Schools are talking about learning losses suffered due to school closings since March of 2020. Rather than focusing on the deficits, we focus on the assets students possess to accelerate their own learning. So let's talk about Learning Acceleration. When motivated, students can learn a lot in a short period of time. Prioritize engagement through PBL! When you look at the standards, note that each cluster of standards has one that sums up the learning goals, one that deals with the application of learning -- often the last in a group. That's the Power Standard! Begin with that (which can be useful for developing a problem or challenge for students to tackle); students will have a "felt need" to learn the necessary standards to meet with success. As Dr. Sulla's book says, It's Not What You Teach But How.

Students who did succeed during school closures most likely possessed a set of skills not typically taught in school -- the skills of Academic Resilience! It's time to Reinvent the Classroom Experience to build better prepare students for an unknown future.