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On June 22, 2021, we will launch updated strategies for the Math PK-2 model, as well as additional updates to the Navigator that highlight equity, SEL, and culturally responsive teaching. To learn more, visit our Site Updates (available in the "About" menu at the top of any page).
Hover to see how factors connect to Safety. Then click connected factors to explore strategies related to multiple factors.
Safety is being and feeling physically and psychologically secure at home, at school, and within our neighborhood and larger community. Students who feel safe are typically better able to focus on learning and therefore are more likely to excel academically. Students who feel less safe tend to miss school and participate less often in class activities, therefore missing out on learning opportunities. In adolescence, students' own behaviors can become increasingly unsafe, in addition to the Safety of their surroundings.
There are a number of types of Safety that affect a student's learning including:
Risk-taking: Adolescence is a period where individuals typically increasingly seek out new and intense experiences. As a result, adolescents may engage in more risk-taking and unsafe behaviors themselves, including crime, alcohol, or drug use. These may also result from changing social dynamics where adolescents are sensitive to peer and social pressure. Some adolescents, such as those with ADHD, may be at higher risk for engaging in risk-taking behaviors.
Digital Safety: As learners become more avid users of media, including social media, it is important that they understand and implement efficient digital safety practices, including protecting personal information, understanding the implications of cyberbullying and harassment, and consuming appropriate content. When caregivers and educators provide a safe space for learners to discuss online encounters and questionable content, they can support learners as they navigate digital spaces.
Home Safety: Adolescents can feel unsafe at home for many reasons, such as: witnessing violence; being victims of abuse, or having caregivers who suffer from severe mental illness or substance abuse. Safety at home is critical to development because a lack of Safety at home can contribute to chronic stress which can make it difficult for students to engage and reach their full potential at school.
Neighborhood Safety: Students who live in safe neighborhoods typically have better academic outcomes than students who perceive their neighborhoods as less safe. Exposure to violence and crime in the community in childhood and adolescence is linked to many negative outcomes due to the effects of chronic stress on mental and Physical Well-being.
Bullying: Even under teacher supervision, bullying, primarily verbal aggression and exclusion behaviors, is common in classrooms and is also common outside of school. Students who are bullied in person or online typically experience higher rates of depression and anxiety, have lower levels of academic achievement, are more likely to drop out of high school, and are less likely to continue to higher education. Perpetrators of bullying also experience higher levels of depression and suicidal ideation. Many students experience school-based bullying, discrimination, or microaggressions as a result of stereotypes and stigmas around aspects of their Identity (e.g., their race, gender or gender identity, disability status, or sexual orientation, among others). In fact, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) issues nationwide guidance around the additional responsibility schools have to address the safety of students who are bullied and also have disabilities.
School Safety: The reduction of bullying and school violence are two main goals of school Safety. Because of the many repercussions of bullying, all U.S. states have implemented legislation to combat bullying in school and cyberbullying that moves into the school space. The prevalence of school shootings in recent years is also a major concern. Students who survive these traumatic events are at risk for experiencing serious psychological issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet, despite the increase in the number of victims of school shootings, overall crime rates in U.S. schools have declined in recent years due to increased security measures. Early research suggests that, while active shooter drills enhance student preparedness, they also bring more attention to the threat from potential shooters, which can increase anxiety. With the possible risks, it may be more effective to focus efforts on proactively creating a safe school environment. It may also be helpful to think about best practices to support recovery from these traumatic events, for instance, including educators and students in the process of thinking through possible changes or solutions or allowing conversations that may question the status quo, and ensuring students are aware of supports beyond the school walls.
Educators can help students who are experiencing low levels of Safety either in their own personal lives or at school by being trusted Social Supports and listening with empathy, and fostering a Sense of Belonging in school. At the same time, it is critical to acknowledge that educators can themselves lack support after traumatic incidents, may need their own time to heal, and therefore may have more difficulty supporting others.
Creating visual representations such as drawings, diagrams, graphs, and concept maps, whether student or teacher-generated, can help students process abstract concepts, enhancing understanding and retention of information.
Encouraging learners to draw as a form of synthesizing key concepts and to explain their drawings in the classroom, can support the development of Core Academic Literacies, especially when solving complex problems across content areas.
Students explaining their thinking during learning is a metacognitive process that involves actively self-questioning or being questioned while exploring new concepts, and explaining thoughts and reasoning in response.
Visiting places connected to classroom learning provides opportunities to add relevance to classroom topics and deepen understanding through firsthand experiences.
Games support learning, as learners engage with new information in fun and informal ways.
Gallery walks are ways of showcasing content and materials as multiple “exhibitions” for students to view and interact with as part of larger learning goals.
As learners work together to solve problems, they learn new strategies and practice Communication skills as they express their academic thinking.
Think-Pair-Share (TPS), also known as Turn & Talk (T&T), is when the teacher pauses instruction so students can discuss a topic or prompt in pairs or small groups, to enhance engagement and learning outcomes.
Incorporating think-alouds, or verbalizing thinking while reading or working through a new concept, can be a powerful way to help learners explore disciplinary texts, learn new skills, and retain content.
In guided inquiry, teachers scaffold student learning and help students use their own language for constructing knowledge by active listening and questioning.
Supported independent reading, sometimes called Scaffolded Silent Reading, is when teachers scaffold and monitor learners' independent reading time, offering students a choice of accessible texts, and periodic check-in's with individual students to provide guidance and accountability.
Multimodal teaching and learning provide opportunities for students to engage with the same content through different sensory modalities, such as visual, auditory and tactile.
A strengths-based approach is one where educators intentionally identify, communicate, and harness students' assets, across many aspects of the whole learner, in order to empower them to flourish.
Goal-setting and monitoring involves teachers working with students to set individualized academic or behavioral goals, plan actions to achieve those goals, and track progress.
Audiobooks, digital text-to-speech books, and e-books are digital formats of literature that allow for portable and accessible reading experiences through audible narration and/or a written electronic version of a text.
Communication boards are displays of graphics (e.g., pictures, symbols, illustrations) and/or words where learners can gesture or point to the displays to extend their expressive language potential.
Using motions to explain new concepts or ideas supports the ability to process new information and to convey thinking and conceptual understanding.
Music and dance supports learners in a myriad of ways, including supporting their engagement and motivation, connecting with cultural background, and offering structure during play.
Physical activity and exercise refer to any activities that allow students to engage in movement, physical play, or fitness, promoting physical and mental well-being.
Providing instructional steps clearly and concisely can help learners understand classroom expectations, reduce cognitive load, and complete tasks more efficiently.
Discussing emotions with students consists of supporting their ability to identify, label, and manage their feelings.
Self-advocacy is the ability of an individual to understand and effectively express and assert their own rights, needs, desires, and interests.
Providing students a voice in their learning is critical for making learning meaningful.
Culturally responsive texts include those that reflect different facets of students' identities, including race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic, and disability status, as well as the intersections of those identities.
Discussing race with students can range from conversations on cultural celebration (e.g., celebrating the importance of diversity) to developing critical consciousness (e.g., understanding the impact of social inequities like racism and how to dismantle it).
Family engagement happens when educators and schools collaborate with families to collectively support their child's learning in meaningful ways, both at school and at home.
Physical activity and exercise refer to any activities that allow students to engage in movement, physical play, or fitness, promoting physical and mental well-being.
Flexible seating refers to the practice of offering students a range of work surfaces, seating sizes and heights, movement, and varied body positions in the classroom, and often incorporates a range of technologies to offer a more personalized learning experience.
Youth participatory action research (YPAR) is a student-centered approach that puts the learner at the helm of the research process, from ideation to dissemination, to investigate and advocate for change they want to see in their schools and communities.
Spaced practice is a learning strategy that deliberately spaces out learning or study sessions over varying periods of time, with the purpose of increasing retention, understanding, and long-term knowledge acquisition.
Retrieval practice requires students to access information, or get information “out” from Long-term memory in order to support better retention and understanding.
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Learner variability is the recognition that each learner is a unique constellation of strengths and challenges that are interconnected across the whole child. Understanding these connections and how they vary according to context is essential for meeting the needs of each learner.
It disrupts the notion of a one-size-fits all education. Understanding learner variability helps educators embrace both students’ struggles and strengths as we connect practice to uplifting the whole learner.
Throughout the site, we talk about "factors" and "strategies." Factors are concepts research suggests have an impact on how people learn. Strategies are the approaches to teaching and learning that can be used to support people in how they learn best.
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On this page, using your heatmap, you will be asked to select factors to further explore, and then select new strategies you might incorporate into upcoming instruction. Once done, click “Show Summary" to view your Design Summary Report.
On this page, using your heatmap, you will be asked to select factors to further explore, and then select new strategies you might incorporate into upcoming instruction. Once done, click “Show Report” to view your Design Summary Report.
By selecting "Show Report" you will be taken to the Assessment Summary Page. Once created, you will not be able to edit your report. If you select cancel below, you can continue to edit your factor and strategy selections.
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Learner variability is the recognition that each learner is a unique constellation of strengths and challenges that are interconnected across the whole child. Understanding these connections and how they vary according to context is essential for meeting the needs of each learner. It embraces both students’ struggles and strengths. It considers the whole child.
Throughout the site, we talk about "factors" and "strategies." Factors are concepts research suggests have an impact on how people learn. Strategies are the approaches to teaching and learning that can be used to support people in how they learn best.
The Learner Variability Navigator is a free, online tool that translates the science of learner variability into factor maps and strategies that highlight connections across the whole learner. This puts the science of learning at teachers' fingertips, empowering them to understand their own practice and support each learner.