Summer Collaborative Learning Cohort Sparks Innovation

Summer homework isn’t just for Browning students. To continue to innovate and improve our teaching practices, 22 faculty members, including three new to Browning, joined this year’s Collaborative Learning Cohort, developing an interdisciplinary curriculum to expand students’ ability to acquire, analyze, synthesize and apply knowledge. This is the largest cohort in the five years of the program’s existence.  

The Cohort’s work included book discussions and developing units of study. During meetings before the start of school, led by Aaron Grill, Director of Program Innovation, faculty members discussed critical concepts learned over the summer, and presented their ideas and gained feedback on their curriculum development. The fruits of their labor will be seen in the classroom this year through more inquiry-based activities and interdisciplinary projects for many students as well as some testing of enhanced rubrics on assessments and some new grading practices in a few classes.

 “The CLC functions as a research and development arm of our school and gives the faculty room to explore ideas about how best to reach every learner and spark deeper student engagement,” says Gene Campbell, Head of the Upper School. “This collaborative environment allows faculty to learn from one another and bring the best thinking back to the classroom.”