Profound Learning at Smith Elementary Created by Sherri Smith

A Call For Change Through the years Duncanville ISD schools have continued to achieve high scores on state tests, earning Exemplary and Recognized ratings from the Texas Education Agency. However, this is not enough.

A Call For Change In the past decade alone we have witnessed a number of technological advancements that have impacted our lives with the same force as the industrial revolution. This new digital era of texting, iphones, Google, and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter make information readily available to everyone. Today, unlike in previous generations, the more knowledge you share, the greater your following and value.

A Call For Change This is the world in which Duncanville ISD must prepare students to thrive, and we realize that doing so will require us to accept change and transform our schools.

A Call For Change We will craft relevant and important learning experiences that are designed with the explicit intent to engage the learner in the necessary content, to compel him or her to commit the time and effort required to reach profound learning.

Superficial Learning Involves only short-term memory Provides little in the way of novelty or innovativeness Compartmentalized rather than embedded in worldviews Does not require much in the way of commitment, meaning, persistence, or voluntary effort Lower levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy Excessive drill/practice worksheets Test-driven

Profound Learning Affects and shapes habits and worldviews Can be used in a variety of contexts Involves the ability to evaluate, create, compare, contrast, and remember Higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy Supports long-term memory Engages the hearts and minds

Powerful Statement Rather than simply ensuring that students comply with meaningless (to them) tasks that result in sufficient superficial learning to improve test scores, schools must provide students with intellectually engaging experiences that result in profound learning – that is, learning that lasts and has meaning beyond the classroom in which it was learned or the test to which it was oriented. Schlechty (2008)

Activity Using the T-chart, match the descriptors to compare the school attributes of yesterday to the school attributes of today.

What must do... Collaboration among designers Authentic engagement Understand our “who” Tailor our design qualities for the needs and interests of our “who” Challenge students Employ web 2.0 tools Products, performances, projects

Design Coach Supports the designers (teachers) on campus as they design engaging and challenging work for our students.