Portfolio | Natalie Rodriguez | Learning and Development

1/5

GENDER IDENTITY AND SEXUALITY

This Articulate Rise course was designed to roll out our org-wide policy on supporting students' gender identities and sexuality for our staff of over 400 educators. This session aims to give all learners access points, by establishing common language, and having staff apply their learning to scenario-based role plays and case studies.

I adapted this org-wide session to an e-learning experience and converted in-person role plays to interactive e-learning scenarios to increase engagement and effectiveness of delivery.

Audience: 400+ Staff
Methodologies: Applied Learning, Interactive Role Plays
Modalities: Adobe Rise
Skills: e-Learning Design, Clearly Synthesizing Complex Information, DEIJ Learning, LMS Administration, Asynchronous Learning Design

1/20

DEIJ SOCIAL MEDIA MICRO-LEARNINGS

Throughout 2020, I produced DEIJ-focused micro-learnings for Instagram by conducting in depth research and storyboarding cohesive, succinct narratives for learners, synthesizing complex subject material into easily digestible chunks.

The account quickly reached over 40,000 followers, with some of the most popular posts reaching over 900,000 views.

Audience: 40K+ Followers, Up to 900K Reach
Methodologies: Micro-Learning
Modalities: Canva, Social Media
Skills: Synthesizing Complex Topics, Engaging Diverse Audiences

1/13

ANTI-BIAS PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

I co-developed and coordinated implementation of this anti-bias curriculum, which cut bias-based referrals by 72%.

The curriculum was designed in response to qualitative and quantitative culture data. Through observation and analysis of biannual feedback surveys, my team identified a need for development around intersectional inclusion--and specifically work around gender, ability, and 'adultification' biases.

These sessions were conducted over 8 weeks in Professional Learning Communities--where staff first developed their understanding of intersectional inclusion + bias, and then collaborated to create and implement action plans, gather data, and reflect on impact.

Audience: 40+ Staff
Methodologies: Constructivism, Collaborative Action Planning, Multimodal Learning
Modalities: Zoom, Google Slides
Skills: DEIJ Curriculum Development, Train the Trainer, DEIJ Data/Needs Analysis

1/14

AF MATH CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION

Over the course of the 20-21 school year, I led the implementation of a new math curriculum for our 6-8 Math team, meeting 90% of adoption metrics. To drive development, at the open of each term, I conducted baseline observations to determine development needs, and then strategized with senior leaders to create 10 week win-plans, where development was organized into weekly sprints.

This excerpted session is an example of a strategic learning experience I facilitated in Week 5 of a win plan (example pictured on slides 12 and 13). As a result of these strategic development cycles, I consistently led the Math team to make over 150% growth each term--in some cases, tripling scores from baseline. As a result of this accelerated pedagogical growth, student achievement on Interim Assessments improved by an average of 18% from beginning of year to end of year.

Audience: 6-8 Math Team
Methodologies: Successive Approximation Model, Applied Learning
Modalities: In-person Facilitation, Collaborative Google Docs and Sheets
Skills: Data Analysis, Data-Driven Action Planning, Agile Development, Needs Analysis

1/13

SCHOOL CULTURE TRANSFORMATION: YEAR 3

This session, conducted via Zoom, launched our strategic culture priority for the 20-21SY during teacher pre-service. It represents the 3rd phase of a long-term development strategy scoped over 3 years, which cut suspension rates by 50% and decreased referrals by over 80% by the end of Year 1.

During my tenure as Dean, I strategically sequenced learning to shift adults mindsets towards restorative practices (year 1), build fluency with systems and practices (year 2), and then pivot our restorative strategy for hybrid learning, and in response to pandemic-related trauma (year 3).

Aligned to our organization-wide commitment to grow staff skill set in Trauma Informed Practice, I designed and facilitated this specific session to embed an anti-racist and anti-white supremacy lens to TIP, which can often unintentionally stigmatize communities of color, or de-center systemic factors.

After establishing our working definition of anti-racist Trauma Informed Practice, teachers applied the new framework to case studies in groups. This work laid the foundation for our year-long development focused on trauma informed pedagogy.

Audience: 40+ Staff
Methodologies: Transformative Learning (Disorienting Dilemma), Applied Learning, Case Studies
Modalities: Zoom, Interactive Google Slides, Nearpod
Skills: Change Management, Long-Term Development Roadmapping, Pivoting Strategy, Distance Learning, Virtual Facilitation and Engagement

1/19

TIERED TEACHER DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS

In order to streamline our school-wide teacher development system, I innovated tiered development pathways for our staff of 40+. In collaboration with our instructional leadership team, I designed and facilitated learning experiences aligned to four pathways, which led to an average of 115% growth in teacher ratings across each 10-week term.

Above is a sample of a session directed at our Pathway 2 learners, building their skill in student-led discourse, and one directed at Pathway 1 learners, building foundational skills of lesson internalization. These sessions were delivered in the same week to two separate groups of staff, who were simultaneously being developed along differentiated sequences. As a result of this strategic development, 100% of Pathway 1 and 2 learners scored proficient in lesson internalization and discourse, respectively, by end of term.

Audience: 40+ Staff
Methodologies: ADDIE, Differentiation, UDL Principles
Modalities: Carousel Learning, Discourse
Skills: In-Person Facilitation, Iterative Development, Learning Program Evaluation and Improvement

1/10

2022 SUMMER LEARNING

As Academic Director, I set and engaged stakeholders in a clear vision for our summer learning program, then led cross-functional teams to execute the program over 12 weeks.

Throughout this project, I managed a budget of $20K and oversaw vendor management + SOWs to coordinate weekly field trips, led the distribution and collection of permission slips for 40+ students each week, and owned all operational planning including event runs of show, and family-, staff- and student-facing communication.

I also applied event planning expertise to coordinate a Back to School Carnival attended by over 50 families, and leading to a 5% increase in enrollment.

Audience: 160+ Students and 40+ Staff
Skills: End-to-End Project Management, Event Planning, Vendor Management

Student-Facing Schedules

An example of student-facing schedules for synchronous, virtual learning. Hyperlinked to teacher Zoom rooms, where teachers were strategically paired to facilitate orientation lessons.

Mindfulness Session

An example of a culture-aligned session designed to support students' socioemotional health during virtual learning.

Student-Facing Schedules

An example of student-facing schedules for synchronous, virtual learning. Hyperlinked to teacher Zoom rooms, where teachers were strategically paired to facilitate orientation lessons.

1/12

'EXCEED ACADEMY': STUDENT ORIENTATION

Exceed Academy is a 3-day long student orientation for 60+ new students' "onboarding", as well as programming for 100+ returning students to roll-out our annual instructional and cultural priorities.

To successfully execute Exceed Academy for two years in a row, I owned scheduling for 40+ staff and 160+ students, created the vision for orientation, delegated and consulted with SMEs and cross-functional leaders to support in lesson creation, managed resources, materials, and budget, and designed and facilitated student-facing content, as well as teacher-facing PD sessions to launch our program vision, and prepare teachers to facilitate lessons with students.

The sessions and materials previewed above are from 2020 Exceed Academy, where all learning and systems, including staff training, were adapted for distance and e-learning.

Audience: 40+ Staff and 160+ Students
Skills: Agile Project Management, Learning Program Operations, Scheduling, Consulting SMEs, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Team Leadership and Coaching, Hybrid Learning, E-Learning

Term 1 Plan

This comprehensive plan outlined our end of term goals and weekly benchmarks from Week 0-10 for all school functions.

Leader-Facing Data Entry

I custom-designed this dashboard for weekly Data entry from cross-functional leaders.

Term 1 Plan

This comprehensive plan outlined our end of term goals and weekly benchmarks from Week 0-10 for all school functions.

1/8

SY22-23 TERM 1 PLAN

As Academic Director, I designed a comprehensive strategic roadmap for all school functions across the first 10 weeks of school. I collaborated with senior leaders to ensure the development plan was tightly aligned to organizational priorities and our long-term KPIs, and then backwards-mapped weekly benchmarks for our campus.

To ensure my school team met those weekly benchmarks, I customized a Google Sheets data dashboard measuring progress towards KPIs for all school functions, and optimized a data meeting protocol for cross-functional leaders to collaboratively identify key actions and levers for change. Using an agile framework, I led my leadership team in prioritizing action steps from data insights into weekly sprints, leading us to meet 80% of project goals by Week 10.

As pictured, I also owned stakeholder engagement through the iterative roll-out and revision of the plan, incorporating rounds of feedback from senior leaders, extended leadership team, and then teaching staff.

Audience: 6 Senior Leaders and 40+ Staff
Methodologies: Backwards Planning, Agile Project Management
Modalities: Google Sheets, Google Docs
Skills: Collaborating with Senior and Cross-functional Partners, Long-Term Strategic Planning, Iterative Development, Data Collection and Management, Data-Drive Action Planning

1/13

7TH GRADE MATH DISTANCE LEARNING

Above are various samples of curriculum and lesson materials designed for 7th Grade Math during hybrid and distance learning. I improved student achievement by 26% from our first to second Interim Assessment by designing these engaging, concept-driven lessons.

Pictured above are:

a custom-programmed interactive Desmos lesson to support conceptualization of integer addition and subtraction. Students were able to develop their understanding through the concrete visual of adding or cutting off balloons or sandbags during an air balloon ride, and having students predict the behavior of the balloon carriage.
samples from interactive virtual notebooks with drag-and-drop interactions to mimic classroom-based manipulatives.
slides from an end of year project conducted virtually where students worked in teams to apply core standards from 7th grade math to create a business plan, calculating pricing, marketing costs, and net profits.

Audience: 60+ 7th Grade Students
Modalities: Desmos, Interactive Google Slides, Canva Design, Google Classroom
Skills: Instructional Design, Distance Learning, Hybrid Engagement

1/20

'GENIUS HOUR' CURRICULA + PROGRAMMING

Just for fun!

I launched a school-wide program, Genius Hour, at my campus, for students and teachers to collaboratively learn about, or explore a "non-academic" genius. Above are some samples of the Genius Hour clubs I ran: True Crime Club and Cooking Squad.

Audience: 40-50 Middle School Students
Modalities: Google Slides, Canva, iMovie
Skills: Lesson/Instructional Design, Video and Audio Editing and Production

1/28

'FOR THE CULTURE' ADVISORY CURRICULUM

The two lessons sampled above are from a 2 year-long curriculum I authored, scaled, and led implementation of across 4 upper school campuses.

This identity-affirming advisory curriculum brought equity- and race-based conversations into our classrooms, and created space for students to explore stories of systemic oppression and intergenerational grief, as well as counter-narratives of joy, hope, and excellence.

Over the course of two years, I created biweekly centralized content and year-long scope and sequences, defined measures of success for adoption and implementation, including observation rubrics, and led training for implementation with cross-campus leaders to meet 90% of adoption and 85% of quality metrics.

Audience: 500+ Middle School Students and 120+ Teachers
Modalities: Nearpod, Google Slides, Camtasia
Skills: Train the Trainer, Curriculum Scoping, Stakeholder Management + Engagement, Cross-Functional Partnership