Blended Learning Progression Glossary
The following are key terms used throughout the BL Progression Tools. As a way to strengthen our alignment across schools and implementation, we offer you the following definitions to adopt. References are included following key terms.
Key Terms Defined
1:1 goal conferences | Teacher and student review data points together to understand growth and strength areas. Then, set a short or long term goal with action steps (TLA, 1:1 data conferences)
1:1 mentoring | The 1:1 check-in is organized around supporting self-direction strategies and/or motivation, based on the student’s data and observed behaviors. Students are setting and being held accountable to measurable, timely, and personalized goals for skills, content knowledge, and habits (Summit Learning).
Academic goal | Goal set based on measuring progress or success in the educational setting. Academic goals are tied to academic data and achievement.
Action plan | The set of steps students will take to complete or make progress towards their learning goal.
Adaptive software | “A technology-based or online educational system that analyzes a student’s performance in real time and modifies teaching methods based on that data” (Lynch, M. 2017).
Agenda | A posted schedule for the day or content block that lists the tasks or stations students will complete in chronological order. Also includes the learning goals associated with each task (Lewis, N., 2015)
Authentic Learning | “A wide variety of educational and instructional techniques focused on connecting what students are taught in school to real-world issues, problems, and applications.”
Authentic product | A product that addresses a real-world problem, provides opportunities for feedback, includes a collaborative component (whether a peer or outside partner), demands soft and academic skills, and is either presented to an audience or is an actual public product that can be used (Niehoff, 2018).
Check-ins | Teacher and student meet for 5-10 minutes to discuss progress or troubleshoot. Check-ins can be academic or non-academic and can be initiated by the student or teacher.
Digital products | A student-generated product using a technology tool.
Group contract | A document a group makes to formalize the expectations of group members. Contains: group members names, expectations or 5-7 “ground rules”, roles and responsibilities, conflict resolution strategy, feedback protocols, place group to sign in agreement, and a space to sign once project or task is completed (Centre for Teaching Excellence).
Group-worthy | Tasks that are open ended and require complex problem solving. Students have multiple entry points and opportunities to show intellectual competence. Content is discipline-based and intellectually important. The task requires students to be positively interdependent and hold each individual accountable. Finally, there is clear criteria for the evaluation of the group’s final product (Lotan, R., 2003).
Must dos and may dos | “Must do” tasks are instructional activities that the student must complete before moving on. “May do” tasks are a variety of instructional activities, including content review, deeper learning, and longer-term projects. This system helps ensure students can work at their own pace while still having choice in their learning and accountability for finishing their work in a reasonable amount of time. (The Learning Accelerator).
On-demand | The ability to access at any time during class period, with no assistance from the teacher.
On-demand directions | Directions students can access immediately without having to wait for the teacher that are specific, concrete, sequential, and observable (Lemov 2010).
On-demand feedback | Students receive feedback on a task, or portion of a task, that explicitly states whether the task was mastered or needs to be reviewed. Includes a next step for remediation or moving forward.
Playlist | A sequential set of tasks students follow at their own pace. Components include: a pre and post assessment, multiple modalities to teach or opportunities for practice, resources if/when students need help, and embedded checks for understanding (Summit Public Schools).
Procedural directions | The steps students take from the beginning to end of a task. Procedural directions might include, but are not limited to, where to find materials, how to turn in work, and what to do if they finish early. These directions do not teach a student a content skill.
Progression | “A carefully sequenced set of building blocks that students must master en route to mastering a more distant curricular aim” (Popham, 2007). Simply put, a progression is a pathway a student might take to reach the end goal or learning target.
Reflect | Opportunities for students to think deeply about their work and experiences that aided or hindered them. (Tucker, 2021).
Roles | Provide all students with a clear expectation of participation (Washington University in St. Louis).
Self-paced lesson | A lesson students can work through with no direction from the teacher, at their own pace. Self-paced lessons include: a direct teaching video, opportunities for practice, check(s) for understanding, on-demand feedback, and a task that checks for mastery.
Task card | A digital or paper-based sheet that includes: step-by-step directions, resources that can be used, and options for what to do when finished or if assistance is needed.
To do list | “Identify performance traits expected in student work, provide ways of making task requirements explicit for teachers and students. List the steps students should take as they are learning a process or highlight the features required for a completed assignment” (Rowlands, K.D., 2007). On a to-do list, students must complete all tasks, but might have a choice in the order of completion.
Weekly learning plan | A plan that provides students with structure for the week with little-to-no teacher intervention. Students complete the plan at their own pace, often with choice in order as long as the work is completed by the end of the week.
Workshops | Direct teaching time students opt in to attend during self-paced learning times. Workshops are planned using anticipated/common misconceptions, new content, or project-specific knowledge.
Work plan | A plan or schedule that describes what students are supposed to do over a period of time. They are often a list of assignments and tasks that build habits of self-direction (Dalland & Klette, 2016).
References
Cecilie P. Dalland & Kirsti Klette (2016) Individual teaching methods: Work plans as a tool for promoting self-regulated learning
in lower secondary classrooms?, Education Inquiry, 7:4, 28249, DOI: 10.3402/edui.v7.2824. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.3402/edui.v7.28249
Centre for Teaching Excellence (N.D.). Making Group Contracts. Retrieved from: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/developing-assignments/group-work/making-group-contracts
Lotan, Rachel A. (March 2003). Group-Worthy Tasks. Educational Leadership 60(6) pp. 72-75 Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/mar03/vol60/num06/Group-Worthy_Tasks.aspx
Lemov, Doug. Teach like a champion: 49 techniques that put students on the path to college (K-12). John Wiley & Sons, 2010.
Lewis, Natalie (2015). Daily agendas: the key to organizing the classroom. Journal on Best Teaching Practices 2(1) pp. 7-9. Retrieved from: http://teachingonpurpose.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Lewis-N.-2015.-Daily-agendas-the-key-to-organizing-the-classroom.pdf
Lynch, Matthew (2017, August 7). 5 Things You Should Know About Adaptive Learning. [Blog Post] Retrieved from: https://www.thetechedvocate.org/5-things-know-adaptive-learning/
Niehoff, Michael (28, May 2018). 9 Ways To Make Student Work Authentic. [Blog Post] Retrieved from: https://www.gettingsmart.com/2018/05/9-ways-to-make-student-work-authentic/
Popham, W. J. (2007). The lowdown on learning progressions. Educational Leadership, 64(7), 83.
Rowlands, K.D. (July 2007) Check it out! Using Checklists to Support Student Learning The English Journal 96(6), pp. 61-66. Retrieved from; https://doi.org/10.2307/30046754
Summit Public Schools. 1:1 Mentoring. Retrieved from: https://help.summitlearning.org/hc/en-us/articles/360001465087-Mentoring-Overview
The Learning Accelerator (N.D.). 1:1 Data Conferences. Retrieved from: https://practices.learningaccelerator.org/strategies/11-data-conferences
The Learning Accelerator (N.D.). Providing Pacing Guidance with "Must Do" and "May Do" Tasks. Retrieved from: https://practices.learningaccelerator.org/strategies/providing-pacing-guidance-with-must-dos-and-may-dos
Tucker, Catlin (8, March 2021). Self-Regulation in Blended Learning Environments. [Blog Post] Retrieved from: https://catlintucker.com/2021/03/self-regulation-blended-learning/
Washington University in St. Louis (N.D.). Using Roles in Group Work. Retrieved from: https://ctl.wustl.edu/resources/using-roles-in-group-work/
1:1 goal conferences | Teacher and student review data points together to understand growth and strength areas. Then, set a short or long term goal with action steps (TLA, 1:1 data conferences)
1:1 mentoring | The 1:1 check-in is organized around supporting self-direction strategies and/or motivation, based on the student’s data and observed behaviors. Students are setting and being held accountable to measurable, timely, and personalized goals for skills, content knowledge, and habits (Summit Learning).
Academic goal | Goal set based on measuring progress or success in the educational setting. Academic goals are tied to academic data and achievement.
Action plan | The set of steps students will take to complete or make progress towards their learning goal.
Adaptive software | “A technology-based or online educational system that analyzes a student’s performance in real time and modifies teaching methods based on that data” (Lynch, M. 2017).
Agenda | A posted schedule for the day or content block that lists the tasks or stations students will complete in chronological order. Also includes the learning goals associated with each task (Lewis, N., 2015)
Authentic Learning | “A wide variety of educational and instructional techniques focused on connecting what students are taught in school to real-world issues, problems, and applications.”
Authentic product | A product that addresses a real-world problem, provides opportunities for feedback, includes a collaborative component (whether a peer or outside partner), demands soft and academic skills, and is either presented to an audience or is an actual public product that can be used (Niehoff, 2018).
Check-ins | Teacher and student meet for 5-10 minutes to discuss progress or troubleshoot. Check-ins can be academic or non-academic and can be initiated by the student or teacher.
Digital products | A student-generated product using a technology tool.
Group contract | A document a group makes to formalize the expectations of group members. Contains: group members names, expectations or 5-7 “ground rules”, roles and responsibilities, conflict resolution strategy, feedback protocols, place group to sign in agreement, and a space to sign once project or task is completed (Centre for Teaching Excellence).
Group-worthy | Tasks that are open ended and require complex problem solving. Students have multiple entry points and opportunities to show intellectual competence. Content is discipline-based and intellectually important. The task requires students to be positively interdependent and hold each individual accountable. Finally, there is clear criteria for the evaluation of the group’s final product (Lotan, R., 2003).
Must dos and may dos | “Must do” tasks are instructional activities that the student must complete before moving on. “May do” tasks are a variety of instructional activities, including content review, deeper learning, and longer-term projects. This system helps ensure students can work at their own pace while still having choice in their learning and accountability for finishing their work in a reasonable amount of time. (The Learning Accelerator).
On-demand | The ability to access at any time during class period, with no assistance from the teacher.
On-demand directions | Directions students can access immediately without having to wait for the teacher that are specific, concrete, sequential, and observable (Lemov 2010).
On-demand feedback | Students receive feedback on a task, or portion of a task, that explicitly states whether the task was mastered or needs to be reviewed. Includes a next step for remediation or moving forward.
Playlist | A sequential set of tasks students follow at their own pace. Components include: a pre and post assessment, multiple modalities to teach or opportunities for practice, resources if/when students need help, and embedded checks for understanding (Summit Public Schools).
Procedural directions | The steps students take from the beginning to end of a task. Procedural directions might include, but are not limited to, where to find materials, how to turn in work, and what to do if they finish early. These directions do not teach a student a content skill.
Progression | “A carefully sequenced set of building blocks that students must master en route to mastering a more distant curricular aim” (Popham, 2007). Simply put, a progression is a pathway a student might take to reach the end goal or learning target.
Reflect | Opportunities for students to think deeply about their work and experiences that aided or hindered them. (Tucker, 2021).
Roles | Provide all students with a clear expectation of participation (Washington University in St. Louis).
Self-paced lesson | A lesson students can work through with no direction from the teacher, at their own pace. Self-paced lessons include: a direct teaching video, opportunities for practice, check(s) for understanding, on-demand feedback, and a task that checks for mastery.
Task card | A digital or paper-based sheet that includes: step-by-step directions, resources that can be used, and options for what to do when finished or if assistance is needed.
To do list | “Identify performance traits expected in student work, provide ways of making task requirements explicit for teachers and students. List the steps students should take as they are learning a process or highlight the features required for a completed assignment” (Rowlands, K.D., 2007). On a to-do list, students must complete all tasks, but might have a choice in the order of completion.
Weekly learning plan | A plan that provides students with structure for the week with little-to-no teacher intervention. Students complete the plan at their own pace, often with choice in order as long as the work is completed by the end of the week.
Workshops | Direct teaching time students opt in to attend during self-paced learning times. Workshops are planned using anticipated/common misconceptions, new content, or project-specific knowledge.
Work plan | A plan or schedule that describes what students are supposed to do over a period of time. They are often a list of assignments and tasks that build habits of self-direction (Dalland & Klette, 2016).
References
Cecilie P. Dalland & Kirsti Klette (2016) Individual teaching methods: Work plans as a tool for promoting self-regulated learning
in lower secondary classrooms?, Education Inquiry, 7:4, 28249, DOI: 10.3402/edui.v7.2824. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.3402/edui.v7.28249
Centre for Teaching Excellence (N.D.). Making Group Contracts. Retrieved from: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/developing-assignments/group-work/making-group-contracts
Lotan, Rachel A. (March 2003). Group-Worthy Tasks. Educational Leadership 60(6) pp. 72-75 Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/mar03/vol60/num06/Group-Worthy_Tasks.aspx
Lemov, Doug. Teach like a champion: 49 techniques that put students on the path to college (K-12). John Wiley & Sons, 2010.
Lewis, Natalie (2015). Daily agendas: the key to organizing the classroom. Journal on Best Teaching Practices 2(1) pp. 7-9. Retrieved from: http://teachingonpurpose.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Lewis-N.-2015.-Daily-agendas-the-key-to-organizing-the-classroom.pdf
Lynch, Matthew (2017, August 7). 5 Things You Should Know About Adaptive Learning. [Blog Post] Retrieved from: https://www.thetechedvocate.org/5-things-know-adaptive-learning/
Niehoff, Michael (28, May 2018). 9 Ways To Make Student Work Authentic. [Blog Post] Retrieved from: https://www.gettingsmart.com/2018/05/9-ways-to-make-student-work-authentic/
Popham, W. J. (2007). The lowdown on learning progressions. Educational Leadership, 64(7), 83.
Rowlands, K.D. (July 2007) Check it out! Using Checklists to Support Student Learning The English Journal 96(6), pp. 61-66. Retrieved from; https://doi.org/10.2307/30046754
Summit Public Schools. 1:1 Mentoring. Retrieved from: https://help.summitlearning.org/hc/en-us/articles/360001465087-Mentoring-Overview
The Learning Accelerator (N.D.). 1:1 Data Conferences. Retrieved from: https://practices.learningaccelerator.org/strategies/11-data-conferences
The Learning Accelerator (N.D.). Providing Pacing Guidance with "Must Do" and "May Do" Tasks. Retrieved from: https://practices.learningaccelerator.org/strategies/providing-pacing-guidance-with-must-dos-and-may-dos
Tucker, Catlin (8, March 2021). Self-Regulation in Blended Learning Environments. [Blog Post] Retrieved from: https://catlintucker.com/2021/03/self-regulation-blended-learning/
Washington University in St. Louis (N.D.). Using Roles in Group Work. Retrieved from: https://ctl.wustl.edu/resources/using-roles-in-group-work/
