Williams Inspiration                    Home        Learn More        Standards        Inspiration        About the Author

Why Connected Alt Ed? 

As I transitioned from a traditional middle school in Oakland to an alternative education program in Portland, my teacher tool kit wasn't immediately equipped to handle this shift. Many of the daily challenges faced were different then what had become typical.

Alt Ed Challenges
  • Less than 50% daily attendance as a site 
  • Majority of students enrolled with us had missed much school and therefor had large skill gaps.
  • Students are placed by peer-to-peer dynamics rather than by grade or content knowledge.
  • We enroll students through the entire school year which means during a typical month we will have several new students join our classes. 

As we prepared for the 2017-18 school year, our site transitioned to a Project-Based Learning model that incorporated integrating subject areas. Our process grew organically, but the infographic above highlights our progression towards our end product. Throughout the year, we developed 4 units within our co-taught teams, presented them to cohorts and revised as needed between cycles. 
To read more about my journey through Touro's Innovative Learning program as well as the daily joys and struggles of a teacher in an alt ed environment, click on blogs!
Picture
Research
Picture
Design Process
Picture
Support and Next Steps