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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that is based on a scientific understanding of how people learn. The goal of UDL is to design “barrier-free, instructionally rich learning environments and lessons that provide access to all students” (Nelson, 2). The UDL framework helps educators think about and design learning experiences that allow all […]
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A few weeks ago, I published a blog titled “8 Ideas Designed to Engage Students In Active Learning Online.” Several elementary teachers requested that I work on a similar blog focused on younger learners. Below are ten strategies I hope will help elementary teachers to engage their young learners online. #1 Create a Virtual Word […]
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The 2020-2021 school year promises to be unpredictable from start to finish. Teachers may be teaching online, on a hybrid schedule, or juggling students both in class and online in a concurrent classroom. Regardless of the situation teachers are in, it’s helpful to have a strong foundation in online and blended learning. I’ve designed a […]
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The Balance is now available on Spotify! It has been six weeks since California ordered residents to shelter in place. I have not left my home for anything other than the occasional trip to the grocery store. Some weeks are good and fly by in a blur of productivity, while other weeks are hard, emotionally draining, and […]
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The Balance is now available on Spotify! As educators grapple with the challenges of teaching remotely, I wanted to share some tips for navigating the shift from offline to online teaching. Unlike my regular episodes where I chat with a guest, this mini-episode is just me (and my cat). I share three quick tips that […]
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Keynotes ✨New✨ Shifting Workflows: Let Students Lead & Avoid Teacher Burnout Teachers are burning out at record levels. They’re drowning in unrealistic expectations and doing the lion’s share of the work in classrooms. It’s time to shift from time-consuming, teacher-led, and often frustratingly ineffective workflows to sustainable student-led workflows that position learners at the center […]
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My keynotes, workshops, and coaching sessions are customized to meet the specific needs of the event, school, and/or teachers I am working with. I am available to deliver any of the keynotes or facilitate any of the workshops below in person or online. Getting Started with Blended & Online Learning (Self-paced Online Course) This course […]
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When I facilitate workshops on the station rotation model as a vehicle to improve Tier 1 instruction, I always get questions about pacing. Teachers are concerned about the reality that some students take more or less time than others to finish an activity at a station. Although the question is framed as a concern or […]
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Related Podcast Episode In my previous blog posts, I explored three instructional pathways for providing strong Tier 1 instruction. I encourage teachers to consider using instructional videos when they plan to say the same thing the same way for all students. These videos are especially helpful for content that students need to revisit throughout the […]
Related Podcast Episode Today’s classrooms are beautifully diverse. Students bring a wide range of skills, abilities, language proficiencies, learning preferences, and interests with them into the learning environment. While this diversity is a strength, it also makes whole-group, teacher-led, one-size-fits-all instruction problematic. Too often, teachers are given a curriculum that is designed this way, and […]
In my work helping teachers to shift from whole group, teacher-led lessons to differentiated small group student-centered learning experiences, I am asked questions that seem grounded in the belief that students cannot learn without the teacher. When I work with teachers designing lessons using the station rotation model, for example, some teachers struggle to understand […]
Why Would a Teacher Use the Flipped Classroom Model? First, let’s establish the value of the flipped classroom in case you have never used this blended learning model. The flipped classroom was designed to invert the traditional approach to instruction and practice/application. Instead of spending precious class time transferring information live for the whole group […]