Craft Category: Artifacts

Understanding By Design (UbD) Framework

The Understanding By Design (UbD) framework is a planning resource that supports the design of curriculum, assessment, and instruction. UbD leads teachers through three stages when designing learning experiences:

  1. Identify desired results (understanding and application of learning),

  2. Determine assessment evidence (evaluation), and

  3. Plan learning experiences and instruction (i.e., backward-planning)

By utilizing UbD, teachers can effectively engage learners in developing their understanding and application of key topics and content.

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The ADDIE Model for Instructional Design

The ADDIE Model for instructional design helps educators to create meaningful learning experiences and training programs through five steps:

  • Analyze

  • Design

  • Develop

  • Implement

  • Evaluate

These steps can be used – sometimes in a nonlinear fashion – to ideate, create, and refine effective learning experiences.

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Asynchronous Learning Module

Cambridge Public Schools created a series of asynchronous learning modules that provided their teaching staff the option to select which edtech tools they wanted to learn more about, when/where they wanted to engage in training, and how fast they wanted to complete the module based on their skill and comfort level. Each learning module included teacher shares, a reflection journal, tutorials, how-to guides, and tasks to practice specific features or demonstrate mastery. Upon completion of a learning module, participants execute a final task and turn in a module submission form.

The asynchronous learning modules were built in Google Slides. This particular example is a learning module for Desmos, a popular math edtech tool.

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Videos Demonstrating Teachers’ Use of Edtech Tools

Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) created asynchronous learning modules for their staff to receive training around specific edtech tools at their own pace and time. Instrumental to these learning modules were “teacher shares,” or videos created by CPS teachers explaining how they used an edtech tool in their classroom or context. The CPS technology team encouraged teachers from different content areas and grade levels to share their practice of the tool in order to demonstrate various use cases for each tool.

In this example, a high school physics teacher explains how she uses Desmos with her students.

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Asynchronous Learning Module Submission Form

Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) created asynchronous learning modules for their staff to receive training around specific edtech tools that they could complete at their own pace and in their own preferred time. At the end of each learning module, educators complete a final task that demonstrates their mastery and application of the edtech tool in order to receive professional learning credit. The CPS team created a universal module submission form that participants completed by either uploading a screenshot or file of their final task, as well as providing feedback on the learning experience.

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Educator Asynchronous Learning Module Journal

Cambridge Public Schools created asynchronous learning modules for their staff to receive training around specific edtech tools that they could complete at their own pace and in their own preferred time. Each module included a “learning journal,” a document in which participants could jot down their ideas and takeaways as they worked through the module. This journal also included module-specific prompts that encouraged participants to explore and reflect further as they learned more about implementing the tool.

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Beyond Brick and Mortar Podcast: Gem Prep Online’s Whole-Community Approach to College and Career Readiness

In The Learning Accelerator’s new podcast series, Beyond Brick and Mortar, hear from leaders of established virtual and hybrid learning programs from across the U.S. about what makes their programs a success – and what they had to learn along the way. In this episode, we chat with Laurie Wolfe, Chief Academic Officer at Gem Prep Online, about their whole-community approach to preparing students for college, career, and beyond, emphasizing unique partnership opportunities, family engagement, flexibility, and supports to help students at every level of their learning journey.

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Running an Effective Pilot Program

This document provides a step-by-step approach to designing and executing an edtech pilot program, reflecting on the data collected, and deciding whether to ditch, scale, or iterate on a tool. Users can utilize this note-taking resource to capture learnings, discussion questions, and observations throughout the pilot.

(This resource is part of the supplementary workbook found in theMA DESE EdTech Systems Guide.)

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Digital Tool Pilot Evaluation Rubric from Mendon-Upton Regional School District

The technology team at Mendon-Upton Regional School District (MURSD) designed this evaluation rubric to score edtech pilot proposals submitted by their teachers. Teachers can nominate specific edtech tools to pilot in their classroom that they believe would meet their students’ unique needs and have an impact on learning. Once teachers submit a proposal form, the MURSD technology team determines whether or not to approve the tool for a pilot program by reviewing district-identified non-negotiables (e.g., tool aligns to the district’s priorities, meets privacy requirements including FERPA and COPPA), teacher criteria (e.g., high perceived impact on learning, low perceived number of challenges, strong implementation plan), and technology criteria (e.g., interoperability, single sign-on, data visibility). After all factors are scored on a numerical scale, the technology team can approve or reject a proposed pilot.

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