Case Study 2

Within the leadership program of Nicholas Sheran Elementary School there are
multiple aspects that develop through the emphasis put on student led learning. In the
video they describe how this program has been integrated into all aspects of the
curriculum, and reflects the goals laid out in the picture book, The Seven Habits of
Happy Kids. Within the video they show how students are able to learn new technology
skills like the sound system that can be built on later in their education, and they also
develop better language skills like public speaking at assemblies. They also develop
language skills from discussions with teachers and peers in order to better assist their
own goals. A critical aspect of the Leader in Me program helps with the basic foundation
of establishing goal-orientated learning that is self and peer assessed. The principal,
Heather Hadford, describes this aspect of self-directed learning as the foundation for
education within Nicholas Sheran, as students set their own academic goes and support
their peers. Within assessment this is a great program that helps to foster students
development through their own self-assessment, furthering their metacognitive and
critical thinking capabilities. But I find that this program helps to tacitly focus on
development through aspects of peer assessment. Since the students are the ones that
are seen as running the program and being in control of the events they are continuously
being formatively assessed by their peers, while also being summatively assessed
during the actual presentation or event. This is a key aspect of the learning process
which helps drive students to success within the program, and in doing so they are able

to gain a sense of accomplishment and achievement through their own actions. This
reflects Anne Davies in chapter six while she describes methods of how to get students
more involved in the learning process, and I believe helps to create an ideological shift
for students.
Reflecting on the considerations needed regarding planning and instruction for
the implementation of this program, I found that this programs success hinges on a
complete holistic implementation by students, teachers, and parents. It is a time
consuming program that helps to develop key skills and ideologies within students that
spreads not only within the school, but also out into students home life as student council
chair Lisa Athouse describes. But this program requires the cooperation of the entire
faculty to implement it across all grades and curriculum so that it succeeds. It also
requires a great deal of planning, developing guidelines, and continuous conversation
between students and teachers. For teachers this is a large increase in the amount of
work required of them, while also slowing down some of the other aspects within the
education process. However, I find that this pays off in the end as students are able to
develop metacognitive and goal orientated learning on their own and with their peers.

GREAT LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES LIKE THE TEXTBOOK

MAYBE MORE LINKS TO OTHER MODULES IN PS1