FM Update, 30 September 2023

An item for my Kiwi readers as they begin their week (and note this was actually received late last week, but I didn’t want to share it over the weekend in case it might be missed).

FutureMakers Newsletter 30 September 2023 In the coming week I’m looking forward to meeting up with hundreds of NZ Educators at the ULearn conference being held in Manukau – the first time in person since 2019! It’s also the celebration of 20 years since the founding of CORE Education, so a double reason to be looking forward to being there. I’ve included some links in this newsletter relating to thinking about assessment, and how we collect and report on information about student learning – I hope you’ll find them helpful. In this newsletter… Engagement Sliders Learner Profile Starter Kit Next Gen Credentials Blueprint for Microcredentials Aurora Institute Symposium Engagement Sliders Ever wondered about how engaged your learners really are, but not sure about how to guage their interest? Te Kete Hono have just released their Sliders App, a great self-assessment tool that provides understanding about learner engagement, allowing you to adjust your approach to meet individual or group needs as identified in the feedback. It’s wonderfully easy to use and the feedback from schools who have been using it in the pilot stage has been really encouraging. Learner Profile Starter Kit Digital learner profiles are a promising step towards a fairer, more expansive and richer method of evidencing learning. Lots of schools in NZ are working with graduate profiles to provide a more holistic picture of a student’s achievement over time. Maintaining student learner profiles is already national policy in Australia, and becoming widespread in the USA through initiatives such as the Mastery Transcript and Big Picture Learning credential. The team at RethinkingAssessment have recently released their  Learner Profile Starter Kit – an introductory range of tools and resources for teachers developed through their first pilots of their Learner Profile Framework. Next Gen Credentials The new world of work demands not only academic knowledge and skills but also transferable skills such as communications, creativity, and collaboration—skills that are rarely captured formally. Going Beyond the Traditional: Next Gen Credentials and Flexible Learning Pathways is a report from the Aurora Institute, that a tracks the emergence of new models of credentialing knowledge, skills, and qualifications. Blueprint for Micro-credentials Micro-credentials are an important example of individualised flexible learning pathways, which can offer increased learner choice and autonomy and eliminate barriers to access and progression in education systems. Earlier this year UNESCO published a paper titled Short courses, micro-credentials, and flexible learning pathways: a blueprint for policy development and action. There’s some really useful information in here, including examples from a range of countries where micro-credentials are being implemented. Aurora Institute Symposium In a few weeks I’m heading off to Palm Springs to attend the Aurora Institute Symposium where I’ll be launching a new book titled “Agency By Design: An Educators Playbook” – which will be available as a free download from the Aurora Website – I’ll share a release on that in a future newsletter. I’m looking forward to hearing from some great keynote and workshop sessions. For my colleagues in the US who may be attending – I’d love to link up for a chat while I’m there. But wait, there’s more… At FutureMakers we use a range of forums to curate good ideas and resources. Check out the following… Derek’s Blog – regular posts available on the FutureMakers website Previous newsletters – access all of the previous editions of the FutureMakers newsletter from this one place Resilient Schools Online Community – brought to you in partnership with Transcend My slideshows from recent presentations curated on SlideShare Modern Learning Practice – a curated set of links on Scoop.It Hybrid Learning – a collection of resources on the FutureMakers website Learner Agency – another collection of resources on the FutureMakers website If you’ve enjoyed reading this newsletter please feel free to forward it to others to read, or better yet, ask them to become a FutureMakers subscriber so they will receive their own updates delivered to their mailbox. I’m always interested to hear your feedback or ideas about what you’d like to see included in future newsletters – please use the link below to email me with your suggestions. Email Derek

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