Pennsylvania Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Disruption has become an ever-present part of the educational landscape, impacting the walls of our classrooms. Unfortunately, all too often, there isn’t a consecrated focus on innovative practices and strategies that have a high-effect on student learning. Developing a truly transformative learning environment requires leaders and teachers to place focus on sound pedagogy aligned to research that avoids a bells-and-whistles presence resulting in a superficial impact on learning. The pandemic has taught us all that we need to future-proof learning to combat disruptive forces, where students are empowered to replace conventional ideas with innovative solutions to authentic problems.

Based on the text “Disruptive Thinking in the Classroom” by Eric Sheninger, learners in this course will be introduced to core elements that help to create a disruptive thinking culture in all classrooms and schools while aligning these critical practices to research and evidence-based practices. The result will be a model that deeply impacts classroom practice, instructional strategies, leadership, and student learning. Allowing educators to ask and answer some of the following questions about their own districts and schools:

• Why do we implement certain practices, and how might we do it better?

• How are we making learning relevant for our students?

• Are the learning practices being implemented challenging and authentic enough to make our students future ready?

• Do our learning environments focus on equity through personalization? 

• Do I have observable evidence to measure the effectiveness of our pedagogy used?

• Can we provide targeted feedback to our students and teachers, so that disruptive thinking is amplified and scaled?

• As we question the use of traditional practices in order to better meet the needs of all learners ?

Overall, this course will help educators develop a vision for disruptive thinking, setting the foundation for a culture that embraces evidence-based strategies, understands the challenges and opportunities present in this process, and is prepared to support all aspects of the process.

The Disruptive Learning Academy is PDE PIL approved professional development opportunity for Act 45 credit. Participants will receive forty (40) Act 45 or Act 48 hours upon successful completion of the course.

Target Audience: 

The Disruptive Learning Academy is designed for central office administrators, principals, assistant principals, and educational leaders interested in learning more about digital leadership and innovation. 

What is the Format of the Leading for Learning Academy?

Pennsylvania ASCD's Disruptive Learning Academy allows participants to work asynchronously online so they can work anytime, anyplace and at their pace.  Participants will respond to discussion board posts, review relevant presentations, and submit job-embedded assignments.