309 - Summer Stephens and Nate Waite on Change in Churchill County School District

<p>On this episode of the <em>Getting Smart Podcast</em>, Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Summer Stephens and Nate Waite about district change in the Churchill County School District.</p> <p>Summer Stephens is a longtime educator and superintendent that has successfully implemented systems of blended and online learning, voice and choice, self-paced learning, project-based learning, and design thinking. A specific focus of her work includes bridging the gap between courses traditionally identified as core and CTE, and, working to ensure that systems have opportunities and pathways for <em>all</em> students to engage in future-ready work.</p> <p>Nate Waite has a background in both the classroom <em>and</em> in edtech and is now the Innovation and Professional Learning Facilitator for the region. The bulk of his time is spent right at Churchill, SD, where has been for the last 24 years.</p> <p>Listen in as Summer and Nate talk with Tom about district change, professional learning models, and how they each continue their own learning!</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></p> <p>[:11] About today’s episode with Summer Stephens and Nate Waite of Churchill County School District.</p> <p>[:58] Tom welcomes Summer and Nate to the <em>Getting Smart Podcast</em>!</p> <p>[1:12] Where the Churchill County Public School is.</p> <p>[2:18] Has Nate been directly working with Summer in the last two years she has been working at Churchill County?</p> <p>[2:36] What was the state of learning when Summer first arrived at Churchill?</p> <p>[4:25] Was the “Profile of a Learner” in place when Summer joined the team or did she develop it?</p> <p>[5:56] About the different Profiles of a Learner: Critical Thinker, Inspired Innovator, Collaborative Learner, Effective Communicator, Global Citizen, and Lifelong Learner.</p> <p>[8:05] Nate provides some background on why they developed the Global Citizen and Inspired Innovator profiles and what it means to be those learners.</p> <p>[11:21] Summer elaborates on their change strateg