The Greenfield schools are entering their third year of Visible Learning and administrators just returned from a conference where they were able to share the work the district’s administrators, teachers and staff have accomplished during the Visible Learning journey.
The Visible Learning Conference was held in Aurora, Colorado where 46 states and five countries were represented, Greenfield Superintendent Quincey Gray said.
“It was a great opportunity to showcase our district,” Gray said.
The district participated in three presentations. Those presentations were: “Our Visible Learning Journey,” a discussion panel consisting of district director of instruction Alisa Barrett, director of special programs Heather Dratwa, Rainsboro Principal Maggie Lyons, and Greenfield Elementary Assistant Principal Lindsay McNeal; “Visible Teaching and Leading,” presented by Gray and Barrett; and “Building a Feedback Culture in Greenfield, Ohio,” a presentation Barrett gave along with Dr. Cathy Lassiter, who is a Corwin Press consultant, and two representatives from Akron City Schools.
The conference has been held annually for the last several years and is a product of Corwin Press. It provides the opportunity for educators from around the world to come together, share their journeys, and discover more about Visible Learning, a concept based on the worldwide, years-long research of renowned educational researcher and professor John Hattie, who was also a part of this year’s conference.
“It was an honor to share the progress our district has made in our Visible Learning journey with so many teachers, administrators, and support staff at the Annual Visible Learning conference,” Barrett said. “A combined 300 people from all over the United States attended sessions led by our team representing Greenfield schools. Several participants have been in contact with our team following the sessions to ask further questions about our district’s plan and the steps we are taking to reach our goals. We are very proud of the hard work of our district staff and the way in which they are committed to meeting our district’s Visible Learning goals.
“Our team also deepened our knowledge and understanding of learning intentions, success criteria, and feedback from leading authors and researchers while at the conference,” said Barrett. “We are planning to share the information we learned with the district staff this coming school year.”
The district’s Visible Learning journey began with the 2020-2021 school year. The first year started with learner dispositions and clarity in teaching and learning. Upon those Visible Learning foundations, the plan has progressed with students learning how to give, receive and use feedback in their learning process.
A goal of the multi-year Visible Learning Plan is that every student is able to articulate what they are learning, self-assess their learning, and have a clear understanding of the purpose of their learning. Since its inception, Visible Learning has been a part of the educational experience in Greenfield for students, staff, teachers and administrators and is changing the district’s culture of learning.
“It was an honor for members of our team to be selected by Corwin Press to present at the Visible Learning Conference,” Gray said. “The best part was being able to showcase the work of our teachers. I am incredibly proud of them for demonstrating highly effective instruction and a willingness to grow and learn as part of our Visible Learning journey. Our students are benefiting greatly because of the good work of our teachers.”
Angela Shepherd is a correspondent for the Greenfield Exempted Village School District.
