When considering the relatively long arc of development for our modern public education system, blended and technology-based learning systems are new - and their dominance was certainly exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic. This course supports learners in examining best practices for blended and remote learning, covering topics from flipped learning to specific differentiation strategies in a virtual environment. This course assumes prior knowledge about blended learning and invites educators to explore more nuanced and integrated forms of digital- and tech-based learning, while also examining how these approaches can build learner agency and academic rigor.

Comprised of three individual learning experiences, this progression explores a variety of topics and models under the broad category of "Blended Learning." With topics including Flipped Learning, Blending Learning, and Deeper Learning, these offerings support learners in building their practical skills in blended learning environments, while also diving deeper in areas such as differentiation, student voice, and even learning rotations. The final part of the series, "Blended Learning, A Deeper Dive," assumes prior knowledge and aims to illuminate the nuance of Blended Learning approaches and their relationship to learner agency and cognitive rigor.

Building a sense of community within a school community, and individual classrooms, is something the education research field is very interested in. This course pulls from that ever-growing body of research to explore community building and the role it plays in positive school-based relationships. Educators will learn about research-based strategies to build both classroom-based and community-wide relationships. Through case studies, learners will analyze the various levers for, and barriers to, establishing a sense of belonging. To demonstrate competency, they'll apply these learnings to their context, examining how they can respond to those levers and barriers to create a deeper sense of belonging for all learners.

Data is a foundational tool educators can use to understand themselves, their students, and their goals. This learning experience provides a deep dive into data-driven instruction, including the rationale and guiding principles for this approach. Learners will also explore approaches for designing and evaluating quality common assessments, check out tools for effective data analysis; and review examples of data-driven dialogue. Learners in this course will leave with practical skills and a deepened commitment to gathering strong, relevant, actionable data.

The challenges our students face as they prepare for a changing and unpredictable future are significant. At the same time, our growing understanding of learning science and adolescent development shines a spotlight on young people’s enormous potential, not just to survive but to thrive in this world of change. This course explores design learning as a tool to offer learners deeper, richer, and more relevant learning experiences that prepare them intellectually and practically to be successful in this modern world. Learners in this course demonstrate competency by designing a learning experience that truly unlocks a deeper and more applicable learning experience for their classrooms.

A question the education field is asking right now is "How might we design learning experiences that support Deeper Learning?" This course is designed to build learners' understanding of what the tenets of Deeper Learning are and how to realize it. Learners will explore key systemic, dispositional and instructional conditions that enable Deeper Learning. To demonstrate competency, learners will evaluate their current context in terms of barriers and levers to implementing a Deeper Learning experience and create a plan to make necessary changes.

Culturally Relevant Practice is a theoretical framework through which educators can deepen their knowledge about, and ability to design, learning environments that celebrate and honor every learners' unique identity and background. This introductory course gives a high-level overview of Culturally Relevant Practices and the mindsets that support them in practice. Through research, learners in this course will examine practices that are asset-focused and celebratory, as well as analyze their existing practice to identify both alignment and areas to grow their practice. This course serves as an entry point for all educators seeking to build a deeper sense of belonging for each of their learners.

Learner-centered classrooms and learner-centered environments are becoming more mainstream in education research and implementation - and rightly so! But how does an educator refine their existing practice to implement more, and deeper, learner-centered pedagogies? This course focuses on the changing role educators play in the classroom as they move through this process, and distinguishes clearly between learner-centered and teacher-centered learning. Learners in this course can expect to assess their own learner-centered/teacher-centered practices, explore case studies that support learner agency, and then select and apply a new learner-centered pedagogical practice in their context.

A classroom culture is comprised of many things: relationships, routines, values, and the individual cultures of the members of the classroom community. This course explores what must be true of a classroom learning environment for it to be learner-centered. Further, learners in the course will dive into the relationship between a strong learning environment and learner agency. Learners can expect to explore motivation, routines and practices, feedback, tolerance, and the digital divide.

In his compelling TEDx Talk, Roberto Rivera shares that young people "...need the opportunity to experience their brilliance and beauty for themselves... They just need someone to journey with them, to help them find that spark, and to fan that spark into a flame - that can not only ignite their education and academic learning, but might even illuminate and revolutionize this world."

Inspired by Rivera's vision, this course explores the critical importance of developing strong relationships with students by incorporating their passions and interests into real-world learning and uplifting their voices, particularly those who are traditionally most marginalized. In this course, learners will also engage with the research around trust-building, high expectations, cultural responsiveness, and supportive and positive classroom environments.

All learners — be they children, adolescents, or adults — tend to apply the most effort in activities where they feel a strong sense of ownership in the learning experience. When learners feel as though the learning activity is aligned with or may even enhance their self-driven goals, motivations rise, engagement elevates, interest spikes, relationships flourish, and creativity surges. In this course, learners will explore the definition of learner agency, and the learner and teacher dispositions needed to foster learner agency, including mindset, self-regulation, self-efficacy, and equity orientation. Through reflective practice, learners in this course will reflect on, make a plan for, and refine their own dispositions to drive learner agency in their classrooms.

Personalized Learning is a model in which students drive their learning through a flexible curriculum, in an environment that builds relationships and values their voice. Learners have opportunities to build on their successes, and to feel like school is a place where they can explore their ideas and curiosities. In this course, learners will explore the what and why of Personalized Learning as well as how to design a more holistic Learner-Centered ecosystem. Learners in this course will design systems for learner profiles, data collection, and student conferencing, and reimagine classroom spaces to support flexible grouping. As learners analyze their own systems and practices, this course will provide direction toward creating more learner-centered and equitable instructional and assessment decisions, allowing for greater opportunity for personalized learning to happen.

Project-based learning is a dynamic classroom approach in which students actively explore real-world challenges and acquire a deep knowledge of presented concepts through application and exploration. In this course, learners explore the eight elements of project-based learning, identify how these elements enhance a student's learning experience, and investigate how the integration of technology can help increase the level of rigor and authenticity. To demonstrate competency, learners will design a meaningful project in their blended classroom from project launch through a culminating task.

How do you support the needs of multilingual learners as a classroom teacher or leader? This learning experience will delve into cutting-edge strategies for welcoming multilingual learners into learning communities while empowering them to be successful. Grounding in cognitive science, learners will think creatively about opportunities to shift practice and building-level structures to celebrate multi-lingual learners and leverage their expertise as assets. Learners will collectively unpack the meaning of access and integrate specific strategies that support the acquisition of language skills across all content areas. (This course is in development).

Cultural responsiveness centers on the premise that students' and teachers' cultural backgrounds matter - they are relevant to the learning environment. Learners in this course will explore the various components of culture and its significance in the classroom, and then reflect on how culture has impacted their teaching. Learners will analyze and critique a previously taught unit or lesson through the lens of culture and identity, working to identify how that learning could be adapted with cultural relevance in mind. To demonstrate competency in this course, learners will then revise their work to intentionally include mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors for students. (This course is in development).

Have you ever wondered: What makes a Competency-Based Learning curriculum so different from a traditional curriculum? How can educators push their course design and planning to the next level? This course introduces learners to a Competency-Based Learning curriculum design methodology, which they will practice by designing a unit of study that purposefully develops and nurtures learner agency, inquiry, and competency. This course was developed through a partnership between reDesign and 2Revolutions.