Understanding and Evaluating the Impact of Year 1 of a Connected Learning Framework at Convergence Academies

• In Event: 35.062 - Connected Learning in Chicago Public Schools

Abstract

This paper will report on the impact of year one of the Convergence Academies’ three-year program. Convergence Academies supports low performing schools in providing learners with the social competencies for participation within new media, culturally convergent systems (Jenkins, 2006). Learning in and through the arts can support these social competencies (Heath, 2001), however, the integration of digital media arts and technology alone will not transform a school.
Bryk et al. (2010) found that five “essential supports” were necessary to improve schools over time: leadership as the driver of change, instructional guidance, professional capacity, student-centered learning climate, and parent and community involvement. The Convergence Academies works closely with school leaders, teachers and community partners to develop an instructional model that connects academic, youth cultures with student interests through six instructional designs or pillars; collaboration, authentic participation, play, choice of expression, critical response, and iterative learning.
The instructional model consists of two main components. The first provides on-going professional learning supports for school leaders and teachers who are positioned as designers of their own and their students’ learning. Convergence leadership and media integration specialists work closely with school principals, instructional leaders to set goals, develop strategies, co-design professional development and grade / department level meetings. Teachers collaborate with Convergence digital media mentors to develop project-based curriculum and instruction that leverage the affordances of digital media and tools. The second component is the design and implementation of a digital atelier space within each school. The digital atelier serves as a physical manifestation of the 6 pillars where K-12 students are able to drive their own learning with opportunities to connect to peers, mentors and experts. Adults in the space are referred to as “digital atelieristas” or guides who have strong backgrounds in integrating the arts and STEM practices into learning environments.
A pre-post design will examine one year of school-level changes in students’ academic achievement, teachers’ and students’ self-reported knowledge and skill levels in creating and responding to digital media content, and college and career readiness. Participants from both schools include 54 teachers and 630 students of whom approximately 80% are low income, 52% African American, 42% Latino and 6% Asian, White or Other. Data sources include state standardized test scores, freshmen on track to graduate data, pre/ post survey data for K-12 students (n=241); focus group interviews of students in grades 1-11 (n=12); pre/post survey data for K-12 teachers (n=25); and focus group interviews of K-12 teachers (n=14). Data sources are currently being analyzed. During Year 1, Convergence Academies teachers participated in a total of 2,227 hours of professional development and designed and implemented 110, project-based, digital media integrated unit plans.
Schools must “radically transform” if they are to meet the needs and demands of a changing, digitally networked world (NETP, 2009). Convergence Academies supports radical school transformation through the design of connected learning experiences that manifests within diverse instructional relationships, spaces and experiences that merge youth and academic cultures with individual interests.

Authors

• Kimberly A. Richards, University of Illinois at Chicago

• David A. Flatley, Center for Community Arts Parnterships

• Mindy Faber, Columbia College Chicago

• Liz Radzicki, Columbia College Chicago

• Don LaBonte, Chicago Public Schools