Rancho Minerva has been very fortunate to be part of the Digital Promise Verizon Innovative Schools Grant, which has provided 1:1 iPads with 4G internet connectivity for each student at Rancho Minerva. This program has been a wonderful kickstart to the innovative direction our school is headed. Rancho Minerva is on a path to create a one-of-a-kind learning center for students of all backgrounds, at all levels. We know that in order to achieve this vision, we must make our teaching and learning personal for each student. When we examined the diverse needs of our students, the data from our current practices and our impact new innovative programs could have on our students, we set forth to create Digital Discovery.
Digital Discovery was created by a team of teachers who volunteered to create an elective course accessible to all students, which included strategic elements embedded in a personalized approach. A primary goal of Personalized Learning is to design learning experiences that give students choice and voice about their own learning. Similar to packing your car after a trip to IKEA, we were challenged with the task to fit many key elements into this course each week at the same time keeping it engaging for our students.
The key elements included in Digital Discovery include:
- Digital Game-based Math Intervention for all students (ST Math)
Targeted Literacy using multiple forms of media- Sustained Silent Reading
- Personalized Project Playlists
- Mentoring Time
- Restorative Circles/Table Talk
- Homeroom
- Digital Citizenship
- Digital Tools and use
- Introduce Self Directed Learning Behaviors
- and much more
Each week, Digital Discovery students set out on a personal learning path, as teachers serve as facilitators of learning and mentors. Students have access to a web-based Personal Learning Playlist each week which guides them through their expected outcomes. In the first week of this course, the excitement was felt by both students and teachers. One teacher remarked, “I have never had this much fun teaching, I am learning so much!” in reference to learning alongside students in the class.
We know that this class serves as first steps of the PL transformation that is happening at Rancho Minerva. Teachers collaborate daily on the course and transition and make real-time adjustments of the course. This course is our working laboratory as we seek to continue along the path towards a true personalized learning environment at Rancho Minerva. 
Even teachers who are not teaching the course are beginning to explore implementing Personalized Learning components into their curriculum, based on what they have been hearing from both teachers and students about the Digital Discovery experience. Check back for updates as we walk down this personalized learning path together this year.Students recently finished their first unit on digital photography. In order to show demonstrate compentency, students worked through a playlist reading non-fictional text, exploring various articles, websites and resources. Students completed the unit by building a presentation on a platform of their choosing. The results were simply amazing. Each student selected a photo to enter into the RMMS Photo Gallery (set up in our flexible learning cafe), then all students voted for the top photos that will later be put on display at a local arts festival.
We are learning a lot through this class, however the early results have been very encouraging. Giving students choice, relevance, audience and a teacher who is in their corner as a mentor has been quite fascinating to observe.
#RMMSFAM
#WAVE
