The Curious Educator
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Collections
  • Publications

Lead4ward -  Simple Instructional Strategies at your Finger Tips!

7/1/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
At the Houston ISD’s Professional Learning Series this summer I attended a session that featured Lead4ward data reports and the Lead4ward App. I was expecting the Lead4ward app to access data reports on a mobile device. I was surprised to find out that the app didn’t link to data but serves as an interface that provides instructional strategies in an organized way to teachers. The app is a simple tool teachers/PLC’s can use to infuse different strategies and formative checks into instruction. The app is free and available in the IOS store.

Let’s look at the Lead4ward App interface.  Below is the app's home screen. 
Picture
The orange Quickchecks button leads to a list of instructional strategies that a teacher or PLC can chose to use.
Picture
Teachers can simply click on a strategy and the app guides them through the use of the strategy in a very simple format that can be applied to any learning environment and offers suggestions to extend thinking past the quickcheck. In the example below, I clicked on the 3-2-1 summary strategy. 

Picture
The blue Think It Up button leads to a list of strategies that can extend a students thoughts and lead to deeper understanding of the standard. 
Picture
The purple button Resources and Content Builders leads to resources that support Texas TEKS and STAAR testing data. There is good content here for Texas educators, but educators outside of Texas will not utilize this section of the app.  The green button Professional development provides information and links to Lead4ward PD opportunities.

There is a timer at the bottom of the app that teachers can use in instruction. Timers are easy to find on youtube etc., but it's nice to have it accessible in the app.  A teacher can have it open a Quickcheck or Think It Up once time expires. 
Picture
In addition to the App the Lead4ward website offers valuable information to Texas teachers regarding standards. The website has resources that vertically align standards. When planning, teachers can quickly see which standards students have covered in previous grade levels.  Using formative assessment teachers can assess if those standards have been mastered and scaffold instruction for students.  Below is an example from English 1, however the website has content available in all core areas.  The standard below is Figure 19 -reflect on understanding to monitor comprehension (e. g., asking questions, summarizing and synthesizing, making connections, creating sensory images). Take a look at how Lead4ward identifies the supporting standards from previous grade levels for a teacher.  
Picture
In addition to the content from the app and website Lead4ward offers paid features with additional support for teachers.  Having a solid list of strategies at a teacher's fingertips can facilitate conversations during planning within PLC's  and lead to different paths for instruction. I am looking forward to using and sharing these resources with teachers on my campus.  

What other apps have you found that organize strategies or help teachers when planning instruction?
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Asynchronous Learning
    Brain Research
    Collaboration
    Communication
    Create/Product
    Creation Tool
    Data
    Differentiation
    Distance Learning
    Feedback
    Instructional Design
    Instructional Strategy
    Learning
    Professional Development
    Professional Learning
    School Culure
    Team Building
    Tech Tips

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    September 2022
    November 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014

    Tweets by @debralcamp

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.