NCEE Network of Learning Supports

NCEE invites school and district leaders from across the country to connect in a series of discussion boards,  virtual professional learning sessions and collaborative learning Zooms designed specifically for those who have one specific common bond – their NCEE learning.

The current challenges schools and districts are encountering due to coronavirus are unprecedented. The NCEE community of learners is designed to do many things, among them is to ensure a strong network of supportive peers who can come together to share resources, expertise and learning in order to best serve students and their families during times of need.

March 2021: Fostering Student Agency Amid Virtual Learning

Virtual Professional Learning Series: March 15

During this session, participants will explore: how learning systems can be adjusted to value, promote, nurture, and sustain student agency; the relationship between teacher and student agency in a rigorous and adaptive learning environment; and how student agency is connected to social and emotional well-being.

Prior to the session, participants are asked to watch the video Teaching Group Work: Building Student Collaboration and Agency read the articles Maximizing Student Agency: Implementing and Measuring Student-Centered Learning Practices (pg. 9 Exhibit 4 and pg. 16-17) and Imagining September: Principles and Design Elements for Ambitious Schools During COVID-19 (pg. 1-4 and 10-12) and leave a comment on the March discussion board.

The session will be led by NCEE Distinguished Facilitator Yvonne DiMattia.

Live Discussion Board
Visit our discussion board at any time before or after the session, where you can post or reply to other responses to this question:

• What questions do these articles generate about increasing agency in schools and classrooms from administrator and teacher perspectives?

February 2021: Supporting Student Comprehension of Complex Texts

Virtual Professional Learning Series: February 17th

During this session, participants will consider their role in supporting deep reading comprehension, reflect on current practice, and identify levers for shifting student outcomes from shallow to deep understanding. NCEE also invites you to bring along a content and/or lead teacher to the session.

Prior to the session, participants are asked to read the article Common Themes in Teaching Reading for Understanding: Lessons From Three Projects and discuss it by leaving a comment on our February discussion board (linked below).

Live Discussion Board
Visit our discussion board at any time before or after the session, where you can post or reply to other responses to these questions:

• What are the implications of the reading for education leaders?
• What have you been doing to address some of the concerns raised in the article?

December 2020: Using Feedback to Support Student Learning

Virtual Professional Learning Series: December 3rd
As many schools and districts continue to utilize some form of virtual learning, providing accurate and timely feedback is more important than ever so that students can progress in their coursework. Our next professional learning session will center on the impact of feedback on student learning and the school leader’s role in fostering an environment where feedback is essential to learning.

During this session, participants will explore the benefits of feedback and what it looks like. Participants will also make connections between formative assessment, feedback and the principles around how people learn. Click here to register for this session.

Collaborative Learning Virtual Session: December 17th
Join our our collaborative learning virtual session on Thursday December 17 from 3 – 4:30 pm ET. Participants will share successful models for supporting feedback as well as pose challenges with which they’d like support in solving. Registration information coming soon.

Live Discussion Board: December 3rd
Continue the conversation on using feedback to support student learning with school and district leaders from across the country by visiting and posting on our discussion board on the topic. The discussion board will open December 3 and remain open for comments indefinitely.

October 2020: Generating Authentic Intellectual Engagement

Virtual Professional Learning Series: October 22nd
This month, NCEE’s complimentary supports are focused on how to generate authentic intellectual engagement among students. Our October professional learning session will center on how school leaders can support teachers in that work.

During the session, participants will explore research around engagement and cognition in order to better understand the features of tasks that generate authentic intellectual engagement. Participants will also discuss the leader’s role in creating conditions in the professional learning system that build teacher capacity in this area for both virtual and face-to-face environments. Click here to register for this session.

Collaborative Learning Virtual Session: October 29th
During our October collaborative learning virtual session, we will continue to discuss this topic in small and large group forums. The conversation will center on key questions including:

• How do you see the findings behind How People Learn and the research around motivation reflected in your learning environments?
• What are the conditions you have created or that you’ll need to create to see the findings and this research better reflected in your learning environments?

Participants should come prepared to discuss their knowledge of How People Learn and motivation. The discussion will be facilitated by NCEE National Facilitator Syrenthia Anderson. Click here to register.

Live Discussion Board Now Open
Join the ongoing conversation on our discussion board dedicated to this topic. Engage with your fellow NCEE learners from across the country before, during or after the professional learning session or the live virtual learning session this month.

September 2020: Rituals and Routines During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Discussion Board: September 10th

As we launch a new year, whether virtual or in person, what are the routines and rituals our teachers are putting in place to help students engage in their learning?  How do these routines change from pre-K-2, 3-5, middle, high?  For those of you in virtual environments, how are the routines and rituals different in synchronous and asynchronous environments?  This discussion board will open at 8:00am ET (5:00am PT), with live moderation from 10am-12pm ET (7am-9am PT) and again from 3pm-5pm ET (12pm-2pm PT).

Professional Learning Session: September 24
Ann Borthwick will lead a discussion based on some of the themes that will arise from the discussion board. More information coming soon.

Collaborative Learning Chat: September 30
Talk in real-time via Zoom with other practitioners about what is and is not working as you begin the new school year.

Follow-up Discussion Board: Organizing and Supporting Virtual Learning
After the live collaborative chat on September 30th, partners are welcome to continue the discussion on this open discussion board.

Previous Discussions