I-Think: How to Build Learning Communities
We partnered with the I-Think Initiative to propose ideas for bringing together educators. After interviewing educators from kindergarten to post-secondary, we found they are eager to learn from each other across academic levels, to teach real-life skills, and to continually innovate. Educators want professional and social support as they experiment with the best ways to move education forward. When they are embedded in strong communities, they can innovate, seek understanding, and grow. We suggested short- and long-term experiences that would help them meet these needs.
Fall/Winter 2020-2021
How do we build effective learning communities?
This report documents the second part of our collaborative project. In part one, we reviewed the literature on educational communities and professional development, and analyzed case studies of existing enrichment opportunities for educators. During the second phase, we interviewed educators across the GTA. We found several unaddressed needs and barriers to growth, alongside success stories of classroom innovation.
KEY FINDINGS
Through our methods insights were organized under two key themes:
- Challenges to Changing Education
- Education as an Ecosystem
These themes aimed to explore our insights further, and supported the research in designing personas, design principles, and draft recommendations.
