The Learning Accelerator

The School Teams AI Collaborative is bringing together school teams to explore AI-enabled instructional practices. Three educators shared their instructional strategies during the Collaborative’s kick-off convening in Denver this fall. 🍎 Jennifer Kosloski, a teacher at Valley New School, has students leverage AI to develop confidence in their ability to direct meaningful conversations with experts and deepen their understanding of key concepts, enriching their projects with real-time insights and perspectives. Appleton Area School District 🍎 Marquitta Pope, a teacher at United Charter High School for the Humanities II, expands access for multilingual learners using AI tools that translate captions for videos into each student's native language, also giving her a more accurate assessment of her students’ academic abilities. New Visions for Public Schools 🍎 Zach Kennelly, a teacher at DSST Public Schools, uses AI for purposeful efficiency, creating time and space to foster creativity, deeper learning, and fulfillment — not just for students and teachers, but for the community at large. Learn more about these strategies in the blog post below. The Collaborative is a partnership between Leading Educators and The Learning Accelerator. We will share promising practices and insights around AI-enabled instruction developed by Collaborative members throughout 2025: https://loom.ly/nLNwu50 #edchat #edtech #AIinEducation #edleadership

🗣️ Calling all students (13+) and educators! We’re thrilled to support the Digital Well-being Challenge, an initiative from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. This challenge empowers schools and students to promote healthier digital habits, teach digital citizenship, and shape responsible tech policies. Why join? ✔️ Address local digital citizenship and well-being challenges ✔️ Attend an invite-only virtual summit with specialists in social media and youth mental health, safety- and privacy-by-design, and responsible technology use in March-April 2025 ✔️ Collaborate with expert mentors to bring your ideas to life ✔️ Get at least $1,000 in prize funding ✔️ Help shape a Digital Well-being Toolkit for nationwide impact ⏳ Applications are open now and close January 9, 2025. Apply now: https://loom.ly/4Ms3eOs #DigitalWellBeing #EdTech #EducationInnovation

✨ Yesterday was our first virtual professional learning community meetup with members of the School Teams AI Collaborative. It was awesome to reconnect and learn about the AI-enabled instructional strategies Collaborative educators are implementing. - The Eliot School of Boston Public Schools shared about how teachers are using generative AI to give feedback more often to students - Gina Morales of Cesar Chavez Middle School at Lynwood Unified shared a myriad of ways they're implementing AI including having students use AI to get targeted feedback on their writing Collaborative members also grappled with challenges by participating in consultancies on: - the ethics of AI (e.g. using creative property of others to train AI, impact on the climate) and being able to share the shades of grey in the debate around its use with students and other stakeholders. Thanks to Valley New School for presenting! - how to teach students to use AI appropriately in academically honest ways. Thanks to Natalya Jackson of Washington Leadership Academy Public Charter School for presenting! - how to measure the impact of AI (lots of variables from AI literacy of students, AI literacy of teachers, academic learning, and more). Look for insights and learnings from the Collaborative throughout the school year. Special shout out to my colleagues at The Learning Accelerator and Leading Educators for the partnership in this work. #edtech #edleadership #edchat #AIinEducation #schools

🕰️ Sometimes, it can feel like the “right time” to make meaningful changes never comes. But with the Real-Time Redesign Toolkit, you don’t have to wait. 🧰 Born out of the COVID-19 pandemic and co-created by TLA and Bellwether Education Partners, this toolkit is a game-changer for leaders looking to create equitable and resilient learning environments. Why It’s a Must-Use for 2025: ✅ Develop Equity and Resiliency: Help all students thrive in their learning environment. ✅ Deploy Targeted Improvement: Tackle challenges with a practical, real-time approach responsive to your unique system's needs. ✅ Cultivate Authentic Inclusivity: Engage deeply with the people most impacted – and design solutions with them, not for them. We hope that you’ll view this toolkit as a way to build critical muscles for ongoing, real-time, and continuous improvement towards more equitable and resilient teaching and learning. Check it out today: https://loom.ly/RqGINJc #Equity #K12

📊 Calling all district and network leaders: quick survey alert! The Learning Accelerator is working to learn more about how schools are approaching: 1️⃣ Challenges and opportunities with data integration and aggregation 2️⃣ Learning Management System (LMS) procurement and use 🕒 And we need your help! This survey takes less than 5 minutes to complete, and you can contribute to either topic – or both! Responses are requested by Friday morning (12/13). 👉 https://lnkd.in/eicH7J6c #EdTech #EducationInnovation #DataIntegration #LMS #EducationLeaders

🌟 Promising Progress, Fragile Foundations: The Canopy Project’s Five-Year Report on School Innovation 🌟 Over the past five years, the Canopy Project, a joint effort by the Center on Reinventing Public Education and Transcend, has documented how schools across the U.S. are innovating to meet the evolving needs of students and communities. From tackling post-pandemic learning gaps to addressing systemic inequities, Canopy schools offer a glimpse at a new future for K-12 education. This year’s report highlights key findings: ➡️ Innovative schools are problem-solvers, leveraging diverse approaches to address equity and empower students. ➡️ Schools’ designs have been remarkably consistent from year to year. ➡️ Blended learning practices surged during the pandemic and are now evolving. ➡️ Schools are exploring artificial intelligence and co-leadership with families and students. ➡️ Schools face sustainability threats like inadequate funding, staffing shortages, and restrictive policy barriers. Dive into the full report to learn how policymakers, funders, and researchers can sustain and spread these transformative efforts: https://bit.ly/3ODurdY #K12 #innovation

As we near 1-year mark for the release of the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan, I've been thinking about the three Digital Divides highlighted in the Plan. Dr. Beth Holland, EdD of The Learning Accelerator published this thoughtful post in May examining the Divides and offering these practical steps for SEAs and LEAs. https://lnkd.in/gMgYZJaV #NETP #DigitalDivide #DigitalEquity

🎓 We're spotlighting Gem Prep Online and their whole-community approach to preparing students for college, careers, and beyond. From meaningful partnerships to empowering families and supporting students at every step, Gem Prep Online is redefining success in virtual and hybrid learning. 🎧 Listen to TLA's Beyond Brick and Mortar podcast and hear Chief Academic Officer Laurie Wolfe share how they're creating opportunities that truly go the distance: https://loom.ly/XCI8wAQ #CareerDevelopment #VirtualLearning #K12 #EdTech

🙌 SETDA is proud to announce that, with a new grant from Google.org, we will be developing new resources to help states and districts close the "digital design divide" articulated in the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan. In partnership with ISTE+ASCD and Learning Forward, as well as research and writing support from The Learning Accelerator, we will be looking into how the federal Title II, part A program is (or isn't) supporting #edtech professional learning, especially with regards to emerging AI issues. We'll provide evidence-based recommendations into to ways that these often-underutilized funds can further support educator capacity building efforts. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e-qktqQE

In all of our field convos re: #k12 #learningacceleration, I think we're massively underestimating the potential impact and value of non-academic interventions, like improving relevance, motivation, and self-knowledge. That's why I'm psyched that we get to learn from MindPrint Learning, Inc. and their district wide implementation in Little Rock Arkansas as part of The Learning Accelerator's Exponential Learning Initiative. Improving kid's knowledge of their own #cognitive skills and #executivefunctioning-- including how they can leverage strengths and build muscles-- is pretty powerful. We're betting it has an impact on reading and math outcomes too. Check out this video from one AP in the district, and stay tuned as we share learnings and results. https://lnkd.in/d-2ux5DC