Essential Questions Student

Knowledge

K-3

Elementary

Knowledge & Skills

4-8

Middle Years

Knowledge & Skills

9-12

High School

Knowledge & Skills

Do students make

meaningful

connections

between their

classroom

learning, their

personal lives, and

the world around

them?

Do students see

relationships and

overlaps between

multiple streams of

information? Do

the look for

connections

between

disparate ideas?

Can students

identify and

harmonize and

draw connections

to seemingly

unrelated and/or

conflicting

concepts and

information?

Do students

understand the

power and

benefits of

connections in the

globally-

connected 21st

century?

Can students

create meaningful

networks using

various digital

tools and social

platforms? These

networks may

include learning

networks, social

To enrich

understanding in

an informational

age, students

should actively

look to make

connections

between

information, their

personal lives, and

the world around

them.

Students know

how to find

common ground

to connect

seemingly

conflicting

concepts and

information.

Student

achievement is

enhanced when

their learning is

reinforced and

supported in

multiple settings.

These settings can

be online networks

where resources

and connected

conversations are

abundant and

accessible.

In the right

networks, students

can find a sense

of belonging and

purpose through

shared interests

and passions that

will support their

growth.

Valuable

information can

Students make

connections

between

information

learned and

connections to

own personal

experiences and

other events in the

community or

around the world.

Students make

connections

between

information

learned from

digital sources and

connections to

own personal

experiences

community or

global

connections.

Students

independently

develop their own

personal learning

network, based on

the student

identified learning

needs, then

develop meaning

and co-construct

new information or

understandings,

drawing on

personal

experiences,

community or

global

connections.

Students

understand that

there are many

places where they

can find

information to their

questions, which

includes a variety

of sources which

include print,

digital and

interactions with

people. They are

able to identify

and notice

overlaps of

information from

sources.

Students

understand that

there are many

places where they

can find

information to their

questions, which

includes a variety

of sources which

include print,

digital and

interactions with

people. Able to

identify and

notice overlaps of

information, as

well as identify

reasons for

differences.

Students

understand the

value of different

types of

information/media

, (includes print,

digital and digital

interactions with

people). Able to

analyze reasons

for informational

overlaps from

sources, as well as

identify

differences in

information based

on perspective

and type of

information.

Students share

resources from

outside the

classroom to the

activities of the

classroom.

With teacher

mediation,

students

contribute online

information and

resources from

outside into the

activities of the

classroom or

learning

community.

Students

contribute online

information and

resources from

outside into the

activities of the

classroom or

online learning

community.

Students are able

to work

effectively,

networks, activism

networks, etc.

Are students given

the opportunity to

connect beyond

the classroom

walls with other

peers or experts

who help to

support this

learning process?

Are these learning

interactions as

valued as

traditional views of

how learning takes

place?

Are schools

bridging the

disconnect

between

traditional learning

models and the

realities of the

connected 21st

century learner?

Are students

tracking progress

through e-

portfolios and

connecting with

other members in

their learning

network?

Are students

given

opportunities to

engage in

dialogue about

their learning with

teachers, peers or

other members of

their learning

network? Are

students able to

engage in diverse

learning

communities

(which include

face to face and

digital, as well as

intergenerational)

?

Are students

learning in

networks to

ethically and

appropriately

be accessed

through

connections

outside the school

walls and can

significantly

support learning.

These networks

allow for

unprecedented

cross-generational

and cross-cultural

learning as well.

Students

understand how

to access and the

value of

connecting with

multiple people

face to face or

digitally to help

guide student

inquiry.

Connected

learning promotes

life-long learning

and is an

opportunity to

contribute to the

learning of others.

There are various

digital tools and

platforms to

connect with

others. Students

carefully consider

which digital

platforms will

enrich their lives

and learning.

Students connect

with teachers in a

meaningful and

timely exchange

of feedback face

to face or through

digital networks.

Students

understand how

to engage with

systems of informal

learning in

connected

learning

environments.

ethically and

safely within digital

community, by

identifying and

responding to

expectations or

goals of

community (such

as timelines).

Students

understand that

there are people

who can provide

information to their

questions. These

individuals help to

make up their

learning

community.

Students engage

and contribute

ethically to an

online dialogue

with several posts

and comments

with other students

as part of a

teacher-led task.

Students engage

and contribute

ethically to an

online dialogue

with multiple in-

depth posts and

comments with

other students as

part of a teacher-

led task, with the

goal being to co-

constructing

knowledge and

new

understandings.

Students engage

and discuss

learning

experiences in

settings which

include at school,

home and other

communities of

which they

interact face to

face or online

through teacher

mediation, making

up the student's

learning network.

Students give and

act on feedback

from multiple

perspectives in

teacher created

digital networks.

Student

incorporates ideas

and comments

from network and

peers into own

learning.

Students give and

act on feedback

from multiple

perspectives in

digital networks.

Connecting with

peers significantly

shapes the

student's learning

which is evident

by process and

product. Student

effectively

incorporates

comments from

network

community into

learning.

Students actively

engage in

different forms of

communication to

reach out,

connect to

explore and share

their questions and

ideas with teacher

digital support.

Teachers would

provide

opportunities for

whole class

connection with

other learning

"experts".

Students actively

engage in

different forms of

communication to

reach out and

explore ideas from

multiple diverse

perspectives with

teacher

mediation.

Communication

may be face to

face or teacher

mediated digital

connections with

peers or other

"experts" -

depending on

student selection

for learning

project.

Students actively

engage in

different forms of

communication to

reach out and

explore ideas from

multiple diverse

perspectives using

social media

platforms. Able to

communicate

voice or opinions

appropriately as a

member of the

learning

community.

Communication

may be face to

face or through

student initiated

connections with

exchange

knowledge,

collect and curate

stories and ideas,

as well as engage

in collective

activities?

Are students

provided digital

spaces where

they can engage

with

intergenerational

experts who help

to make up their

learning

community and

helping to

develop social

relations in a safe

and mediated

way?

Are students able

to demonstrate

the ability to

access an

external social

media site with

subject-related

content, and

contribute or

download digital

content?

peer or "experts"

from many fields -

depending on

student selection

for learning

project.

Students can

simply identify

benefits of

connecting to

share knowledge.

Students identify

instances and

describe benefits

of digital

technologies

being used for the

creating and

sharing of

knowledge.

Students identify

instances and

describe benefits

of digital

technologies

being used for the

creating and

sharing of

knowledge as a

means of

exploring various

perspectives and

expertise.

Students engage

in dialogue about

learning with

teachers, peers or

parents

predominately

face to face,

occasionally

digitally with

teacher

mediation.

Feedback is

captured in digital

form and used in

discussion.

Students engage

in dialogue about

learning with

teachers, peers or

other members of

their learning

network in face to

face as well as

digital. Feedback

is captured in

digital form for

student to act

upon.

Students

demonstrate the

ability to use a

variety of online

contacts and

social networks to

find out

information, and

able to distinguish

between different

online

communication

tools for usefulness

for enabling

teamwork and

collaboration.

Students also

participate in

learning networks

to exchange

knowledge,

collect and curate

stories and ideas,

as well as engage

in collective

activities such as

crowdsourcing as

a means of

making

connections for

student inquiry.