The Power of Place: Authentic Learning Through Place-Based Education

by Tom Vander Ark, Emily Liebtag, and Nate McClennon

How might we…partner with students in their own learning so every student can and chooses to participate in real ways? 

How might we…implement a learner-centered approach to meet the needs of students farthest from learning? 

This book study is designed for teachers and administrators from regions 6 and 7 who want to explore these questions through the learner-centered approach of place-based education (PBE). Participants will be expected to read the text on their own during the summer and attend a 90-minute discussion of the book. Book discussions will be held in late July/early August.  

During the discussion, each participant will be expected to lead a 10 minute conversation on a topic of their choice stemming from the text. Educators may choose to participate independently via zoom, or gather at least 4-5 colleagues from their school, division, or region for an on-site, in person discussion group facilitated by Radford TTAC (date/time will be determined by group and facilitator). 

Participants will receive a copy of the book, The Power of Place by Tom Vander Ark, Emily Liebtag, and Nate McClennon. 
 
This professional development is free of charge and educators have an opportunity to earn up to 6 recertification points for active participation. Registration is limited.

For more information, contact:

Tracy Kwock at tkwock1@radford.edu

Virginia Department of Education, VDOE, and Stetson & Associates, Inc.

A recently recorded webinar, Inclusive Practices Action Planning Tool, presented by Dr. Frances Stetson and participant resources have been added to the Inclusive Practices in Successful Schools: Virginia Action Planning Guide Module.

In partnership with the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability and Reform (CEEDAR), the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) has developed and published a set of high-leverage practices (HLPs) for special educators and teacher candidates. The HLPs are organized around four aspects of practice:

1. Collaboration
2. Assessment
3. Social/emotional/behavioral
4. Instruction

From these four aspects of practice, there are 22 practices intended to address the most critical practices that every K–12 special education teacher should master and be able to demonstrate. The selected practices are used frequently in classrooms and have been shown to improve student outcomes if successfully implemented.

The Assistive Technology Network of Virginia addresses priorities of VDOE with coordination, implementation, and dissemination of information about the laws which define AT devices and services, the process of AT Consideration by Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams, AT assessment, Augmentative and Augmentative Communication (AAC), and AT resources.

In support of these priorities, the network has several initiatives which include:

Developing resources and documents for AT Considerations and Assessment

Developing and supporting local and regional AT teams with information, resources and training, including the annual Virtual TechKnowledgy Conference

Integrating AT solutions across the curriculum