Our Approach
Signature Practices
At Ingenium Schools, we think differently. We think differently about learning, about the development of people, about the way we approach problem solving and about the way we improve performance. While each of our schools adds their own unique components to educational learning practices, the following Signature Practices are present in every Ingenium classroom and embedded in the Ingenium fabric.
Plan, Do, Study, Act
At Ingenium Schools we believe in continual improvement. Continual improvement exists when learners use strategic methods to measure, reflect and improve. Students, teachers and administrators use a method called PDSA – Plan, Do, Study, Act when improving targeted areas and developing action plans to reach them. By using the PDSA process, students become more flexible and confident as they learn to embrace successes and study how to improve on setbacks. Teachers continually work with their students to address learning gaps and create implementation intentions for improvement.
Quality Learning Tools
Ingenium staff and students are proficient at using Quality Tools. These tools enable us to collect and monitor data, partake in the PDSA process, focus on the future, and work together at the highest levels of cooperation and efficiency. Tools are also used effectively with parents to increase support and involvement. Some tools help us to monitor data, some tools enable us to work together and some tools allow us to plan and implement more effectively. Some examples of Quality Tools used at Ingenium include: Parking Lot, Flow Chart, Forcefield Analysis, Interrelationship Digraph, Loss Functions, Capacity Matrices, and more.
Data Walls
are used to monitor, inform, and drive whole group improvement efforts. These can be seen in the classroom, in the staff room, or in common areas where improvement efforts are being made. A Data Wall creates a cooperative learning environment where everyone’s work contributes to the whole and learners become partners in analyzing and using data for improvement. Group goals (class, grade level, school) are tied to the Data Walls, and they are often referred to when tracking progress and achievement.
Ingenium Learning Portfolios
provide a space for learners to document their learning journey through artifacts, data tracking, and self-assessment tools like the capacity matrix. Students are provided with support in managing their learning portfolios and reflecting on their progress. Learning Portfolios encourage student ownership in decision making over their own learning improvement. Data included in a Learning Portfolio may be: run charts, reading records, fact fluency results, assessment scores, and more.
Student-Led Conferences
Ingenium students are encouraged and supported in leading their own conferences. This practice engages students in their learning, promotes a sense of ownership and self-efficacy. During a Student-led Conference, students may be seen showing artifacts, walking a family member through their capacity matrices and/or explaining personal and class data in their learning portfolios or on the data walls.
Huddles
Ingenium staff, students, and families engage in Huddles as a practice for establishing strong culture, restoring relationships, and maintaining relationships. This practice provides an equitable opportunity for all participants to be included, voice concerns, and share experiences. The Huddle can be seen daily in classrooms as a way of building positive classroom culture as well as resolving conflicts in a restorative process. In addition, staff frequently engage in this practice for the same purpose and it can be seen at the start or end of meetings, or to engage with important material and topics.
Joy and Meaning in Learning
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Ingenium Schools’ Mission is to prepare our students to be the best learners, leaders, and collaborators by empowering them with the capacity and tools to continually improve themselves and the world around them.
