After many years of teaching, I understood that behavior fell apart when my students were not working in their Zone of Proximal Development, Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934). Creating a Zone of Proximal Development for the diverse needs of the many levels of students in our classrooms is a daunting task, not for the faint of heart. This became clearer as we moved from No Child Left Behind (2002), where the arts were removed from our school day, to Common Core Standards that outlined a mythical roadmap to proficiency. I hope the next evolution of standards is not Ultimate Core.🙃The problem is that we aren't teaching a standard. We are learning humans who all have different needs. No one wins when we teach to a standard, and proficiency in a standard does not guarantee a successful launch 🚀 to independence. The learning humans we teach must be a part of this process to become confident in who they are and autonomous in navigating our world.
In 2020, I began exploring the idea that we all have a unique Brainprint, and the best way for us to move forward in education was to help each learner adult, teen, child to articulate their profile of strengths, interests, challenges, and needs. The next step is developing a toolbox of 21st-century workarounds to empower ourselves to solve problems independently. Todd Rose and Scott Barry Kaufman have dedicated their lives to redefining intelligence and the study of personalizing learning. Their research has been a guiding light for me and my practice as an education problem solver.
In 2022, I took a significant step towards promoting inclusivity in education by creating a lovelight that celebrates neurodiversity. When we look at the brain, we don't see skin color; we see an opportunity to engage in a conversation about our own human experience. By understanding our unique cognitive profiles, including our strengths, interests, challenges, and needs, we can learn to navigate any system and make it work for us.
In 2020, I began exploring the idea that we all have a unique Brainprint, and the best way for us to move forward in education was to help each learner adult, teen, child to articulate their profile of strengths, interests, challenges, and needs. The next step is developing a toolbox of 21st-century workarounds to empower ourselves to solve problems independently. Todd Rose and Scott Barry Kaufman have dedicated their lives to redefining intelligence and the study of personalizing learning. Their research has been a guiding light for me and my practice as an education problem solver.
In 2022, I took a significant step towards promoting inclusivity in education by creating a lovelight that celebrates neurodiversity. When we look at the brain, we don't see skin color; we see an opportunity to engage in a conversation about our own human experience. By understanding our unique cognitive profiles, including our strengths, interests, challenges, and needs, we can learn to navigate any system and make it work for us.
In 2024, we can no longer be passive passengers on this life learning journey. We must become active collaborators. This happens when we get to know ourselves and learn to articulate our needs in respectful ways. The universe is asking us to dream big in education. I believe the first place to start is with sharing our unique brainprints of strengths, interests, challenges and needs!
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