Strategy: Use Discussion Protocols
Personalized Learning Strategy: Use Discussion Protocols NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Amplify Learner Voice Course It’s common for whole class or small group discussions to turn into a handful of learners spending the majority of the time talking. There are a few ways that educators can ensure and promote equity of voice through discussion protocols: Build think-time into the discussion protocol. Some learners think very quickly and will be the first to talk or raise their hands. Building in think-time for all learners before calling on them or asking them to speak provides time for ...
Strategy: Interview Learners
Personalized Learning Strategy: Interview Learners NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Amplify Learner Voice Course Feedback from learners is a gift and although surveys provide valuable information, an interview is an opportunity to ask open-ended questions and truly listen. Different from surveys, interviewing learners, whether it be in a 1:1 setting, as a small focus group or a large forum, allows for more nuanced responses and follow-up questions that can help you, the educator, better understand the student perspective. Start with asking learners what is working for them, then ask them what they would change and ...
Strategy: Give Classroom Feedback Surveys
Personalized Learning Strategy: Give Classroom Feedback Surveys NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Amplify Learner Voice Course Provide a feedback loop for learners to share their input with you. It’s important to understand the experience that learners are having in your classroom. By creating your own surveys you can get personalized feedback based on recent learning experiences and use that feedback to make real-time improvements to your practices and classroom culture. Bright Spots Gain inspiration from authentic examples of this strategy shared by teachers who have used them with their learners. Creating your own Bright ...
Strategy: Nurture Gratitude
Inclusive & Equitable Learning Strategy: Nurture Gratitude NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Nurture a Meaning Learning Community Course Gratitude is a powerful tool for teachers—both for personal and classroom applications. It can be used to help establish a healthy classroom culture as it increases feelings of optimism and joy, decreases anxiety and depression, and helps students feel more connected to their community. Grateful people have been found to experience less envy, resentment, and frustration as well. Bright Spots Gain inspiration from authentic examples of this strategy shared by teachers who have used them with ...
Strategy: Teach Self-Regulation Techniques
Equitable & Inclusive Learning Strategy: Teach Self-Regulation Techniques NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Nurture a Meaning Learning Community Course The concept of self-regulation does not just apply to a child's emotional health; it also influences a child's cognitive ability. The ability to notice and name feelings and then regulate emotions to be more in control of actions is a critical foundation for learning. Bright Spots Gain inspiration from authentic examples of this strategy shared by teachers who have used them with their learners. Creating your own Bright Spots? Let's get them out into the ...
Strategy: Use Art to Get to Know Learners
Equitable and Inclusive Learning Strategy: Use Art to Get to Know Learners NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Nurture a Meaningful Learning Community Course Research consistently shows that when students have supportive relationships and feel known at school, learning accelerates. Making consistent, strategic efforts to deeply see and know your students will provide a powerful foundation for learning. Bright Spots Gain inspiration from authentic examples of this strategy shared by teachers who have used them with their learners. Creating your own Bright Spots? Let's get them out into the world! Share yours here. ...
Strategy: Conferencing as an Assessment
Competency-Based Learning Strategy: Conferencing as a Method of Assessment NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Use Assessment as a Tool for Learning Course Teacher-student conferencing is a one-on-one conversation between a teacher and a learner to discuss the learner’s learning progress. It allows teachers and learners to gather information about what learners know and understand, what they are struggling with, and what they need to work on. This information can then be used to adjust instruction and provide additional support as needed. Bright Spots Gain inspiration from authentic examples of this strategy shared by teachers ...
Strategy: Checks for Understanding
Competency-Based Learning Strategy: Checks for Understanding NOTE: This Strategy is part of the self-paced User Assessment as a Tool for Learning Course Checks for understanding quickly measure whether learners have mastered the material they are learning. They highlight the process of learning for both the teacher and the learner and provide a safe space for the learner to make mistakes. These checks can take different forms, such as 3-5 questions, discussions, or performance tasks, and can be used at different times during a lesson. The goal is to ensure that learners are able to understand and apply the ...
Strategy: Station Rotation
Competency-Based Learning Strategy: Design Station Rotations NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Use Assessment as a Tool for Learning Course Station rotation empowers learners to rotate through different stations or learning activities, each designed to meet their individual needs and learning styles. Ideally, stations include a variety of learning settings: independent (ideal for DOK levels 1-2), collaborative (ideal for DOK levels 3-4), and teacher-led (responsive and tailored to the strengths and needs of the group). Bright Spots Gain inspiration from authentic examples of this strategy shared by teachers who have used them with their learners. ...
Strategy: Using Exit Tickets
Competency-Based Learning Strategy: Exit Tickets NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Use Assessment as a Tool for Learning Course Formative assessment is meant to provide information during the learning process. Exit tickets are a way to know if learners “caught what you taught” by simply asking them a question or two before they leave the class or end a lesson. Ensure that the formative assessments are given with time for you and your learners to do something with the information that the assessments give, such as make edits or learn something new before the summative assessment. ...
Developing a Framework for the Future Informed by Learners, Industry, and Higher Ed
How a rural Pittsburgh district developed a Framework for the Future Informed by Learners, Industry, and Higher Ed
Strategy: Cooperative Learning Strategies
Authentic Learning Strategy: Leveraging Cooperative Learning Strategies NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Spark Collaboration Course Cooperative learning strategies, often called Kagan strategies, are low-lift and low-risk ways for students to engage with each other while learning. They are structured ways to break up a direct instruction lesson and ask students to collaboratively process information. Bright Spots Gain inspiration from authentic examples of this strategy shared by teachers who have used them with their learners. Creating your own Bright Spots? Let's get them out into the world! Share yours here. Quiz-Quiz-Trade ...
Strategy: Help Learners Teach Each Other
Authentic Learning Strategy: Helping Learners Teach Each Other NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Spark Collaboration Course Leverage cooperative learning strategies in which learners teach each other something. In these learning experiences, each learner has a unique piece of information that they share with a group. This helps teach collaboration skills, especially active listening and asking questions. Bright Spots Gain inspiration from authentic examples of this strategy shared by teachers who have used them with their learners. Creating your own Bright Spots? Let's get them out into the world! Share yours here. ...
Strategy: Lead Guided Discussions
Authentic Learning Strategy: Lead Guided Discussions NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Spark Collaboration Course Guided discussions are group conversations that use a structured protocol and usually a variety of sentence stems to support learners with the conversation. These build collaboration skills that can be used in larger group projects. Bright Spots Gain inspiration from authentic examples of this strategy shared by teachers who have used them with their learners. Creating your own Bright Spots? Let's get them out into the world! Share yours here. Sentence Stems Students at Chico ...
Strategy: Provide Peer Feedback Protocols
Competency-Based Learning Strategy: Provide Peer Feedback Protocols NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Use Assessment as a Tool for Learning Course Introduce feedback protocols to students that provide a structure for giving high-quality peer feedback. Example protocols include: Warm & cool feedback 2 stars and 1 wish 1 glow and 1 grow I like, I wish, I wonder Bright Spots Gain inspiration from authentic examples of this strategy shared by teachers who have used them with their learners. Creating your own Bright Spots? Let's get them out into the world! Share yours here. ...
Strategy: Strategically Group Learners
Authentic Learning Strategy: Strategically Group Learners for Collaborative Learning Experiences NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Spark Collaboration Course When assigning group work you can assign groups to learners or allow them to choose their own groups. Research has shown motivation is higher when students select their own groups, and many students prefer this method. However, there are benefits to selecting groups: encourages learners to work with new people they don’t normally interact with, increases the diversity of thought, and strategically makes groups heterogeneous. When deciding on a grouping strategy, think about which will be the ...
Strategy: Create Group Roles
Authentic Learning Strategy: Create Group Roles NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Spark Collaboration Course When learners are working in groups, they need to have clear roles and expectations that support the group's success. In smaller collaborative learning experiences such as a group discussion, those roles may include timekeeper, scribe, reporter, facilitator, etc. In more complex group projects, student roles should be more meaningful, which may mean that they complete different tasks than their group mates or that they contribute to the group in unique ways. Bright Spots Gain inspiration from authentic examples of this ...
Strategy: Group working norms with learners
Authentic Learning Strategy: Create group working norms with learners NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Spark Collaboration Course Creating group norms as the outset of any collaborative learning experience supports learners to work well together and provides the teacher with an anchor for providing feedback to learners on their collaboration. These norms should be co-created with learners. After practicing with learners to create group norms as a class, asking them to create their own team contracts can help them own their own norms and figure out the best way to work together as a group and ...
