TLC Incubator
2019-20 Participant Overview
The Transforming Learning Incubator is a yearlong cohort-based learning experience that enlists experienced educators from TLC schools as mentors to help you bring your bold vision for learning to reality.
Professional Learning BY Educators, FOR Educators
Design. Build. Discover. Make mistakes. Connect. Test. Learn. Grow. Transform.
> Experience a new approach to professional learning: led by you, guided by experienced educators from some of the most innovative schools in the nation.
> > Create practical solutions that will transform learning in your school. We’ll walk alongside you every step of the way, pushing you to be bold, offering expert advice, and helping you when the work gets hard.
> > > Join a community of forward-leaning educators who are reimagining K-12 education. The cohort experience supports and sustains your local efforts to transform learning.
The Incubator Experience
The 2019-20 TLC Incubator is organized around personalized pathways focusing on real-world learning, project-based learning, whole-school design, and more. During your incubator experience you will focus on one of these pathways in a small cohort of school-based design teams. You will also have opportunities to learn across strands.
Personalized Pathways
Real World Learning and Industry Connections
The RWL strand focuses on how to ensure that what students learn in school is preparing them to thrive in the rapidly changing “real world.” In particular, schools will learn how to collaborate with industry partners to increase curriculum relevancy - for instance, planning a project with industry touchpoints and developing off campus RWL programs such as internships, work experience and project consults. In addition, they will learn tips for communicating with industry partners, engagement ideas, and a brief introduction to the development of CTE pathways.
Project-Based Learning
The Project Based Learning strand will engage participants in a deep dive of Da Vinci’s PBL best practices. Participants will craft projects through the lens of The Six Project Essentials: learning objectives, reflective learning , real world connections, differentiation, critical thinking and student-driven design. Throughout the sessions, participants will receive structured feedback from Da Vinci educators.
Whole School Design and More!
Transforming Learning Collaborative partner schools have a wide range of expertise, all of which is grounded in the practical experience of creating and operating innovative school designs. This includes school culture and whole-student development, assessment for learning, and whole-school design. We can work with you and our member schools to develop a hybrid pathway that meets your needs.
In-Person Convenings
The Transforming Learning Incubator will include three in-person events in 2019-20 (October 16-19 2019, Winter 2020, and May 2020). Each in-person event will feature content developed by teachers and instructional leaders from TLC partner schools, as well as design time for your team and opportunities for peer and expert feedback. The in-person sessions provide highly practical deep dives that explain the what, why, and how of the practices or school designs for your strand. You’ll learn how different schools integrate these practices into their designs, and you’ll be supported to adapt these practices to your own school.
In-Person Event #1
Transforming Learning Conference, October 16-19 2019 @ Da Vinci Schools in Los Angeles
The Transforming Learning Incubator experience begins with the Transforming Learning Conference. Registration for the conference is included in the cost of the incubator. At this conference, you’ll be introduced to a range of practices by educators from Da Vinci and other TLC partner schools. You’ll also have a full day, separate from the conference, to get to know your cohort and map out your learning journey for the year.
In-Person Event #2
Mentor School Site Visit, Winter 2020
The next in-person event will be an intensive two day visit in February to a mentor school that exemplifies the school or learning design that your strand focuses on. At this event you’ll see these practices in action and go deep into how these practices work. You’ll also share what you’ve built and learned at your own school since October, getting support and feedback.
In-Person Event #3
Schools That Can Forum, May 2020
The final in-person event will be held in the conjunction with the Schools That Can Forum. This event will focus on sharing what you’ve learned and designed over the past seven months, and getting support from your mentor and your peers on how to roll out your design in the following school year.
Virtual Learning
Most of the work you’ll do during the incubator experience will be at your own school, between in-person convenings. We know how hard it can be to keep up the momentum when you’ve already got a full time job, so we’ve created several recurring touchpoints to help you keep the work moving. Through years of running virtual learning groups, we’ve learned that they are most effective when they begin with an in-person meeting and the groups stay small. These sessions will create space for reflection, shared problem solving, and—let’s be honest— peer accountability.
Your Mentor
Each strand will have an experienced school-based leader who serves as a mentor. You’ll meet virtually at least four times during the incubator in cohort video calls with your mentor. Depending on the needs of the teams in the strand, these calls will include a mix of new content introduced by the mentor, consultancy protocols, and thematic discussion.
Your Learning Community
Transformation is not only about solving the problems you face now, it’s about having people you can call when you encounter unforeseen challenges and opportunities. The incubator experience is designed for network-building, so that you can develop personal connections to educators across the country who will be there when you need them.