The Oshkosh School District is getting national attention for its commitment to personalized learning. Out of 600 districts, only 7 are awarded grants through the U.S. Department of Education. This year, the Oshkosh School District will be awarded a $15,000 grant for their Learning without Limits Initiative.
"I've seen students truly engaged and wanting to come to class and learn as a whole,” said Teacher Malary Hill.
Hill and two cohorts of teachers at Oshkosh West High School are doing away with traditional high school lectures by replacing them with small group discussions and collaborative projects.
“The Learning without Limits Initiative has allowed us to give students a voice in the classroom and a choice giving them the opportunity to have a say in their learning,” said Hill.
Recently, school representatives were invited to Washington, D.C. to meet with the U.S. Department of Education and talk about the Learning without Limits Initiative.
“I ask my students what motivates them in school and they talk about grades or parental pressure or wanting to get into a good college, but the one thing they never mention is that they truly love learning and this grant has afforded us the ability to shift their focus away from grades and into learning,” said William Brydon who teachers English at West High School.
In 2015, Oshkosh West High School went one –to-one with technology, making sure each student received a laptop.
Brydon said the technology has allowed him to create a more diverse learning environment in his classroom to meet the needs of all of his students.
“We’ve looked at technology as just a starting point and that’s helped with our success,” said Brydon.
The $15,000 grant will help further teacher education and allow more collaboration through the district.
