TLA Blog

The field of education is constantly innovating as schools across the country search for the best ways to improve learning for each student. On the TLA Blog, The Learning Accelerator team and guest experts investigate and help you navigate the latest research, commentary, and useful tools to push the field forward.

Articulating the “Why(s)” for Learners: Going Beyond “As Good As” to Demand More Through Virtual and Hybrid Learning Efforts

by Beth Rabbitt on September 21 2022

We’re often asked to explain how virtual learning outcomes compare to those in traditional, analog classrooms. This is a fairly straightforward question to answer based on research: generally speaking (and outside of emergency models launched during global crisis), virtual experiences have been found to be as good as in-person ones. Additional...

Clarifying the “What:” Centering Learner Experiences and the Instructional Core as We Define Virtual Learning

by Beth Rabbitt on September 14 2022

Given our lack of unified language, conversations about virtual learning often feel confusing. Is my district’s “hybrid” learning your school’s “simultaneous” instruction? Has one state codified policy for “blended learning” in a way that looks a whole lot different from what its schools and districts have been implementing in classrooms for the...

What We’re Learning About Virtual Learning

by Beth Rabbitt on September 7 2022

In August 2021, our team published Launching Forward, the culmination of our six-monthlong Hop, Skip, Leapfrog project. Hop, Skip, Leapfrog aimed to identify, codify, and make sense of new school system strategies and capabilities that emerged during the pandemic as well as understand how these shifts could benefit learners and schools in the...

More Than Mindfulness: Strategies to Improve the Wellbeing of Educators and Leaders in Schools

by Beth Holland on August 31 2022

Burned out, demoralized, anxious, and exhausted – these are just a few terms that have been used to describe both teachers and leaders as they head into a new school year. At The Learning Accelerator (TLA), we saw this issue emerging over a year ago. To surface potential strategies and solutions, we conducted a review of over 60 pieces of...

A Growing Danger of the Digital Use Divide: A Media Illiterate Generation

by Beth Holland and Michael Ham on August 22 2022

Since the introduction of computers into classrooms, the premise has been that increased access to technology would result in more creative, rigorous, personalized, and meaningful learning than what was possible in an analog world. However, despite decades of progress toward equitable access to devices and the internet, this promise has not been...

Help Your School Leaders Succeed (And Retain Them for the Long Haul)

by Ashley Fellows on August 15 2022

For the last three years, I led my school’s pandemic response — from drafting and rolling out COVID protocols to implementing building health and safety measures — all while leading a community of 600 students and educators through a full return to in-person learning. It was the honor of my professional career but came at a cost to my mental and...

Help Bring TLA to SXSW EDU 2023

by Samantha Artukovich on August 10 2022

It’s that time of year once again! The public voting period for SXSW EDU’s PanelPicker has arrived, and we would appreciate your help in bringing The Learning Accelerator (TLA) back to Austin. As you consider sessions to support this year, please take a few minutes to look into TLA’s sessions below, featuring topics ranging from virtual and hybrid...

Step 4: Championing Sustainable Change - Creating systems for leaders, teams, and their initiatives

by Nicole Assisi & Shelli Kurth on August 3 2022

The never-ending cycle of growth and change in schools often elicits mixed reactions. Some see these new trends as much-needed progress, while others “see déjà vu all over again.” Evolving science and research, alongside increased complexity that spurs new trends, bring advancement to the field – but also challenges that can affect the whole...

There’s No Digital Equity Without Data Privacy

by Beth Holland on July 25 2022

Whether consciously or unconsciously, apps, internet service providers, and even schools could be selling or releasing data related to students’ — and teachers’ — locations, browsing habits, email content, and even direct messages. Over the past several months, the White House and Congress have called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to...

Supporting LGBTQ+ Students and Staff All Year Long

by Taylor Bowers on July 21 2022

At The Learning Accelerator, we believe an inclusive and welcoming environment is critical to push learning forward and create spaces that allow students and educators alike to engage, grow, and develop as members of our local and global communities. The classroom should be a safe place for all students and faculty, no matter how they identify....

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