Learner-Centered Strategies

Learner-centered strategies are actionable steps educators can take to create personalized, competency-based, authentic, inclusive and equitable learning environments. Want to go into more depth on these learner-centered outcomes? Check out our Self-Paced Courses.

Provide Options for Accessibility

Provide Options for Accessibility NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Partner with Learners to Reach Their Full Potential An equitable and inclusive learning environment is one in which ALL learners have access and challenge within every learning experience. This means that all learners, regardless of their language and ability, will be able…

Protocols for Reflection on Learning

Protocols for Reflection on Learning NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Design Real-World Learning Experiences Course Reflection is a key practice for deeper learning and should happen throughout the learning experience to shift the focus from the product of learning to the process. Reflection protocols, which are sentence starters/stems or specific reflection…

Design a Flexible Learning Space

Design a Flexible Learning Space NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Promote Anytime/Anywhere Learning Flexible learning environments are spaces that honor the fact that learning happens both in and outside of the traditional classroom. They also enable opportunities for collaboration and student agency when deciding where and how to learn. A flexible…

Students take a walk in the park in San Francisco

Take Learners into the Real World

Take Learners into the Real World NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Promote Anytime/Anywhere Learning When we prioritize engaging learners in authentic learning experiences and tasks, the entire world becomes our oyster for learning, exploration and reflection! Learning outside the four walls of the classroom can be as simple as stepping outside…

Bring the Real World into the Classroom

Bring the Real World into the Classroom NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Promote Anytime/Anywhere Learning Blurring the boundaries between the classroom and the real world doesn’t only mean physically bringing learners outside the classroom walls. Equally important is bringing the real world into the classroom by connecting students with content experts, community…

Connect Learners to Mentors

Connect Learners to Mentors NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Promote Anytime/Anywhere Learning While your school might not yet have a formal internship or mentorship program, there are still many ways to ensure learners get connected with local community members and with work-based learning experiences to expose them to the ever evolving…

Host Exhibitions of Learning

Host Exhibitions of Learning NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Design Performance-Based Assessments Exhibitions of Learning, also called Celebrations of Learning or Demonstrations of Learning, are events where students share their learning and any products with their community. These events could take the form of a formal presentation (e.g. play), an individual…

Host Student-Led Conferences

Host Student-Lead Conferences NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Design Performance-Based Assessments A student-led conference is a meeting facilitated by students with their families and teachers. In this meeting, students reflect on their overall learning, progress towards goals, and next steps. Students who participate in student-led conferences take more ownership of their…

Create Portfolios with Learners

Create Portfolios with Learners NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Design Performance-Based Assessments Portfolios are student-curated collections of work that include a self-reflection on progress over time and why that piece was selected to include in the portfolio. Portfolios can take a digital form in websites or a school’s LMS or can…

Explore Identity with Learners

Explore Identities with Learners NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Cultivate a Sense of Belonging Course Exploring and sharing about our identity helps us become more aware of our own backgrounds and how they influence how we show up in the world. It also helps us get to know those in community…

Create Learner Jobs

Create Learner Jobs NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Develop Learner Agency Course Learners identify classroom leadership roles, creating a sense of accountability for their classroom community. Learners can take on jobs like classroom photographer, greeter (for guests), birthday celebrator, historian, etc. There are so many ways that students can help! Learner…

Provide Learners With Tools to Prioritize Their Time

Provide learners with tools to prioritize their time NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Develop Learner Agency Course A powerful way for learners to build their agency and determine priorities, self-management skills that are crucial for learners to build, is for them to plan and prioritize their time. First educators must provide…

Provide goal setting frameworks and tools

Provide goal-setting frameworks and tools NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Develop Learner Agency Course Goal-setting is an important life skill and leads to better learning outcomes when done right. Providing tools and frameworks, such as SMART Goals and WOOP Goals, to learners to scaffold their goal-setting and reflecting process has proven…

Make Thinking Visible

Make Thinking Visible NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Develop Learner Agency Course Metacognition, the ability to think about your thinking and act on that reflection, has been shown to lead to greater learning outcomes and higher learner agency. To start the metacognitive process, educators can make their own thinking visible by…

Host a Defense of Learning

Host Defense of Learning NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Design Performance-Based Assessments A defense of learning is a way for a student to share a portfolio or a specific product and reflect on how they achieved the intended learning outcomes. A committee of peers, teachers, family, and/or community members provide feedback…

Create Playlists for Learners

Create Playlists for Learners NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Customize the Learning Experience Course A learning playlist is a sequence of learning experiences and resources designed for students to work through at their own pace in order to achieve the desired learning objectives. Playlists are inherently flexible; learners can work on…

Provide Choice Boards

Provide Choice Boards NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Customize the Learning Experience Course Choice boards can take a variety of forms but they are essentially a list of options of learning activities for learners to select from. They can provide choices in what, how, with whom, where or when students learn.…

Create Learner Portraits

Create Learner Portraits NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Customize the Learning Experience Course Learners take stock of who they are – their strengths, interests, goals, & needs – and reflect on how, when, and where they learn best. They create a visual to represent themselves. A learner portrait can help learners…

Personalized Learning Strategies

Make Thinking Visible

Provide goal setting frameworks and tools

Provide Learners With Tools to Prioritize Their Time

Create Learner Jobs

Create Learner Portraits

Encourage Retakes & Test Corrections

Encourage Retakes & Test Corrections NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Design Performance-Based Assessments Encouraging retakes and test corrections provides learners with an opportunity to identify their mistakes, review their work, revisit the content, address misconceptions, and correct their answers. This practice not only helps students improve their grades but also ensures…

Support Learners in Understanding Themselves

Support Learners in Understanding Themselves NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Customize the Learning Experience In order for learners to make high-quality decisions about their learning, they need to develop a strong sense of self. Who am I? What are my strengths? How do I learn best? As educators, we can support…

Use Tech Tools to Provide Just-In-Time Assessment Feedback

Use Tech Tools to Provide Just-In-Time Assessment Feedback Quickly gather assessment data to use to personalize learning and provide students just in time feedback. 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…

Use Tech Tools to Nurture Inclusion

Use Tech Tools to Nurture Inclusion NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Customize the Learning Experience Course Listen to students and include their voice in the classroom through more than just verbal discussions. This can include tools such as text-to-speech or speech-to-text software, interactive whiteboards, and online tools that allow students to…

Use tech tools to personalize instruction

Use Tech Tools to Personalize Learning NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Customize the Learning Experience Course Provide personalized instruction that meets each student where they are and provides them voice and choice. When tech tools are leveraged to provide learning materials for students to work through at their own pace, the…

Authentic Learning Strategies

Create Portfolios with Learners

Host a Defense of Learning

Host Exhibitions of Learning

Connect Learners to Mentors

Bring the Real World into the Classroom

Take Learners into the Real World

Design a Flexible Learning Space

Protocols for Reflection on Learning

Project-Based Learning

Project-Based Learning NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Design Real-World Learning Experiences Course Project-based learning is a way to engage learners in meaningful, authentic tasks that develop content-based knowledge and important skills for success in life including critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Project-based learning is different from doing a traditional…

Support Learner Self-Assessment

Support Learner Self-Assessment NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Use Assessment as a Tool for Learning Course Self-assessment is empowering learners to consider where they are in their own learning by intentionally creating transparency of the learning process and creating a safe space to make mistakes. Self-assessment is often supported by a…

Competency-Based Learning Strategies

Host Exhibitions of Learning

Host Student-Led Conferences

Host a Defense of Learning

Create Portfolios with Learners

Support Learner Self-Assessment

Data Trackers

Use Data Trackers NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Use Assessment as a Tool for Learning Course When learners track their own progress, assessment for learning (formative assessment) quickly becomes assessment as learning. Learners figure out where they are in their learning and how they learn best, which is powerful. Ideally, learners track their proficiency…

Move On When Ready

Move On When Ready NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Use Assessment as a Tool for Learning Course Learners are empowered to progress through the learning experience based on their demonstration of the desired skills and knowledge. This can be as small and contained as learners working through the writing process at…

Create Playlists for Learners

Use Tech Tools to Provide Just-In-Time Assessment Feedback

Co-Create Rubrics with Learners

Co-Create Rubrics with Learners NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Design Performance-Based Assessments Co-creating rubrics with learners ensures that you clearly share the desired learning outcomes for a learning experience and gives learners ownership over their learning. It not only creates clarity of expectations for the educator but more importantly for the…

Inclusive & Equitable Learning Strategies

Provide Options for Accessibility

Make Thinking Visible

Create Learner Jobs

Explore Identity with Learners

Create Playlists for Learners

Support Learners in Understanding Themselves

Use Tech Tools to Nurture Inclusion

Create Learner Portraits

Provide Choice Boards

Bring Students to the Table for School Decisions

Bring Students to the Table for School Decisions NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Amplify Learner Voice Course Asking students their opinions about decisions that affect them in their school community is a great place to start listening to learners. However, taking it a step further puts students at the decision making…