The Learning Accelerator

Do you want to see more learner-centered education highlighted at next year’s SXSW EDU? Here is a list of panels you can #vote for that support the broader learner-centered movement: https://lnkd.in/gA-jVSEe If you don't see your learner-centered session listed in our compilation, feel free to add it in the comments below. Voting ends August 18th! Be sure to check out these great panels from our amazing partners: Big Thought Big Picture Learning Collaborative Communications Group Embark Education Getting Smart Learner-Centered Collaborative The Learning Accelerator The Learning Agency One Stone Inc. Springhouse Transcend Whiteboard #SXSWEDU

The countdown to #SWSXEDU starts now with PanelPicker Voting open until August 18th. Check out the 7 sessions we are hoping to bring to the conference next year and vote to send The Learning Accelerator and our partners to Austin! 🔗 Reimagining Research Together: New Measures for New Models: https://loom.ly/C3Qzp-0 🔗 Empowering School Teams to Develop AI Instructional Practices: https://loom.ly/ieZgVO4 🔗Learning Acceleration for All: Scaling Core Innovations: https://loom.ly/graReao 🔗 Enough Talk! Let's Play With AI: https://loom.ly/niliFsY 🔗 Innovating Education: Real World Learning & Career Pathways: https://loom.ly/fj7tYJ0 🔗 10 Years Later: Personalized Learning at a Crossroads?: https://loom.ly/gMu_6Y4 🔗 The Case for Ecosystem Entrepreneurship: https://loom.ly/nLfHMpg For full descriptions of each session check out our latest blog: https://loom.ly/knJbaLk

Catalyst:Ed’s Leona Christy and The Learning Accelerator’s Beth Rabbitt joined Educating All Learners Alliance for a discussion on inequality in K-12 education. Tune in here: https://loom.ly/DXwo-Kw

As I read this interview (https://lnkd.in/gM4thWAj) in EdTech Magazine with Steve Smith, founder of the Student Data Privacy Consortium, one line stood out: Q: "How can school staff get started on their student data privacy journeys?" A: "Start by visiting the school district’s policies around tools and ensuring that you’ve got the right policies in place. And be patient. It is a multiyear process to go from an unaware district to a district where the culture is changed to respect the privacy of students." Having worked with school and system edtech leaders in MA through The Learning Accelerator’s partnership with MA DESE, I’ve seen firsthand how critical student data privacy is, yet how challenging it can be to start or advance privacy practices. To help leaders overcome this, we created a resource highlighting specific opportunities for school and system leaders to prioritize privacy in selecting, implementing, and evaluating #edtech tools. Explore the resource here: https://lnkd.in/gJpVRRNy #EdTech #DataPrivacy #EducationLeadership #StudentDataPrivacy

💫 Explore the FUTURE OF LEARNING 💫 Dive into the experiences of three of TLA's partner schools purposefully balancing virtual and in-person learning to make student-centered learning a reality: Plymouth-Canton Community Schools’ Virtual Academy in Michigan, Map Academy Charter School in Massachusetts, and ASU Prep Digital in Arizona. 💡Even with their different contexts, the three schools demonstrate two key themes that all schools can consider as they look to leverage hybrid capabilities for more #studentcenteredlearning. Curious to see what the common themes are? Check out our kick-off blog from Nate Kellogg in the series here: https://loom.ly/07qeVKQ #hybridlearning #K12 #edtech

💻 All students benefit from actively using technology rather than passively consuming it. Leaders can play a crucial role in making this happen. Here's how: -Establish a tech-inclusive vision for teaching and learning. -Nurture students as active tech users. -Adapt to new technologies continuously. Learn more: https://loom.ly/0DbPR4s #EdTech #Education #Leadership

🌟 Discover edtech in action! Michael, Associate Partner at The Learning Accelerator, shares how Uxbridge Public School successfully implemented the EdTech Systems Guide, a resource developed by TLA and MA DESE OET to help leaders strengthen their edtech selection, implementation, and evaluation systems. Explore Uxbridge's journey in TLA’s EdTech Peer Learning Cohort and gain valuable insights for school and system leaders: https://loom.ly/rVBsihQ #EdTech #Education #Leadership #TLA #MADESE

🚀 Exciting News! 🚀 For the past three years, The Learning Accelerator has partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (MA DESE) Office of Educational Technology to help school and system leaders build equitable #edtech systems. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share some valuable resources we’ve developed that encapsulate what we've learned from this work. Today, I’m excited to share mini case studies from three school district teams with whom we dug into this work. These case studies demonstrate how these districts improved their edtech systems, highlighting the specific challenges they faced, their unique contexts, the resources they created, and the leadership actions that drove their success: 🏫 Chicopee Public Schools What did the team explore? 🔎 How do we identify and support the use of better edtech tools? What did we learn? 💡 Building equitable edtech systems takes time and iteratively builds on progress. 💡 Sharing leadership with key stakeholders enhances the sustainability of edtech improvements. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/e2TTejsz 🏫 Natick Public Schools What did the team explore? 🔎 How can we improve the selection and evaluation of edtech tools to better support students who have faced digital inequities? What did we learn? 💡 Stakeholder input is crucial. 💡 Decisions should align with a clear vision for teaching and learning. 💡 Regular evaluation and improvement processes enhance accessibility. 💡 Distributed leadership fosters collaboration and sustains improvements. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eP5i6z4x 🏫 Uxbridge Public Schools What did the team explore? 🔎 How can digital learning skills be integrated into teaching practices and curriculum? What did we learn? 💡 Edtech systems are about the tools AND the people using them. 💡 Diverse perspectives are essential for systemic change, breaking down silos, and creating cohesive outcomes. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eeZ7Fxn6 These case studies illustrate what real, practical, and strategic improvement looks like to help leaders understand what might be possible when thinking about developing or strengthening their own edtech systems. Stay tuned to learn about the other resources and tools we've created to help edtech leaders identify and act on opportunities for edtech systems improvement! #edtech #edtechleadership #schools #schoolsystems #equity

🌍 Racial equity in schools starts with smart edtech choices! Here are some key considerations: 🔑 Cultural Relevance: Choose tools that reflect and respect diverse cultural backgrounds, ensuring representation for all student populations. 🔑 Bias Mitigation: Opt for tools evaluated for bias, especially those incorporating AI. Support staff and students in identifying and discussing biased content. 🔑 Vendor Accountability: Partner with vendors committed to racial equity, both in their internal practices and product development. 🧭 To help navigate the edtech marketplace, look for certifications like Digital Promise’s Prioritizing Racial Equity seal. Learn more here: https://loom.ly/1aI3jnA #EdTech #RacialEquity

One more mini case from The Learning Accelerator been doing in Massachusetts to help district leaders equitably improve their #edtech programs. This time from Chicopee Public Schools. 🏫 Chicopee was pretty early in their journey. We got to learn alongside their team for two years as their first director of #instructional #technology was hired. Year 1 focused on foundations-- auditing and indexing tools, setting and communicating a vision, and building systems. It also focused on broadening ownership and participation with a new, #district-wide leadership group with teacher, school leader, and district admin. In Year 2, the district team dug in, developing a rubric for new selection that aligned to their strategic goals (especially for #Title1 learners). They also began to systematically improve #implementation support for priority tools. What's perhaps most remarkable about this story is that this work weathered a leadership change between Years 1 and 2. Because leaders had immediately made the work a visible priory and brought in more members of their community to own it, it was durable (#holygrail #changemanagement). They were able to do this while developing tools that were of a high enough quality that other districts, including those much further on in their edtech journeys, ended up using and citing these tools in their own work (#nocap). You can find the case + the actual selection rubric and tools here: https://lnkd.in/eZm_wxT8 While our work in MA has wrapped up for now, I'm really excited about the improvements Chicopee will make in the future because of the intentional foundations they've laid for the work ahead. H/T to my colleagues, Michael Ham and Jin-Soo Huh for spearheading this work in partnership with DESE leaders Andrea (AJ) Cote and Jackie Gantzer + all the DESE teams who participated!