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Educational ResearchEnglish Language Arts Reading (ELAR)Writing

Teach Critical Thinking with These Action Writing Strategies: Part One

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

AI-powered writing threatens the status quo of classrooms. And while AI literacy supersedes digital literacy, teachers and students are scrambling to learn how to use AI the right way, leaving writing teachers in despair. In fact, many educators believe that AI is short-circuiting writing exercises intended to teach critical thinking. In this blog entry, we’ll explore the first three of five research-based action writing strategies that flip the tables on AI-powered, short-circuited critical thinking and writing. Check them out and start incorporating them into your lesson plan today!

1. Collaborative Writing Workshops

“Let’s get into a circle for group share,” I often told my third, fifth, and sixth grade students. Whether you call it a Writing Circle, the Writer’s Conference, or something else, this collaboration and conversation are vital to learning. That’s why strategies like Peer Tutoring (0.66 effect size), Cooperative Learning (effect size 0.53) are effective. What’s more, having Classroom Discussions (effect size of 0.82) about student writing are so powerful when working to teach critical thinking.

In collaborative writing workshops, students work in small groups to plan, draft, and revise their writing. This planning and conversation promote critical thinking through peer feedback and discussion. What’s more, it empowers the teacher to listen in as students make thinking visible, giving teachers the ability to listen to conversations students are having about their ideas, writing, and thinking.

Add a critical thinking model to the process students use when chatting with each other to elevate the level of thinking that goes on. Back in the days when tape recorders were easy to get, I would put one at every table (a group of 4 students) to record these conversations. Now, a digital device with an audio recorder app does the job just as well.

Classroom Application

While organizing groups of three to four students to discuss their writing, consider using the DEAL model. The DEAL model encourages critical reflection and lends itself to use in the writing classroom.

DEAL is an acronym used to teach critical thinking that represents:

  • Describe. Students describe their initial ideas, observations, or drafts to their peers. The goal is to clarify communication and get students to share their thoughts.
  • Examine. Students analyze their own and their peers’ work. This allows for identifying strengths and areas for improvement. It also encourages considering alternative perspectives, evaluating writing strategies’ effectiveness. Finally, it allows for making connections to prior knowledge or experiences.
  • Articulate Learning. Students articulate what they have learned through the process. They might share how their understanding has changed, what new insights they have gotten. What’s more, they are able to propose revisions or new approaches to their writing.

The DEAL model promotes metacognition, supports feedback through peer review and self-assessment. What’s more, it incorporates elements of Classroom Discussion strategy. I like to think of teachers “listening in” on student talk to gauge and heighten critical thinking, suggest writing strategies, and build connections.

Note: Clayton and Ash’s DEAL model can be found online in many spaces, adapted to various situations. You can see my take on it for writing workshop in the diagram below:

2. Structured Debate Blogs

Though conflict averse as I may be, I have observed that students love to argue with each other from an educated perspective. But, bear in mind that arguing about opinions is one thing. Arguing the evidence is something else entirely. In structured debate, students write short, persuasive blog entries (or essays) after researching a particular viewpoint.

Note: Leah Cleary does a great job exploring structured debate in the classroom and how to use it to teach critical thinking. She offers a debate schedule, discusses logical fallacies, and more. Read her blog entry here.

The ensuing Classroom Discussion and Elaborative Interrogation (effect size of 0.59) requires students to commit information to memory. They have to use questions like “Why?” and “How?” to understand what their research means.

The main benefit? It enhances students’ analysis and evaluative thinking skills. This can be an effective boon in an AI age where content is easily generated and made available for uncritical consumption.

Classroom Application

Want to assist students in writing structure debate blogs or essays? Consider using the TREE model.

Some ideas for using the TREE model include:

  • Grades 3-5. Keep things simple. Short topic sentences, basic reasoning, and restating the ending.
  • Grades 6-8. Layer in complexity with more detailed explanations, topic sentences. Encourage them to address the implications of the evidence.
  • Grades 9-12. Get nuanced, using multiple reasons, counter-arguments, and deeper exploration of implications.

3. Reflective Journaling with Metacognitive Prompts

Reflecting on learning (or on anything, really) can be tough. What makes it tough can be the reflection, itself, but it’s more often the physical habit of reflection. Many of us reflect in a flash of insight, but that’s not true reflection. Real reflection involves setting aside time in a consistent manner to ask ourselves questions about what and how we learned something.

Reflection is valuable since it relies on several strategies, including:

The main benefit of these strategies? Developing metacognitive self-awareness and critical reflection abilities and habits. Be sure to read the TCEA blog entries linked above on Self-Judgement and Reflection for more insights on how to use this in your own work and with students.

Classroom Application

One easy to use model for reflective journaling might be the THINK model:

  • T – Today I learned…how does this relate to what I already know?
  • H – How did I learn it? What worked well? What didn’t?
  • I – Interesting questions I have…what confused me? What am I still curious about?
  • N – New connections I made…how does this connect to other situations or compare to previous learning?
  • K – Knowledge I want to gain next…what do I want to learn more about and/or how could I apply it?

You can adapt THINK to use drawing or mind maps along with writing. Depending on grade level, encourage more detailed responses, critical thinking, and analysis. Explore how this works in real life.

Short-Circuit AI Dullness to Teach Critical Thinking

These action strategies leverage evidence-based instructional practices and brain-based learning principles. Use them to promote critical thinking skills through writing, without relying on AI tools. I see them as a way to sharpen student minds in the dulling doldrums of AI-powered writing. Be sure to check back for part two of this blog entry next week.

Get a Copy

Want a copy of the models featured in this blog entry to help you teach critical thinking? Get a copy via Canva, and/or view full-size. All images, including the feature image, were created by the author and are freely shared to spur learning and inspire your creativity, AI-assisted or otherwise.

What’s more, you are free to use these! To generate the ideas for these established models, I wrote each section, then fed that into Perplexity.ai. I asked it to give me a model appropriate for grades 3-12 that would match my writing. Then, after reviewing it, I fine-tuned the model in Canva for the posters.

What prompted this two-blog series?

This blog entry series was inspired by two articles I read about the despair teachers are experiencing. The two articles are ChatGPT Can Make English Teachers Feel Doomed: Here’s How I’m Adapting by David Nurenberg (Education Week, 10/16/2024) and I Quit Teaching Because of ChatGPT by Victoria Livingstone (Time, 09/30/2024). How are you coping with AI?

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Educational ResearchGood Teaching

Implementing Brain-Based Learning

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

As busy as educators are these days, it’s almost impossible to find the time to stay current on research related to teaching. And yet the importance of incorporating brain-based learning with students is critical. Let’s discuss why research on the brain matters so much and then look at ways to save time with knowing the best ways to teach.

What Is Brain-Based Learning?

Brain-based learning refers to educational approaches and strategies informed by research in key disciplines such as:

  • Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Technology

These methods are designed to align with how the brain naturally processes and retains information. Rather than being tied to a single, unified theory, brain-based learning encompasses a wide range of concepts and practices. While this broad scope may initially seem overwhelming, it also presents an opportunity: any effort to integrate insights from educational science into your teaching practices contributes to brain-based learning.

Brain-based learning tries to answer questions such as:

  • What happens in the learning process?
  • Why do some students thrive at school and learn more than others?
  • How should specific content and skills be introduced and reinforced?
  • What instructional strategies work best for different learning?

Recent research highlights significant benefits for educators who adopt brain-based learning strategies. These teachers often observe improvements in both student knowledge retention and academic performance. That means that students not only achieve higher test scores but also develop lasting skills that they can apply in real-world contexts beyond the classroom.

Keeping Up with the Latest Research

In the past decade, brain research has more than doubled and converged in a growing science of learning and development with many important implications for instructional practices, school climate, and district policy. So how can busy teachers and administrators stay current with the latest research on the best ways to help students learn? Here are a few ways.

Stick with TCEA

TCEA’s professional development team spends a lot of time examining the latest research so that you don’t have to. They share what they discover in our blogs, our weekly Lunch and Learn webinars, and at presentations around the country. There’s also a microcredential in Research and Best Practices being offered at the 2025 TCEA Convention & Exposition. In addition, we have created an online, self-paced course that sums all of the best research up and shares exactly how you can implement it. So, stick with us and we’ll make sure you’re in the know!

Perplexity Chatbot

While there are lots of good AI chatbots out there, Perplexity is currently the best one for research. Try using the prompt below for the most useful results, along with citations about each study mentioned:

“Provide a summary of the latest validated research on how the brain learns, focusing on implications for teaching and learning in K-16 education. Please include:

  • Key findings or principles from each study
  • How these findings can be applied in educational settings
  • A brief, reliable citation for each study, including publication year and journal (e.g., Journal of Educational Psychology, 2024). Aim for studies published within the last 1-2 years, focusing on reliable sources and peer-reviewed journals.”

You can customize the prompt by specifying a grade level or content area, as well as identify a unique audience, such as special needs or ESL students. And since the prompt provides application ideas, you can put what you learn into effect immediately.

Science Daily

The Science Daily website is a wonderful, free resource. It provides links to the latest studies on a wide range of topics, from health and medicine to technology, environmental science to business and industry. This link, though, will take you to the Education and Learning News section of the site where you can focus on brain research. Click on one of the links that piques your interest and you’ll be taken to an overview of what the research found, as well as details and references about the study. 

Knowing what really works and, more importantly, what doesn’t work in the classroom today is critical for all of us. These three resources will make sure that you’re using the best instructional strategies.

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AI/VRArtificial IntelligenceCulturally ResponsiveEducational Research

Effective Learning Strategies You Can Use Right Now

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

What effective learning strategies can you enhance with AI tools? Leverage AI to make you a more effective and efficient learner! Let’s take a look at how you learn. Then we’ll try to answer the question, “How can I use AI chatbots to improve my application of those effective learning strategies?” 

Effective Learning Strategies

As an educator (and faithful reader of TCEA TechNotes blog!) you are likely aware of John Hattie’s work. Hattie highlights effective strategies that enjoy a high-effect size. You can see a collection by effect size via the Visible Learning MetaX database. While there are various strategies usable in the classroom, which can your students use on their own?

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View full-size | Get a copy via Canva

To answer that question, let’s take a look at a few strategies below. You can leverage these on your own, by yourself, and make your own learning more effective. I’ve condensed these strategies into several groups to help you sift through them. Definitions for each are quoted from the Visible Learning MetaX database and linked, and the effect sizes are current as of September, 2024.

Group #1: Gathering New Learning

  • Strategy to Integrate with Prior Knowledge (0.93). Connecting new info to what you already know. This helps build better mental maps of ideas.
  • Self-directed learning (0.67). You take charge of your own learning. You find info and solve problems with little help from teachers.
  • Concept mapping (0.62). Making visual diagrams of ideas. Show how different pieces of info relate to each other.

Group #2: Thinking About Content

  • Critical thinking (0.84). Use skills like analysis and reasoning. Helps you decide what to believe and why.
  • Metacognition (0.52). Thinking about your own thinking. Includes methods to help you understand how they learn.
  • Questioning (0.49). Asking yourself questions during learning.

Group #3: Maintaining Your Learning

  • Spaced vs massed practice (0.59). Spreading out study over time vs cramming. Spaced practice involves shorter sessions over a longer period.
  • Interleaved practice (0.46). Mixing different types of problems or topics in one study session. Opposite of studying one topic fully before moving to the next.
  • Practice testing (0.49). Also called retrieval practice. Improve long-term memory by practicing recalling information.

Now, imagine if you could use AI chatbots to assist you with implementing these? Let’s put together a plan to use AI chatbots and tools.

Let’s ask ourselves, “What is something I want to learn more about?” Often, topics relevant to our work or activities is the best place to start. For example, I want to learn more about Zaretta Hammond’s Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain. How could I go about doing that?

Group #1: Gathering New Learning

My first step is to ask myself, “What do I already know about this topic?” And make a list. Then provide that list to an AI chatbot to see what questions it could come up with. These questions can help guide my own learning, and identify areas of study.

You can use chatbots in the following three ways to gather new learning ideas and connect ideas to your prior knowledge. That’s important because without a prior knowledge connection, any new ideas won’t stick.

  • Use chatbots to generate questions that connect new topics to your existing knowledge
  • Ask chatbots to create personalized learning plans based on your interests and goals
  • Have chatbots help you create concept maps by suggesting connections between ideas

Here’s what my prompt looks like:

I am interested in learning more about Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain. I am basing a lot of my new knowledge on Zaretta Hammond’s book, Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain. Here’s what I already know about this topic:

  • Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is a research-based approach to teaching.
  • CRT connects students’ cultures, languages, and life experiences with what they learn in school.
  • Understanding where students are coming from can help me build better relationships with them
  • Building better relationships with students makes them more receptive to learning new things from me.

Could you generate questions that connect Zaretta’s book to what I already know, and create a personalized learning plan based on my interests? Could you also make a mermaid diagram that I can add to over time connecting ideas?

See an example of an AI chatbot results for this prompt.

Group #2: Thinking About Content

Now that you’ve gathered new learning ideas, it’s time to dig deeper into the content. This group of strategies focuses on challenging your assumptions, promoting critical thinking, and encouraging metacognition.

By engaging with chatbots in these ways, you’ll develop a more nuanced understanding of the material. This can assist you as you work to improve your ability to analyze and reflect on complex topics.

  • Ask chatbots to play “devil’s advocate” to challenge your thinking on a topic
  • Use chatbots to explain your learning process back to you, prompting reflection
  • Have chatbots generate thought-provoking questions about the material you’re studying

Sample Prompt

Consider the following as a prompt you can use to think more deeply about content:

You are a critical thinking coach. Analyze my perspective on [topic], then play devil’s advocate to challenge my assumptions. Generate thought-provoking questions that prompt deeper reflection. Finally, explain my thought process back to me, highlighting areas for metacognitive improvement. Let me know when you are ready to question my assumptions in an interactive manner.

Want to see how this plays out in regards to Culturally Responsive Teaching? See results in this Google Doc.

Group #3: Maintaining Your Learning

Learning doesn’t stop once you’ve acquired new knowledge. As you know, it’s an ongoing process. It requires consistent review and practice. Mike Bell (The Fundamentals of Teaching) writes:

We form memories when some of the pathways become strengthened by repeated usage. Repeated stimulation leads to pathways becoming permanently open, known as “long-term potentiation.” It takes about a day for pathways to close.
When we first learn something, our recall can initially be near 100%. Over the next few hours, recall starts to fade. Without repetition, memory strength returns to zero. Repeating the same pathways slows the forgetting process so that after several repetitions, we have good long-term memory.

Getting organized to repeat the same pathways to slow the forgetting process can be a bit of a pain. AI can help with that. This group of strategies leverages chatbots to help you reinforce your learning, improve retention, and integrate knowledge across different subjects.

By implementing these techniques, you’ll create a sustainable learning system that ensures long-term mastery of the material. Please find the three actions below:

  • Use chatbots to create spaced repetition schedules for reviewing material
  • Ask chatbots to generate practice problems that mix different topics you’ve studied
  • Have chatbots quiz you on past material to test your recall and retention

With that in mind, here’s a prompt (see results) you can use to assist you.

Sample Prompt

Here’s a prompt to assist you in maintaining your learning:

You are a personalized learning assistant. Create a spaced repetition schedule for my study topics. Generate practice problems that interleave different subjects I’ve learned. Regularly quiz me on past material to test my recall. Adjust the schedule and problem difficulty based on my performance.

One Final Takeaway

The key is using the AI tools to support and enhance your learning strategies, not replace your own thinking and effort. Chatbots can help make the strategies more engaging and personalized.

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Classroom ManagementEducational ResearchGood Teaching

Incorporating a Silent Focus Segment in K-12 Classrooms

by Hedreich Nichols
written by Hedreich Nichols

Since the early 2000s, we have studied the increasing distractibility of students, largely laying the blame at the feet of digital devices and social media. The problem with that is, it absolves us of any responsibility and lets us off the hook for overcrowded classrooms that have not changed in design for over 100 years, despite science challenging the advantages of the physical learning environments in schools. Mostly, it ignores the fact that not many people are able to focus in a room filled with 20-30 people all with pop-up needs for 8 hours a day. Imagine this sequence: 

– A loud bell

– Flooded hallways with hundreds of loud, jostling bodies

– Classroom entrance, workstation setup, and a shift to immediate focused learning in a brief 5-10 minutes

– Distracted bell-ringer completion as the teacher redirects several students 

– Focus on explicit instruction while the peripheral vision is assuaged by drinking, coughing, pencil tapping, snacking and phone use of those around you

– Active listening and assignment completion under these same conditions

This cycle repeats throughout the day and is hardly optimal. Kindergarten has naps, younger students have story time. But after 3rd and 4th grade, these rituals give way to embedding as much as possible into instructional minutes. While we want to make valuable use of every minute of the school day, we need to reevaluate the power of silent focus segments on learning.

Refreshing Busy Minds

Intentional, silent segments of work time can give students back energy lost through distractions so they can channel it into their learning. This silent time is not the rows of silent, orderly students of yesteryear, and this does not involve shushing students collaborating or involved in other group learning times when ordered chaos should reign. This is an intentional use of silent work time to support students in powering down to power up. During this silent time, students have an opportunity to develop their critical thinking skills and resilience as independent learners. When implemented with fidelity, it also gives students a time they can look forward to, a sensory break that can replenish tired minds. 

Preparing Your Students for Silent Focus

Begin by telling students in advance about your plan. Explain that it may be a bit challenging at first, but that you trust them to use their own wits and resources to think through questions and solve problems. Give them as much clarity around the duration and expectations for the segment, as well as when it will happen within the lesson. 

With younger or lively classes, 12-15 minutes is a good goal. With more disciplined students and longer class periods, 20-25 minutes is optimal.   

Laying the Foundation

If your students are used to you being accessible for questions continuously throughout the class period, instituting a time of silent focused learning may be a bit of a shift. Gradually start by empowering your classroom rockstars. Having students “ask three before you ask me” is a great way to build a collaborative learning environment and to help students learn to solve their own problems. Once students build up some confidence in their ability not to lean on you as the sole resource for overcoming challenges, try a brief 5-7 minute independent work period with instrumental music or nature sounds. Using a soundscape is advisable because the ‘silence’ of 25 people sniffing, tapping, mouthing word sounds, etc. can be quite distracting. Answer any and all questions before you set the timer, letting students know that you will not answer any more questions until the silent work time is over. 

The Silent Focus Segment as a Staple

After you work up to your goal time, keep it as a regular part of your instructional block. To ensure that students ask good questions to support their learning before the silent, focused segment begins, trade “any questions?” for the following prompts: 

  • Does anyone see anything new that we haven’t covered?
  • Are there any words we need to define before you start?
  • Would anyone like to hear instructions in another language (encourage them to put your instructions into Google Translate or have translations available)?
  • Does anyone need me to explain it in a different way? How (more simple, use an example, etc.)?

Once questions have been answered, put a reminder of the instructions and a list of any resources they can use (dictionary, LMS, Google, text to voice, etc.) on the screen with a timer, adding early finisher instructions somewhere prominently on the board. It’s also helpful to put up a reminder that you will answer any questions after the segment of focused learning is over. Finally, once you start the timer, ‘answer’ any raised hands with a head nod towards the screen–you too are observing the silent rule. 

Once the time is up, ask students how it felt, taking note of any challenges. Offer suggestions for working well independently, and ask students to respond with how they handled similar challenges. This is a time for students to support one another and explore side lessons like how calm and emotional regulation support learning. 

For students who are used to gravitating toward distraction to avoid struggle, a silent focus segment can initially be frustrating. Giving the whole class a buffer of 1-2 minutes to review the assignment before taking any final questions can be helpful. Use this time to give these students any extra attention and reinforcement they may need to be successful. You’ll find that students with the most resistance will reap the greatest benefit as they build capacity to embrace productive struggle. Once your silent segment routine becomes a welcomed segment of your class–and it will–students will not only easily transition into it, but sometimes the timer will go off to a chorus of jeers instead of cheers.

Silent Focus: A Win For All

The consequences of a lack of intentional focus time shows up in academic outcomes and ‘classroom behaviors’. According to a study from Research.com, “three-quarters (75%) of American high schoolers and half of the middle schoolers described themselves as ‘often or always feeling stressed’ by schoolwork”. While some of that stress may be attributed to academic struggles, a hectic learning environment can exacerbate those feelings, showing up in ‘classroom behaviors’ and diminished academic outcomes. Helping students learn to focus and concentrate on single-tasking, even for a short time, helps with both of these. Further, a short sensory break can also improve teacher well-being, making a silent, focused learning segment a win for all.

Have you incorporated a silent focus segment into your class schedule? Let us know about your experience in the comments below!

Join Us for CEC 2024

Join us at the 2024 Conference for Educational Coaches in person or online to discover new solutions and techniques, and improve your coaching skill set.

Did you find this blog post helpful? Join the author, Hedreich Nichols, for CEC 2024 sessions on:

Beyond Discipline: The Coach’s Toolkit for Building Learning Environments

and

Dynamic Questioning: It’s Me, AI. I’m the Problem, It’s Me!

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Educational ResearchEducational Trends

2024 Ed Tech Trends: Insights from TCEA and SETDA

by Matt Russell
written by Matt Russell

As we move further into 2024, the role of educational technology (Ed Tech) in shaping the future of education has never been more critical. The 2024 State Ed Tech Trends Report, published by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), highlights key developments, challenges, and opportunities for state leaders. As a State Affiliate Member of SETDA, the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) is committed to ensuring that Texas remains at the forefront of EdTech adoption and innovation, particularly as we navigate this transformative era for education. Keep reading to discover four of the top 2024 ed tech trends.

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education: A New Frontier

One of the key takeaways from the 2024 ed tech trends report is the increasing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into K-12 education. In fact, state agencies across the country are stepping up to provide more support and guidance on the responsible use of AI in classrooms. Texas is no exception. AI offers exciting potential to enhance personalized learning, automate administrative tasks, and provide teachers with valuable data insights. However, it also comes with risks, including concerns about privacy, security, and equity.

State leaders must continue to work on developing comprehensive AI policies that ensure safe and effective implementation. At TCEA, we support this movement by advocating for responsible AI integration and providing resources for Texas educators to understand how these tools can benefit teaching and learning. We are especially excited to see the rise of human-centered AI approaches, which prioritize empowering educators rather than replacing them. Collaboration among teachers, policymakers, and technology experts is key to ensuring AI enhances student outcomes without compromising safety or equity.

2. Cybersecurity: A Top Priority Amidst Rising Threats

For the second consecutive year, cybersecurity ranks as the top priority for state education technology leaders, and remains one of the top 2024 ed tech trends. Schools have increasingly become targets for cyberattacks, with sensitive data at risk. According to the report, schools have surpassed even hospitals and government offices as prime targets for attacks, making cybersecurity a critical focus for districts.

Texas, like other states, is grappling with the need for robust cybersecurity infrastructure. Many districts, particularly those in rural or under-resourced areas, may lack the necessary tools to combat the ever-evolving threat landscape. While some progress has been made, fewer state leaders believe there is sufficient funding for cybersecurity in 2024 compared to previous years. This highlights an urgent need for states to prioritize cybersecurity budgets and training.

TCEA is actively working with Texas districts to build stronger cybersecurity defenses by providing professional development opportunities, advocating for funding, and promoting best practices.

3. The Funding Dilemma: A Post-Pandemic Reality

As federal pandemic relief funds (such as ESSER) expire, many districts face significant challenges in maintaining their technology initiatives. The 2024 report highlights increasing anxiety among state leaders regarding the future of funding for ed tech. In particular, concerns are growing around how districts will replace or maintain devices that were purchased with pandemic-era funding.

The expiration of federal funds also brings renewed attention to long-standing issues like home connectivity and broadband access, especially for rural and underserved communities. In Texas, where geographic disparities in internet access remain a significant barrier, this is particularly concerning. Many students still lack reliable internet access, which impedes their ability to fully engage in remote or hybrid learning models.

TCEA is committed to addressing these challenges by advocating for sustainable funding solutions at both the state and federal levels. We also work closely with districts to ensure that every student has access to the devices and connectivity they need to succeed. Programs like the federal Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) initiative offer promising pathways to bridge the digital divide, but it will require continued advocacy and collaboration to see these efforts through.

4. Opportunities for Growth: Enhancing EdTech Capacity

A critical finding of the report is that many state education agencies (SEAs) are investing more in their own capacity to manage and support ed tech initiatives. In Texas, building this internal capacity is essential for ensuring the effective and equitable use of technology across districts.

For instance, only 11% of states currently require local districts to develop formal ed tech plans, according to the report. Without such plans, it becomes difficult to measure progress and ensure that technology is being used strategically to improve learning outcomes. This presents a clear opportunity for growth in Texas. By encouraging districts to create comprehensive ed tech plans, we can better align technology initiatives with instructional goals and ensure that technology investments are being used to their full potential.

Furthermore, the integration of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles into ed tech plans remains an area where improvement is needed. UDL is a framework that aims to optimize learning for all students by providing flexible learning environments that accommodate individual needs. As the report notes, only 38% of SEAs currently provide guidance on UDL, leaving room for Texas to take the lead in promoting more inclusive, student-centered learning environments.

Preparing for the Future of Education

As we look ahead, it’s clear that educational technology will continue to play an essential role in shaping the future of learning. The 2024 State Ed Tech Trends Report highlights both the incredible progress that has been made and the challenges that lie ahead. At TCEA, we are committed to supporting Texas educators, students, and leaders as they navigate this rapidly evolving landscape. By focusing on responsible AI adoption, strengthening cybersecurity, securing sustainable funding, and enhancing ed tech capacity, we can ensure that Texas remains a leader in 21st-century education.

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Educational ResearchInstructional CoachingProfessional Learning

The Value of Coaching Educational Leaders

by Kelly Hastings
written by Kelly Hastings

As educational leaders, principals bear the responsibility of shaping the culture, strategy, and success of their schools. With an increasing focus on student outcomes, teacher effectiveness, and overall school performance, the role of school leaders has grown exponentially in complexity. One approach that has consistently demonstrated its value in this challenging environment is Leadership Coaching. Leadership Coaching empowers educational leaders to enhance their leadership skills, make better-informed decisions, and create a more collaborative school culture. Let’s walk through the value of coaching educators and dive into top resources and practices to help educational leaders thrive.

Why Educational Coaching Matters

In many school districts, leaders are expected to juggle competing priorities – improving instructional outcomes, managing administrative tasks, addressing the needs of teachers and students, and many others. They may have directives coming at them from many different directions. These demands can lead to burnout or stagnation without the right support system. This is where Leadership Coaching comes in. Leadership Coaching provides a structured and safe space for reflection, growth, and accountability. It helps leaders become more self-aware, leverage the strengths of their team, and create ideas for school improvement.

Coaching allows educational leaders to:

  • Develop stronger self-awareness: Understanding their leadership style, strengths, and areas for growth helps principals lead more authentically and effectively.
  • Improve decision-making: Coaches offer a sounding board for principals to discuss challenges and brainstorm solutions, leading to more informed, strategic decisions.
  • Enhance collaboration with staff: A principal who has been coached to foster collaboration is more likely to build strong teacher leadership teams, contributing to a positive and productive school environment.

Tips for Effective Coaching

1. Set Clear Goals: Effective coaching begins with clear, measurable goals. Whether it’s improving teacher collaboration, raising student performance, or leading new initiatives, goal-setting provides direction and purpose.

2. Establish Trust: Building a strong rapport is essential in the coaching relationship. Leaders must feel safe to express their challenges without fear of judgment. Establishing trust leads to more honest, open conversations that drive growth.

3. Create Accountability: Coaches serve as accountability partners, ensuring that leaders are following through on their commitments. Regular check-ins and discussions keep momentum going.

4. Celebrate Successes: Highlighting small wins helps maintain motivation and reinforces the positive outcomes of coaching. Acknowledging progress, even in incremental steps, is crucial to long-term success.

Best Practices for Coaching Educational Leaders

  • Promote Self-Reflection: Encouraging principals to reflect on their practices leads to deeper learning and sustained improvement. Asking powerful questions such as, “What impact did your decision have on your staff and students?” sparks introspection and growth.
  • Focus on Systems Thinking: Educational leaders need to think systematically about their schools. Coaching helps them move from focusing on isolated issues or the hourly fires that arise to addressing how various elements (instruction, culture, teacher development, student achievement) connect and influence each other.
  • Model Effective Leadership: Coaches often model the leadership behaviors they aim to instill in their clients. By demonstrating empathy, active listening, and clear communication, coaches give principals a working example of how to lead and listen effectively.

 Technology Tools for Coaching and Leadership Development

In today’s digital age, integrating technology to improve the value of coaching can be a game-changer. There are several technology tools available that can support educational leaders in their coaching journey:

  • Zoom or Microsoft Teams: Virtual coaching sessions allow for flexibility and access to high-quality coaching, regardless of location.
  • Asana or Trello: These project management tools help track progress, manage action steps, and keep everyone accountable. Coaches and leaders can share updates, checklists, and progress reports in real-time.
  • SurveyMonkey or Google Forms: Conducting feedback surveys with staff and students can provide leaders with valuable insights that inform coaching conversations and drive better decisions.

Methods and Strategies for Coaching Success

1. Solution-Focused Coaching: Rather than dwelling on problems, solution-focused coaching encourages leaders to identify their desired outcomes and focus on strategies to achieve them. This method fosters optimism and actionable steps.

2. Active Listening and Questioning: A coach’s ability to listen deeply and ask insightful, open-ended questions allows leaders to explore their thoughts more fully. For example, asking, “What would success look like for you in this situation?” encourages deeper reflection and ownership.

3. Collaborative Leadership Development: Encouraging leaders to involve their staff in leadership development fosters a culture of shared ownership and continuous improvement. Collaboration can take the form of regular feedback loops, group problem-solving sessions, or even shared leadership responsibilities.

Research Supporting Coaching in Education

Research consistently shows the benefits of coaching for educational leaders. According to a study by The Wallace Foundation, principals who received coaching showed significant improvements in instructional leadership, which directly impacted teacher effectiveness and student outcomes. The research emphasizes that coaching should be ongoing and embedded in a leader’s work for long-term effectiveness.

Another study from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) found that leadership coaching significantly improved leaders’ capacity to implement and sustain new initiatives, which is particularly important for schools undergoing transformation or innovation. The study highlighted that coaching also improves school culture by increasing collaboration between principals and teachers.

Learning the Value of Coaching Educators

Setting time aside to reflect with a thinking partner yields tremendous growth. Coaching educational leaders empowers principals to lead with confidence, collaborate with their staff, and drive lasting, meaningful change in their schools. Whether through building self-awareness, improving collaboration, or leveraging technology tools, coaching offers a powerful pathway to growth and, ultimately, success.

As a former principal, I was provided the opportunity to be coached. I had no idea what it meant at the time, but I can tell you it helped me grow more than anything else I did in  my career.  I was better able to see the impact of my actions, and had a better big-picture perspective. Leadership Coaching transformed my leadership. It deepened my self-awareness, enhanced my decision-making, and fostered a stronger, more collaborative relationship with my staff. The guidance I received helped me navigate challenges confidently and create lasting improvements in my school’s culture and outcomes. I realized I didn’t have to have all the answers myself, but that the answers were truly in the room. Leadership Coaching allowed me to see this with clarity. I grew, and so did my teachers and students.

Join Us at CEC 2024

Did you find this article helpful? Discover more tips for coaching success at the 2024 Conference for Educational Coaches in person and online!

Join us to attend a session by Dr. Kelly Hastings, “Coaching for Educational Leaders: Achieving Desired Outcomes by Supporting Teachers” during the event to learn about the value of coaching and the impact supporting educators can have on students.

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Created by author, adapted from Mike Bell (2021) The Six Steps.
Artificial IntelligenceEducational ResearchEnglish Language Arts Reading (ELAR)HistoryMathReadingScienceSocial Studies

The LEARNS Cycle: Putting AI in Instruction, Part 1

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“There are a bucket-full of AI tools, apps, and suggestions, but how does any of this fit within the learning cycle? How does it align to evidence-driven, research-based instructional strategies?” Those are two questions that have been going around in my mind recently. It doesn’t matter if AI is the latest thing since sliced bread. How does it fit into teaching and learning?

To answer the question, I turned to the work of Mike Bell, author of The Fundamentals of Teaching. This blog entry makes an explicit connection between each step with AI tools available now to educators. Come along and see how AI fits what you already know works in the classroom. This is the first of a multi-part blog series that digs into this.

Finding Reliable Research and Strategies

Mike Bell’s work is genius in that it aligns the research of several different sources of evidence. In analyzing reliable sources of evidence, he overcomes several problems:

  • Confirmation bias taints our perception of evidence since people pick out evidence which supports their preconceptions.
  • Research can be contradictory, so it is necessary to combine results from different sources.
  • It’s hard to figure out the level of quality for research since not all research is of the same quality.

Since reliable evidence is hard to come up with on our own, all of us are tempted to listen to popular assertions. Bell suggests you do the following when someone (e.g. AI or an ed tech consultant or vendor) says, “The research says it’s effective:”

  • Ask for the effect size.
  • Gauge how much work is required to implement the suggestion.
  • Pause if the effect size is low and a lot of work is required to implement the suggestion.

A Quick Reminder about Effect Size

To that end, Bell offers an overview of effect size on learning, which readers of TCEA TechNotes will be familiar with:

  • 0: No effect
  • 0.2: Small effect
  • 0.4: Average effect (what John Hattie calls the “hinge point”)
  • 0.6: Good effect
  • 0.8 And above, high effect

Now that these key concepts are out of the way, let’s take a look at Bell’s Five Steps plus a post-assessment stage. These steps identify key strategies that are supported from several research sources. Those five major research studies include: EEF, Dean, Hattie, IAE, and IES. Explore these and other evidence-based research sources via this blog entry, Brain-Based Strategies That Work.

The Stages of the LEARNS Cycle

The five steps are detailed on Mike Bell’s website and include five big steps plus a post-assessment. The diagram below adapts the first five steps as The LEARNS Cycle. My goal was to place AI tool usage in the context of evidence-based teaching and see what might happen. Could AI tools be relied upon to assist with supporting classroom teaching and learning on a foundation of research-driven steps?

Created by author, adapted from Mike Bell (2021) The Six Steps.
Created by author, adapted from Mike Bell (2021) The Six Steps.

Here’s an overview of the LEARNS cycle:

LEARNS: Locate, Explore, Apply, Review, Nurture, Shine

  • Locate (Know what you know): Identify your current knowledge and skills related to the topic or learning objective.
  • Explore (Learn New Stuff): Discover and engage with new information, concepts, and resources to expand your knowledge and skills.
  • Apply (Challenge Yourself): Put your newly acquired knowledge and skills into practice by tackling challenging activities or real-world problems.
  • Review (Get feedback): Seek feedback from peers, mentors, or self-assessment to review your progress, identify strengths and weaknesses, and gather insights for improvement.
  • Nurture (Practice, Repeat, and Reflect): Continuously refine your knowledge and skills through repeated practice, reflection, and incorporation of feedback.
  • Shine (Re-assess, Progress Check, and Master): Re-assess your performance to track progress, ensure a high level of understanding, and achieve mastery of the subject matter.

What might putting Bell’s steps in our own words, and then connecting them to existing AI tools, look like? Let’s take a closer look at each of the stages in the recursive, iterative cycle. Remember, this is the first of a multi-part blog series.

1-Locate

In stage, you are activating prior knowledge. This involves knowing what you know, or what students know.

Locate (Know What You Know) Prior Knowledge

Instructional StrategyAI ToolDescription
Graphic OrganizersCreatelyCreately offers templates and drag-and-drop tools for Venn diagrams, concept maps, and flow charts, helping students organize information visually.
Structured Note-TakingNotion AINotion AI helps organize notes using methods like the Cornell method or mind mapping, making students’ notes clear and structured.
K-W-L ChartsPadletPadlet is a collaborative tool where students create and share K-W-L charts, activating prior knowledge and tracking learning progress.
Anticipation GuidesGoogle FormsGoogle Forms creates anticipation guides where students record initial thoughts and revisit them post-lesson to reflect on learning.
Case StudiesNearpodNearpod presents case studies and engages students in decision-making activities based on prior knowledge with the ability to revisit and adjust responses.

Here’s the infographic version:

A copy of the infographic will be available in the final blog entry in the series, so be sure to check back for the next part.

LEARNS Cycle: Sample Prompts

Another way to approach this is to generate prompts that supplement each strategy. These prompts would be usable in any AI chatbot, free or paid. This can be helpful if you do NOT have access to a paid solution, like MagicSolution.ai or the others I will mention in future blog entries.

Here are some sample prompts for the Locate stage. Note that the AI Tool Suggestions are tools you could use, but you could also just drop these prompts into a free chatbot.

Instructional StrategyAI Tool SuggestionsSample Prompt
Graphic OrganizersCreately, MindMeister, Lucidchart“Create a concept map to visually represent the key ideas and relationships in [topic].”
Structured Note-TakingNotion AI, Roam Research, Obsidian“Develop a structured note-taking system using the Cornell method to organize your understanding of [topic].”
K-W-L ChartsPadlet, Jamboard, Miro“Collaborate with your classmates to create a K-W-L chart for [topic], documenting what you already know, want to know, and have learned.”
Anticipation GuidesGoogle Forms, Microsoft Forms, SurveyMonkey“Complete this anticipation guide by indicating your initial thoughts on statements related to [topic] before we begin the lesson.”
Case StudiesNearpod, Pear Deck, Explain Everything“Analyze this case study on [real-world scenario] and make decisions based on your prior knowledge of [topic].”

This is what the K-W-L Chart prompt from above generates in assorted chatbots:

Author generated animated GIF composed of KWL charts generated by ChatGPT, Perplexity, MagicSchool, and Claude
Author generated animated GIF composed of KWL charts generated by ChatGPT, Perplexity, MagicSchool’s Raina, and Claude

Wait, There’s More AI Magic Available!

If you use school-focused AI tools, you may notice that there are none mentioned specifically in the chart for Locate stage in the cycle. You can find many of the activities for instructional strategies in these multi-purpose school AI tools.

AI Solution Providers: At the risk of incurring the ire of solution providers, here are what these look like in only one of the tools, MagicSchool.ai. In future blog entries in this series, I will introduce others.

Using MagicSchool.ai’s Raina, you can easily generate many of the items in this step. Let’s take a look at some sample prompts.

Screenshot of MagicSchool's Raina by author
Screenshot of MagicSchool’s Raina by author

Sample Prompts

Here are some example prompts (see 60+ prompt suggestions) that you can feed into any chatbot. These are meant to reflect actual tasks for the LOCATE stage of the LEARNS Cycle.

  1. Graphic Organizers (Science): “Create a graphic organizer for the seventh grade science unit on ecosystems. Use a concept map to show the relationships between producers, consumers, and decomposers, and how energy flows through a food web.”
  2. Structured Note-Taking (Social Studies): “For eighth grade social studies, organize notes on the American Revolution. Use the Cornell method to outline the causes, key figures, and major battles. Create a mind map to connect the outcomes of the war to the formation of the U.S. government.”
  3. K-W-L Charts (Science): “In sixth grade science, create a K-W-L chart for the unit on the water cycle. Begin by listing what students already know about evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Include what they want to learn, and update the chart with new information as the unit progresses.”
  4. Anticipation Guides (Social Studies): “Design an anticipation guide for a fifth grade social studies lesson on the Civil War. Have students record their initial thoughts on the causes and key events of the war. After the lesson, revisit these thoughts and reflect on what they have learned and how their understanding has changed.”
  5. Case Studies (Science): “Present a case study for eighth grade science on the impact of human activities on climate change. Engage students in analyzing data on carbon emissions and their effects on global temperatures. Allow students to revisit their initial conclusions and adjust their responses as they learn more about the science behind climate change.”

ChatGPT Plus generated those sample prompts. Of course, you can write your own and then feed them into MagicSchool.ai’s Raina.

Getting Raina’s Help with LEARNS Cycle

In the screenshot above, you can see that Raina has taken the fifth grade social studies lesson prompt for an anticipation guide. The result is as follows:

Anticipation Guide for 5th Grade Social Studies Lesson on the Civil War

Before the Lesson:

Causes of the Civil War

I believe the Civil War was primarily about __.
I think the issue of states' rights played a significant role in starting the war. (True/False)
Slavery was a major cause of the Civil War. (True/False)
Key Events of the Civil War

The first battle of the Civil War was fought at __.
Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in the year __.
The Civil War ended at the Appomattox Court House in the year __.

After the Lesson:

Causes of the Civil War

My initial thoughts on the causes of the Civil War were __.
After learning more, I now understand that __ was a significant cause of the war.
My thoughts on the importance of states' rights in the Civil War have changed because __.

Key Events of the Civil War

Reflect on how your understanding of the first battle of the Civil War has evolved.
How did learning about the Emancipation Proclamation change your view of the Civil War?
Discuss how your perception of the end of the Civil War at the Appomattox Court House has shifted.
This anticipation guide will help students engage with the lesson content, reflect on their initial thoughts, and track their learning progression throughout the study of the Civil War.

Tying AI tools to proven effective instructional strategies is a non-brainer and will ensure that student learning is the focus.

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Four benefits of the Frayer model
AssessmentContent AreasEducational ResearchGood Teaching

The Frayer Model: Transforming Vocabulary Learning in All Grade Levels

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

How often do you encounter students who can memorize terms but struggle to apply them in context? What if there was a tool that could not only help students remember vocabulary but also deeply understand and apply these concepts? This tool is not new but might be one of the most underutilized in our teaching arsenal. Let’s take a look at how the Frayer Model can bridge the gap between rote memorization and true conceptual understanding.

What is the Frayer Model?

The Frayer Model is a graphic organizer that was originally developed by Dorothy Frayer and her colleagues at the University of Wisconsin in 1969. It was part of a project to find effective ways of teaching high school students new concepts. But, it is a helpful graphic organizer for students all the way down through early elementary. Since we all have concepts and academic vocabulary to teach that are foundational to our content area, the Frayer Model is a perfect tool to build into as you scaffold students’ understanding and mastery of critical pieces of your content. Initially, the Frayer Model was meant to be used for students in reading and language arts. However, it soon became popular for use in other content areas as well.

The Benefits of the Frayer Model

Four benefits of the Frayer model

The Frayer Model offers several advantages that can greatly enhance student learning. Plenty of research underscores the value of using the Frayer Model with your students at appropriate times. Here are some of the benefits:

  • Improves comprehension: It breaks down complex concepts into more manageable parts, which helps students understand and remember details better.
  • Supports diverse learning styles: It also supports all learners, making it an excellent tool for classrooms with diverse learning styles and abilities.
  • Encourages active learning: Students who engage directly with the material are more likely to retain information and understand it deeply.
  • Facilitates classroom discussions: The Frayer Model provides a structured way for students to share thoughts and learn from each other.

The Graphic Organizer

In the center of the graphic organizer is the main concept or vocabulary word. Each outside quadrant is designated for a particular aspect of the learning that you want your students to learn. Traditionally these have been designated for the definition, characteristics of the word/concept, examples, and non-examples. Based on what you are teaching, you can change the quadrants to be more relevant if needed to support more targeted learning…such as using the word in a sentence, drawing a picture of the word/concept, etc.

Frayer Model
Access the Frayer Model Template and Examples

While this has traditionally been a paper-pencil activity, we can easily bring the Frayer Model into the digital age. Access the Frayer Model Template using Google Slides and adapt it to make it your own! You will notice that the template includes several different examples for different grade levels and content areas to get you started. Consider using this as you check for prior knowledge, introduce critical concepts, or even as an exit ticket at the end of a lesson. You could also use this with digital tools like Figjam, Canva, PowerPoint, Microsoft Whiteboard, or Excalidraw.

Using the Frayer Model Template

There are several ways to use the template. Before sharing, you may want to adapt the examples to your grade level and content area to help students better understand with relevant examples that they can refer to as needed. These instructions are given for using the template within Google Slides but can be adapted for other platforms.

Method 1: Using the Template with a Whole Group

Share the Frayer Model template with the class giving everyone edit rights. Instruct them to each create a new slide (whether individually or working with a partner). They should first type their name in the top area to designate that the slide is theirs to edit. Assign each student (or pair) a word or concept to learn about. As they learn about the concept or word, they update their slide. Others can comment on quadrants and give additional insights, examples, non-examples, etc. Using the template in this manner makes it great for test review. It can also be the equivalent of a digital word wall that students can access on their devices when needed.

Method 2: Using the Template with Individual Students

Update the template slide deck as needed. Have students make a copy of the slide deck to their Google Drive, share a copy with them directly, or provide a “make a copy” link. Direct students to add a new slide for each word/concept and begin filling them in. Feel free to adapt the quadrants as needed. For example, change the non-example quadrant to now have students insert an image of the word or concept. Or they can find and share a YouTube video about the word or concept as a resource.

Regardless of what you teach and the grade level(s), be sure to add the Frayer Model to your teacher bag of good pedagogy tricks. These are great supports for ESL students and can be adapted for gifted students to extend beyond the regular expectations.

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Five steps to data-informed student grouping in the classroom
AssessmentEducational ResearchGood Teaching

How to Make Flexible, Data-Informed Student Groups

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Would you believe that, according to teachers, behavior is the most important factor when it comes to grouping students? There are several reasons to group students, and, recent research suggests that there are benefits to creating student groups. The teacher can tailor them to optimize learning and use grouping students to address varied:

  • learning needs
  • abilities
  • interests

What does the research say?

Unfortunately, student grouping strategies focusing on grouping by ability have poor results. For example, ability grouping for gifted students has a low effect size (d=0.21). An alternative is flexible, data-informed grouping strategies. Let’s take a quick look at the research from Gest and Rodkin’s 2011 study. Teachers in that study reported that they grouped students for several reasons. Here are the top five reasons from most important to least important:

  1. Behavioral Problems
  2. Heterogeneous Ability Grouping
  3. Homogeneous Ability Grouping
  4. New Friendship
  5. Existing Friendship

If behavior was the most important reason for student groups, what was the least important reason for grouping? That would be grouping students by similar ability levels or to reinforce friendships.

Flexible, Data-Informed Student Groups

In this approach, data informs the composition of student groups. This involves assessing, grouping, and regrouping students based on ongoing assessment data. This results in grouping students not by ability or prior achievement but rather by fresh, new data about the phase of learning they are in. This can have a certain appeal, no?

In this approach, you group students to meet the following needs:

  • Needs and performance. This ensures lessons are relevant and meet students where they are.
  • Current understanding and skills. Your informed insight enables you to personalize learning across subjects or topics based on their knowledge.
  • Include students of different abilities. With data in hand, you can more easily mix students of different abilities and backgrounds together.
  • Customize activities. Since you can use data to grasp where students are in their groups, you can create more tailored engagement activities.

While you could rely on digital grouping tools for the classroom, there is another way.

Five steps to data-informed student grouping in the classroom
View full screen | Get a copy

Five Steps for Flexible, Data-Informed Groups

To group your students, consider following the steps below. Note that you can use a variety of digital tools to facilitate each step.

Step 1: Conduct assessment. In this step, use low-stakes, just-in-time assessments to evaluate students and identify their current level of understanding and skill. Recognize that you will be reusing your assessments to track both individual and group progress.

Step 2: Form groups. Once you have processed the latest assessment data, create student groups that align with students’ learning needs.

Step 3: Consider SEL and class culture. Recognize students’ social and emotional needs. Building peer-to-peer relationships is critical. Support classroom culture with a keen awareness of culturally responsive teaching and brain-based learning approaches.

Step 4: Create custom learning activities. Align your instructional strategy (e.g. surface learning, deep learning, transfer learning) to the needs of the group and its members.

Step 5: Provide feedback for self-regulated learners. In dynamic groups, it’s important to provide useful feedback that empowers self-regulated learning.

Using Data to Group Students by Phase of Learning

Mermaid code graph generated by Claude.ai at the direction of the author
Mermaid code graph generated by Claude.ai at the direction of the author

One of the challenges you may encounter with flexible grouping is not grouping students by ability. When you rely on flexible grouping that’s informed via assessment data, you are actually organizing students by the phase of learning they are in. These phases of learning include Surface Learning, Deep Learning, and Transfer Learning. To get a better grasp of where students are at in their learning using assessment data, identify their phase of learning with the SOLO Taxonomy. Here’s a quick overview of The SOLO Taxonomy:

StageSOLO TaxonomyHattie’s TermLearning Phase?What It MeansHES Instructional Strategies
1Pre-structuralNo IdeaMay or may not have Prior KnowledgeLack of understanding or knowledge of the conceptBuild and/or activate prior knowledge
2Uni-structuralOne IdeaSurface LearningHas limited understanding, but doesn’t know how to apply it or how it connects to other ideasThree-Step Jigsaw Method, Summarization, Vocabulary Programs
3Multi-structuralMany IdeasSurface LearningHas a basic understanding, but isn’t sure how to fit ideas togetherDirect Instruction, Flipped Classroom, Note-Taking
4RelationalRelateDeep LearningUnderstands how ideas fit together and the relationship between them; still needs scaffolding and instruction to be successfulConcept Mapping, Metacognition, Self-Judgement, Reflection
5Extended AbstractExtendTransfer LearningCan take what has been learned and make something new; directions are not neededProblem-Based Teaching, Transfer Strategies
Source: Get a Clue: The SOLO Taxonomy

The SOLO Taxonomy descriptors make it easier to identify students’ grasp of ideas or concepts. What’s more, there is a rich group of highly effective strategies you can use depending on the phase of learning students are in.

The SOLO Taxonomy gives you a way to gauge the assessment data and put students in the correct group. The grouping is important because it allows you to match the most effective instructional strategy to the student’s need. For example, students in a surface learning phase may range from lacking any background knowledge to having a basic understanding. However, that basic understanding still lacks a conceptual understanding of how ideas fit together.

Here’s a quick chart you can use to guide you :

Examples of flexible groups that are create based on students' phase of learning.
View full size | Get a copy

Some Parting Thoughts

Grouping students by behavior isn’t the most effective method. Instead, try using fresh data to assist you in creating groups that support learning. Ensure every student receives exactly what they need to thrive. The role you play is crucial. Remember that grouping strategies are about meeting students where they are and using informed insight (e.g. The SOLO Taxonomy) and strategies (e.g. Surface/Deep/Transfer Learning strategies) to guide them to success.

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A female students uses technology for a STEM project as a result of a teacher adopting ed tech in their classroom.
Educational ResearchInstructional CoachingLeadershipProfessional Learning

Five Stages of K-12 Ed Tech Adoption: Part 2

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

When teachers grow in confidence, they change the way they teach using technology. This is Stage 4 of the Five Stages of Ed Tech Adoption in K-12; the last stage is Innovation and Leadership (Stage 5). Let’s dig into these last two stages.

Five Stages of EdTech Adoption infographic showing the five stages educators go through as they move toward ed tech adoption in their classroom.
Five Stages of EdTech Adoption – View the Five Stages of Classroom EdTech Adoption in K-12

Why Spend Time on Ed Tech?

It’s easy to see the challenges educators face. Without the factors outlined below, ed tech adoption fails. This is in the face of research about ed tech effectiveness. Consider this quote:

…the scientific consensus suggests that educational technology can have a positive impact on student achievement. Its effectiveness is not guaranteed and depends on a range of factors. Those factors include the quality of implementation, the educational context, and the support provided to teachers and students.

OECD Publishing – Students, Computers and Learning Making the Connection

Worse, the Reboot Foundation states that their data suggests that:

“…technology may not always be used in a way that prompts richer forms of learning.”

They point out the following:

  • Schools and teachers should be more careful about when—and how—education technology is deployed in classrooms.
  • Moderate use of technology is often the most effective for younger students.
  • Experts recommend limiting the use of devices for young children.
  • Technology seems the least helpful for younger students learning to read.
  • Non-digital tools work better for younger students who are mastering the basics of language.
  • Digital tools that provide immediate instructional feedback can show a high impact.
  • Technology can be particularly beneficial for promoting richer thinking among older students.

In light of this information, it might be safe to draw the same conclusion as OECD Publishing’s report.

…ensuring that every child attains a baseline level of proficiency in reading and mathematics seems to do more to create equal opportunities in a digital world than can be achieved by expanding or subsidizing access to high-tech devices and services…students who use computers very frequently at school do a lot worse in most learning outcomes, even after accounting for social background and student demographics.

OECD Publishing – Students, Computers and Learning Making the Connection

Teaching kids reading and math is key to equality. More tech doesn’t help as much. Using computers too much at school can hurt grades, no matter where a kid comes from. With that in mind, what can teachers do to harness ed tech?

Stage 4: Confidence and Mastery

Teachers have access to many digital tools. How can they ensure these contribute to effective teaching? In this stage:

Teachers improve with technology. They learn how it changes teaching. They pick the right tools for each task. They make the right choices when helping students learn and express themselves. With technology, teachers are able to better meet the needs of each pupil.

In this stage, technology supports learning in these ways:

  • Scaffolding. Create scaffolded learning experiences for students using inquiry-based projects and technology. These present learning as a series of challenges students must navigate.
  • Active Learning. Digital tools facilitate problem-solving, discussion, and reflection activities through interactive simulations, collaborative platforms, and opportunities for real-world use.
  • Feedback. Teachers can provide feedback to students through prompt assessments. Students use the information to better control their learning.
  • Personalization. Teachers can use assessment feedback to better customize learning projects and activities for students.

For teachers, professional learning involves self-guided movement to become more:

  • Collaborative with others to design lessons and refine classroom activities.
  • Observational of others’ classrooms and how they deploy technology in those situations.
  • Reflection-oriented to conduct self-assessments and come prepared to engage in professional learning communities (PLCs).

At TCEA’s events, educators dive into technology, learning to gain confidence and skills. They find workshops and expert talks on new teaching tools and methods to master them. Additionally, the TCEA TechNotes blog offers tips, tools, and research. TCEA is dedicated to supporting teachers in their confidence, mastery, and innovation.

Stage 5: Innovation and Leadership

In this final stage, educators proficient in new tools work to improve them. To borrow a Star Wars analogy, they progress to a level where they are fine-tuning their lightsabers.

In other words, they know how to use new teaching tools and are unafraid to tinker with them. They also:

  • Teach others, sharing success stories and tips.
  • Conduct action research with students to gauge their success at using technology.
  • Use their experience to improve the tools and how students use them; plus, they know how to assess success.
  • Champion technology that makes an evidence-backed difference in learning.

That final bullet means having a solid understanding of evidence-based education. Some examples in the classroom include:

  • Interactive video lessons with built-in assessments (consider using EdPuzzle)
  • Digital storytelling with video editing tools (such as Screencastify)
  • Formative assessment that ensures instant feedback for students (try Kahoot! or Quizizz)
  • Illustrating advanced processes, such as exploring photosynthesis with digital simulations (try Photosynthesis Lab by Glencoe/McGraw-Hill)

Parting Thoughts

As teachers embrace and improve their technology skills, they start changing how they teach. By Stage 4, they use digital tools well. They make lessons personal and engaging. They think in a critical manner and connect concepts and ideas. Teachers listen to students’ feedback to improve. In Stage 5, teachers lead and innovate. They help make and improve digital tools. They teach others, and push for proven tech that can change education. Embrace the Five Stages of Ed Tech Adoption in K-12 and take your teaching, and your students’ learning, to new heights.

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