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The ALPS Project Zone

It's about providing Scaffolding and Remembering
The Zone of Proximal Development
to Ensure Access for All

ALPS stands for Advanced Learner Programs and Services. Our mission is to support the educational needs of students who are academically gifted, academically highly gifted, and high achievers/ motivated learners. ALPS also works to support Twice Exceptional gifted students with learning challenges. The basic premise of ALPS is that learning happens best when instruction is delivered one level above one's readiness.

Reflecting on 18 years as a classroom teacher in Title 1 schools and a teaching assignment which has included GATE certification training and a role as K-8 advanced learner support for NVUSD, has shown that we have many complex student mystery boxes in our classrooms. Some are easier to differentiate for than others. As teachers we can meet the needs of about 85% of our students. But when we have outliers at either end, we need to be flexible and ‘think outside the box’ to meet their needs. Often what is good for one outlier is good for ALL. If we combine voice and choice with the right amount of scaffolding and offer authentic project-based learning opportunities, we set all learners up for success and inspire ALL students to keep moving forward academically.

The ALPS Project Zone was created to provide scaffolding to our digital immigrant teachers helping them to change their practices, learn new technologies, and become facilitator's of 21st Century learning. It was also designed to support our digital native students by providing scaffolding so that they can move forward at their own pace through the inquiry process.