4 EDCAL February 4, 2019
IMPACT
Continued from page 3
does support the lifelong learner and their
future needs. A supportive, collaborative,
high-impact learning environment includes
the following critical elements:
• Integrated technology
The integration of technology into the
educational environment is more involved
than placing computers in a classroom.
Integrated technology becomes an im-
portant part of the learning experience in a
high-impact learning environments when
curriculum is written with the tools in
mind.
• Learner mobility
Today’s learner is mobile. Formal and
informal learning contexts are now preva-
lent as a result of pedagogy and technology.
• Adaptability
The learning facility use is likely to
change as often as education changes,
therefore the design of a space must allow
owners the flexibility to adapt to those
changes.
• Multiple modalities
A high-impact learning environment is
designed so that differentiated instruction
may take place with ease. This means cre-
ating spaces, configurations, and flexibility
to allow for highly varied learning environ-
ments.
• Dynamic ergonomics
Humans are made to move and an active
learning environment stimulates cognitive
development.
Enacting real change
Despite a misguided, popular belief,
it’s not enough to purchase some mod-
ern-looking desks and several pieces of
technology in hopes that they will be used
to effectively infuse today’s 21st century
learner with the necessary knowledge and
skills that they will need to succeed in
tomorrow’s world. A better approach is to
carefully examine the current environment’s
impact on the student. This is something
that very few school districts are able to
take the time to do, and it’s a critical step
that shouldn’t be overlooked. To chart a
path forward, great care must be taken to
sift through the intricacies of the modern
learning environment, uncovering real ob-
jectives that will have a meaningful impact
in the life of the student.
Every school and district is unique. It is
often critical to develop a plan that can be
rolled out in phases over a period of time.
You must continually evaluate every phase
to ensure you are providing your teachers
with a tailored solution that meets their de-
sired objectives. Relationships drive change.
Ongoing support
Change must be sustainable. Rela-
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tionships are central to this sustainability.
Providing educational services and envi-
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THURMOND Cifuentes most recently served as the
executive director of College and Career
Readiness at the Riverside County Office
of Education. For her work coordinating
counselors, leading career-readiness initia-
tives, and directing the Advancement Via
Individual Determination program, she
won the county’s Education Administrator
of the Year Award. Among others, she won
the 2018 National Association of College
Admission Counseling Inclusion, Access,
and Success Award, honoring her work
making post-secondary opportunities avail-
able to historically underrepresented stu-
dents.
She serves as vice chair of the California
Student Aid Commission, the state agen-
cy responsible for administering financial
aid programs for students attending pub-
lic and private universities, colleges, and
vocational schools in California. Cifuentes
is also a California state team member of
Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher National
Committee, which encourages students
to complete education past high school—
whether at a professional training program,
a community college, or a four-year college
or university.
Prior to the Riverside County Office of
Education, she was a head school counselor
at Santiago High School in the Corona
Norco Unified School District. She start-
ed her education career teaching at Norco
High School and Sierra Middle School.
Continued from page 1
Deputy Director and Chief Counsel at the
former California Department of Health
Services, Deputy Attorney General at the
California Department of Justice, and Staff
Counsel to the California State Teachers’
Retirement System.
In addition, Thurmond announced that
he has appointed Catalina Cifuentes as
deputy superintendent of the Performance,
Planning, and Technology branch.
This branch oversees programs pro-
moting innovation and improved student
achievement, including statewide student
assessment, school and district interven-
tions, state and federal accountability and
the collection and reporting of educational
data.
Cifuentes has a diverse background at
multiple levels of the education system –
including teaching middle and high school,
counseling, and serving in leadership posi-
tions at the Riverside County Office of
Education.
“I am excited to have Catalina join
our CDE team,” Thurmond said. “She
is a passionate, committed, and dedicated
professional with a proven track record of
improving outcomes for all students. Her
accolades alone show how respected her
work is, and we are lucky that she will con-
tinue that work here at CDE.”
Find resources and
more at
www.acsa.org
joins ACSA as convener of Lead 3.0 Symposium
REGISTER TODAY! CETPA
Eleven years ago, ACSA collaborated with CUE and TICAL to create a symposium “for the school system. Walker believes the capacities required to succeed in the 21st
2019 Every Child
Counts Symposium
February 13-15, 2019
Anaheim Marriott
ACSA’s Student Services
and Special Education Council
presents this world-class learning
event each year, featuring
exciting workshops, informative
keynotes and opportunities for
skill development and networking.
The event is designed for both
beginning and veteran educational
leaders and focuses on the latest
in the field of student services and
special education.
https://goo.gl/Av2CzJ
administrators, by administrators. Three organizations, one mission – Educational
Leadership for the 21st Century. This year, Lead 3 adds a new convener, the California
Educational Technology Professionals Association, to draw on even more expertise
from the field. CETPA’s mission statement states that they aim “To lead, develop,
and support educational technologists and organizations to foster student success.”
In line with their mission, one of their main goals is to promote the integration of
instructional and administrative technology in school agencies. The convening orga-
nizations felt their mission and goals aligned strategically with the goals of Lead 3
and invited CETPA to join the collaboration team.
This year’s symposium is being held in Universal City on April 11-13, and is certain to
reach capacity based on its location and lineup of speakers and session topics. This
symposium has been described as a visionary conference for administrators, which
supports and celebrates the journey into the future as we seek to educate students
for their future. Because of its size, attendees appreciate the ability to find a seat
in each session they want to attend and even have an opportunity to speak to the
presenters after the session.
2019 is shaping up to be another enriching and informational symposium. Keynote
speakers on Thursday and Friday will lead the attendees in exploring new and
innovative ways to lead technology in our schools and educate students for careers
that do not yet exist.
Thursday’s practitioner keynote will be Terry Walker, superintendent of Irvine USD.
Walker holds two masters degrees, one in Education Administration Leadership and
the other in Educational Technology Leadership. He believes, based on how the world
is changing, that we need to adapt to the changing world; he promotes not only
adding new technology, but also adding in new teaching and learning methods into
century have dramatically evolved, and that we too must evolve in order to provide
an education that prepares our students for the future.
Sabba Quidwai, education development executive from Apple, will deliver the key-
note address on Friday at lunch. Quidwai wants to live in a world driven by empathy.
In working with schools and organizations to reimagine teaching and learning in a
mobile-driven world, the greatest lesson she’s learned is that when we begin with
empathy, what we think is challenged by what we learn.
Quidwai’s experience in education spans across K-12 and higher education. Her
career began as a high school social science teacher and over the years she has led
1:1 iPad initiatives across K-12 and higher education institutions, notably Fairmont
Private Schools and the University of Southern California. In 2015 she was named an
Apple Distinguished Educator.
Quidwai is currently working with leadership groups to transform teaching and
learning environments. She is a Global Executive Doctor of Education student at
the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California, a program
focused on examining educational issues in a global context.
Concurrent sessions and workshops are organized by Future Ready Gears: Curriculum,
Instruction, and Assessment; Use of Space and Time; Robust Infrastructure; Data and
Privacy; Community Partnerships; Personalized Professional Learning; and Budget
and Resources. An overwhelming number of proposals were submitted in 2019 – the
schedule of events can be viewed at the Lead 3 website at www.lead3.org.
Registration is currently open for the Lead 3 Symposium. Because this event is being
held in at the Hilton Universal City, we expect the room block to fill up quickly, so
reserve your room now. Registration and hotel information can also be found online
at www.lead3.org.
| ACSA.ORG/WOMENSFORUM