas would be shared is something for them to be proud of. The fact that they’re chomping at the bit to make it better and do it again is a result of creating a culture that supports constant improvement. Content, 21st century skills, and no test necessary. Great job ladies!