Learning Tours: Seeing Change In Action

“This sounds great, but what does it look like in action?” This question is often asked at professional learning events by administrators, teachers, or coaches. For many in education, seeing is believing and school visits can be one of the best forms of professional learning for all educators.

Site visits allow educators, especially those responsible for leading change, with the opportunity to learn from others who have navigated the challenge already. School site visits provide three major benefits to all educators.

1. Learn from Experience
   The best way to find out how to embark on a new path is to hear from someone who has already walked it. Site visits provide educators the opportunity to hear the lessons learned from those who have led the change. Instead of attending a workshop or a conference and hearing theoretical ideas, visitors learn directly from those who experienced the challenges and successes and how they approached the change from the start.
2. Learn What Will Work, What Might Not, and What to Consider
   It’s an obvious statement that no two districts are the same, which can also be said about leading change in different districts. Site visits provide educators the ability to see multiple approaches to similar ideas. For this reason, it is important to visit a variety of schools that have embarked upon a similar change. Doing so will provide educators numerous ideas on how to lead the change in their district. Some ideas may be replicable, others may not. Some site visits may provide ideas for possibilities not yet considered.
3. Connect and Collaborate
   Learning from peers does not, nor should stop after the site visit. As educators begin the change process, they have the opportunity to stay in touch and ask questions from peers along the way. These connections can also lead to future collaboration opportunities and relationships in the future as well.

LTC Learning Tours

The Learning Technology Center’s Learning Tours are an opportunity for educators and district leaders to visit other districts in order to experience innovative, best practices in learning space design, digital learning tools, 1:1 implementation, personalized learning, and more. The districts hosting Learning Tours drive the agenda, showcasing everything from instructional practices, resource adoption, infrastructure, community partnerships, use of space and time, physical security, and culture.

Be a Part of the First Learning Tour

On October 18, 2019, the Learning Technology Center and Yorkville Community Unit School District 115 and present the first Learning Tour, focusing on Redesigning Learning Spaces. Attendees will learn from district and school administrators on the learning space design process. A panel discussion will provide participants the opportunity to hear from teachers and students about the spaces, as well as ask questions. The tour will include Project Lead the Way rooms, Learning Stairs and Library, and student collaboration spaces throughout the high school. An optional tour of the Center for Innovation at the District Office will be available at the conclusion of the high school tour.

Yorkville Learning Tour Information
October 18, 2019
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Focus: Redesigning Learning Spaces
Cost: FREE

For more information about the Yorkville Learning Tour or to register for the event, please visit ltcillinois.org/learningtours.

Host a Learning Tour

We are looking to partner with schools across the state and showcase instructional practices, resource adoption, infrastructure, community partnerships, use of space and time, physical security, and culture.. To find out how your school can host a Learning Tour, visit ltcillinois.org/learningtours for more information or to complete the online application.