What We Do
Oakland Unity Middle School uses four learner-centered strategies to achieve our goals of closing the achievement gap and teaching and encouraging students to learn how to learn. We leverage technology to individualize and differentiate instruction whenever possible. When this strategy is fully realized, every discipline will have an element of personalization with student choice about what to work on, and when or how to work on it.
Our teachers routinely make use of small-group instruction to tailor instruction. These small groups are based on student data gathered from the use of our various technology platforms, formative assessment results, student observations, and student conferencing. Our students and teachers curate learner profiles, which students not only present to their families at our twice-yearly student-led conferences, but also utilize on an ongoing basis throughout the school year to make choices about what goals they are going to set over a variety of time periods. These learner profiles give students ownership of their own data, goals, and growth.
Finally, students will have evidence in their learner profiles of the authentic work that they’ve completed through project-infused learning. These projects give students opportunities to apply the skills that they learn using our online platforms and bolster through small-group instruction. These projects also allow students to demonstrate their SHARP Habits and continue to grow as collaborators. When fully realized, these projects are interdisciplinary and are a means for our students to engage with the community.