Twelve schools in South Los Angeles, known for sending students to the top colleges in the country, will be changing the way teachers are expected to teach with the help of $1.25 million in funding.
This week, ICEF Public Schools announced the investment will allow for the expansion of the blended learning program, which uses computers and online games/activities to help students learn in many different ways. Students will learn independently, in small groups and as an entire class. The new funds will allow for the additional technology and infrastructure needed to expand and support the program at all 12 of its schools. ICEF’s ultimate goal is to have more computers in each classroom, with a laptop for every single student in the next two years.
“Many schools and districts see the need to bring technology into the classroom, but they often implement those decisions from the top down,” said ICEF CEO Parker Hudnut. “At ICEF, our teachers played a lead role in shaping the program. We’ve emphasized getting the teaching methods right first and then adding the technology. As a result, our students are already benefitting and we have identified ways in which we can continue to improve.”
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Last year, 25 ICEF teachers participated in a pilot program that included monthly training and support. These teachers also visited other schools to see how other teachers were successfully using technology. ICEF teachers then had the autonomy to decide how and when to incorporate blended learning approaches into the curriculum within their own classrooms.
Aziza Pavageau, a second grade teacher at ICEF Vista, saw great success in the pilot.
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“In my first year of teaching, I realized how difficult it was to differentiate instruction for each student,” she said. “Blended learning helped me to differentiate more effectively with the use of online adaptive programs. This has helped ensure that students who are below grade level, or haven't yet mastered a concept, are getting the instruction they need. It also allows students that are above grade level to be challenged and move ahead at their own pace.”
In 2013, 100 percent of Aziza’s students scored proficient or advanced in math and 88 percent scored proficient or advanced in English Language Arts on the California state exam – the highest scoring class across the organization.