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Universal Design is built on the core belief that we should design environments to be usable by all people without need for adaptation or specialized design. This is an inclusive approach that allows everyone to benefit from such a design. Ramps on buildings, close captioning, and elevators are some examples of "designs" that allow everyone to benefit.

Universal Design for Learning applies the same concept of designing for everyone in all aspects of learning and/or the school systems, including learning spaces, playgrounds, instruction, materials, assessments, classroom culture, and behavior management.

UDL, built on cognitive neuroscience, is an inclusive framework that seeks to remove barriers for learners.

UDL includes a paradigm shift from a deficit approach to neurodiversity, and a shift from singular accommodations to universally accessible scaffolds. UDL focuses on budling student agency.

The goal of UDL is to build learner agency where learners become self aware, they self direct, and participate in core creating the learning environment so that students can be successful in a flexible and adaptable learning environment. There is a need to develop learner executive functioning as we core-design with the learners, and recognize student voice.

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Accelerating Learning With A Whole Child Perspective

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Accelerating Learning With A Whole Child Perspective

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Co-teaching is a collaborative approach to instruction in which two teachers, typically a general education teacher and a special education teacher, work together to plan and then implement instruction for a class that includes students with disabilities.

This can benefit not only the students with disabilities, but all students who are having difficulty with or are misunderstanding an assignment. Co-teaching is the most common method of delivering specially designed instruction to students with disabilities in the least-restrictive environment.

Source: A Teacher’s Guide to Special Education, Bateman & Cline, 2015

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Co-Teaching As A Marriage | Sarah Hect & Lisa Price | TEDxCharlesDrewCharterSchool

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Think Inclusive | The Official Blog of MCIE

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As the official blog of MCIE, we exist to build bridges between families, educators, and people with disabilities to advocate for inclusive education. We do this by publishing content from disabled advocates, parents of children with disabilities, and educators who are "all-in" for inclusion.

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The Open Access Project is based in the foundational belief that with access to quality curriculum & instruction, students with disabilities can engage, actively participate, and learn within inclusive settings.

The pathway includes:

implementing the principles of universal design for learning (UDL) across all learning environments;

incorporating digital tools and/or accessible technologies (AT) into the design of instruction and measurement of learning; and

providing access to augmentative alternative communication (AAC) strategies and supports and a commitment to building communication competence for students with complex communication needs.

Click here for a Quick Overview of the Open Access Project to print and share.

Reach out with questions, comments or ideas or to inquire about participating in an Open Access project.

Find out what's currently happening or what's coming up within our network.

In this space you can search for handouts, tools, presentations, and quarterly and annual reports related to our projects.

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Open Access 2.0 | Learning and Participation for All Students

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Providing Accessibility through UDL, AT, and AAC

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The UDL Journey Guide This digital travel companion guides district leaders and teams through four phases of implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL), with connections to state and national support along the way.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Placement: Deciding Where A Student Spends the School Day

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Placement: Deciding Where A Student Spends the School Day

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Where and when a student goes to school is called the placement. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) describes how much time a student spends in different settings. It also includes a statement about how much time the student spends with non-disabled students.

The IEP Team, including the parent, makes decisions about placement after talking about the student's needs and goals from the IEP. The placement decision happens after the team has looked at the strengths, needs and goals for the student.
The IEP team chooses a placement that team members believe will meet the needs and goals for the student.
The IEP document usually includes a table or chart, called the "Service Matrix." This shows where a student spends different parts of the day, who is providing the teaching or service, and the timing. The district includes parents in any decisions about placement.

Placement discussions can get tricky. Schools and families sometimes think outside the box to come up with the best fit. Placement options might include:

general education classes

general classes with support services and/or modifications

self-contained special education classes

a private school with a program or teaching style that meets a specific need

education provided at home

online school

residential care

a treatment facility

any combination of the above

School districts are required to provide a placement to meet the needs of a student with an IEP. Districts are not required to offer every program or service in every school building. For example, a district might have a self-contained preschool classroom in one but not every elementary-school building. A student who needs that setting to succeed might get bused to a different neighborhood school.

Placement decisions have requirements. Federal laws that govern special education are included in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). A major principle of the IDEA is that students with disabilities are educated with non-disabled students "to the maximum extent appropriate." This principle is called the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). ​PAVE has an article with more detail about LRE.
To meet the LRE requirement, schools need to explain in writing why a more restrictive setting is required to meet the needs of the student.
Parents have a lot to contribute about the strengths and needs of their student. This is important information for any placement decision.

In Washington State, all public schools are overseen by the Office of Superintendent for Public Instruction. OSPI requires that schools and IEP teams consider the following when making placement decisions:

1. The content of the student's IEP

2. The Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

3. The likelihood that the placement will provide a reasonably high probability of helping the student attain annual goals

4. The consideration of any potential harmful effects that the placement option might have on the student or the quality of services needed.

Parents review the placement decision as part of the IEP team to make sure all four factors are considered. This can include a review of the accommodations, services, supports and specialized instruction needs so the student can succeed in multiple settings.

A conversation about placement can happen anytime a parent or school staff member has a question about whether the placement is working. ​Sometimes families disagree with the student's placement. Sometimes families believe that the school is not following the placement outlined by the IEP. A parent can always call an IEP meeting to discuss concerns. Teams work together to address concerns raised by any member of the team, which includes the parent.

The IDEA provides parents with ways to formally dispute any action by the school. ​These are called dispute resolution options. ​There are also alternative dispute resolution options available. OSPI provides detail about these options on its website. ​ PAVE can help you understand different options.

Here are some websites to visit for more information about placement:

OSPI: www.k12.wa.us

Center for Parent Information and Resources: Parent Center Hub article on Placement and LRE

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Placement: Deciding Where a Student Spends the School Day

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Where and when a student goes to school is called the placement. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) describes how much time a student spends in different settings. It also includes a statement about how much time the student spends with non-disabled students.

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Shelley Moore: Transforming Inclusive Education

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D115 - The Power of Equity and Inclusion with Dr. Carol Quirk

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Check out our handbookElevating Co-Teaching Through UDL by veteran educator and co-teacher Elizabeth Stein to learn more about implementing Co-Teaching practices and Universal Design for Learning into your classroom.

What is Co-Teaching?

Co-teaching is the practice of pairing teachers together in a classroom to share the responsibilities of planning, instructing, and assessing students. In a co-teaching setting, the teachers are considered equally responsible and accountable for the classroom. Co-teaching is often implemented with general and special education teachers paired together as part of an initiative to create a more inclusive classroom.

Inclusion is "a belief system that embraces the reality that diverse individuals are included within a positive learning environment." (Stein, 2016, p. 8) The movement towards inclusion has its roots in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law providing rights and protections for students with disabilities and ensures that students with disabilities have access to a free and public education (FAPE) in the "least restrictive environment" (LRE) to "the maximum extent that is appropriate" (Lee, n.d.; Morin, n.d.) An inclusion classroom is often chosen as the least restrictive environment since it allows students with special education needs to receive the support they require as part of their Individualized Education Program (IEP), build a stronger social connection with their peers, and benefit from the curriculum of the general education class.

As you may have guessed, having two teachers leading a classroom opens up many opportunities for students as well as the teachers. Some of the benefits of co-teaching in an inclusion classroom include (Ferguson, Desjarlais, & Meyer, 2000):

More opportunities for one on one interaction between students and teachers, leading to stronger relationships.

Students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum as required by law, which includes the classroom community and activities they otherwise wouldn't take part in.

Students still have opportunities for specialized instruction when needed.

All students can benefit from the additional supports, resources, and diversity in the classroom.

Increased independence for students with disabilities.

Stronger, more creative, lessons due to teachers sharing the planning process with each other.

Teachers are able to support one another by complimenting each other's strengths and weaknesses, building camaraderie and dividing the work load in the classroom.

How do co-teachers work together?

A co-teaching partnership can be put into practice using a variety of methods. Co-teaching is typically implemented using one of the following six models (Cook & Cook, 2004):

One Teach, One Observe

In this model, one teacher instructs while the other observes students to identify issues and assess their performance. This method allows the observing teacher to provide feedback on which content and activities are most effective for students, allowing the co-teaching pair to continually improve their practice and best meet the needs of all students in their classroom.

One Teach, One Drift

This approach is similar to the 'One Teaches, One Observes' model, but while one teacher is instructing the classroom, the second teacher provides additional assistance and support to students as needed.

Station Teaching

With station teaching, the lesson is divided into segments as the teachers each instruct part of the lesson at independent stations or rotate between groups of students. This allows teachers to provide specialized support when delivering content in areas they may have more expertise in, or if their style better fits a certain part of a lesson.

Parallel Teaching

In the parallel teaching model, the teachers divide the class into two groups and they instruct each group with the same content simultaneously. In this arrangement, the smaller groups allow closer supervision and more opportunities for interaction between the students and teacher.

Alternate Teaching

In this method, one teacher handles a larger group, while the other teaches a small group who need specialized attention and additional supports.

Team Teaching

Team teaching requires the strongest partnership, but can be one of the most fulfilling methods of co-teaching. With team teaching, the co-teachers share responsibility and deliver instruction at the same time as a "tag team".

Implementing Co-Teaching Models

A co-teaching pair doesn't necessarily use the same teaching model every day. The method chosen by the teachers is determined by their individual teaching styles, the unique needs of the classroom, and the lesson being taught. When the co-teachers are prepared to use various models and are comfortable sharing their classroom as equals, the experience for students can be seamless and effective.

Of course, there is an adjustment period for new co-teachers, and the teachers must be dedicated to making their partnership work. Co-teachers must manage varying levels of preparation for each model, differences in their knowledge and teaching styles, and the individual needs of students. In a future blog post, we'll review methods for co-teachers to improve their partnership and resolve conflicts that preventing them from providing the most effective instruction in their classroom.

To learn how to successfully build and sustain a co-teaching partnership using Universal Design for Learning, read Elevating Co-Teaching Through UDL by Elizabeth Stein, or join CAST's mailing list for updates on future blog posts, webinars, and book releases!

Additional Co-Teaching resources:

You can find some additional resources with advice and background on co-teaching concepts at the following websites:

References:

Cook, L., & Friend, M. (2004, April 29). Co-Teaching: Principles, Practices, and Pragmatics. Participants Guide. Paper presented at New Mexico Public Education Department Quarterly Special Education Meeting, Albuquerque. Santa Fe, NM: New Mexico Public Education Department.

Ferguson, D., Desjarlais, A., & Meyer, G. (2000). Improving Education: The Promise of Inclusive Schooling [Brochure]. Newton, MA: National Institute for Urban School Improvement.

Lee, A. (n.d.). How IDEA Protects You and Your Child [Web log post]. Retrieved from Understood.org (accessed March 8, 2017).

Morin, A. (n.d.). Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): What You Need to Know [Web log post]. Retrieved from Understood.org (accessed March 8, 2017).

Stein, E. (2016). Elevating Co-Teaching Through UDL. Wakefield, MA: CAST Professional Publishing.

Cover photo by Chicago 2016 / CC BY 2.0

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What is Co-Teaching? An Introduction to Co-Teaching and Inclusion - CAST Professional Publishing

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A brief exploration into various methods and benefits of co-teaching.

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Segregation of Students with Disabilities

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Segregation of Students with Disabilities

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WHAT IS AN INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND? "An inclusive playground addresses the needs of all people including those who have autism, intellectual disabilities, hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, spina bifida and other disabilities. It also addresses the needs of typical children. An inclusive playground accommodates everyone and challenges them at their own developmental level." (Inclusive Play Design Guide Work Group)

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Play is fundamental to human development throughout our lives. Playgrounds offer a focal point for play, but many people are unable to fully experience the opportunity provided due to the configuration of play spaces. Playgrounds are often designed to accommodate specific types of play or a certain age group, leaving children who are unable to play in the prescribed way left out of the play environment.

Playing is especially important for children with disabilities, allowing them to practice social skills. However, typical playground design is often not conducive to children with disabilities, leaving them over-or under-stimulated. Visiting typical playgrounds with children with disabilities can reveal what aspects of playground design do not accommodate everyone.

Playgrounds should create opportunities for intergenerational and social connections, sensory stimulation, physical exercise, and access to nature, the integration of which is a design problem. Designing with children with disabilities and their families and creating culturally-sensitive playgrounds show that playing is more than just fun and create spaces where everyone can play, regardless of ability, age, or language.

For example, Martin's Park, designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA), is a universally designed playground. Unusual play structures and a large ship provide endless variations of play that can engage every child. The various methods of play have different means of access, allowing kids who are able to scramble up hills, while mobility-disabled children can use the sloping paths to reach the top. Interpretive signage points to the inclusive routes and elements of the playground. The inclusion of more than 350 trees and almost 700 shrubs give children, adults, and caregivers the chance to experience the sensory aspects of plants.

Universally-designed playgrounds feature:

Multiple forms of play: The multipurpose game settings and range of physical elements found in many playgrounds is critical for social and motor development. Sensory play is beneficial to all children, while allowing those with disabilities to play alongside abled children. Sensory play offers experiences that engage more senses than just visual, such as large scale musical instruments or fossil digs. Play spaces that appeal to a variety of senses enrich the play experience for everyone. Tactile play spaces help blind and low-vision children orient themselves and encourage them to engage in haptic play.

Range of risk: Unstructured, somewhat risky play is beneficial for children, but different children, and parents, are comfortable with different levels of risk. Accessible options offer different levels of risk and provide spaces for children of all abilities. These can range from low risk landforms, to having places to hammer and build objects.

Landform design: Unstructured play is a category of play that is open-ended and is critical to brain-development. Landform design is one tool landscape architects use to enhance sensory play and encourage unstructured play. Shaping the land to encourage kids to climb, roll, jump, and slide, among many other forms of play based on their own level of comfort and ability.

Ease of access: Some children are able to climb hills, while others need sloped pathways to reach the same location. Providing both options ensures that children of all abilities can play within the playground. Color delineations on the ground and play equipment allows children with low vision to distinguish between various elements of the playground. Visual connectivity between spaces allows for ease in signing and communication for deaf or hard of hearing children communicate and helps everyone better understand the organization of the playground.

Non-toxic, non-thorny plants: Plants provide excellent sources of sensory stimulation for all children, but especially for autistic, blind, or deaf children. Choosing safe plants ensures parents and caregivers can be comfortable with any level of sensory stimulation that anyone wants to receive from plants. Avoid using high-allergen plants whenever possible. Trees and other plantings provide shade for hot playgrounds.

Range of sensory engagement: Many autistic children are either over or under stimulated, creating the need for different intensities of sensory engagement throughout the playground. Providing small quiet places to play, in addition to the larger more engaging areas, allows children to play in the environment that best suits them. Wheelchair swings, or moving bridges, allow mobility-disabled children to enjoy these sensations. Items to manipulate, such as bells and latches, provide sensory engagement not directly related to play structures while promoting fine motor skill development.

Materials: Tactile and sensory-engaging materials should be balanced with materials that are easy to navigate for mobility-disabled children. Ground cover materials, including the surfaces of playground equipment and its surroundings, should be accessible to wheelchair users. Low-glare materials should be used throughout playgrounds, easing communication for children who use sign language and those with low vision. Steel, instead of plastic slides, can reduce static, which can be a concern for those with cochlear implants. Consider heat gain and cold retention properties of materials for those with temperature sensitivities.

Accessible equipment: Standard playground equipment isn't accessible to all children. Supportive and wheelchair accessible swings expand who can use this equipment. Playground structures should have multiple options for transferring onto elevated elements, including paths wide enough for wheelchair users to turn around.

Interpretive signage: In playgrounds with multiple areas, signage should indicate where different types of sensory play is available. Clear signage with braille, and other tactile indicators at a height accessible to wheelchair users ensures adults and children of all abilities can understand the signage. Visual landmarks within the playground can help orient children as well.

Enclosure: Wandering can be prevented through efficient and clear safety measures. Features that limit risk of wandering give parents peace of mind while their children play. There are clear benefits to secure, gated fencing with a single entry point surrounding the perimeter of the entire playground. However, a mix of shrubs, well-placed logs, and other visual and/or physical barriers can also be effective in minimizing wandering or running concerns. If fencing is included, consider incorporating sensory panels and elements as part of the fence design.

Safe water and sand: Water is an excellent sensory stimulant for autistic, blind, and deaf children, but water elements should be designed with safety as the foremost concern so children of all abilities can play independently. Sand, along with water, has excellent play value for children of all abilities and can be dug or sculpted at the ground plane or in raised areas.

Ample seating: Seating should be spread throughout the playground, giving parents clear vantage points of the various spaces within the playground. Arm rests and chair backs should be included to accommodate everyone - waiting parents, older visitors, caregivers, kids, neighbors, those with endurance limitations, and others.

Play isn't just for kids anymore, senior play spaces and public exercise equipment are popping up around the world. Play spaces for older adults provide health benefits and encourage engagement with their families and community.

Adult-oriented equipment: Parks should include adult-centered playgrounds where seniors can socialize through shared exercises and activities like Tai Chi. This can encourage them to engage with public space and maintain a presence in their communities.

Encourage exercise: Studies have found eccentric exercise can help reduce risk of developing dementia and help fight age-induced muscle atrophy. Accessible exercise equipment suited for different levels of mobility should be included.

Intergenerational play: Adult oriented equipment often looks like play structures, encouraging children and adults of all ages to play together. Intergenerational play reduces loneliness, encourages family bonding, and promotes active lifestyles.

Clear line of sight to restrooms: Restrooms should be located within sight of playgrounds, providing convenient access to everyone, especially children and those with cognitive disorders.

Organizations
Autistic Self-Advocacy Network
Let Kids Play
Natural Learning Initiative Shane's Inspiration Star Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder
Unicef Hong Kong - Playwright Children's Play Association

AARP Fitness Parks

Evidence-Based Practices for the Design of Inclusive Playgrounds that Support Peer Interactions Among Children with All Abilities, MLA Thesis, Utah State University, 2017
Children and Nature Network 2018 Annual Report
Helping Your Child Cope with his Sensory Needs, The Hanen Centre

Inclusive Play Design Guide

In Defense of Play, The Atlantic, August 2016

Interview with Brian Johnston on the Landscape of Autism, The Dirt, October 2012

Playground Adaptions, Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Playgrounds for Adults, AARP, March 2012

Processing Through Play, Landscape Architecture Magazine, July 2018

The Overprotected Kid, The Atlantic, April 2014

Through Play, Children with Autism can Hone Thinking Skills, Spectrum News, May 2016

Walking Down Stairs Could Help Prevent Dementia, Medical Xpress, June 2016

Why Cities Need Accessible Playgrounds, Curbed, July 2018

The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds, Kenneth R. Ginsburg, MD, MSEd, the Committee on Communications, and the Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, January 2007

Occurrence and Family Impact of Elopement in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Connie Anderson, Ph.D, J. Kiely Law, MD, Amy Daniels, Ph.D, Catherine Rice, Ph.D, David S. Mandell, ScD, Louis Hagopian, Ph.D, and Paul A. Law, MD, MPH, November 2012

Therapeutic potential of eccentric exercises for age-related muscle atrophy, Jae-Young Lim, June 2016

Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 6, Brooklyn, New York, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA), 2010

Ballum Bumps Regional Play Space, Frankston, AU, Playce, 2018 National Landscape Architecture Award, Play Spaces

Carbide Park Senior Playground, La Marque, TX, 2014

Harper's Playground, Portland, OR, Harper's Playground

Helen Diller Playground at Mission Delores Park, San Fransisco, CA, Koch Landscape Architecture, 2012

Martin's Park, Boston, MA, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA), 2019

Seattle Children's Playgarden, Seattle, WA, Winterbottom Design Inc.

Superkilen, Copenhagen, Denmark, Topotek 1, BIG Architects, and Superflex, 2012

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Universal Design: Playgrounds | asla.org

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Play is fundamental to human development throughout our lives. Playgrounds offer a focal point for play, but many people are unable to fully experience the opportunity provided due to the configuration of play spaces. Playgrounds are often designed to accommodate specific types of play or a certain age group, leaving children who are unable to play in the prescribed way left out of the play environment.

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"The authors of this document, the Inclusive Play Design Guide Work Group, hope that this guide will inspire others to build environments that allow better access to play, which will in turn enrich our society." ( Inclusive Play Design Guide Work Group)

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Investing in universally designed playgrounds aligns with educational goals of equity and inclusion, while fostering a supportive, diverse, and enriching environment for all. It reflects a commitment to empowering every child to reach their full potential through play.

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Evidence--Based Practices for the Design of Inclusive Playgrounds that Support Peer Interactions Among Children with All Abilities

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Evidence--Based Practices for the Design of Inclusive Playgrounds that Support Peer Interactions Among Children with All Abilities

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Universal design in playgrounds ensures that all children, regardless of their physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities, can engage, play, and learn together. Here’s a justification for incorporating universally designed playgrounds in schools:

1. Fostering Inclusivity and Equity

Universally designed playgrounds eliminate barriers, enabling children with disabilities to play alongside their peers.

Promotes a sense of belonging and reduces stigmatization by creating an environment where everyone can participate equally.

2. Supporting Development for All Children

Playgrounds are critical for physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. Universal design ensures that these benefits are accessible to every child.

Features like sensory play zones, wheelchair-accessible ramps, and multi-sensory equipment cater to a variety of developmental needs.

3. Enhancing Social Skills and Empathy

When children of all abilities play together, it fosters understanding, empathy, and respect among peers.

Encourages teamwork and collaboration as children learn to interact with others who have different abilities.

4. Compliance with Legal and Ethical Standards

Many regions have laws (e.g., the Americans with Disabilities Act in the U.S.) mandating accessibility in public spaces, including playgrounds.

Ethical responsibility compels schools to create spaces that respect the rights of all children to participate fully in school life.

5. Promoting Health and Well-being

Physical activity is essential for health, and accessible playgrounds ensure all children can benefit.

Universal design often includes sensory elements that support children with autism or sensory processing disorders, enhancing their overall well-being.

6. Future-Proofing Infrastructure

Universal design benefits not only children with disabilities but also parents, teachers, or visitors with mobility challenges.

These playgrounds are adaptable to changing needs, ensuring long-term usability.

7. Community and Parental Engagement

Inclusive playgrounds demonstrate a school’s commitment to diversity, encouraging stronger support from parents and the broader community.

They become a shared space for learning and connection, extending their impact beyond the school.

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Evidence-Based Practices for the Design of Inclusive Playgrounds that Support Peer Interactions Among Children with All Abilities

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The Benefits and Drawbacks of Each of The Six Coteaching Models

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The Benefits and Drawbacks of Each of The Six Coteaching Models

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6 Co-Teaching Models That Can Positively Impact Your Classroom

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There's a lot going on in your classroom - worksheets to grade, questions to answer and students working at different levels of understanding. Having another educator standing next to you can help ease the burden and meet the unique challenges present in your group of students.

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Faced with the pervasive amount of unfinished learning caused by the pandemic, we have been hearing a lot about the benefits of accelerated learning. But what is it? And how can schools and systems do it successfully? To find out, we consulted seven Carnegie Corporation of New York grantees who work year round alongside educators to support the adoption and implementation of high-quality instructional materials: EL Education, Instruction Partners, Learning Forward, OpenSciEd, Rivet Education, Student Achievement Partners, and Teaching Lab. "Acceleration does not mean assigning some students to remediation while others are allowed to fly," says Ron Berger, senior advisor of teaching and learning at EL Education. "Accelerating learning means moving students into exciting new academic challenges with a growth mindset for their potential." Below are some additional insights and resources from our grantees.

What Is Accelerated Learning?

Accelerated learning is:

deeper learning through complex and meaningful problems and projects

moving forward into grade-level content, with support

prioritizing high-level skills and content and creating teaching and learning pathways

determining the most efficient and effective way to help students experience grade-level learning based on where they are today

access to grade-level content despite the absence of some knowledge and skills from previous grades

identifying the most crucial knowledge and skills that students need and integrating those into lessons

a long-range plan, building on a foundation of assets, not deficiencies

assuming all students can learn literally anything with the right instruction and support

scaffolding up, not down

Accelerated learning is not:

speeding up (teachers should spend more time on priority units, not less)

cramming two years of instruction into one

a one-size-fits-all approach with identical schedules

information regurgitation or vocabulary memorization

spending time remediating large chunks of content from prior grades

a "drill and kill" approach to developing skills

labeling students into fixed groups based on "catching up" gaps

holding low expectations for students

reducing the rigor of grade-level content

How to Implement Accelerated Learning Successfully

Five Takeaways from Corporation Grantees

1. Adopt an acceleration strategy. Convene representatives of all key stakeholder groups to build, execute, and communicate the system or school acceleration plan. Review available data to identify greatest needs and goals. Establish priority standards and content for each course and grade level. Implement a continuous monitoring and improvement cycle to inform next actions.

2. Invest in essential resources for effective acceleration. Allocate federal and state-level recovery funding toward the acceleration strategy. Ensure that high-quality instructional materials, embedded assessments, and prerequisite skill guidance are available for all grade levels and courses. Develop flexible schedules that give grade-level and subject-matter teams substantive time each week to study the curriculum, practice selected lessons, plan for their students, and reflect on their progress. Deploy coaches and facilitators to support implementation of the acceleration strategy. Partner with organizations with demonstrated expertise with your curricula and acceleration.

3. Focus on the whole child. Effective acceleration is a student-centered strategy. Relationships and trust are central. Leverage the guidance within high-quality instructional materials to increase relevancy and meaning for students. Adapt lessons to students' culture and communities. A commitment to equity means attending to the social-emotional as well as the academic needs of students.

4. Support educators as they implement acceleration. Review essential elements of curriculum-based professional learning and align professional learning plans to them. Use high-quality instructional materials to focus planning and prioritize learning. Give teachers opportunities to experience, observe, and practice those skills deemed most essential to acceleration.

5. Engage families and other stakeholders in the acceleration process. Recent studies affirm the critical role families play in students' instructional progress. Engage families and other community stakeholders in the acceleration strategy. Leverage guidance available through high-quality instructional materials to identify meaningful tasks for parents and caregivers. Learn ways to increase cultural relevance and meaning for students from their families and community.

Grantee Insights

Ron Berger, Senior Advisor, Teaching and Learning

We need to support teachers to empower students to own their learning. This requires strong relationships, assessments that are low-stakes and formative, and ongoing opportunities for students to share strengths, challenges, growth, and goals. We need to communicate that we are invested in the physical, social, and emotional health and growth of all staff and students.

Effective professional learning for teachers to support accelerated learning requires three things: a learning environment that brings out the best in teachers; clarity on the "how" (what strategies are most effective); and clarity on the "what" (curricular content that can push students with high-level texts and tasks and also provide support for unfinished learning).

Malika Anderson, Chief Program Officer | Emily Freitag, Chief Executive Officer | Jilian Lubow, Managing Director of Marketing & Communications | Elizabeth Ramsey, Senior Managing Director of Program Services

Teachers need guidance from their school and district leaders on where and how to allocate their time among the broad array of challenges they will face in their classrooms, how to prioritize strategies that will lead to the greatest impact, and how to translate those strategies to everyday practice. Acceleration cannot happen independent of meaningful relationships with students. Relationships and learning are inseparable. In order to learn, students need to be seen, known, and valued. Relationships are particularly crucial in stressful times.

Tracy Crow, Chief Strategy Officer | Melinda George, Chief Policy Officer

Leaders share progress openly, celebrate successes, and continually refine processes to advance closer to ambitious goals. School and system leaders create schedules and sustain support to ensure that grade-level and subject-area team collaboration happens regularly, often with their participation as leaders.

Matt Krehbiel, Outreach Director | Kate McNeill, Professor of Science, Boston College

Professional learning that supports accelerated learning provides a model for the type of learning that teachers are expected to facilitate with their students. This includes providing opportunities to experience new ways of learning by having teachers put on a "student hat" to internalize what it's like to be a student in the classroom.

Build and reinforce relationships with the community. Schools that know and value the members of their communities are better positioned to support student learning. This leads to less absenteeism, fewer behavior problems, and more time spent learning in class. Celebrate what really matters. Decide as a community what really matters beyond just test scores and build in structures to celebrate success.

Alicja Witkowski, Cofounder and Principal Consultant

Build teachers' understanding of the differences between remediation and acceleration and share the cognitive research and data to support the approach. The strategies associated with accelerating learning may feel counterintuitive or overwhelming to some teachers or contradictory to how they were taught to teach. Helping them understand the rationale and science of learning behind acceleration may help build buy-in and confidence.

Leaders should focus on the actions that are most likely to ensure students have consistent access to grade-appropriate work, teachers have the support they need to deliver lessons well, and caregivers are empowered and equipped to support students at home.

Sandra Alberti, Designer | Amy Briggs, President

Educators and students would be well served by a clear determination and articulation of a few student-centered priorities and then a strong commitment to not only focus, but also to eliminate distractions. We don't often spend enough time talking about what we are going to stop doing.

To support implementation of accelerated learning, the content of professional learning must be anchored in standards-aligned curriculum for students and include a strong component for teachers in formative assessment practices that guide effective Tier 1 instruction.

One of the many lessons we have learned over the last year and a half is the importance of authentically and effectively engaging with our families as we set our priorities and as we determine student needs. This must be more than just a compliance checklist. It is an opportunity for true partnership.

Sarah Johnson, Chief Executive Officer

Adopt an evidence-based and culturally responsive curriculum and technology platforms that allow for more student practice aligned with that curriculum - and then partner with a curriculum-based professional learning provider. Attend to student trauma. Ensure that every child has an individualized school reentry plan that accounts for counseling and other basic needs. Attending to student emotional health is essential if we care about their academic progress. Choosing between one or the other is inequitable.

The most relevant professional learning occurs when it is connected to what students are being asked to do every day. What students are being asked to do lives in the curriculum. This is why curriculum-based professional learning is hyper-relevant for educators.

Resources for Implementing Accelerated Learning

"Accelerating Learning in Math: A Guide to Accelerating Learning and Planning Just-in-Time Supports," Teaching Lab, 2021

Addressing Unfinished Learning Toolkit, Instruction Partners, 2021

"Assess and Address Gaps in Student Learning," The Learning Professional, Learning Forward, August 2020

The Elements: Transforming Teaching through Curriculum-Based Professional Learning, Jim Short and Stephanie Hirsh, Carnegie Corporation of New York, November 19, 2020

Family Guides to Support Learning, Seek Common Ground and Student Achievement Partners, 2021

Fundamental 4: Pandemic Learning Reveals the Value of High-Quality Instructional Materials to Educator-Family-Student Partnerships, Elizabeth Chu, Andrea Clay, Grace McCarty, Columbia Law School Center for Public Research and Leadership, July 2021

"How We Can Equitably Reopen Schools," Teaching Lab, 2021

"Our Kids Are Not Broken," Ron Berger, The Atlantic, March 20, 2021

Professional Learning Partner Guide, Rivet Education, 2021

Jim Short is a program director within Carnegie Corporation of New York's Education program, where he manages the Leadership and Teaching to Advance Learning portfolio. Stephanie Hirsh, former executive director of Learning Forward, is an author and consultant specializing in professional learning, leadership, and systems change.

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How to Implement Accelerated Learning Successfully | Professional Learning for Educators | Carnegie Corporation of New York

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Faced with the pervasive amount of unfinished learning caused by the pandemic, we have been hearing a lot about the benefits of accelerated learning. But what is it? And how can schools and systems do it successfully?

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The ultimate goal of teaching is to do just that - teach, not stand up in the front of the room and talk. But sometimes it's easier to talk than to teach, as we all know, especially when we need to cover a lot of material in a short amount of time. We hope students will understand, if not now then before test time, and we keep our fingers crossed that their results will indicate we've done our job.

The problem is, we rely on these tests to measure understanding, and then we move on. Few of us take the time to address weaknesses and misunderstandings after the tests have been graded, and by that time it's too late for students to be interested. This means we need to rethink how we approach assessment during class.

The most effective way to test student understanding is to do it while the lesson's still going on. Asking students to fill out a questionnaire and then correcting misunderstandings during the next class period won't work because students have already moved on. You've got to take advantage of the moment. If you hope to spend the majority of your time getting through to students, and not just talking, then understanding must be measured and dealt with as soon as the first frown appears on a face.

Here are a few in-class tips to get you started:

1. Avoid Yes/No questions.

Avoid yes/no questions and phrases like "Does this make sense?" In response to these questions, students usually answer "yes". So of course it's surprising when several students later admit that they're lost. To help students grasp ideas in class, ask pointed questions that require students to use their own prior knowledge.

2. Ask students to reflect.

During the last five minutes of class ask students to reflect on the lesson and write down what they've learned. Then, ask them to consider how they would apply this concept or skill in a practical setting.

3. Use quizzes.

Give a short quiz at the end of class to check for comprehension.

4. Ask students to summarize.

Have students summarize or paraphrase important concepts and lessons. This can be done orally, visually, or otherwise.

5. Hand signals.

Hand signals can be used to rate or indicate students' understanding of content. Students can show anywhere from five fingers to signal maximum understanding to one finger to signal minimal understanding. This strategy requires engagement by all students and allows the teacher to check for understanding within a large group.

6. Response cards.

Index cards, signs, whiteboards, magnetic boards, or other items are simultaneously held up by all students in class to indicate their response to a question or problem presented by the teacher. Using response devices, the teacher can easily note the responses of individual students while teaching the whole group.

7. Four corners.

A quick and easy snapshot of student understanding, Four Corners provides an opportunity for student movement while permitting the teacher to monitor and assess understanding. The teacher poses a question or makes a statement. Students then move to the appropriate corner of the classroom to indicate their response to the prompt. For example, the corner choices might include "I strongly agree," "I strongly disagree," "I agree somewhat," and "I'm not sure."

8. Think-pair-share.

Students take a few minutes to think about the question or prompt. Next, they pair with a designated partner to compare thoughts before sharing with the whole class.

9. Choral reading.

Students mark text to identify a particular concept and chime in, reading the marked text aloud in unison with the teacher. This strategy helps students develop fluency; differentiate between the reading of statements and questions; and practice phrasing, pacing, and reading dialogue.

10. One question quiz.

Ask a single focused question with a specific goal that can be answered within a minute or two. You can quickly scan the written responses to assess student understanding.

11. Socratic seminar.

Students ask questions of one another about an essential question, topic, or selected text. The questions initiate a conversation that continues with a series of responses and additional questions. Students learn to formulate questions that address issues to facilitate their own discussion and arrive at a new understanding.

12. 3-2-1.

Students consider what they have learned by responding to the following prompt at the end of the lesson: 3) things they learned from your lesson; 2) things they want to know more about; and 1) questions they have. The prompt stimulates student reflection on the lesson and helps to process the learning.

13. Ticket out the door.

Students write in response to a specific prompt for a short period of time. Teachers collect their responses as a "ticket out the door" to check for students' understanding of a concept taught. This exercise quickly generates multiple ideas that could be turned into longer pieces of writing at a later time.

14. Journal reflections.

Students write their reflections on a lesson, such as what they learned, what caused them difficulty, strategies they found helpful, or other lesson-related topics. Students can reflect on and process lessons. By reading student journals, teachers can identify class and individual misconceptions and successes.

15. Formative pencil-paper assessment.

Students respond individually to short, pencil-paper formative assessments of skills and knowledge taught in the lesson. Teachers may elect to have students self-correct. The teacher collects assessment results to monitor individual student progress and to inform future instruction. Both student and teacher can quickly assess whether the student acquired the intended knowledge and skills. This is a formative assessment, so a grade is not the intended purpose.

16. Misconception check.

Present students with common or predictable misconceptions about a concept you're covering. Ask them whether they agree or disagree and to explain why.

17. Analogy prompt.

Periodically, present students with an analogy prompt: "the concept being covered is like ____ because ____."

18. Practice frequency.

Check for understanding at least three times a lesson, minimum.

19. Use variety.

Teachers should use enough different individual and whole group techniques to check understanding that they accurately know what all students know. More than likely, this means during a single class the same technique should not be repeated.

20. Make it useful.

The true test is whether or not you can adjust your course or continue as planned based on the information received in each check. Do you need to stop and start over? Pull a few students aside for three minutes to re-teach? Or move on?

21. Peer instruction.

Perhaps the most accurate way to check for understanding is to have one student try to teach another student what she's learned. If she can do that successfully, it's clear she understood your lesson.

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21 Ways to Check for Student Understanding

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Discover 21 effective methods to assess student comprehension with our comprehensive guide. Enhance your teaching skills and improve student learning outcomes.

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The Six Co-teaching Models Demonstrated in a University Teacher Education Fieldwork Experience Program

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The Six Co-teaching Models Demonstrated in a University Teacher Education Fieldwork Experience Program

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Tips For Using Co-planning Time Effectively

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Tips For Using Co-planning Time Effectively

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Honoring All Learners: An  Asset-Based Approach

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Honoring All Learners: An  Asset-Based Approach

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Just having students in a General Education Classroom is not enough but when educators understand learner variability as an instructional design problem, not a student problem, inclusive practices are beginning to take root. In an inclusive learning environment, practitioners do not operate from a deficit-based approach but from an asset-based approach in which they see the intersectionality of neurodiversity, socio-economic backgrounds, language development, and previous learning experiences as assets that inform practice.

This shared resource is a typical example of implementing the Universal Design for Learning principle of representation. This material can be accessed through watching a video, listening to a Podcast, or reading an article. Access options are provided; one of the main cornerstones of the Universal Design for Learning.

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Presented by David Flink, Co-Founder and Chief Empowerment Officer, Eye to Eye; Dr. Michael Maclin, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, Special School District of St. Louis County (MO); Barbara Pape, Senior Director, Learner Variability Project, Digital Promise; and Kerri Larkin, Senior Education Advisor, Lexia Learning

Sponsored by Lexia Learning
Watch the Recording Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features. Listen to the Podcast Read the Article
In our academic pursuit of equity, it is imperative that educators and professionals in special education understand the asset-based perspective, harness the power of neurodiversity, and apply the latest insights from brain science to create supportive and effective learning environments. This transformative edLeader Panel aims to equip viewers with the knowledge and tools to optimize the learning experience for neurodiverse individuals and design schools and systems within them to better serve all students.
About the Presenters
Join Lexia's Kerri Larkin, Senior Education Advisor, as she discusses these important topics with leaders in the education space, including David Flink, Co-founder and Chief Empowerment Officer of Eye to Eye, Dr. Michael Maclin, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility for the Special School District of St. Louis County, and Barbara Pape, Senior Director, Learning Variability Project at Digital Promise. Viewers walk away understanding the value of an asset-based approach, how science supports inclusivity, and the best way to help all students find success.

This recorded edLeader Panel is of interest to PreK-12 teachers, special education specialists, librarians, school and district leaders, and education technology leaders.

As Co-founder and Chief Empowerment Officer of Eye to Eye, David Flink is an author and social movement leader on the front lines of the learning rights movement. He imagines a world where one day all learners will be seen, heard, and valued. David co-founded Eye to Eye at Brown University where he received bachelor's degrees with honors in both education and psychology. David also holds a master's degree in disability studies in education from Columbia University. Most recently, David was named a 2021 CNN Hero for his work to support students with learning disabilities.

Dr. Michael Maclin was appointed in 2022 as Special School District of St. Louis County's Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). Since joining SSD in 2020, Dr. Maclin established the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Framework. He is an award-winning leader offering over 20 years of experience and a strong performance record in driving results-oriented DEIA outcomes. Before SSD, he was honored with several awards, such as the New Principal of the Year Award and Educator of the Year Award. CIO Views, a globally recognized magazine, named Dr. Maclin one of the 10 Most Successful (DEI) Leaders to Watch in 2023. Dr. Maclin was invited to deliver a TEDx Talk in 2023. He holds a doctorate in leadership in teaching and learning, an education specialist, a master's in educational administration, a master's in guidance and counseling, and a bachelor's in communications from Missouri Baptist University. He also received a racial equity facilitator certificate from Harvard.

Barbara Pape, Senior Director for the Learner Variability Project at Digital Promise, led a three-year national survey on learner variability and teacher practice, wrote the paper defining learner variability, hosts a monthly webinar series, and co-developed The IEP Project. Previously, she worked in policy analysis and communications for nonprofits and in the U.S. Senate. Barbara has written for numerous publications and was editor of the first electronically delivered education newsletter, the Daily Report Card. Previously, she produced the Teaching & Learning conference for the National Board, worked in the communications office for the AFT during President Al Shanker's tenure, and headed up government relations for the City Colleges of Chicago. She earned an Ed.M. at Harvard and coursework toward a Ph.D. at the University of Virginia. Barbara launched her career as a middle school teacher in her hometown of Pittsburgh.
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
Kerri Larkin brings more than 20 years of special education experience to her role as Senior Education Advisor for Lexia Learning. Kerri began her career teaching secondary language arts and special education at Anacostia High School in Washington, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS). She left the classroom to become the director of her teacher preparation program, which prepared and evaluated special education teachers in partnership with the George Washington University. Based on her leadership in teacher preparation, Kerri was hired back into DCPS by Michelle Rhee through the Master Educator program. From there, Kerri led special education as the Director for Academic Programs and then Senior Deputy Chief of Specialized Instruction until March 2021. Kerri leverages her experience in partnership with other district leaders to increase educational equity through meaningful inclusion, evidence-based practice, and sustained professional learning. She is a passionate anti-racism advocate with an emphasis on meaningful inclusion and systemic change.

Join Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.

Lexia®, a Cambium Learning Group company, is the Structured Literacy expert. For nearly 40 years, the company has focused solely on literacy, and today provides science of reading-based solutions for both students and educators. With robust offerings for differentiated instruction, personalized learning, assessment, and professional learning, Lexia helps more learners read, write, and speak with confidence. For more information, visit www.lexialearning.com.

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Honoring All Learners: An Asset-Based Approach - edWeb

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Gain the knowledge and tools to optimize the learning experience for neurodiverse individuals and design schools and systems within them to better serve all students.

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The Myth of Average:  Todd Rose at TEDxSonomaCounty

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"Learner variability is the recognition that each learner is a unique constellation of strengths and challenges that are interconnected across the whole child. Understanding these connections and how they vary according to context is essential for meeting the needs of each learner.

It disrupts the notion of a one-size-fits all education. Understanding learner variability helps educators embrace both students’ struggles and strengths as we connect practice to uplifting the whole learner.

Throughout the site, we talk about "factors" and "strategies." Factors are concepts research suggests have an impact on how people learn. Strategies are the approaches to teaching and learning that can be used to support people in how they learn best." (Digital Promise)

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Matt:
Hello SEL education community, my name is Matt Pearsall. I am the community manager here in the SEL and education community and I am really excited to be able to share with you today at the beginning the inauguration of our of our new speaker series when we start- we're having a regular series of community members and other people coming in and talking to us giving brief talks around various different topics on social emotional learning and I am not only excited to be kicking off this event but also really excited to be able to kick off at this event featuring somebody who had a chance to meet here before A long time SEL champion in the SEL education community, Lynn Thomas. And so we're gonna be talking about supporting learner variability and without further ado I wanto kind of introduce you all to Lynn Lynn can you tell everybody a little bit about yourself before we jump in?

Lynn:
Hi I'm Lynn Thomas I'd love to Matt. I'm really happy to be here. Really excited about speaking to everybody I'm an ed secondary school english teacher from dunville ontario and I'm also an HP Teaching Fellow and I really advocate for mental health support and mental wellness and social emotional learning. I'm really excited to be here today.

Great! And so this topic of supporting learner variability one of the things on it that I really appreciated when I heard that you wanted to talk about this was that this is something that we all, we, every educator deals with every single day and so kind of hearing how you this connection you found in a little bit you were telling me about it before we started got me really excited. So can you tell us a little bit more about about this this this tool that you've been using and and why it's so exciting?

Well yes definitely. I'm really excited to share it with you so um it's a tool that was introduced to me through being an HP Teaching Fellow and it's something that has been created by Digital Promise who are a non-profit organization who research and try and fill the digital learning gap. And the wonderful thing about it is like learner variability as we all know our kids come to school with all kinds of stuff in their backpack and everybody learns different and we try to adjust and do everything in our programs to try and support all those students and that's a real feat how do you do it for you know 30 odd kids in a room and that kind of thing and a lot of times it can be overwhelming when we try and think about well but how do I account for trauma? How do I account for social emotional learning? how do I account for any cognitive issues? How do I account for background knowledge? You know English language learner, there's so many things that it can feel overwhelming.

And how do you put all that together so the really cool thing about it - and it's called the Learner Variability Navigator - is that it does put all those things together and I love the fact that a lot of times we often think about when we want to do a social emotional learning activity it's very explicit and what I love about this is it offers strategies that are based on research to support any of the different variables or factors that affect learning. And it gives you teaching strategies and methodologies that support those things so you can build it as a thread throughout your program, like every single day and every single lesson without feeling like you're adding more. You know it's switching to how you teach something as opposed to teaching one more thing. And I think that sometimes can really you know it's it's a hard thing to figure out how to do. And you know what are those things it supports so well.

Matt: I think we got you got muted there Lynn there we go you're back

Lynn: okay so I'm having trouble picking which screen I want. That's the one. I got it. Okay sharing. Okay is it right can you see the Learner Variability Navigator? Yep okay.

So this is the Digital Promise's Learner Variability Project. As I said, Digital Promise is an independent nonprofit and their mission is to accelerate innovation and improve opportunities for learning. So basically, what they've done is they've taken research and put it at our fingertips. This is open source and free for all educators. So, you can see as we move down through their research, they've defined basically four pillars that are the main areas that they look at.

So you know here we have social emotional learning, and but we also have content cognition and student background. And then what they did is created looked at those pillars and looked at them in these different models. So they've broken it down basically into kind of numeracy and literacy, which basically they can hit on every single subject. Right, so for ease and because it's the one I'm most familiar with. So you know we'll have a look at the grade 7-12 model and explore the factors. So the first time I saw this, I was blown away by this part so here you can see the four pillars divided in the columns and you can see the factors that they discovered affected learning the most what's really marvelous is when I hover over any one of these factors you can see how some fade out and highlight and it shows automatically right there visually how they're interconnected. And I thought that was just brilliant because sometimes we would forget like you know I wouldn't have thought reading fluency would be affected that much by social emotional learning right and it really emphasized the importance of integrating everything together to support the whole child. And you know you can see like hearing is a factor you know it. I thought it was marvelous, but it gets better.

So on any one of these I can click on and it will take me to a summary page. And then basically outlines what the factor is here it can go it goes into a little more deeper explanation about those connections you know critical literacy so it talks about why is emotion why does critical literacy get affected by emotion you know why does competition get affected so those it really helps. It's, it's like the best teacher PDA out there, I think also.

And again explains all the main ideas so in emotion and if you continue down the page it gives you lots of opportunities to learn more. And I like this - the view measures and references. And it's a little different on for each of the factors, but what's wonderful is one you could dig into the references if you wanted to, but it also gives you measures. So sometimes, these are specific sorts of assessments that you could use in the classroom sometimes they're more specialized where it might be your school psychologist or something like that would deliver and interpret these sorts of assessments but there's a lot of them that the classroom teacher could utilize to then give themselves a better base of understanding so then if we go back and as I said sometimes there's a couple of different measures in there and and then you can see it goes into what are the strategies for this factor and before we get into there I will go back up to the top and you'll notice here we have strategies. So I'll show you that and again here we can see all the different areas down the left hand side and on the right hand side we see all the various strategies again that have been extensively researched and you can see just by the color coding what ones support each of the different factors and for example we can look at annotating. And again like before when I click on annotating I'm taken to a summary page that gives me an overview of what is this strategy and what is it like. But it's really awesome because it then gives me a perfect like a lovely example of it in action in a classroom. It also on the right hand side gives me an example of a technology tool that does a really good job in supporting this specific factor, so you know if you want to need to want to etcetera integrate technology you can find out what ones are really good at supporting that factor.

And as before you there's a ton of examples so you can really learn how are people using this strategy in their classroom and find something that really works for you and learn about it better and even dig into more research if you want to go down rabbit hole, which I have you know so and you can really find out different strategies and what they look like and how successful they can be and work in the classroom.

And finally up here in explorers what's really cool is you can create your own workspace and I'm just gonna show you directly the workspace that I created and what it does. Basically, it's you can go and select five or six factors that maybe you want to focus in on. You know, your class needs etc and that's what I did with this where I was given a new course to start this year our whole board is shifting our grade english courses to indigenous literature and so looking at that coming into coming back to school this year obviously I had a lot of things that I had to think about so I selected specific factors that I thought were going to be really important. So background knowledge because it's kind of lacking critical literacy always important in the english classroom but I also looked at given the emotions and adverse experiences and it's great because this workspace you can give annotation notes so you know I thought okay there's a lot of things that might be triggering just because of the subject matter this year emotions are probably going to be a big factor because of coming out of you know isolation etc and you can share the workspace so you could collaborate with colleagues wow you can just share it straight as a view viewing piece and the strategies that it came up with now it gives me a really great panorama I guess strategies that I can use and build on in my classroom so I know I'm supporting those different factors throughout what I'm teaching, no matter what the content material is.

This is really cool. This is, it's amazing yeah - the depth and breadth has just been phenomenal and the learning possibilities like as a teacher to see how those things are connected and learn the strategies that can support so many different things at the same time is just phenomenal. Yeah I think I mean one of the most powerful things I think from this is I hear a lot, I hear people saying "Well how do we move social motion learning into the classroom?" and I think there's a lot of real there's a lot of high level ways that we talk about that a lot but this really makes it very concrete it's like here's this teaching strategy that that probably most educators will recognize They'll say "oh I already do that, yeah like a gallery walk." How many of us do gallery walks all the time? Well now it's like, "Oh look at that, it supports emotion and it supports motivation. Wow, I wouldn't have thought that." Yeah right - or a guided inquiry. Like, "oh it didn't occur to me that that could be a social emotional learning tool."

Lynn: Yeah and and when when when when we kind of are aware of that then we can be a lot more intentional about how we're approaching it and saying that I'm not just doing this as an academic exercise I'm doing it as a social emotional learning exercise at the same time.

Yeah. Yeah, and I thought it was really cool you know obviously we still need those explicit times where you know maybe we're looking at the vocabulary and the social emotional word wheel or you know and that check-in and that kind of thing but to then carry it throughout the day in the various ways that you teach I think is just phenomenal. Yeah, wow. I really appreciate you you sharing this with us. I think I'd like to ask just one one question here at the end before we before we wrap up and say that that for people approaching this for the first time, what's the what's the where should they start? What's the what's the what's the first place they should go to, you know, What I - just again - it's pretty straightforward how they have it set up is just go to the Learner Variability Project, and I believe you put that n the chat for people to grab and I also gave you a link to a slideshow. Oh yeah let me put that I I made surrounding the learner Navigator Yeah sorry the Learner Variability Navigator and there's a ton of links in there and one specific link at the end resources is basically kind of a one-pager of how to get started and how to create your own workspace. And it's like a one-pager and there's a ton more examples of workspaces that are really really helpful to see how people have utilized it like one teacher used it and sent the link home of her workspace because it explained to the parents all the different strategies and factors

That is a really cool yeah really neat idea because I feel like that's that's something that that's often a real that's a it's a gap in communication between families and educators about about why are we doing things what are the what are the reasons what are the reasons that we do this why does education look different than it used to that sort of those sort of conversations though yeah exactly exactly. So you know there's a wide array of ways that you can use it you know for for your own learning to improve your own practice but also to reach out and make connections with your parents and community

Matt: Well thank you so much for sharing this Lynn, I know the thing I'm going to dig into in this as soon as we get off of here is I'm going to go look at the assessment tools that are laid out in there because that is something that I come that comes up all the time about what are some different ways that we can assess things that are that are they can be done alongside academics. This would be is going to be really useful to a lot of people. That's where I'm headed, yeah for sure.

Lynn: And like I said you could get lost going down the rabbit hole in this Navigator, but it's well worth it.

Matt: Cool! Well again Lynn, thank you so much. I really appreciate you joining us, and for those of you watching at home, I just wanna remind everyone that this is the this is the first of our of our social emotional learning kind of speaker series we're having in the SEL and education community you can continue the conversation right here you see the link to our group. We'd love to see you there. We'll be doing more of these. We've got another one coming up a week from from today with JV Johnson talking about emotional motion management. So, without further ado thank you very much, and we will see you all next week take care everybody. Thank you, Lynn.

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Learner Variability Navigator | Learner Variability Project

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Matt: Hello SEL education community, my name is Matt Pearsall.