North Point ESC ~ Emerging Trends Network
As an effort to assist our member districts in the vital area of school improvement and innovation, North Point Educational Service Center began the Emerging Trends Network or ETN. The ETN concept was created by Dr. Willard Daggett, who is one of the most respected names in educational reform. The five (5) trends that have been identified by his organization are:
- Digital Leadership and Learning
- ​Career Readiness
- Application Based Learning
- Rigor
- Data Analytics
A total of fourteen member districts have signed on and have chosen to pursue one or more of the trends listed above.
As important as the five (5) trends are, they will be largely ineffective without the following: Rigor, Relevance, Relationships/Culture.
Dr. Daggett often states that "culture trumps strategy every time." Culture is the foundation on which the rest of the "educational house" is built. However, culture is not enough. The ETN has placed a great deal of emphasis on the concepts of Rigor and Relevance. As an attempt to assist educators, Dr. Daggett created what is called the Rigor/Relevance Framework (see diagram below).
This framework is broken down into four (4) quadrants:
Quadrant A - Acquisition - Experiences focus on recal or discovery basic knowledge.
Quadrant B - Application - Experiences provide define opportunities for students to apply knowledge, typically to a real-work problem.
Quadrant C - Assimilation - Experiences are often complex and require students to devise solutions frequently, which can lead to deeper understanding of concepts and knowledge.
Quadrant D - Adaptation - Experiences are high in rigor and relevance and require solutions to unpredictable problems.
Research has shown that a good majority of instruction taking place in our schools today occurs in Quadrant A. Schools must do better and that is why the ETN is committed to helping teachers understand this framework as well as equip them to provide more learning opportunities in Quadrant D.
Recently, over 80 educators from our ETN districts attended a full day workshop at Kalahari's Convention Center to discuss the importance of fostering a school/district culture for innovation and how best to implement the Rigor & Relevance Framework in classrooms. Several of the ETN districts presented on the transformations occurring in their schools.
If you are interested in learning more about the Emerging Trends Network
please contact Dr. Lonny Rivera, Director of Innovation at North Point ESC
419-627-3965 or lrivera@npesc.org
