Tag Archives: ilead antelope valley

iLEAD Antelope Valley Culture: Project-Based Learning

Spend even just a few moments inquiring about iLEAD Antelope Valley’s approach to education, and one of the first things you’ll hear about is project-based learning, or PBL. It’s at the core of our approach to school and a proven asset to education.

So what is project-based learning? In PBL, learners actively explore real-world challenges to acquire deeper knowledge of the subject at hand. Research shows that learners increasingly retain and enjoy what they’re learning when PBL is done well.

This educational model helps students learn the valuable collaboration, academic, and problem-solving skills our global economy will demand from them. Through the PBL method, learners tackle engaging projects about real-world issues that require critical thought, inquiry, and synthesis, and culminate in regular Presentations of Learning (or POLs) to their peers, facilitators, community members, and parents.

The PBL model requires learners to research, collaborate, and carefully weigh information and evidence in a nuanced problem-solving environment. It teaches learners to accept feedback, create solutions, and present their findings in a high-performance context — preparing them for the rigors of the 21st-century economy and the challenges of a global world. 

PBL provides the following benefits:

  • PBL makes school more engaging: In PBL, students are active, not passive. Projects engage their hearts and minds and provide real-world relevance for learning.
  • PBL improves learning: At the completion of a project, learners understand content more deeply, remember what they learn, and retain it longer than is often the case with traditional instruction. Because of this, students who gain content knowledge with PBL are better able to apply to new situations what they know and can do.
  • PBL builds skills for college, career, and life: Learners are preparing for life in a world where success requires more than basic knowledge and skills. In a project, students learn how to take initiative and responsibility, build confidence, solve problems, work in teams, communicate ideas, and manage themselves more effectively.
  • PBL helps address standards: Common Core and other current education standards emphasize real-world application of knowledge and skills, as well as the development of success skills like critical thinking/problem-solving, collaboration, communication in a variety of media, and speaking and presentation skills. PBL helps learners effectively meet these goals.
  • PBL embraces technology: Kids enjoy using a variety of tech tools that are a perfect fit for PBL. With technology, facilitators and learners not only find resources and information they need; they also collaborate more effectively and connect with experts, partners, and audiences.
  • PBL makes teaching more enjoyable and rewarding: Projects allow facilitators to work closely with active, engaged learners doing high-quality, meaningful work. In many cases, facilitators rediscover the joy of learning alongside kids.
  • PBL connects kids and schools with communities and the real world: Through PBL, learners have opportunities to solve real problems and address actual issues, and as such they learn more about interacting with adults and organizations, are exposed to workplaces, and can identify and develop career interests.

In short, project-based learning is at the core of the iLEAD Antelope Valley model because we believe it is at the heart of how kids learn best. Time and again, we’ve seen how PBL helps learners develop academic skills, build leadership skills and character, and lay the foundation for promising careers.

School Lunch

Enrolled families must fill out a Meal Service Application for the school year.

Free and reduced-price meals are available to qualifying families.

While our site is closed, school meals will be grab-and-go with minimal contact and may not be consumed on-site. Breakfast and lunch will be picked up together at the front gate Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. For your protection and ours, please wear a cloth face covering when picking up meals.

Please contact the school office with any questions.

iLEAD Antelope Valley Culture: Individualized Learning Plans

At the heart of the iLEAD Antelope Valley approach to learning is a firm belief that because every child is different, there is a great benefit in education that embraces a learner’s individuality.

Setting goals at the beginning of the school year is very important. The idea of “beginning with the end in mind” is a valuable principle from Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. With that in mind, one of the core elements of every school year is the development of a learner’s Individualized Learning Plan, or ILP.

At the onset of each school year, learners create an ILP to help guide their instruction. Each learner, along with their family and facilitator, work together to monitor the ILP and make adjustments as needed. The primary goal of the ILP is to ensure that each child will be treated as an individual and, therefore, will work toward attainable goals appropriate to their individual development.

An ILP does much more than help learners navigate a successful path through the school year. It also provides a comprehensive, long-term approach to their education and, in turn, their future career planning. Done right, an ILP can help kids record both their academic and career plans and passions to assess their progress and chart the way forward.

What to Expect in the ILP Process

During the initial ILP meeting, the learner is asked to reflect on what they view as their strengths and challenges, in addition to sharing their interests and any other passions they may have. Parents/guardians are able to add input, and the facilitator shares their observations and data from the assessments.

Using what we know about strengths, challenges, interests, and data, the team develops an academic and social-emotional goal for each learner. It is vital that the learner takes ownership of the goal and the goals are not being enforced upon them. For each goal created, the team sets action plans for home and school to help support the progress toward each goal.

Throughout the year, facilitators put various structures in place that allow for reflection and discussion of ILP goals. In addition to learning the grade-level academic content standards, each learner works toward their individual goals.

Reflection, goal-setting, responsibility, and accountability — lifelong learning outcomes that will truly benefit each learner as they become part of a 21st-century economy. When these principles are at the forefront of a learner’s education year after year, learners become self-directed, successful adults.

Wrapping It Up

Additionally, an ILP is a tool that helps address factors that can sometimes lead learners to disengage, such as academic struggles, lack of supportive relationships with adults, and a sense that school is not relevant to “the real world.” The ILP helps learners take ownership of their education.

The ILP doesn’t work in a vacuum, of course. It’s just one of several effective tools in the iLEAD toolbox, which also includes Project-Based Learning, Social-Emotional Learning, whole-child development, Presentations of Learning, and other components we’ll unpack in future articles. Together, they serve to equip and empower kids for vibrant, promising futures.

Coming up next week, we’ll dive into Project-Based Learning, a foundational element of iLEAD Antelope Valley’s educational approach.

Fall 2020 Distance Learning Instructions

Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year. As you know, we are beginning the year distance learning. Below you will find information about tech tools necessary for this year: Student Email, PowerSchool, and Zoom. If you need any support, please submit a Tech Ticket.

1. Student Email

If you are a returning learner, your school email and password from last year has not changed, and you can log into your email at https://mail.google.com/.

If you are a new learner, your facilitator will be able to provide you with your new email address, or you may submit a Tech Ticket and our technology team can assist you.

An email is not required to log into Zoom.

2. PowerSchool Account Instructions

Click HERE for PowerSchool learner and family training.

Starting Tuesday, August 25, you may log into your account. There will be a PowerSchool video orientation available Monday on your school’s website if you need additional support.

Please wait until Tuesday to log in.

Starting Tuesday, you should have access to your courses. Your facilitator will contact you through PowerSchool with a welcome announcement and instructions on how to get started.

  • Your courses are located here: ilead online.learning.powerschool.com.
  • Please bookmark this page on your child’s browser. You can access PowerSchool Learning on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone. To download the learning app for Apple, click HERE.
  • Please log into your new account and bookmark this domain to access your courses.

Your username:  Firstname.Lastname or firstname.lastname

Your temporary password: changeme (for new learners only)

Note: if you are a returning learner, your password has not changed.

If you need any assistance logging in, please submit a Tech Ticket.

Do not use the Google log-in option. Scroll down to see the example below.

3. Zoom
Zoom Cheat-Sheet for Parents and Caregivers
Zoom Camera Tips for Learners

Please click HERE to visit our Knowledge Base of tips and tutorials.

Please click HERE for technical support.

School Lunch

Enrolled families must fill out a Meal Service Application for the school year.

Free and reduced-price meals are available to qualifying families.

While our site is closed, school meals will be grab-and-go with minimal contact and may not be consumed on-site. Breakfast and lunch will be picked up together at the front gate Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. For your protection and ours, please wear a cloth face covering when picking up meals.

Please contact the school office with any questions.

Summer Resources for Families

2020 Summer Meal Program

Children can have free meals while school is out this summer!

We are participating in the USDA Summer Meal Program. All children between the ages of 1 year and 18 years of age may participate, and they do not need to be enrolled. Meals will be grab-and-go with minimal contact and may not be consumed on-site. For your protection and ours, please wear a cloth face covering when picking up meals.

iLEAD Antelope Valley
2110 W Ave K, Lancaster, CA 93536
**Drive through front of the school for meal pickup**
Monday-Friday (June 15-August 21)
9:00-11:00 AM
Breakfast and lunch will be picked up together
*** To find other schools in your area providing summer meals, please click here.***
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Pautas de seguridad alimentaria

iLEAD Family Resource Helpline

iLEAD Antelope Valley Family Resource HelplineWe want to thank you for all you do for your children. Our lives have been shaken and changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. No matter what you’re feeling and experiencing, we want you to know you are not alone. Though we’re separated by physical distance, we’re here for you and united in our mission to serve our learners, families, and one another.

To strengthen our sense of community and provide an opportunity to communicate honestly throughout this time, we launched the iLEAD Family Resource helpline available to you, toll-free, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Dial 833-610-0700.

Child Care

California Childcare Resource and Referral Network