5/7/2020

Taking The Heavy Lifting Off Of Chicago Teachers With Blended Learning: 5 Problems Lexia® Can Help You Solve

The mission of the Chicago Public Schools, as outlined in their 5-year vision, is “to provide a high quality public education for every child, in every neighborhood, that prepares each for success in college, career and civic life.” To achieve this, it is crucial that teachers are given ample support to ensure they are able to effectively meet the needs of a diverse classroom of students.

There are many ways to define and implement blended learning, but at its core it is characterized by the combination of face-to-face instruction and online learning. An ideal blended learning program enables teachers to utilize data from students’ online learning to inform small group or full class instruction, group projects, and other assignments.

5 Problems Lexia’s Blended Learning Approach Can Help You Solve
 

Effective blended learning requires rethinking the challenges of how classroom instruction is structured, how time is spent, and how limited resources are used. If any of the following challenges sound similar, a program like Lexia® Core5® Reading — Lexia’s personalized literacy instructional program for grades pre-K–5, approved by the Chicago Public Schools — could be the key to increasing your students’ literacy gains.
 

1. “I need to differentiate instruction for students at various skill levels”

Technology will never replace a teacher, but it can provide much needed flexibility for a single teacher to support a class with a wide range of abilities. Lexia’s blended learning model enables students to master new concepts at their own pace and provides teachers the data and instructional resources to give struggling students the individualized attention they need.
 

2. “I don’t have the right tools to connect student data to instruction”

As students use Core5, the program’s embedded assessment system, Assessment Without Testing®, gathers real-time data about their progress, while never once pausing to administer a test. Armed with information about their students’ progress, educators can then address each student’s specific needs and provide direct instruction to the students who need it the most. This data, which can be viewed at the student, class, grade, school, and district levels, is easily accessed via myLexia.com.
 

3.  “My students need more time to learn”

With the use of mobile technology (laptops, e-readers, tablets) and computer labs, learning can be expanded outside of the classroom in before and after-school programs. Access to technology at home allows students to keep learning outside of school, as well.
 

4. “I need more classroom flexibility”

Blended learning provides additional support for teachers, so they can work with small groups of struggling students while other students work independently on skill development or automaticity.
 

5. “My students need to meet digital literacy requirements”

Rigorous college and career-readiness (CCR) standards guide K–12 instruction across the United States. These standards stress the importance of students reading increasingly complex texts to better prepare for college, careers, and civic life. A blended learning model is an effective way to introduce students to technology and prepare them for success in an increasingly digital world.
 

Lexia® Core5® Reading Increases Student Ownership and Excitement
 

Core5 allows students to take ownership over their learning by allowing students to set goals and track their progress. Each level of Core5 unlocks an exciting new location with more activities to complete. Achievement certificates, awarded at the completion of each level, celebrate student success and keep students motivated.

“I have a student who told me last week to call on him during class because he felt that he could answer questions now because of his extra practice time on Lexia. Our signal was a ‘thumbs up’ if he knew the answer. I called on him when signaled and he was correct! To have an ed-tech program as a significant part of my reading instruction has greatly impacted my teaching. I watch as they work through lessons and I can see their learning increase with my teaching and their Lexia time.” 

-Teacher, Texas