Our mission is to solve your school's most stubborn problems.
Blended Learning: A learning environment that combines face-to-face instruction through discussion, higher-level thinking and academic discourse with personalized, mastery-based targeted support for all learners using adaptive technology.
discussion-based instructionEnsure all students participate using conversation based learning. Small groups enable teachers to gauge student understanding in real-time.
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collaborative learningResearch shows that students learn from each other. Provide consistent opportunities for students to collaborate, communicate and form ever-lasting friendships.
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personalized software learningNo two students learn at the same pace, in the same way or with the same techniques. Software enables teachers to target the needs of individual students for intervention and acceleration.
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Why Blended Learning?
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What's abundantly clear in each school and in every classroom is that meeting the diverse needs of all learners in one physical classroom is nearly impossible. One of the most challenging yet consequential attributes of a good teacher is "Using Questioning & Discussion Techniques" as described by The Danielson Framework for Teaching (Domain 3b). According to the framework, a proficient teacher in this domain "uses a variety or series of questions or prompts to challenge students cognitively, advanced high-level thinking and discourse, and promote metacognition. Students formulate many questions, initiate topics, challenge one another’s thinking, and make unsolicited contributions. Students themselves ensure that all voices are heard in the discussion."
In a class of 20-30 students, teachers invariably fall short in meeting this expectation. But it's NOT their fault given the numerous structural obstacles of the factory model of schooling. And this is why Blended Learning is a game-changer when done right. Because higher level-thinking and discourse are critical features of a 21st century classroom, we need to create a learning environment that's systematically conducive to engaging learners in this way . Have you ever been to a party with 30 or more guests? Partygoers don't all engage in one grand discussion. We naturally partition off in small groups and converse with only a handful of people. Which brings us to our Blended Learning definition: |
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Three Rotations | Integrating Individualized Learning Software
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We are well in to the 21st century. Individualized learning software is available at an affordable price. Integrate this technology into your classroom to ensure students receive real-time feedback and collect instantaneous data on performance tied to Common Core standards. This instructional model consists of three distinct rotations and requires computers for at least one-third of the students in the class.
SOLVED works with school leaders on education technology purchasing decisions. And we collaborate with teachers to design and implement instructional models that leverage the unique advantages of individualized/ personalized learning software. |
- Teacher-Led Core Instruction Lessons are designed and structured as an active discussion rather than the transfer of knowledge from teacher to student. Problem-solving and reasoning are given equal weight to procedures and rules during the lesson. Facilitating an academic discussion with 25 plus students is a daunting challenge. In this model teachers are tasked with engaging 5-8 students in quality academic discourse.
- Student-Led Collaborative Learning Tasks are purposefully designed to provoke discussion and to encourage collaborative problem-solving. Assignments are aligned to instructional content from previous teacher-led lessons to ensure students have an access point to the assignment. Students are assessed on their participation and collaboration efforts in addition to the assignment requirements.
- Individualized Learning Software Students are assigned individualized practice problems that correspond to previous or current learning objectives. They receive instant feedback to their responses in the software and performance data is automatically collected. Teachers use this data to engage in ongoing conversations with students to target their individual academic needs.
For more information on potential software programs that work with this instructional model, check out our ed technology integration page.
Design an Instructional/Classroom Model
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Rather than narrowing in on the next new educational trend, SOLVED challenges educators to reinvent themselves, rethink their classroom models and schools, and create classroom/instructional models that systematically incorporate many of the research-driven trends we’ve come to know.
Research shows that students benefit from collaboration and academic discussion. We also know that independent practice and sustained individual focus over time are essential academic skills. After all, independent (rather than collaborative) abilities are typically measured as an outcome of high-stakes end-of-year assessments. As educators, we are also expected to provide explicit instruction, model complex concepts, and engage students in higher-order thinking. How do we balance this need for collaboration, independent practice and explicit modeling? Our ground-up rather than top-down approach to instructional design will help reshape your classroom and school culture. We use a proven process coined "Design Thinking" to incubate creative solutions to complex classroom challenges. |
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3-Rotation Instructional/Classroom Models
In groups of 5-8, students spend roughly a third of the class period in three distinct rotational groups. Classroom “areas” are strategically designed to effectively implement the six instructional shifts outlined by the Common Core. Dividing class time into three rotations gives teachers more flexibility to engage students with unique learning activities and assignments. This model takes students' ever-shifting attention span into consideration and naturally differentiates instruction to accommodate a variety of learning styles.