Starting in 2024, League and Global Cities Education Network (GCEN) members embarked on international learning opportunities around two key topics: whole child development and the future of tech-enabled learning. Explore the topics below.
The Whole Child Development Implementation Cohort consists of ten school districts and jurisdictions from the United States and Canada across the League and GCEN networks. These members are provided with practical strategies and solutions to help them transform education to meet the needs not only of future learners, but of their current learners who are struggling with a sense of belonging, fewer opportunities that address their learning variability, and the lasting academic and mental health effects of the pandemic.
Expert facilitators help cohort members to exchange ideas and collaboratively transform promising practices into policy and practice. The professional learning experiences – including training workshops, case studies, and an international study tour to Helsinki, Finland – are co-designed with participants and partners to ensure we are meeting the needs of all implementation cohort members.
The Whole Child implementation cohort was designed as an 18-month engagement. During this time, participating members will meet regularly with each other and Digital Promise staff to engage in a collaborative learning experience.
Consultation on the Learner Variability Navigator and professional learning resources with Jessica Jackson, director of professional learning.
“Setting the Context for Finland” webinar with Pasi Sahlberg, Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Melbourne, Australia. See recording here.
International study tour to Helsinki, Finland.
Finland debrief webinar with Pasi Sahlberg, Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and peer sharing.
Learner Variability & The Navigator Workshop: A “train-the-trainer approach” to highlighting the key research findings on learner variability, why a whole child approach matters especially for neurodiverse students, and the Learner Variability Navigator (LVN) research-based tool.
Designing for the Whole Learner Workshop: A strength-based approach to instructional systems like MTSS and the IEP process. Look at strength-based learning research, discuss the shifts in mindsets and practices this requires, and practice the three key skills educators and leaders need to master to create strength-based systems.
Leveraging Technology for Whole Child Development and Social Emotional Learning: One hour joint webinar with the Future of Tech-Enabled Learning Implementation Cohort. Details to come.
Student Well-Being and Social Media: One hour joint webinar with the Future of Tech-Enabled Learning Implementation Cohort. Details to come.
Teaching Students about Learner Variability: The more students understand themselves as learners the better they can navigate the learning process and advocate for their needs. This is critical for classrooms that want to leverage technology for more personalized learning. In this 90 minute workshop, we’ll look at how to teach students about learner variability, explore sample lesson plans, and use the Learner Variability Navigator to identify ways to support personalized learning.
Peer sharing and check-in on action plans.
Off for summer vacation.
Training sessions with CAST on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Details to come.
Additional webinars to be determined based on progress on action plans and/or member needs.
Hosted and designed by Ceibal and Digital Promise, the Future of Tech-Enabled Learning Implementation Cohort focuses on effective global practices to transform education using new technologies and pedagogical practices. In addition to members of the League and GCEN, this learning opportunity will bring together teams from Uruguay as well as partners of Digital Promise and Ceibal across Latin America, including from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Honduras.
Content and training will be provided around multiple themes to be decided collaboratively with participating members. Potential themes include:
Cohort Learning Model
The Future of Tech-Enabled Learning implementation cohort was designed as an 18-month engagement. Now underway, participating members meet regularly with each other and Digital Promise staff to engage in a collaborative learning experience. Learning opportunities for participants include:
To guide their learning, teams will focus on a specific problem of practice and will receive guidance in designing a plan for adapting and piloting best practice to address it.
Digital Promise and Ceibal will lead an ongoing, online learning series designed to assist participants in addressing challenges they face in their everyday work. The series will feature strategies, exemplars, and expert perspectives from the United States, Canada, Latin America, and more.
In May of 2025, Ceibal will host an in-person symposium for all participants. During this event, participants will attend school site visits and join in facilitated activities to refine their action plans and learn about new practices.
Participants will gain access to related documentation and dissemination of
lessons learned.
To guide their learning, teams will focus on a specific problem of practice and will receive guidance in designing a plan for adapting and piloting best practice to address it.
Digital Promise and Ceibal will lead an ongoing, online learning series designed to assist participants in addressing challenges they face in their everyday work. The series will feature strategies, exemplars, and expert perspectives from the United States, Canada, Latin America, and more.
In May of 2025, Ceibal will host an in-person symposium for all participants. During this event, participants will attend school site visits and join in facilitated activities to refine their action plans and learn about new practices.
Participants will gain access to related documentation and dissemination of
lessons learned.
Professional development webinars and virtual meetings exploring the following topics:
In-person study tour to Montevideo, Uruguay.
Participating implementation cohort members implement best practices.
Evaluation and sharing of results, including lessons learned and strategies implemented.
League of Innovative Schools