Driving Instructional Change with Google Tools

A Guide for Schools & Districts

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Overview

BEFORE WE DIVE IN

Welcome to the Driving Instructional Change Guide!

We built this guide to support school leaders looking to improve learning outcomes for their students. Whether you’re just starting out with Google tools or have used them for a while, the school models and instructional tactics will provide practical examples of how you can use technology to support your vision for deepening student learning.

How to Use The Guide

The guide is not meant to be explored as a linear presentation. To get the most out of this resource, we recommend that you start with the Steps for Using This Guide to get familiar with how the guide is structured. Then, you can choose the specific path through different models and ideas that meet your unique needs.

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Steps for Using This Guide

PREVIEW OF THE GUIDE

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Define Your Vision

Before jumping into instructional strategies, gather a team of stakeholders (e.g., parents, teachers, students, community members, etc.) to reflect on your specific situation. Specifically, consider your organization’s driving values, culture/context/climate, and desired outcomes.

2

Decide on Vision-Aligned Learning Principles

This guide is built around four main learning principles. Reflection questions in this guide will help you to identify learning principles that best align with your vision.

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Assess Readiness: Choose Your School Profile

Are you just beginning your journey with Google tools? Or are you looking to push to the next level? Determine what resources best fit your situation based on your readiness.

4

Explore Examples

Explore the examples provided in this guide of school models and instructional tactics aligned to your vision, chosen learning principles, and readiness.

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Share Resources

Share individual ideas and tactics slides with coaches, teachers, and other educators to support implementation in your classrooms.

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What’s Not Included In This Resource

PREVIEW OF THE GUIDE

This tool is designed to specifically support instructional visioning and decision-making. But as any leader knows, making choices about your teaching and learning strategies is only part of the equation for driving instructional change.

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For navigating how to engage key stakeholders, manage change, and make improvements over time, consider using the following resources:

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• Google for Education Transformation Center Explore the framework and accompanying resources to lead your schools toward a vision of change. Examples from schools align with Google’s framework, which includes vision, learning approach, culture, technology, professional development, funding and sustainability, and community engagement.
• The Learning Accelerator: Conditions for Success & Scale Discover strategies, advice, and tools to help realize the promise of innovative teaching models by establishing system-level conditions such as:
• Essential Supports that allow educators to implement the design for students,
• Enabling Systems and Structures that lower barriers for implementation and accelerate uptake, and
• Ongoing Processes to align and improve.
• The Learning Accelerator: Look Both Ways A framework to help education leaders navigate through competing approaches to system-wide change, Look Both Ways offers insight into the logic supporting the different choices leaders might make as well as actionable examples of the strategies real-world districts use to enact them.

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Get Started!

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Define Your Instructional Vision

Before jumping into ideas and tactics, reflect on your specific situation. We recommend gathering a team of stakeholders to answer these questions together, ideally including a student and parent in addition to faculty and staff.

Driving Values

Context, Culture, & Climate

Desired Outcomes

STEP 1

1. What is your vision for instruction?
2. What do you believe great teaching and learning look like?
3. What values do you want to guide your decision and implementation process? Why?
4. What values define your community? How will you take these into account?

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1. How would you describe the current climate of your district/organization? What factors have contributed?
2. How bought-in are community members, leaders, teachers, students to instructional change? To technology? How were and are people involved in the process of identifying and implementing technology?
3. How have past initiatives gained traction or spun out? What lessons in change management can be learned from them?

1. What are the key outcomes you want for your students? Are there specific pain points or areas of concern in the student outcome data?
2. What are the key outcomes you want to achieve by improving your implementation of technology? Be specific and define common terms you may use (e.g., Student Agency).

Worksheet

Above & Beyond

For more, click here to explore the Google Transformation Center’s “Vision” resources.

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Decide on Vision-Aligned Learning Principles

To narrow in on specific ideas, focus only on those learning principles that align best with your vision.

STEP 2

Google worked with Teachers College at Columbia University to articulate four key learning principles to guide its work and the types of learning its tools can help enable.

Focusing on the one or two principles most aligned with your goals and vision can support alignment and create a common language and understanding. With your team, explore each principle (described more deeply on the next slide) and reflect on the questions below to determine one or two of these learning principles to focus on moving forward.

On the next slide, as you read the definitions, consider these reflection questions:

• Which principle(s) most aligns with, or provides a starting point for, our vision for teaching and learning?
• Which principle(s) are we already working towards, that we might build on?
• How might technology support our efforts to deepen learning or solve existing challenges?
• What does success in this area look like for us? How will we know we’ve achieved it?

Personalized & Measurable

Project-Based & Self-Managed

Collaborative &

Diverse

Authentic &

Experiential

Worksheet

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Learning Principles

What do the principles mean?

STEP 2 CONT.

Adapts for each unique learner to meet them where they are.

Each learner is unique. Every learning experience should therefore be tailored to best serve that uniqueness. This includes ensuring:

• Complexity is in learner’s zone of proximal development;
• Format and supports match learner’s mindset;
• Content aligns with learner’s interests and background to be relevant and contextualized.

Champions learners taking active ownership of their learning.

Encourage ownership of learning in order to develop the habits and behaviors of lifelong learners, where learning is done with, not to, the learner. This happens in two main ways:

• Learners reflect on their learning to develop metacognition;
• Learners are given more choice and responsibility over what and how learning takes place.

Forms meaningful connections to spark new and different thinking.

Learning happens most effectively through interactions between learners and experts, learners and their peers, and in learners teaching other learners. This supports learning by:

• Grappling with diverse perspectives;
• Informal differentiation;
• Deeper conceptual understanding from explaining the concept to another learner.

Applies knowledge plus experience to explore and create a world beyond Googleable questions.

Deeper learning happens most effectively when a learner constructs knowledge and concepts, rather than passively receives them. This is done best when the learner explores and discovers new concepts:

• In real world and authentic scenarios;
• Situated in the learner’s existing representation of the world.

Personalized & Measurable

Project-Based & Self-Managed

Collaborative &

Diverse

Authentic &

Experiential

To dive more deeply into each principle, including the research that supports it, click on its title!

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Learning Principles: Reflect

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STEP 2 CONT.

Based on what you learned about each learning principle, take a moment to reflect by answering the reflection questions with your team:

• Which principle(s) most aligns with, or provides a starting point for, our vision for teaching and learning?
• Which principle(s) are we already working towards, that we might build on?
• How might technology support our efforts to deepen learning or solve existing challenges?
• What does success in this area look like for us? How will we know we’ve achieved it?

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Use the worksheet to respond to the questions, if needed.

Personalized & Measurable

Project-Based & Self-Managed

Collaborative &

Diverse

Authentic &

Experiential

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Assess Readiness: Choose Your School Profile

Which of the two profiles below best describes your schools? Are you just beginning your journey with Google tools? Or are you looking to push to the next level? Use the checkboxes below to determine what resources best fit your situation.

Option A: Getting Started

Option B: Looking to Go Deeper

STEP 3

• Have you been using Google tools for multiple years across classrooms?
• Are most teachers substituting Google tools for paper-based class work daily?
• Are teachers asking for more, asking “what’s next,” and looking to move beyond the basics?

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If you’re “Looking to Go Deeper,” then...

...explore the “trailblazing” school models for inspiration, and…

...look for Medium and Advanced ideas and tactics.

• Did you start using Google tools across classrooms recently?
• Are teachers experimenting with how to substitute Google tools for existing, paper-based class work and activities?
• Are teachers interested in using technology but unsure of where to start?

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If you’re “Getting Started,” then...

...explore the “implementing” school models, and...

...look for Easy and Medium ideas and tactics to start.

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Now What?

By now, you have:

• Identified learning principle(s) that align with your vision
• Chosen a school profile to either “get started” or “go deeper”

Next, steps 4 and 5 will help you understand how to navigate the resources in the guide. We highly recommend reading through these steps before jumping in. If you’d prefer to skip ahead, however, click the links below:

• Learn more about the learning principles and see model schools
• Explore classroom ideas and tactics

Otherwise, move on to Step 4 by continuing to the next slide.

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Explore Examples

Explore school models and instructional tactics aligned to your vision, learning principles, and readiness assessment.

School Models

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Ideas & Tactics

STEP 4

Review case studies of schools and districts to understand how the school’s context, site-level conditions for implementation, and key tactics come together to create change.

This guide is composed of two types of examples from schools: School Models and Ideas & Tactics. Learn about what to expect from each by reading below and on the following two slides.

Explore specific strategies schools and districts are implementing to bring a learning principle to life, including editable tools and resources you can use to try the approach in your own setting.

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Explore Examples: School Models

Navigate school models aligned to your vision, learning principles, and readiness assessment.

School Models

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STEP 4 CONT.

Each learning principle includes two case studies of schools or districts. These examples demonstrate how the concept is being applied. One case study is of a school that is implementing the concept, while the other is of a school that is trailblazing. The school models will shed light on how the school’s context, site-level conditions for implementation, and key tactics come together to drive instructional change.

Level 1: Implementing

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Schools that innovate in smaller yet still impactful ways that may be more manageable for others to adopt. If you identified as “Getting Started,” focus on these schools.

Example: Cisco Junior High School looks like a traditional school in most subjects. In math class, however, students use a combination of computer and in-person learning, which includes learning content from online playlists.

Level 2: Trailblazing

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Schools that are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, innovating in ways that may require significant change at the classroom and system level. If you identified as “Looking to Go Deeper,” focus on these schools.

Example: Lindsay High School shifted away from traditional seat time-credit earning to a competency-based model. Students have individualized learning plans that they work on independently for half of their day.

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Explore Examples: Ideas & Tactics

Navigate instructional tactics aligned to your vision, learning principles, and readiness assessment.

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EASY

MEDIUM

ADVANCED

Ideas & Tactics

STEP 4 CONT.

Each learning principle in this guide includes example strategies from schools across the country, including from the featured school models as well as others. These specific ideas include key implementation strategies identified to deepen learning along with links to allow for further exploration of the concept and its accompanying resources. We encourage leaders to share these with teachers.

The ideas and tactics are labelled according to the difficulty of implementation.

Ideas and tactics that likely require some change to structures (e.g., schedules, classroom design) and significant teacher and student tech literacy and experience.

Ideas and tactics that require system changes in addition to significant commitment and effort to implement.

Great for schools that are Looking to Go Deeper.

Low-lift ideas and tactics that can be implemented quickly in a classroom without significant additional resources or support.

Great for schools that are Getting Started.

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Share Resources

Share individual ideas and tactics slides with coaches, teachers, and other educators in your school.

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First, Identify

Then, Copy & Share

STEP 5

1. When viewing a slide, the URL (docs.google.com/…) will be specific to that exact slide. Therefore, go to the particular slide first before copying the URL.
2. Copy the URL by clicking on it, selecting all of it, and choosing “File” > “Copy” from the dropdown menu.
3. Email the link. Be sure to include enough information (title of the strategy, how they will be supported in implementing it, why the strategy was identified for them, etc.) to ensure that the person will be prepared to implement.

Based on the work you completed in Steps 1-3, you will be prepared to explore school models and individual ideas and tactics slides that could be implemented in the classroom.

Explore these resources with an eye for individuals who may be interested and able to implement them. Consider the following questions when evaluating:

• Does the implementation level match the person’s level of experience with technology?
• Are the resources included in the slide enough for this person to implement the idea?
• What support might this person need in implementing the idea?

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Learning Principles Deep Dive

Click on a learning principle on the right to explore the concept in depth.

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In this section, you will be able to walk through each of the four learning principles, with definitions, supporting research, and case studies on schools that are in the implementing phase and in the trailblazing phase of their transformational journeys.

Personalized & Measurable

Project-Based & Self-Managed

Collaborative &

Diverse

Authentic &

Experiential

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Personalized & Measurable

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Definition

WHAT DO WE MEAN

Personalized & Measurable:

Adapts for each unique learner to meet them where they are

PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

IDEAS & TACTICS

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Explanation

WHAT DO WE MEAN

In Theory

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Each learner is unique. Every learning experience should therefore be tailored to best serve that uniqueness. This includes:

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• Ensuring the complexity is in the learner’s zone of proximal development.
• Ensuring the format and supports are right for that learner’s specific mindset.
• Ensuring the content is aligned with that learner’s specific interests and background so that it is relevant and contextualized.

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Although one-size-fits-most models of education have worked well in the past, education systems now have the opportunity and responsibility to better serve students by tailoring the learning experience to each learner. At its core, this principle accepts that there is not an average learner, and education systems can and must adapt to each learner rather than assume the learner will adapt to the system.

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A vital part of this is understanding what the learner knows and understands (i.e., formative assessment). Otherwise it is impossible to tailor the learning experience to them.

In Practice

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Differentiated learning means changing the learning experience for each learner, and may include small group instruction or online, self-paced and adaptive learning.

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Competency-based learning means each learner only moves on when they can show they have mastered, or are proficient at, the learning objective they are currently tackling.

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Contextualized learning means tailoring learning to the learner’s real-world challenges, interests, culture, and/or aspirations so that the learner connects with and sees the relevance of what they’re doing.

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To learn more, see the explanations and resources in the glossary.

PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

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Research

WHY THIS MATTERS FOR LEARNING

Tailoring learning means adapting the instructional process to the needs of individual students. A learner-centered approach can have different meanings for different people, but in the literature, this term includes a deep understanding and commitment to the “knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs that students bring to the educational setting” (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000, p. 133).

Specifically, practices associated with the learner-centered model (such as differentiated learning) tend to value student voices, adapt to individual and cultural differences, and identify obstacles to learning (e.g., common student misconceptions) (Duckworth, 1987; Ladson-Billings, 2014; Ladson-Billings, 1995; McCombs & Whisler, 1997; Rudduck & Fielding, 2006).

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

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TRAILBLAZING

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EXPLANATION

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IDEAS & TACTICS

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Cisco Junior High School

Public district school in rural Texas outside of Dallas serving grades 6-8.

IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL MODEL

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Mission

Cisco Junior High School is part of a small, high-performing rural district. The district saw blended learning, using Google tools in conjunction with other software and in-person instruction, as an opportunity for additional growth. A successful pilot in math led to the district scaling a station rotation blended learning model throughout the district.

Key School Features

• Students use playlists to keep track of what they are working on. Students get choice in the order in which they complete the activities.
• Using an adaptive assessment (MAP) helps teachers identify skill gaps in students to inform learning experiences for each student.
• Extension time provides students small group support and tailored learning on online programs. This time also provides activities like projects for students who have demonstrated mastery.

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

IDEAS & TACTICS

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

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Site-Level Conditions

Critical strategies that support this model.

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IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL MODEL

• Teachers have autonomy in how they implement blended learning provided the implementation aligns to the district’s vision and four student experience design pillars.
• District created student experience design pillars that align to the district’s vision and provide guidance for teachers as to the general types of instructional approaches that could be most beneficial.
• Teachers received a lot of support in the shift to blended learning. The district recognized teachers needed to invest in the “why” behind this practice shift. See the various ways teachers received support.

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

IDEAS & TACTICS

PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

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Ideas & Tactics

IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL MODEL

Monitoring Learning Progress and Goal-Setting

Students reflect on their learning data and use it to set goals for academic growth, empowering their ownership of learning.

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Providing Pacing Guidance with “Must Do” and “May Do” tasks

Playlists contain components students must do to show mastery as well as additional options that extend learning.

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Multiple Options for Working with Partners

Students choose whether they want to work with others on assignments and have choices in their learning partners.

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DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

IDEAS & TACTICS

Balancing Student Choice and Needs with Playlists

Students select their work from skill-level appropriate playlists.

Personalized & Measurable

Project-Based & Self-Managed

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PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

Using Pretests and Posttests to Identify Learning Growth & Needs

Create formative and summative data to inform student work towards learning goals.

Collaborative &

Diverse

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Lindsay High School

Rural public school district in California’s Central Valley.

TRAILBLAZING SCHOOL MODEL

Mission

Lindsay Unified School District adopted a district-wide strategic plan in 2007 with the mission of “Empowering and motivating for today and tomorrow.” The implementation of the plan has made the district a model for competency based learning. The district’s guiding principles and beliefs include “All learners can learn” and “Learners acquire knowledge in different ways and timeframes.”

Key School Features

• Students spend half of their day in self-directed learning time where they work on individualized playlists.
• Students spend the other half of the day in teacher-led instruction which is largely small group and individual instruction.
• The school uses an online system Empower to analyze student data, determine personalized learning pathways, and provide resource choices to students in their academic content area.

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

IDEAS & TACTICS

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

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Site-Level Conditions

Critical strategies that support this model.

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TRAILBLAZING SCHOOL MODEL

• Learning can happen anywhere and anytime with all of the curriculum available online on Empower and other online programs. Students also can access the curriculum after school hours with an innovative wifi initiative.
• The district’s strategic design lays out the expectation that students are learning 50%-60% of their outcomes with technology, with teachers working on skills and content that require facilitation in a small group.
• Learning is customized to the individual so grade levels have been eliminated.

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

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TRAILBLAZING

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IDEAS & TACTICS

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Ideas & Tactics

TRAILBLAZING SCHOOL MODEL

Student Choice

Students develop learner agency by choosing resources and ways to demonstrate mastery.

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Supports for Pacing

Students receive multiple opportunities to stay on-pace.

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Personalized Learning Time

Build dedicated time each week for students to fill instructional gaps.

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Empowering Students to Advance at their Own Pace

Build student capacity to get tailored support from peers and teachers.

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

TRAILBLAZING

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EXPLANATION

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IDEAS & TACTICS

Customized Playlists to Keep Learners on Track

Playlists provide appropriate learning pathways and resources for each student.

Personalized & Measurable

Project-Based & Self-Managed

PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Next Steps

What would you like to do next? Click on a button below.

ONWARD

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

IDEAS & TACTICS

GO BACK

Return to Step 2: Decide on Learning Principles

EXPLORE ALL

IDEAS & TACTICS

Dig into all Personalized & Measurable instructional strategies

CHANGE PRINCIPLE

Learn about a different

learning principle

PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

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Project-Based & Self-Managed

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Definition

WHAT DO WE MEAN

Project-Based & Self-Managed:

Champions learners taking active ownership of their learning

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

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Explanation

WHAT DO WE MEAN

In Theory

Encourage ownership of learning in order to develop the habits and behaviors of lifelong learners. This does not mean that a learner has complete control over every aspect of learning from the first day of school. But it does mean that learning is done with the learner and not to them. This happens in two main ways:

1. Learners should reflect on their learning to develop metacognition; an awareness and understanding of their own thought processes.
2. Over time, and as the learner develops, they should be given more choice and responsibility over what and how learning takes place.

When the learner isn’t given ownership, they struggle to understand their own learning needs and are often just trying to figure out what others want from them. They become passive receivers of learning, dependant on others for direction.

Conversely, as learners gain ownership and a strong locus of control regarding their own learning, they develop a passion for learning, the ability to create their learning experiences and assess the outcomes, an interest in continually improving their learning experiences, and adaptability, resourcefulness, resilience, and self-confidence within learning.

In Practice

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Project-based learning means students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.

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Online learning means a 1:1 system where the learner accesses learning experiences online, allowing for a level of choice that may be hard to deliver in a 1:many classroom environment.

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Competency-based learning means each learner only moves on when they can show they have mastered, or are proficient at, the learning objective they are currently tackling.

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To learn more, see the explanations and resources in the glossary.

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

DEFINITION

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Research

WHY THIS MATTERS FOR LEARNING

Providing students with opportunities to reflect on their own thinking can help them to monitor how and what they learn at a deeper conceptual level (Bransford et al., 2000). In addition to metacognitive implications, the term “ownership” is also associated with “student voice and choice,” and suggests a sense of student agency over classroom decision-making. Students’ attitudes, in particular, are positively affected when learners are allowed to participate in their education in meaningful ways (Mager & Nowak, 2012; Cook-Sather, 2006; Rudduck & Fielding, 2006). However, educators should be mindful of the potential challenges that come along with efforts to afford students voice and choice, including the authenticity of choices provided to students (they should appear to be genuine choices) and classroom power dynamics (Cook-Sather, 2006; Rudduck & Fielding, 2006).

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

DEFINITION

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Locust Grove Middle School

District school serving approximately 1000 students in grades 6-8 in the Atlanta metro region.

IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL MODEL

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Mission

Locust Grove Middle School was one of six schools in the original cohort of Henry County Public Schools that received support to transition to a personalized learning model and adopted the mission statement: “Educating the individual child.” The vision includes “creat[ing] a learning environment that responds to the needs of each student and provid[ing] multiple pathways for students to advance in their learning” to achieve this mission.

Key School Features

• Lab rotation model using Assessment Labs.
• Project-based curriculum that allows students to explore their interests with real-world applications.
• Learner Pathways provide students with more choice and modifications for those who need more or less time with the content.

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Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

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Site-Level Conditions

Critical strategies that support this model.

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IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL MODEL

• The lab model reduced content class sizes from ~34 students to ~23 students creating more opportunities for teachers to know students at a deeper level through 1:1 conferencing and small group instruction.
• Frequent data analysis helps modify student learner pathways. Teachers meet frequently throughout the week across subject level and grade level to review student data and discuss instructional modifications.

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

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Ideas & Tactics

IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL MODEL

Career Based Projects

Students select interest areas and complete long-term projects related to careers in these interest areas.* Also included in Authentic & Experiential!

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Makerspaces

Students learn through projects in a space outfitted with materials, tools, and resources they can use to work on their projects.

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Collaborating with Google Classroom

Use Google Classroom to facilitate collaboration between students and with their teachers.

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Customized Learner Pathways

Creating common pathways for academic progress that is customizable based on student need.

Personalized & Measurable

Project-Based & Self-Managed

Collaborative &

Diverse

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

IDEAS & TACTICS

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Bronx Arena High School

Alternative high school serving approximately 200 students who are over-age and/or under-credited.

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TRAILBLAZING SCHOOL MODEL

Mission

“Bronx Arena High School supports and empowers over-age, under-credited students to achieve academic success” so they can pursue post-secondary opportunities. The school aims to imbue graduates with self-motivation and confidence so students can “expand and express their own talents.”

Key School Features

• High-quality student-teacher relationships.
• Technology is leveraged to create a self-paced, student-centered, and personalized learning experience.
• Educators develop essential skills including goal setting, reflecting, and identifying strengths and weaknesses with a gradual release model.

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Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

TRAILBLAZING

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IDEAS & TACTICS

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Site-Level Conditions

Critical strategies that support this model.

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TRAILBLAZING SCHOOL MODEL

• Students spend most of their instructional day in an Arena which is composed of ~27 students and a teacher. Students stay in the same arena for their entire time at Bronx Arena allowing for close bonds.
• Students create credit maps to determine what they need to graduate and helps them sequence their courses.
• Adults take on different roles. Generalist teachers provide academic support and advocate counselors provide social-emotional learning support in the Arena. Students also have access to content specialists. Curriculum design teams design courses for students.
• Bronx Arena created an in house curriculum that leverages Google Workspace for Education as a productivity tool.

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

IDEAS & TACTICS

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Ideas & Tactics

TRAILBLAZING SCHOOL MODEL

Co-Creating Graduation Plans with Credit Mapping

Students and teachers map out learning and graduation goals and create a plan to achieve them

​

Graduated Student Autonomy

Consistent learning structures shift instruction from teacher-led to student-led as students gain ownership of their learning

​

Senior Portfolios

Students design, work through, and present culminating projects to demonstrate high levels of learning self-management.

​

Student Pacing Based on Content Mastery

When students show mastery, they immediately move on to new content or courses

Personalized & Measurable

Project-Based & Self-Managed

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

IDEAS & TACTICS

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Next Steps

What would you like to do next? Click on a button below.

ONWARD

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

GO BACK

Return to Step 2: Decide on Learning Principles

EXPLORE ALL

IDEAS & TACTICS

Dig into all Project-Based & Self-Managed instructional strategies

CHANGE PRINCIPLE

Learn about a different

learning principle

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

IDEAS & TACTICS

38

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Collaborative & Diverse

39

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Definition

WHAT DO WE MEAN

Collaborative & Diverse:

Forms meaningful connections to spark new and different thinking

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Explanation

WHAT DO WE MEAN

In Theory

Learning happens most effectively through interactions between learners and experts, learners and their peers, and between learners and other learners that they can teach. It’s only by engaging with others that we can see beyond our own experience, and that we can understand what we’ve learned in a wider context. This is very closely related to collaboration and supports learning through a number of mechanisms including:

​

1. Grappling with diverse perspectives which will push each individual further and more broadly;
2. Informal differentiation as the group supports each other with their specific learning needs;
3. The motivation that arises from working with others;
4. Deeper conceptual understanding from having to explain the concept to another learner.

​

The social mechanisms above are essential for the development of important social and emotional skills, and the majority of learning situations can likely benefit from them.

In Practice

​

Frequency, type of group work and collaboration such as open-ended problem-solving.

​

Group composition means diverse learning groups encouraging diverse perspectives.

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Learning cohorts means tight-knit, reliable, common- purpose groups that create social bonds amongst a group of learners that can enhance collaboration.

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Mentoring programs mean creating long-term relationships with adults who know and value students as unique individuals.

​

Peer assessment means students assessing one another, exposure to multiple perspectives and strengthening class culture.

​

To learn more, see the explanations and resources in the glossary.

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

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Research

WHY THIS MATTERS FOR LEARNING

The process of learning is both increasingly social and public (Siemens, 2014; Resnick, 2010). Siemens (2014) argues that advances in technology are impacting both how we learn, and the relevant knowledge we can learn at any given moment. From this perspective, proponents argue that “formal education” is no longer our only means of learning; rather, learning is becoming informal and concurrent with social and professional networks and tasks (i.e., connectivism). Ultimately, “learning and knowledge rests in the diversity of opinions” (Siemens, 2005, p. 5). Therefore, nurturing these connections and relationships is key to maintaining this pipeline of knowledge, and encourages the kinds of authentic interactions that result in complex thinking (Hawley, 2016).

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

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42

LPS Richmond

Public charter school in northern California with large EL population.

IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL MODEL

​

Mission

LPS Richmond is part of Leadership Public Schools, a network of urban charter high schools with a mission to create educational equity and to “empower students for college, career, and community leadership and share our practices on a national scale.” One core component of the LPS graduate profile is to think critically by “engag[ing] in collaborative & self-directed studies with a global context.”

Key School Features

• The network developed the Navigate Math program to address the issue that the vast majority of its students entered high school below grade level in mathematics.
• The Career and Community Leadership Program provides students work-based learning, job shadowing, and internships.

​

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

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43

Site-Level Conditions

Critical Strategies that support this model.

​

IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL MODEL

• Teaching students non-cognitive skills that help them become self-directed learners enables teachers to no longer be the sole source of knowledge for the students. A rich bank of resources, as well as a class expectation of helping each other, provides multiple levels of support so teachers can focus their time on the highest yield activities.
• Leadership Public Schools’ commitment to innovation has led to partnerships that have to led to the co-creation of tools like Navigate Math and GiveThx.

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

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Ideas & Tactics

IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL MODEL

Flexible Daily Small Group Instruction

Customized groupings to address learning needs and create team experts for specific learning objectives.

​

Personalized & Measurable

Collaborative &

Diverse

Collaborative &

Diverse (cont.)

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

Self-Grading and Peer Grading

Implement rubrics-based grading to foster academic reflection and dialogue.

​

Team Work Tables

Tables grouped throughout class enable small groups and improve team orientation.

Common Launch

Opening class with shared problem solving creates a culture focused on growth.

​

​

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

Encouraging Acts of Gratitude

Giving students time and space to give gratitude helps students make friends, feel safe, and ultimately perform better in school.

​

45

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Valor Collegiate Academies

Network of public charter schools in Nashville serving students in grades 5-8.

TRAILBLAZING SCHOOL MODEL

Mission

Valor Collegiate Academies “exist[s] to empower our diverse community to live inspired, purposeful lives.” The organization emphasizes a strong classroom climate through its social emotional learning program. The SEL program includes mentoring and cohorts composed of peers. The climate fosters collaboration and respect for other perspectives.

Key School Features

• Compass- the network’s comprehensive human development model which is composed of key disciplines and core habits.
• Students are grouped in prides, which are intentionally diverse, single gender mentor groups.
• Valor actively creates a diverse community to understand, learn from, and communicate across lines of difference.

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

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46

Site-Level Conditions

Critical strategies that support this model.

​

TRAILBLAZING SCHOOL MODEL

• Human development is at the core of the model. Adults also engage in this development and implement practices with students.
• Technology extends learning and creates more high-quality interactions among individuals.

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

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Ideas & Tactics

TRAILBLAZING SCHOOL MODEL

Prides: Mentoring Groups

Deliberately selected single-gendered small groups help form social-emotional learning communities.

​

​

Circle

Communal practice affirming personal, interpersonal, and community development.

Self-Paced Progress through Playlists

Build supports for students to navigate learning at their own pace.

Intentionally Diverse Community

Social, emotional, and academic growth is amplified by its intentionally diverse community.

​

Collaborative &

Diverse

​

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

Personalized & Measurable

48

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Next Steps

What would you like to do next? Click on a button below.

ONWARD

GO BACK

Return to Step 2: Decide on Learning Principles

EXPLORE ALL

IDEAS & TACTICS

Dig into all Collaborative & Diverse instructional strategies

CHANGE PRINCIPLE

Learn about a different

learning principle

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

49

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Authentic & Experiential

50

50

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Definition

WHAT DO WE MEAN

Authentic & Experiential:

Applies knowledge plus experience to explore and create a world beyond Googleable questions

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

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Explanation

WHAT DO WE MEAN

In Theory

There is a place for all levels of Bloom’s taxonomy in learning, but the higher levels can be more difficult to achieve. A learner must be able to remember facts, but they must also be able to understand, analyze, and evaluate the concepts derived from those facts, and be able to apply them to new situations. For the learner to have mastery of a concept, they must be able to apply it across disciplines; in the real world problems do not follow subject boundaries.

​

This deeper learning happens most effectively when a learner constructs knowledge and concepts, rather than passively receives them. The learner explores and discovers new concepts as they grapple with new things, and organizes them into their existing understanding. This is done best in real world and authentic scenarios, as it is more motivating, and is situated in the learner’s existing representation of the world.

​

In the age of Google search, where facts can be accessed immediately, the ability to answer ‘non-Googleable’ questions becomes the differentiating factor between those who can use these facts using higher-order processes, and those who cannot.

In Practice

​

Inquiry-based learning means learners explore concepts by posing, investigating, and answering questions.

​

Transdisciplinary education means breaking down traditional subjects. Learners understand and apply concepts that cut across disciplines, and, at its best, they do this in authentic contexts that provide real world applications.

​

Project-based learning means students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging ,and complex question, problem, or challenge.

​

To learn more, see the explanations and resources in the glossary.

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

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Research

WHY THIS MATTERS FOR LEARNING

A focus on comprehension/mastery of key content understandings—beyond the basic acquisition of facts—leads to enhanced retention and transferability across time and disciplines for students (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000, p. 137; Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, p. 39). This commitment to understanding requires attention to the design process, including careful planning with regard to how the knowledge is organized and presented to students (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005; Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000). Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches hold growing appeal. These approaches require educators to identify cross-cutting concepts, and see various content areas not as individual silos of information. To distinguish transdisciplinary as an emerging concept with a greater focus on authentic, conceptual understandings across the disciplines that moves beyond just interdisciplinary relationships in content (Vasquez, 2015; Bernstein, 2014).

Constructing knowledge means providing students with opportunities to “uncover” key concepts across the disciplines (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). Engaging students as “Knowledge Builders” not only deepens understanding of content, but embeds both social and cognitive skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2006). These skills, which are difficult to teach in the absence of content, are essential for advancing knowledge and are critical to establishing competencies for all students (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2006; Resnick, 2010). Crucially, knowledge-building environments position ideas as objects of inquiry—most successfully when applied to an authentic context in which those ideas can be explored and applied (Shulman & Hutchings, 2004; Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2006). In fact, the shift from prescriptive instructional materials (as a means of presenting content) to supporting students’ own organization of knowledge (e.g., via knowledge construction tools) is credited with an increase in real-world problem solving in schools (Lowyck, 2014). Further, learning is enhanced (and retained) when the knowledge and interests students bring to a learning environment are utilized to create new knowledge (Duckworth, 1987; Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000).

​

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

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53

Hollister School District

Public district in the greater Bay Area of California serving 5,600 students.

IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL MODEL

Mission

The Hollister School District consists of ten schools that serve students in grades TK-8. The district’s mission is: ”To prepare each of our students for future success” and its vision is: “Our school district is an extraordinary learning community.” To achieve this mission and vision the district uses the following guiding principle: “We believe every student, every day, by name, by need will succeed.”

​

Key District Features

• The district fosters a culture of innovation and approaches initiatives with the culture’s four elements: agency, collaboration, curiosity and risk-taking.
• Staff receive personalized, blended professional development which they can replicate in their instruction.

Source: Hollister School District

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

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54

Site-Level Conditions

Critical strategies that support this model.

​

IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL MODEL

• The district has a Path to Progress committee composed of 1-3 staff members from each school and the district IT team. All members have completed or are working towards Google Trainer Certification. The committee serves as the primary source of communication between sites on the use of technology; are the first to prototype lessons; and provide support for teachers at their sites and through district professional development days.

​

• Hollister established device specifications by choosing Chromebooks as the standard device for both students and staff. This streamlined tech support and program purchasing. It also increased the ability to manage all devices through the Google Admin Console and the Mobile Device Manager.

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

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Ideas & Tactics

IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL MODEL

Google Hangout with Authors

Students connect virtually with authors of books they read in school.

​

​

Virtual Field Trips

Use Google Expeditions paired with question protocols to help students rigorously explore real-world concepts.

​

​

​

Interactive Notebooks

Use Google Expeditions paired with question protocols to help students rigorously explore real-world concepts.

​

​

​

Authentic &

Experiential

Collaborative &

Diverse

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Two Rivers Public Charter School

Public charter school in Washington, DC serving ~1,000 students in preschool through grade 8.

TRAILBLAZING SCHOOL MODEL

Mission

Two Rivers aims “[t]o nurture a diverse group of students to become lifelong, active participants in their own education, develop a sense of self and community, and become responsible and compassionate members of society.” Two Rivers has created learning expeditions as a signature part of their school where students explore real community and global problems through long-term projects.

Key School Features

• EL Education curriculum that emphasizes authentic problem-based, project learning through expeditions.
• Responsive Classroom social and emotional learning.
• Intensive professional development (PD) model, with seven hours per week and 25 days per year of PD.
• Use of Google Suite apps to facilitate project-based

learning and collaboration.

​

Source: Two Rivers PCS

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

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57

Site-Level Conditions

Critical strategies that support this model.

​

TRAILBLAZING SCHOOL MODEL

• Significant investment in ongoing teacher professional learning.
• Technology philosophy that emphasizes instruction first (Google tools are deeply integrated).
• Commitment to sharing (e.g., Learn With Two Rivers) that encourages codification of tools and practices in Google Workspace (Google tools) formats.

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

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Ideas & Tactics

TRAILBLAZING SCHOOL MODEL

Student Led Conferences

Students are empowered to share their accomplishments and areas of growth.

​

Learning Expeditions

Students work on in-depth projects centered around compelling, real world problems.

​

​

Problem-Based Tasks in Math

Students develop conceptual understanding by collectively working on a problem.

Authentic &

Experiential

Project-Based & Self-Managed

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

59

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Next Steps

What would you like to do next? Click on a button below.

ONWARD

GO BACK

Return to Step 2: Decide on Learning Principles

EXPLORE ALL

IDEAS & TACTICS

Dig into all Authentic & Experiential instructional strategies

CHANGE PRINCIPLE

Learn about a different

learning principle

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

DEFINITION

IMPLEMENTING

SCHOOL MODEL

EXPLANATION

RESEARCH

TRAILBLAZING

SCHOOL MODEL

IDEAS & TACTICS

60

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Appendix

• Glossary
• Ideas & Tactics

​

​

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Glossary

DEFINITIONS & RESOURCES

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

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Glossary

DEFINITIONS & RESOURCES

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

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Glossary

DEFINITIONS & RESOURCES

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

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Ideas & Tactics

Click on learning principles to explore all of the ideas and tactics from model schools and elsewhere.

Personalized & Measurable

Project-Based & Self-Managed

Collaborative &

Diverse

Authentic &

Experiential

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Personalized & Measurable

EASY

MEDIUM

MEDIUM (cont.)

ALL IDEAS & TACTICS

• Cisco: 1:1 Data Conferences Students and teachers meet frequently to review data and set goals.
• Cisco: Balancing Student Choice and Needs with Playlists Students select their work from skill-level appropriate playlists.
• Cisco: Using Pretests and Posttests to Identify Learning Growth & Needs Create formative and summative data to inform student work towards learning goals.
• Roots: Using Google Calendar for Student Schedules Assign students to reading intervention using their personalized Google Calendars.

• Bronx: Activity-based Collaborative Learning Labs Specific time set aside each morning for students to focus on an additional subject of interest.
• Bronx: Co-Creating Graduation Plans with Credit Mapping Students and teachers map out learning and graduation goals and create a plan to achieve them.
• Bronx: Student Pacing Based on Content Mastery When students show mastery, they immediately move on to new content or courses.
• Lovett: Learner Profiles Collect data to understand students beyond academic progress.

• Lindsay: Customized Playlists to Keep Learners on Track Playlists provide appropriate learning pathways and resources for each student.
• Lindsay: Empowering Students to Advance at their Own Pace Build student capacity to get tailored support from peers and teachers.
• Locust: Customized Learner Pathways Creating common pathways for academic progress that is customizable based on student need.
• LPS Richmond: Flexible Daily Small Group Instruction

Customized groupings to address learning needs and create team experts for specific learning objectives.

PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

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Personalized & Measurable

MEDIUM (cont.)

ADVANCED

ALL IDEAS & TACTICS

• Lindsay: Personalized Learning Time Build dedicated time each week for students to fill instructional gaps.

• Valor: Self-Paced Progress through Playlists Build supports for students to navigate learning at their own pace.

PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

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Project-Based & Self-Managed

EASY

MEDIUM

ADVANCED

MEDIUM (cont.)

ALL IDEAS & TACTICS

• Cisco: Monitoring Learning Progress and Goal-Setting Students reflect on their learning data and use it to set goals for academic growth, empowering their ownership of learning.
• Cisco: Pacing Guidance with “Must Do” and “May Do” Tasks Playlists contain components students must do to show mastery as well as additional options that extend learning.
• Lindsay: Student Choice Students develop learner agency by choosing resources and ways to demonstrate mastery.

• Lindsay: Supports for Pacing Students receive multiple opportunities to stay on-pace.
• LPS: Daily & Weekly Goal-Setting Students review their data to determine goals for the day and week.
• Bronx: Senior Portfolios Students design, work through, and present culminating projects to demonstrate high levels of learning self-management.
• Locust: Career-Based Projects Students select interest areas and complete long-term projects related to possible careers in these interest areas.
• Two Rivers: Problem-Based Tasks in Math Students develop conceptual understanding by collectively working on a problem.

​

• Two Rivers: Student-Led Conferences Students are empowered to share their accomplishments and areas of growth.

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

• Locust: Makerspaces Students learn through projects in a space outfitted with materials, tools, and resources they can use to work on their projects.

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Collaborative & Diverse

EASY

ADVANCED

MEDIUM

EASY (cont.)

ALL IDEAS & TACTICS

• The Forest School: 360 Peer Feedback: Use Google Forms for students to give each other constructive feedback.
• Valor: Circle Create time and opportunities for “Circle,” a practice that supports comprehensive student development.
• Valor: Intentionally Diverse Community Social, emotional, and academic growth are amplified by its intentionally diverse community.

• Cisco: Multiple Options for Working with Partners Students choose whether they want to work with others on assignments and have choices in their learning partners.
• Fremont: Google DOCtoring Collaboratively annotate and respond to questions in shared texts.
• Fremont: Google Form Warm-Up Activate student interest and background experiences through an online survey.
• Hollister: Google Hangout with Authors

Students connect virtually with authors of books they read in school.

​

• Locust: Collaborating with Google Classroom Use Google Classroom to facilitate collaboration between students and with their teachers.

• Lovett: Accountability Partners Students work with a partner to help them meet their learning goals.
• LPS Richmond: Common Launch

Opening class with shared problem solving creates a culture focused on growth.

​

• LPS Richmond: Encouraging Acts of Gratitude Giving students time and space to give gratitude helps students make friends, feel safe, and ultimately perform better in school.

​

• LPS Richmond: Self-Grading and Peer Grading Implement rubrics-based grading to foster academic reflection and dialogue.

​

• LPS Richmond: Team Work Tables

Tables grouped throughout class enable small groups and improve team orientation.

​

​

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

• Valor: Prides - Mentoring Groups Deliberately selected single-gendered small groups help form social-emotional learning communities.

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Authentic & Experiential

EASY

ADVANCED

MEDIUM

ALL IDEAS & TACTICS

• GEMS Academy: Spark Curiosity Using Google Earth Use Google Earth for students to explore the world and ask questions and make observations.
• Hollister: Virtual Field Trips Use Google Expeditions paired with question protocols to help students rigorously explore real-world concepts.

• Concord Community Schools: Multi-Subject Real World Projects Students engage in real world projects that give them ownership, engage them, and teach content through a relevant and exciting experience.
• Heritage Middle School: Connect with Community Partners: Establish partnerships with community organizations who can provide real world experiences for students
• Two Rivers: Learning Expeditions Students work on in-depth projects centered around compelling, real world problems.

• Hollister: Interactive Notebooks Use Google Expeditions paired with question protocols to help students rigorously explore real-world concepts

​

• Locust: Career-Based Projects Students select “Houses” of interest and complete long-term projects related to possible careers.

​

​

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

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Personalized & Measurable

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Ideas & Tactics

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

1:1 Data Conferences

Students and teachers frequently conference to ensure students understand their data and use it to improve their learning.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

CISCO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Teachers meet regularly with students individually to discuss academic data and set goals. During these conferences, teachers help guide students to understand their strengths and growth areas by reviewing data points from NWEA MAP tests and unit tests. From there, teachers and students determine specific short- and long-term goals to strive for and strategies for achieving these goals.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator's practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs, Google Sheets

About: Public district school in rural Texas outside of Dallas serving grades 6-8.

​

• Students should learn how to set strong goals. Cisco works with students to set SMART goals. See how here.
• Teachers should determine what the conference should focus on. See areas that Cisco teachers focus on.
• Model for students how to look at the data and set a goal from it. Students at Cisco see their MAP student profile. See a data conference in action.

​

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

​

PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

Back to Ideas & Tactics

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72

Balancing Student Choice and Needs with Playlists

​

Students select their work from skill-level appropriate playlists.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

CISCO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Students develop student agency and receive instruction and practice through student playlists. The playlists include independent practice, small group instruction with the teacher, group work, instructional games, hands-on activities, and online instruction. The playlists include both required activities and optional, extension activities. Students decide which order to complete the activities and monitor their own progress.

Learn more at the The Learning Accelerator's practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Drive

About: Public district school in rural Texas outside of Dallas serving grades 6-8.

​

• Teachers create aligned pretests, posttests, and learning playlists weekly for each specific learning goal. They determine the various types of activities students can work on and which ones are required and what are optional extensions. See an example here.
• Set expectations for the various activities students can work on. What is their noise level? Can they work with a partner? What do they do if they are stuck?
• Model for students how to monitor their own progress and to prioritize what to work on in each class period. Hear from teachers and students on how they engage with playlists..

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

​

PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

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73

Pretests & Posttests to Identify Learning Growth and Needs

​

​

Generate formative data with pretests and summative data with posttests.

​

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

CISCO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Students take weekly pretests and posttests to gauge student mastery of specific learning goals. This data determines the learning activities students engage in throughout the week. Students can choose to jump right into the playlist if they think they will not do well on the pretest. Students can test out of required activities on a playlist through demonstration of mastery on the pretest. In this case, students work on extension activities or projects that deepen their understanding of the learning goal. Posttest data provide reflection opportunities for students and teachers and informs future playlists.

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Learn more at The Learning Accelerator's practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Forms, Google Sheets

About: Public district school in rural Texas outside of Dallas serving grades 6-8.

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• Teachers should create extension activities and projects that deepen understanding for students who demonstrate mastery. This allows all students to work at the same pace as a class while making sure everyone is learning.
• Having students regularly working on different activities can require a mindset shift. Hear from teachers on why they value the pretests in helping students work on the right level for them.

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Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

74

Using Google Calendar for Student Schedules

Help students manage and own their calendars so they know where they should be and when.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

ROOTS ELEMENTARY

Roots employed Google Calendar to meet calendaring needs. Much like adults use a calendar to organize and share their appointments, students’ calendars told them where they needed to be and when. Given that the school served a younger population, Roots developed several custom apps that allowed teachers to more easily schedule student groups, as well as for young students to view a simplified calendar view. Older students can use the Google Calendar platform without such modifications.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator's practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Calendar

About: Roots Elementary was a K-2 charter school in Denver that used technology along with innovative staffing, curricular, and physical structures to provide a student-centered learning experience.

• When students are operating in a Google environment and have personalized Google accounts, educators can create structures for students to respond to interventions and other personalized schedules that meet the needs of individual students
• Teach students explicitly how to create events and invite people in Google Calendar and the purpose of each field (e.g., notifications, repeating events, etc.). Consider additional lessons on more advanced features like having multiple calendars and integrating Google Tasks. Schools can also create schoolwide norms like sending invitations for tutoring and extracurricular opportunities.

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PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

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Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

75

Activity-based Collaborative Learning Labs

Specific time set aside each morning for students to focus on an additional subject of interest.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

BRONX ARENA HIGH SCHOOL

Bronx Arena rolled out Learning Labs, which are subject-focused, asynchronous (no specific end or start date) courses that allow students the ability to engage and apply curriculum in new ways. The Learning Labs allow students to go deeper with content and work collaboratively with their peers on activities, discussions, simulations, and applications of content in authentic ways. These labs also help students achieve mastery along the way through challenges and projects they are required to complete by the end of the course.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs, Google Sheets

About: Bronx Arena is an alternative high school that serves over-age and under-credited students in grades 9-12 in the Bronx borough of New York City.

• This structure can be implemented by modifying a time like homeroom to make it more purposeful, focused, and give students opportunities to explore content in new ways with the usual timing guardrails.
• Students work at their own pace.
• Students collaborate with peers on projects and presentations.
• Educators keep track of student progress using data trackers.

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PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

76

Co-Creating Graduation Plans with Credit Mapping

Students and teachers map out learning and graduation goals and create a plan to achieve them.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

BRONX ARENA HIGH SCHOOL

Students meet with teachers in one-on-one meetings to develop a concrete plan to reach their graduation requirements. The goal is for the conversation to be student led in order to give them ownership of the plan. The important part of this strategy is not the Credit Map itself, which can always be adjusted, but rather the process that students go through to connect daily actions to short-, medium-, and long-term goals.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Drive, Google Docs

About: Bronx Arena is an alternative high school that serves over-age and under-credited students in grades 9-12 in the Bronx borough of New York City.

• Give students the data they need to determine what they still must do to graduate.
• Create a time to have this conversation. Hear from staff and students on the process at Bronx Arena.
• See an example of a credit map from Bronx Arena.

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PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

Source: Blended and Personalized Learning at Work

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

77

Student Pacing Based on Content Mastery

When students show mastery, they immediately move on to new content or courses.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

BRONX ARENA HIGH SCHOOL

Bronx Arena’s competency-based model allows students to accelerate or slow down based on their optimal learning speed in order to master credits in order to own their high school diploma. Students track what competencies and credits they need to complete through an online tracker. Students take entry assessments which teachers use to determine appropriate starting points for each subject area.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Drive, Google Sheets

About: Bronx Arena is an alternative high school that serves over-age and under-credited students in grades 9-12 in the Bronx borough of New York City.

• Determine what competencies students should work on. Bronx Arena started out using the Common Core standards and then created their own competencies.
• Provide clear guidelines for what mastery of competencies looks like. Bronx Arena provides competency rubrics and grade yourself reflection sheets for students.
• Create a tracking system for students to monitor their mastery of competencies. This could look like a physical paper, a Google Sheet, or an online data tracker. Bronx Arena built its own custom data tracker. See a screenshot of the dashboard.

PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

Source: Blended and Personalized Learning at Work

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

78

Learner Profiles

Collect data to understand students beyond academic progress.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LOVETT ELEMENTARY

In order to better know each of their students, Lovett created Learner Profiles. Learner Profiles include academic data and additional information to help educators gain a more holistic understanding of their students. Learner Profiles can cover what motivates and inspires each student, where and how each student learns best, barriers the student faces, and responsibilities the student has outside of school. Educators can use profiles to deepen relationships with their students and create tailored learning experiences. Students can use the profile to reflect on their evolution as a learner.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Sheets

About: Lovett Elementary in Chicago provides blended and personalized learning to its students in grades 2-5.

• Students share information about themselves, including motivators and challenges to their learning, both inside and outside their academic setting.
• Educators collect information, organize data, and create profiles synthesizing what they know about each student.
• Check out more examples of learner profiles from other schools.

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PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

79

Customized Playlists to Keep Learners on Track

Playlists provide appropriate learning pathways and resources for each student.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LINDSAY HIGH SCHOOL

Playlists are tailored for each student’s knowledge gaps based on various data sources. For example, for the course English Language Development, gaps are triangulated from the Scholastic Reading Inventory, the California English Language Development Test, and progress in coursework. The playlists explicitly show which learning objectives students need to be proficient in by the end of the year and students access learning activities for these objectives. The teacher creates this playlist and can adjust it as the student progresses.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Classroom

About: Lindsay Unified serves 4,200 students in grades K-12 in the rural part of Central California.

• Determine which data sources will inform the needs of students which will determine the objectives in the playlists.
• Consider an online platform that provides structure for playlists and resources. Google Classroom can be used for this purpose. Lindsay High School uses Empower.

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PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

Source: Blended and Personalized Learning at Work

​

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

80

Empowering Students to Advance at their Own Pace

Build student capacity to get tailored support from peers and teachers.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LINDSAY HIGH SCHOOL

Students at Lindsay Unified progress at their own pace as they master learning. Student progress is transparently posted so students can see which of their peers they are able to ask for support in mastering content. Open data allows for greater autonomy as students are able to choose who they receive help from rather than having it assigned by the teacher. Teachers serve as learning facilitators who coach and mentor students. They also provide intensive support if a student does not reach the level they need.

Learn more in the Google Transformation Center profile.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Sheets, Google Forms

About: Lindsay Unified serves 4,200 students in grades K-12 in the rural part of Central California.

• Build a culture which allows for student progress transparency to be an asset. See Lindsay’s Code of Cooperation.
• For more ways to develop student ownership, explore The Learning Accelerator’s Problem of Practice: How do I develop student ownership and accountability in a station rotation model?
• Also see: Bronx Arena: Graduated Student Autonomy.

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PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

81

Customized Learner Pathways

Create common pathways for academic progress that are customizable based on student need.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LOCUST GROVE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Learner Pathways are the backbone of the personalized learning model at Locust Grove. Teachers design these self-paced, choice-based Learner Pathways with a variety of learning tasks for each unit. The Learner Pathways also show the activities’ learning objectives and rigor levels (sample learner pathway). Learner Pathways are created as templates that can be leveraged throughout the school and modified by teachers and students based on need.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Drive

About: Locust Grove Middle School serves students in grades 6-8 and is part of Henry County School District in Georgia.

• Create customized learner pathways for students.
• Example of learner pathway.
• Check out how other schools implement learner pathways.

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Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

82

Flexible Daily Small Group Instruction

Build customized groupings to address learning needs and create team experts for specific learning objectives.

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The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LPS RICHMOND

• Use formative assessments to create dynamic groups. Changing groups often makes sure students avoid identities like a “low student” or a “smart student.” Learn more from Unlocking Time.
• Create guidelines for how a student expert can share their knowledge with their peers. Model how to provide support without simply giving away the answer in order to ensure learning.
• Keep track of customized groupings and what students are “experts” on in a Google Sheet.

The teacher is able to see what every student is working on each day and can pull students working on similar learning objectives into groups as appropriate. Small group members are usually pulled from several different teams. After receiving small group instruction, students can go back to their teams as “experts” and share their knowledge. These groups are created each day based on where the teacher identifies the greatest need by analyzing data from the teacher dashboard.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Sheets

About: LPS Richmond is a high school that serves students in grades 9-12 in Northern California.

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

83

Self-Paced Progress through Playlists

Build supports for students to navigate learning at their own pace.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

VALOR COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES

Students at Valor Collegiate Academies utilize a myriad of methods of support as they learn. Initial supports are provided by playlists that students work through independently. The playlists contain scaffolded content, starting with the introduction of a topic and moving through more complex material with checkpoints and short self-graded assessments embedded to identify whether a student has mastered the material and can move on.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator's practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs

About: Valor Collegiate Academy is a public charter school network that serves students in grades 5-12 in Nashville, TN.

• Create playlists accessible to all students. Valor creates playlists using Google Docs. See sample playlists.
• Create a tracker to help students set goals, assess where they are, and where they need to go.

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PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

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Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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84

Personalized Learning Time

Build dedicated time each week for students to fill instructional gaps.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LINDSAY HIGH SCHOOL

• Instead of treating PLT like a traditional study hall, teachers should be active guides and tutors, providing both purposeful advice and direction as well as structured instruction.
• Use data to identify small groups to target during PLT time.
• Support students in developing the successful habits necessary to utilize PLT. Provide coaching and feedback as they develop these skills.

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Lindsay High School Learners have weekly Personalized Learning Time (PLT). Students who are behind where they should be in the curriculum can see which teachers are offering PLT every Tuesday and Thursday for 90 minutes and sign up online for sessions. Students who are on pace can sign up for elective courses instead of attending PLT. The last two days of the school year are all PLT sessions so students who need the time can catch up. PLT classes are kept intentionally small, usually limited to about 20 students depending on the content area. During PLT students can choose to work on their own, with a partner, or in a small group.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs, Google Sheets

About: Lindsay Unified serves 4,200 students in grades K-12 in the rural part of Central California.

PERSONALIZED & MEASURABLE

Source: Blended and Personalized Learning at Work

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85

Project-Based & Self-Managed

86

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Ideas & Tactics

86

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Graduated Student Autonomy

Consistent learning structures shift instruction from teacher-led to student-led as students gain ownership of their learning.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

BRONX ARENA HIGH SCHOOL

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Student self-management is a primary goal at Bronx Arena, since it helps boost student preparedness for college and careers after graduation. Students at Bronx Arena have a great deal of autonomy provided to them, though it is gradually phased in as students show readiness for more responsibilities. The coursework is entirely self-paced, and the approach to instruction is quite different from traditional schools. Bronx Arena works to create an environment that provides structures and supports to students who need them, as well as a high degree of autonomy for those who don’t.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs

About: Public alternative high school in Bronx, NY serving students in grades 9-12.

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• Create consistent structures to support students learning at their own pace while also meeting appropriate deadlines. For example, Bronx Arena provides general guidance that students should complete five learning tasks per day.
• Students and teachers meet weekly to discuss what students should work on weekly. All students have a say, but teachers will play a more active role for newer students. Facilitation Plan example.
• For another example from The Learning Accelerator, see Graduated Student Content Choice in Personalized Learning Plans.

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

87

Monitoring Learning Progress and Goal-Setting

Students reflect on their learning data and use it to set goals for academic growth, empowering their ownership of learning.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

CISCO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

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Goal-setting is a core component of Cisco Junior High School’s blended and personalized approach, providing students with more transparency and ownership of their learning. Goal-setting is a common routine throughout Cisco. Teachers create intentional opportunities for students to reflect on their learning data, although the frequency may vary by classroom. Teachers support students in their goal-setting through check-ins with students through small group interactions (and occasionally individually) to review progress.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs

About: Cisco Junior High School is a small district school in Cisco, TX, about two hours outside of Dallas, serving students in grades 6-8.

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• Students set, monitor, share, and work toward their own SMART goals. Learn more about helping students set goals.
• Teachers check-in with students to help with accountability.
• Data on progress help to inform goal monitoring and future goal-setting.
• Teachers create a schedule in order to ensure they meet with every student. See a sample schedule.
• Check out more resources on personalized learning goal setting with this playlist.

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PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

88

Pacing Guidance with “Must Do” and “May Do” Tasks

Playlists contain components students must do to show mastery as well as additional options that extend learning.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

CISCO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Students learn to gradually take agency over their learning. To provide structure for students to help them better manage their time, teachers separate playlist content on Google Docs into “must do” and “may do” categories. Students choose the order in which they do the “must do” tasks and must complete them by a deadline. Once students complete the “must do” tasks, they choose which of the “may do” tasks to work on. This ensures that all students have activities to engage them and sets the bar for what work all students must complete.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator's practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs

About: Public district school in rural Texas outside of Dallas serving grades 6-8.

• Determine what tasks should be on a playlist and designate which tasks are “must do” and which ones are “may do.” See an example playlist.
• Model for students through a “think aloud” how to determine which order to do the required activities.

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PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

Source: Blended and Personalized Learning at Work

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

89

Student Choice

Students develop learner agency by choosing resources and ways to demonstrate mastery.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LINDSAY HIGH SCHOOL

Giving students choice empowers them to take ownership of their learning. At Lindsay High School, students choose from multiple learning resources for each content module/unit. For example, when studying Romeo and Juliet, students can pick from the traditional text, a Spanish version, a text in modern English, a text with translations, or a graphic novel. Students also have choice in what is the right activity for them to work on and how to demonstrate advanced mastery of a learning objective.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs

About: Lindsay Unified serves 4,200 students in grades K-12 in the rural part of Central California.

• Find opportunities to build in student choice and model for students through a “think aloud” how to decide between the different options.

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PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

Source: Blended and Personalized Learning at Work

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

90

Supports for Pacing

Students receive multiple opportunities to stay on-pace.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LINDSAY HIGH SCHOOL

While students are able to move at their own pace, there is an expectation that they will complete a certain amount of content within a given year. Teachers have set pacing benchmarks for students to know whether they are on-pace, ahead, or behind. For students that are behind, there are many options to help them catch up. Students are often able to catch up on coursework during Personalized Learning Time. In addition to offering remediation opportunities in class, teachers also rotate staying after school for students that need extra time to catch up. Lastly, teachers often build extra time into the end of the year to provide students with one final opportunity to get back on-pace for the year.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs

About: Lindsay Unified serves 4,200 students in grades K-12 in the rural part of Central California.

• Develop a pacing guide with suggested deadlines for each activity to help students monitor their pace. Recognize that some students will work faster and slower than what is suggested. See a sample pacing guide.
• Think about the different reasons students are behind and build opportunities for students to catch up. Hear about different supports Lindsay provides.
• Have multiple opportunities for students to get back on track. This conveys to students that falling behind is not an impossible scenario to recover from. Hear a student voice on these supports.

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PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

Source: Blended and Personalized Learning at Work

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

91

Daily & Weekly Goal-Setting

Students review their data to determine goals for the day and week.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LPS RICHMOND

Students start their week by determining how many and which learning goals they would like to pursue. This information is shared with teammates who provide feedback on the goals each student has chosen. Students start each class by selecting a particular goal and sharing that goal with their team members and teacher. The teacher is able to review daily and weekly goals for each student and will intervene if goals are not set appropriately.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator's practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Drive, Google Sheets

About: LPS Richmond California is part of the Leadership Public Schools (LPS) network of public charter high schools.

• Start the school year with an opening unit focused on routines and habits, such as note-taking and organization that will support goal-setting.
• Start small: introduce weekly goal setting with a cognitively low-lift topic, such as homework completion. Then, build up over time to more complicated, academic goals as students gain comfort and demonstrate proficiency.
• Tie goal-setting into weekly reflections, which not only lead to better future goal setting but also supports students’ metacognitive abilities. See student goals and reflections on Sheets.

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

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92

Senior Portfolios

Students design, work through, and present culminating projects to demonstrate high levels of learning self-management.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

BRONX ARENA HIGH SCHOOL

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Bronx Arena requires students to complete a student portfolio before they graduate. Students work on capstones and challenges which are projects that are harder and more involved than daily learning activities. Senior portfolios are the “capstone of capstones” as the most challenging project and the one that requires the most student ownership. Students design and build a project of their own for their senior portfolio by choosing a topic of interest to them, designing the course, and finding a mentor to support them in their project. The work culminates in a presentation.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs

About: Public alternative high school in Bronx, NY serving students in grades 9-12.

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• Think about ways to build in longer-term projects and challenges to give students more ownership and develop skills like time management and long-term planning. Learn more about challenges and capstones and see examples.
• Hear staff and a Bronx Arena student talk about the senior portfolio experience.
• Check out an example of a student portfolio project.
• Your schedule may not allow for a class dedicated to a portfolio but think about ways to dedicate time (e.g., one day a week) for students to explore their interests and create a way for them to showcase these projects.

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

93

Career-Based Projects

Students select interest areas and complete long-term projects related to possible careers in these interest areas.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LOCUST GROVE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs, Google Slides

About: Locust Grove Middle School serves students in grades 6-8 and is a part of Henry County School District in Georgia.

• Students select their area of interest and work with educators to design their project ideas.
• Find engaging ways to package the different pathways. Check out Locust Grove’s video that explain the houses.
• Create strong overviews of the projects so students have guidance on what they should work on. (See sample Slides and a handbook to assist them in their project planning and execution.)
• Have an exhibition of the projects so students can share their learning with an authentic audience.

Project-based learning is a tenet of personalized learning at Locust Grove. Students select a course of study within four “houses” that correspond with a variety of career pathways, (see the pathways). This provides students with real-world applications of content, helping them become college, career, and life ready. Students explore passions related to possible college and career opportunities through their house projects. Sample projects include: writing a novel, constructing a water tower, building a 3D model of an atom, and writing music.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

Source: Blended and Personalized Learning at Work

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AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

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94

Problem-Based Tasks in Math

Students develop conceptual understanding by collectively working on a problem.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

TWO RIVERS PUBLIC SCHOOL

Problem-based tasks are math lessons built around a single, compelling problem. The problem should be challenging and not offer an immediate solution. The tasks provide an opportunity for students to build conceptual understanding and give all students access to develop understanding. These lessons are used to introduce new concepts and before teaching students a particular method to solve a type of problem which works out to about once a week.

Learn more at Learn with Two Rivers.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Slides

About: Public charter school in Washington, D.C. serving ~1,000 students in preschool through grade 8.

• Use this guide from Two RIvers to design a problem-based task. The guide includes selecting the standard the lesson will focus on, thinking about your individual students, designing the task, and articulating student responsibilities.
• See sample lesson plans: Grade K; Grade 4.5; Grade 6-8.
• Learn more about why Two Rivers adopted this approach and see it in action with this video.
• Check out resources like Illustrative Mathematics, Mathalicious, and Youcubed for sample tasks that you can modify for your students.

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

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Source: Two Rivers PCS

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

95

Student-Led Conferences

Students are empowered to share their accomplishments and areas of growth.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

TWO RIVERS PUBLIC SCHOOL

Student-led conferences provide an opportunity for students to share their progress and to set goals. Unlike traditional family-teacher conferences where the teacher presents the information, students are in control in these conferences. Students prepare by identifying and reflecting on their high-quality work and analyzing data to see strengths and areas of development. They set goals and develop a script and presentation which they ultimately deliver to their teachers and family members.

Learn more at Learn with Two Rivers.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Sites

About: Public charter school in Washington, D.C. serving ~1,000 students in preschool through grade 8.

• Create a template using Google Sites, Google Slides, or Google Docs that students can use to showcase their work and structure their conference. Students at Two Rivers use a Google Site to house their work (Example Student Portfolio).
• Develop lessons that guide students through reflecting on work, looking at data, setting goals, and preparing for the conference. (Lessons for Student Led Conferences.)
• Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

96

Makerspaces

Students learn through projects in a space outfitted with materials, tools, and resources they can use to work on their projects.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LOCUST GROVE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Locust Grove students attend Makerspace as a daily class where they work on long-term house projects aligned to their interests. The project work is student-driven and the teacher’s role is to monitor progress and provide support as needed. Locust Grove outfitted its makerspace with resources including a 3D printer and grow lights that students can use in their projects. The Makerspace is able to hold a large number of students so this has the additional benefit of reducing the core content class sizes.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Classroom, Google Drive

About: Locust Grove Middle School serves students in grades 6-8 and is a part of Henry County School District in Georgia.

• Come up with driving questions that help guide students in coming up with projects. See Locust Grove’s driving questions.
• Determine where to host a Makerspace and when students will work on projects there. If space is a constraint, see if materials can be brought to classrooms. See Locust Grove’s master schedule.
• Create a structure to check in with students weekly to check on their progress and provide support if needed.
• Learn more about Makerspaces and see examples of them at Makerspace for Education.

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PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

Source: Blended and Personalized Learning at Work

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

97

Collaborative & Diverse

98

Ideas & Tactics

98

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Multiple Options for Working with Partners

Students choose whether they want to work with others on assignments and have choices in their learning partners.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

CISCO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Cisco creates opportunities for collaboration to increase learning enjoyment and student engagement. The school recognizes that students naturally want to work together, spending time with their friends and peers. Cisco has worked hard to create these opportunities while also ensuring that collaboration is productive and beneficial to learning. Students can choose from a variety of different options for working with other students.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs

About: Cisco Junior High School is a small district school in Cisco, TX, about two hours outside of Dallas, serving students in grades 6-8.

• Students select working groups or partners based on how they work best and what they’re working on—or may choose to work independently if desired.
• Educators intervene when students are not making good choices in their working partners or groups.

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COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

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Google DOCtoring

Collaboratively annotate and respond to questions in shared texts.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

FREMONT HIGH SCHOOL

A group or class of students access a shared document, where they collectively annotate text evidence and/or give responses to questions about the text. Through online discourse, students are challenged to be accountable in contributing to the class conversation and be clear in expressing their thoughts in writing.

Learn more at BetterLesson’s blended learning site.

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Subjects: Humanities, ELA

Tools: Google Docs

About: Fremont High School is a part of Oakland Unified School District.

• Allows students to access and build on peer thoughts.
• Tracks ongoing responses to questions in a live manner.
• Pushes students to articulate responses to questions and other student responses in written form.

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Source: BetterLesson

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

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Google Form Warm-Up

Activate student interest and background experiences through an online survey.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

FREMONT HIGH SCHOOL

This strategy is a beginning-of-class warm-up that activates student interest and prepares the class to engage in the day’s lesson. Google Forms allow students to individually reflect and anonymously share their opinions, populating the class’s aggregated data so the class can examine and discuss.

Learn more at BetterLesson’s blended learning site.

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Subjects: Humanities, ELA

Tools: Google Forms

About: Fremont High School is a part of Oakland Unified School District.

• Pull on students’ past experiences and honest thoughts to inform class discussions.
• Allow the class to discuss relevant topics based on authentic data from the group of students.

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Source: BetterLesson

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

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Google Hangout with Authors

Students connect virtually with authors of books they read in school.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

HOLLISTER SCHOOL DISTRICT

Authors are able to answer questions directly from students and share insights into their books that students read in class. Cerra Vista Elementary School’s Library Media Specialist Karen Firstbrook incorporated an author Google Hangout for National Ninja Day. She read Rubin Pingk’s Samurai Santa and Night of the Living Ninja to the third grade classes. In class, students brainstormed questions to ask the author and the staff selected 5-10 questions students got to ask during the Hangout.

Ninja Day celebrations also included a karate demonstration from a local instructor and his students before the author Hangout.

Subjects: ELA

Tools: Google Hangout

About: Hollister School District serves 5,500 students in grades K-8 in central California. The district’s student population is 40% ELs.

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• When brainstorming questions, help students come up with strong questions by steering them away from questions that just require a yes or a no response. What do the students really want to know from or about the author?
• Make sure to do a test run to make sure the Hangout works. Firstbrook noted that the test run did not work since the author was outside of their domain. Work closely with the IT department.
• Reach out to the author before purchasing books to make sure they are open to Hangouts. Firstbrook references this curated list with authors open to both Skype calls and Hangouts.

Source: Courtesy of Hollister ISD

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

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Collaborating with Google Classroom

Use Google Classroom to facilitate collaboration between students and with their teachers.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LOCUST GROVE

• Check out Google’s Teacher Center’s resources for Google Classroom which includes tutorials on getting started to tips and tricks from teachers.
• Create an environment where communication can happen seamlessly across the platform and classroom, so that teachers can maximize the ability to provide students feedback and students can respond and revise.
• Allow for asynchronous learning opportunities for students outside the normal school schedule.

Google Classroom is used at Locust Grove as a learning management system to house relevant coursework for participating classes, including announcements, important links, personalized Learner Pathways, and assignments. Teachers also leverage Google Classroom to “conference” and share feedback with students, access students’ online work, and have discussions through the comments feature.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

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Subjects: ELA, Social Studies, Science, Math

Tools: Google Classroom

About: Locust Grove Middle School is a 6th-8th grade personalized learning school in Henry County School District in Georgia.

COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

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Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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Accountability Partners

Students work with a partner to help them meet their learning goals.

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The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LOVETT ELEMENTARY

Lovett students have accountability partners as a support system for their work. Students are paired together and check in with each other weekly during independent learning time. A primary goal of the check-in is to see how their partner is doing. Students share their goals and progress and see how they can support each other. While the structured check-ins happen weekly, support can happen throughout the week if necessary.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs

About: Lovett Elementary in Chicago provides blended and personalized learning to its students in grades 2-5.

• Students share goals and data with accountability partners, discussing challenges and progress with each other.
• Teachers emphasize that it is crucial to model for students what a strong conversation between partners looks like and does not look like. Scaffold this by focusing on one area at a time like giving good feedback and asking about goals. Having a protocol where students can be helpful (sample protocol).
• Educators help match partners based on student needs and fit.

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COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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Common Launch

Opening class with shared problem-solving creates a culture focused on growth.

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The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LPS RICHMOND

• Set the expectations around what students should be discussing during this time. Hear from a teacher at LPS Richmond about this daily ritual.
• Create a tracker for students to track their progress. LPS Richmond uses this Sheet to track their mental math.

Math class opens with a “Common Launch,” which falls into two formats. In the first, students work on the same question or similar ones that are leveled during the first five minutes of each class. Students are seated in teams and are able to discuss the problems with team members. Team members also discuss which goals they are going to work on during the day, which class norm their group wants to focus on, and which team member deserves a “shout out.” In the second format, students work on mental math exercises to practice certain power math skills multiple times throughout the year. Progress is tracked so students can see their growth over time.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Sheets

About: LPS Richmond is a high school that serves students in grades 9-12 in Northern California.

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

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Encouraging Acts of Gratitude

Giving students time and space to give gratitude helps students make friends, feel safe, and ultimately perform better in school.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LPS RICHMOND

• Create a regular ritual for students to give gratitude. Set aside time daily or several times a week. The ritual at LPS takes less than 5 minutes.
• Leverage a platform like Google Forms for students to submit gratitude. LPS started out using Forms and then developed a program called GiveThx that students access on chromebooks,
• Introduce different forms of gratitude like everyone writing gratitude to one person or all around a specific behavior or value. For more examples, check out examples from GiveThx.

Research says giving and receiving gratitude can be essential for building belonging and engagement, but publicly doing so can be challenging and anxiety provoking for some students. Taking this activity online through an anonymous form allows everyone to participate by taking away anxiety that students who experience shyness, are learning English, and/or might feel uncomfortable publicly expressing emotion (as can often be the case for young men) may have in participating in a public shout-out format. The online format also allows the school to collect data to help monitor progress of specific behaviors and overall culture on a daily basis. Read more about gratitude at LPS here.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs, Google Forms

About: LPS Richmond is a high school that serves students in grades 9-12 in Northern California.

Source: GiveThx

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COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

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Self-Grading and Peer-Grading

Implement rubrics-based grading to foster academic reflection and dialogue.

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The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LPS RICHMOND

• Introduce the rubric with lessons and do a lot of modeling when introducing self-grading and peer-grading. Hear teacher Sophia Thomas how she introduced this to students.
• Create rubrics that students can use to score their own work and those of their peers. See a rubric from LPS Richmond.

When engaged in writing tasks, students must grade their own work and have a partner grade their work before submitting it to the teacher for final review. Students and teachers use a common rubric. This enables students to reflect upon their work and revise as needed. In addition to improving student output and metacognitive knowledge, this practice can also lead to student dialogue around why a different score was given between the creator and team member.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs

About: LPS Richmond is a high school that serves students in grades 9-12 in Northern California.

Source: Blended and Personalized Learning in Action

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COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

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Team Work Tables

Tables grouped throughout class enable small groups and improve team orientation.

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The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

LPS RICHMOND

• Think about the various ways students can engage with learning and how a space can facilitate this. For example, think about how a classroom can have spaces that promote collaboration and also have spaces that allow for independent work. See a classroom at LPS Richmond.
• Keep in mind that the layout of the classroom does not need to be static. The classroom can be changed day-to-day or even during classes in order to have the layout that matches the way students are engaging in learning.

LPS Richmond organizes its classroom layout to facilitate collaboration and group work. Pairs of tables are joined together and scattered throughout the class, creating separate spaces for groups to work. There is another table setting in the back for the teacher to conduct one-on-one and small group instruction. There is also a table in the front that contains a wide range of resources that students can pull from based on the goal they have selected (instead of having to request it from the teacher).

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Sheets

About: LPS Richmond is a high school that serves students in grades 9-12 in Northern California.

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

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360 Peer Feedback

Use Google Forms for students to give each other constructive feedback.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

THE FOREST SCHOOL

Students at The Forest School give every member of their studio (their version of a class) feedback on how they collaborate. The feedback process is done seven times a year. Students receive the feedback which is both qualitative and quantitative and meet with a guide (adult facilitator) to discuss their feedback and what next steps they can take. Families also receive the feedback and use it to have a reflective conversation with their student.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Forms

About: The Forest School is an independent school that serves students in grades 1-12 in Fayetteville, GA. As an Acton Academy, the school focuses on developing students as self-directed learners.

• Scaffold the forms as students develop the capacity to give more effective feedback. At The Forest School, elementary students give a simple rating for each studiomate while middle school students give more quantitative ratings and comments (elementary form and middle school report).
• Develop students’ feedback skills by showing examples of strong feedback next to ineffective feedback. Lead a discussion on which feedback is helpful and why. Check out feedback examples.
• Create a protocol for when students give inappropriate feedback. Guides at The Forest School follow up with students who do this.

Source: The Forest School

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COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

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Circle

Create time and opportunities for “Circle,” a practice that supports comprehensive student development.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

VALOR COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES

Circle is a practice that is foundational to Valor’s social-emotional learning (SEL) approach. As the name suggests, this practice has participants sit in a circle. The purpose of Circle is to continually practice and improve personal, interpersonal, and community development. In addition to creating a safe space for growth and development, Circle helps create trust and build relationships among students and staff. It also provides space to check the pulse of the school community and individual students, identifying early warning indicators and addressing them before small issues become big ones.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Docs, Forms

About: Valor Collegiate Academy is a public charter school network that serves students in grades 5-12 in Nashville, TN.

• Create a common set of commitments to create an intentional culture. See Valor’s commitments.
• Develop and implement structures and protocols that serve as well-defined practices that enable personal, interpersonal, and community development. See Valor’s structures.
• Identify criteria to determine if a circle is successful. Valor’s criteria are quality and fidelity. See their walkthrough tool.
• Valor’s Circle handbook is a comprehensive guide for the Circle model and includes videos of its implementation.

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

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Prides: Mentoring Groups

Deliberately selected single-gendered small groups help form social-emotional learning communities.

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The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

VALOR COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES

Valor students participate in small communities called “Prides” throughout the week. This structure is a modified version of advisories and homerooms that other schools have. Valor’s social-emotional learning (SEL) focus places a large premium on relationships and community development, and Prides provide students with more opportunities to do so. Prides meet daily with most days dedicated to academic and social-emotional learning coaching. Students stay in the same Prides for two years to foster deep relationships among peers.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Sheets

About: Valor Collegiate Academy is a public charter school network that serves students in grades 5-12 in Nashville, TN.

• See Pride in action at Valor.
• It is critical that adults achieve a strong culture within the Pride they lead so students can be vulnerable and share. Valor developed a coaching tool for their staff members to use as Pride leaders to help facilitate Pride time effectively.
• Determine the curriculum that should be covered in these lessons. What should students learn from this time? Valor developed a SEL curriculum students work on during Pride.

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Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

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Intentionally Diverse Community

Social, emotional, and academic growth is amplified by its intentionally diverse community.

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The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

VALOR COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES

• Hear from staff about the diversity at Valor and the impact the diversity has on the school community.
• Valor does an intentional outreach to preserve its diverse community. Learn about these efforts.
• Not every school has the opportunity to create an intentionally diverse community. Think about the diversity within your own school and community. How can you intentionally create opportunities to highlight this diversity?

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At Valor, the student and family population is diverse across many dimensions. There is not a majority race or ethnicity and about half of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch. Valor is an open enrollment charter school and achieves this diversity through intentional family outreach and enrollment strategies.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

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Subjects: All

Tools: Google Sheets

About: Valor Collegiate Academy is a public charter school network that serves students in grades 5-12 in Nashville, TN.

Source: Blended & Personalized Learning at Work

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COLLABORATIVE & DIVERSE

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Authentic & Experiential

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Ideas & Tactics

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Spark Curiosity Using Google Earth

Use Google Earth for students to explore the world and ask questions and make observations.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

GEMS ACADEMY CHICAGO

Teachers at GEMS use Google Earth’s Voyager tool to showcase various perspectives and sites from around the world. For example, students may look at different schools to compare and contrast with their own or look at how buildings use biomimicry to incorporate features seen in the natural world. The multiple features of Google Earth allow for students to see multiple views like global glacial coverage to study the effect climate change has had on regions where glaciers are disappearing.. Students are able to explore their own home areas and learn about other parts of the world.

Subjects: ELA, Social Studies, Science

Tools: Google Earth

About: GEMS Academy Chicago is part of a global network of private schools. The Chicago campus serves 420 students from Pre-K to high school. Their Field Studies program expands learning to the resources the city has to offer.

• Find lesson plans and resources for Google’s Geo Tools on their education resource page.
• Develop custom views on Earth using the Projects feature. Students can develop projects collaboratively.

Source: Google Earth

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

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Virtual Field Trips

Use Google Expeditions paired with question protocols to help students rigorously explore real-world concepts.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

HOLLISTER SCHOOL DISTRICT

Second grade teacher Ms. Jacob’s used Google expeditions to “visit” a T-rex model in a virtual reality environment. Strategically planned pauses and questioning led students to identify key details. See the virtual field trip in action.

Subjects: ELA, Social Studies, Science

Tools: Google Expeditions

About: Hollister School District serves 5,500 students in grades K-8 in central California. The district’s student population is 40% ELs.

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• Find expeditions that align with lessons you are teaching (List of Available Expeditions).
• Give time for students to explore on their own.
• Set clear protocols for students as they explore. Build in time for discussions and ask students questions as they explore. See sample discussion questions and protocols.

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

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Interactive Notebooks

Develop virtual interactive notebooks using Google Slides so students can organize their notes and synthesize their learnings in a creative way.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

HOLLISTER SCHOOL DISTRICT

Science teacher Barbara Penney at Maze Middle School had used traditional paper notebooks for interactive notebooks and made the switch to Google Slides. She noted that it made grading easier since she uses Google Classrooms to distribute a new template weekly and she does not have to carry around physical notebooks to grade. She is able to link videos and activities for students to engage with and students are able to insert images, text boxes, and other features to make their interactive notebook their own. These notebooks also become a portfolio of work they have access to at all times.

Subjects: ELA, Social Studies, Science

Tools: Google Classroom, Google Slides

About: Hollister School District serves 5,500 students in grades K-8 in central California. The district’s student population is 40% ELs.

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• See a sample interactive notebook and a filled out student example.
• Penney recommends making the notebooks for no more than a week to prevent students from going too far ahead and as to not overwhelm students.
• Use Google Classrooms’ feature to make a copy of the notebook for each student to save time.
• Invest time in making sure students know how to use Google Slides and navigate Google Classroom. Show students how they can make it their own with fonts, images, and other features.

Source: Courtesy of Hollister ISD

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

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Career-Based Projects

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

Students select interest areas and complete long-term projects related to possible careers in these interest areas.

LOCUST GROVE MIDDLE SCHOOL

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Project-based learning is a tenet of personalized learning at Locust Grove. Students select a course of study within four “houses” that correspond with a variety of career pathways, (see the pathways). This provides students with real-world applications of content, helping them become college, career, and life ready. Students explore passions related to possible college and career opportunities through their house projects. Sample projects include: writing a novel, constructing a water tower, building a 3D model of an atom, and writing music.

Learn more at The Learning Accelerator’s practices site.

Subjects: All

Tools: Google Docs, Google Slides

About: Locust Grove Middle School serves students in grades 6-8 and is a part of Henry County School District in Georgia.

• Students select their area of interest and work with educators to design their project ideas.
• Find engaging ways to package the different pathways. Check out Locust Grove’s video that explain the houses.
• Create strong overviews of the projects so students have guidance on what they should work on. (See sample Slides and a handbook to assist them in their project planning and execution.)
• Have an exhibition of the projects so students can share their learning with an authentic audience.

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

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Source: Blended and Personalized Learning at Work

PROJECT-BASED & SELF-MANAGED

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Multi-Subject Real World Projects

Students engage in real world projects that give them ownership, engage them, and teach content through a relevant and exciting experience.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

CONCORD COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

Concord Community Schools seeks ways to make sure students are not learning skills and knowledge in isolation by developing real world projects that develop skills and knowledge that can be applied in authentic ways. For example, the fourth grade weather balloon project challenges students to learn what these balloons’ functions are, launch them, and track them. Students learn about content knowledge related to the project. Tools like Google Classroom and Google Drive help organize the project. Students actually launch the balloons and track their flights using Google Maps.

Learn more with this presentation about the project.

Subjects: Social Studies, Science, Math, ELA

Tools: Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Earth

About: Concord Community Schools serves 5,300 students in grades K-12 in Elkhart, Indiana. The district values each individual student and meeting them where they are.

• Identify an authentic real world problem that is engaging for students. Come up with content-specific lessons that pertain to the topic. Concord educators noted that students were often working well above grade level with this project. See sample activities here.
• Empower students to reach out to partners to learn more. This slide has a sample letter. Students reached out to the National Weather Service, the FAA, news outlets, and more!
• Organize specific roles for students in the project (see roles).

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

Source: Concord Community Schools

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Connect with Community Partners

Establish partnerships with community organizations who can provide real world experiences for students

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

HERITAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Students in HMS by Design learn through project-based learning. In this opt in program, four teachers have four hours daily with 100 students and design driving questions and projects. Critical to the success of these projects is partnership with community partners. A partnership with the Kansas City Zoo had students work on a project with the driving question “How do animals and people change over time?” Students were tasked with reimagining a zoo exhibit. Another partnership with an architecture firm brought in architects who advised students on designs. Students were given access to the space and presented their proposals to professionals at the zoo with the hopes that elements of their designs will be in the redesigned exhibit.

Subjects: Science, Social Studies

Tools: Google Drive

About: Heritage MIddle School in the Kansas City metro area that serves grades 6-8. Around 40% of their sixth grade students opted into HMS by Design where students engage in project-based learning to take ownership of their learning and gain future-ready skills.

• Think about the various ways community partners can play a role. Some may need design support and others may supply mentoring. Provide various options for ways organizations can support students.
• Train teachers to implement project-based learning. Heritage Middle School invested in sending their teachers to PBLWorks. Teachers created a project info sheet, planner, presentation guides, and field note templates for this project.
• Have someone own community partnerships. Heritage is supported by a district staff member who cultivates community partnerships. Assign a staff member to own this to help foster relationships.

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

Source: Heritage Middle School

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Learning Expeditions

Students work on in-depth projects centered around compelling, real world problems.

The Strategy

Keys to Deepening Learning

TWO RIVERS CHARTER SCHOOL

Students work on 10-12 week in-depth projects around authentic problems in their community or world and do field work to learn more about the problem. Students work towards a final product presented at a showcase which can be a Google Slides presentation or collaborative Google Docs.

Learn more at Learn with Two Rivers.

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Subjects: Social Studies, Science

Tools: Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Slides

About: Public charter school in Washington, D.C. serving ~1,000 students in preschool through grade 8.

• Identify an authentic real-world problem that is engaging for students.
• Plan a final product that allows for presentation to an audience.
• Identify community partners for field work to make learning hands-on for students.
• See Two Rivers’ Expedition Planning Template and a Sample Expedition Plan.

AUTHENTIC & EXPERIENTIAL

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Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020

Google & The Learning Accelerator 2020