Accelerated Learning part 1

Accelerated Learning introduction and why it is a #alted non-negotiable

Post-pandemic, many were writing about learning loss and accelerated learning. This was difficult for me from a #alted perspective because there has always been a need for this research since we have always been tasked with accelerated learning. However, the need for research provided many resources for this research in the field that we can lean on when supporting learners. Ed Week has a mini-course on accelerated learning. The California Collaborative for Accelerated Learning out of Santa Clara County created a platform for accelerated learning for math, literacy, ELD, and paraeducators. Some essentials to this work are UDL, SEL, and CSP. These are non-negotiables.

Of the practices outlined here are some worth looking at:

Literacy Accelerated Suggestions-

1. Provide Explicit Vocabulary Instruction. 

2. Provide Direct and Explicit Comprehension Instruction. 

3. Provide opportunities for extended discussion of text meaning and interpretation. 

4. Increase student motivation and engagement in literacy learning. 

5. Make available intensive and individualized interventions for struggling readers that can be provided by trained specialists. 

Math Accelerated Suggestions-

1. Provide students with the concrete and semi-concrete representations that effectively represent the concept or procedure being covered.

2. When teaching concepts and procedures, connect concrete and semi-concrete representations to abstract representations.

3. Provide ample and meaningful opportunities for students to use representations to help solidify the use of representations as “thinking tools.”

4. Revisit concrete and semi-concrete representations periodically to reinforce and deepen understanding of mathematical ideas.

5. Teach students that different algebraic representations can convey different information about an algebra problem.

6. Routinely teach mathematical vocabulary to build students’ understanding of the mathematics they are learning.

7. Use clear, concise, and correct mathematical language throughout lessons to reinforce students’ understanding of important mathematical vocabulary words.

8. Support students in using mathematically precise language during their verbal and written explanations of their problem solving.

9. Teach students to identify word problem types that include the same type of action or event.

10. Teach students a solution method for solving each problem type.

11. Expand students’ ability to identify relevant information in word problems by presenting problem information differently.

12. Teach vocabulary or language often used in word problems to help students understand the problem.

13. Include a mix of previously and newly learned problem types throughout intervention.

Ed Week’s Accelerated Suggestions-

1. Diagnosing and Assessing Learning Gaps

2. Differentiating Learning

3. Tutoring

4. Boosting Student Confidence

I find the most helpful framework for accelerated learning from Fullan’s Right Drivers.

The overarching tenets of all of these practices are collaboration and student participation. Collaboration and communication are skills, and when students have skill deficits, it is our job to teach them

I look forward to sharing steps to get your students talking in class and truly collaborating. Perhaps this is good modeling for adults in schools as well.

Collective efficacy is one of Hattie’s key findings in student success.

Best,

-jamie