Getting personal with the Design Fellows

What do you get when you put together a group of 57 talented, inquisitive, and passionate educators from Virginia Beach? The 2015-2016 Design Fellows.

In the spring of 2015, Dr. Spence announced a very special learning and leadership opportunity in support of Compass to 2020: a call for teachers to serve as design fellows. Those selected would be at the forefront of the division’s focus on personalized learning. It was a competitive selection process with over 100 teachers applying for this unique opportunity. This speaks to the talent, passion, and commitment of educators in Virginia Beach! A total of 57 teachers and specialists were selected as design fellows and are empowered with helping the division to exemplify what personalized learning looks like in the classroom.

Design-Fellows-2-1c602meDesign fellows began their experience this summer by gaining foundational knowledge about personalized learning. This included delving into VBCPS’s working definition.  Next, each design fellow identified the first challenge of implementing personalized learning in his or her classroom. Using principles of design thinking, they worked together to generate creative solutions. As a result, they truly emerged as makers and risk takers.

20151015_084102_resizedDesign fellows are currently working to identify various practices that align with personalized learning including: goal setting, student voice and choice, and self-reflection (just to name of few).

Through quarterly meetings, this group of teacher leaders work intensely to reflect on their progress. Their work is guided by the following questions:
◾What does personalized learning look like in the classroom?
◾How can I show others what personalized learning is?
◾What do other teacher need to know and do to successfully implement personalized learning?

Affinity MappingThe Office of Professional Growth and Innovation is partnering with the design fellows throughout the upcoming year to provide “personalized” job-embedded support. Follow the work of the design fellows on the PGI blog for a special series of blog posts beginning on Oct. 27. Staff is also invited to join the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #vbplearn.

Stay tuned.

2015-2016 Design Fellows

 Megan Bailey, Trantwood Elementary

Megan Bishop, Green Run High

Suzanne Buhner, John B. Dey Elementary

Michelle Burton, Point O’ View Elementary

Barbara Butler, Corporate Landing Middle

Kim Cabotaje, Landstown Elementary

James Carroll, Renaissance Academy

Allison Castle, Great Neck Middle

Katie Catania, Strawbridge Elementary

Sidney Delepine, Tech and Career Ed Center

Allison Dickens, Linkhorn Park Elementary

Patricia Downing, Landstown High

Jenna Filipowicz, Kempsville High

Jenna Free, Tallwood High

Christopher Freeman, Kellam High

Amy Furlich, Corporate Landing Elementary

Pamela Gaut, Bayside Elementary

Lyndsay Hamby, Princess Anne Middle

Amy Hardwick, Pembroke Meadows Elementary

Jennifer Harrell, Landstown MS

Adrian Hayes, Kemps Landing/Old Donation Center

Deana Hubbell, Windsor Oaks Elementary

Tasha Hurst, Ocean Lakes High

Lisa Inman, Christopher Farms Elementary

Ashley Karunaratne, Green Run High

Jennifer Kelly, First Colonial High

Leanna Landry, Tallwood Elementary

Laura Lawver, Cooke Elementary

Mary Malone-Brown, Tallwood Elementary

Sara Mendez, Salem Middle

Shakeena Misfeldt, Independence Middle

Jason Niehoff, Kingston Elementary

Anthony Nobles, Plaza Middle

Gregory Nottingham, Renaissance Academy

Courtney Pace, Kellam High

Kelly Padilla, Linkhorn Park Elementary

Lisa Powers, Princess Anne Elementary

Winfred Ridley, Bayside High

Debbie Robertson, First Colonial High

Patricia Rogerson, Salem Middle

Bryan Rudolph, Frank W. Cox High

Valorie Sankey, Kempsville Meadows Elementary

Debbie Seth, New Castle Elementary

Constance Solheim, Princess Anne Middle

Michelle Sturgis, Salem High

Melissa Sullivan, First Colonial High

John Sutton III, First Colonial High

Diane Tarkenton, Landstown Middle

Lori Todd, Kempsville High

Carolyn Turner, Great Neck Middle

Kelly Turner, Kellam High

Camilla Walck, Princess Anne High

Bradley Ward, Rosemont Forest Elementary

Katie Warnock, Princess Anne Middle

Charlene Widel-Pembroke Meadows Elementary

Leslie Wildman-Alanton Elementary

Stephanie Wyman- Woodstock Elementary

 

 

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One thought on “Getting personal with the Design Fellows

  1. I have been so impressed with the knowledge and enthusiasm of this group of professional educators. Their passion for students and for ensuring they continue to grow as teachers is a testament to each one. They are undaunted by the challenge of imagining the components of personalized learning; instead, they attack the work in a truly collaborative environment.

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