Using Tech to Accelerate Learning: One Teacher's Story

利用科技加速学习：一位教师的故事

Schools across the United States have been purchasing tech tools to help students make up for the learning disrupted by the closures and other interruptions from earlier in the pandemic.

美国各地的学校一直在购买科技工具，以帮助学生弥补因疫情早期终止和其他干扰原因而中断的学习。

In Nebraska, the nonprofit online math platform Zearn is one product school districts are using to embrace “acceleration,” a strategy that ensures students can access grade-level content even if they haven’t mastered every concept from the previous grade. A study analyzing the impact of the Nebraska education department’s statewide partnership with Zearn found that elementary and middle school students who consistently used Zearn had 2.5 times the growth in their state assessment scores than students who did not use the platform.

在内布拉斯加州，非营利在线数学平台Zearn是学区用以“加速”的一个产品，这一策略确保学生即使没有掌握上一年级的每一个概念，也可以获得年级水平的知识内容。一项分析内布拉斯加州教育部门与Zearn全州合作的影响的研究发现，一贯使用Zearn的中小学生的州评估分数增长是不使用该平台的学生的2.5倍。

In addition to Zearn, some other tech-driven accelerated learning products on the market include Amira Learning, which provides reading tutoring, oral reading fluency assessment, and dyslexia risk screening; Great Minds’ Eureka Math, an online math curriculum and learning platform; Amplify CKLA, an online English language arts curriculum; and ReadWorks, which provides differentiated reading instruction.

除了Zearn，市面上其他一些科技驱动的加速学习产品还包括Amira Learning，提供阅读辅导、口语阅读流畅度评估、阅读障碍风险筛查;Great Minds' Eureka Math，一项在线数学课程和学习平台;放大CKLA，一项在线英语语言艺术课程;ReadWorks为人们提供差异化的阅读教学。

In a video interview with Education Week, Nicole Guth, a 1st grade teacher at South Elementary in Sidney, Neb., discussed how she uses technology to accelerate learning for her students. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

在接受《教育周刊》的视频采访时，内布拉斯加州悉尼市南小学一年级教师妮可·古斯讨论了她如何使用技术来加速学生的学习。为使文章简洁明了，这篇采访经过了编辑。

How do you use Zearn in your classroom?

你在课堂上是如何使用Zearn的？

Zearn is broken into different parts: There is a whole group aspect, there’s a small group component, as well as a technology online lesson. In my classroom, students roughly complete three to four lessons each week using Zearn. We start every lesson with a whole group fluency activity. From there, we break up into rotations and small groups. My class is divided in half. Half of the class works with me in a small group to work on our on-level content for that day. The other half of the class works on their online component, which is composed of an adaptive learning path, as well as usually a math chat, a math lesson, notes, a Tower of Power—which is their exit ticket—and then they also have a paper and pencil exit ticket [an assignment students have to do when they finish a lesson to gauge how well they understood it]. In my class, students are allowed to either stay on-level with me or they work up to two lessons ahead or two lessons behind me.

Zearn被分成不同的部分：一方面是有一个完整的小组，则是一个小组，以及一个技术在线课程。在我的教室里，学生们每周大约用Zearn完成三到四节课。每节课我们都以一个整体的流利性活动开始。从那里，我们的学生被划分为轮值组和小组。我的班级分成了两半。班上一半的同学和我一起在一个小组里完成当天的水平内容。另一半学生则学习在线课程，包括适应性学习路径、数学聊天、数学课、笔记、权力之塔--这是他们的退场券--然后他们还有一张纸笔退场券（学生们在学完一节课后必须完成的作业，以衡量他们对课程的理解程度）。在我的课上，学生可以和我保持课程进度水平，也可以提前两节课或落后两节课。

How is it working for your students?

使用这一工具对于你的学生来说效果如何？

For students who are really excelling in math, I feel like it gives them a good challenge that they’re ready for. I feel like Zearn teaches multiple strategies to use when learning math concepts. So those kiddos are able to really apply some of those math skills that they know before I’ve even taught them, which is amazing. Then we can really talk about different ways to solve the same problem, instead of, “math has to be solved this way and this is definitely the answer.” Math has a definite answer, but there’s so many ways to get to that same answer.

对于那些在数学方面非常优秀的学生来说，我觉得这给了他们一个很好的挑战，他们已经准备好了。我觉得Zearn在学习数学概念时教了多种策略。所以这些孩子们能够真正应用一些他们在我教他们之前就知道的数学技能，这太棒了。然后我们就可以真正谈论解决同一个问题的不同方法，而不是，“数学必须这样解决而且这绝对是答案。”数学有一个正确的答案，但有很多方法可以得到同一个答案。

Has it helped improve students’ academic outcomes?

它是否有助于提高学生的学业成绩？

Looking at my student data, this school year for our [winter] MAP testing, I had 100 percent of my class make growth in math, which is phenomenal to see the data improve.

看看我的学生数据吧，这个学年我们的[冬季] MAP测试，我有100%的班级在数学上取得了进步，这是惊人的数据改善。

How is it helping you as a teacher?

作为一名教师，这对你有什么帮助？

I enjoy Zearn because I can adapt [students’] path. If they need additional practice, I can go back and bookmark a specific lesson for them to go back and do again on their iPad. If they’re ready to keep going, I love the idea that kids can work at their level and keep working ahead and I’m not holding them back.

我喜欢Zearn，因为我可以调整（学生的）学习路径。如果他们需要额外的练习，我可以回去把某节课标为书签，让他们回去在iPad上再做一遍。如果他们准备好继续前进，我喜欢这样的想法，孩子们可以在他们的学业进度基础上继续努力，继续前进，我不会拖他们的后腿。

Is there anything about Zearn that you think can be improved?

你认为zearn有什么可以改进的地方吗？

The only thing I wish it had was more data, like more feedback to the teacher. The teacher does get some data about if [students are] struggling or if they’re completing [lessons], if they’re getting bonuses, but I would like more feedback as a teacher about, what specifically are they having trouble with within that piece?

我唯一的一点希望就是它能有更多的数据，比如给老师更多的反馈。老师确实得到了一些关于学生是否在努力，或者他们是否完成了课程，是否他们得到了奖金这一类的数据，但作为一名老师，我希望得到更多的反馈，他们在这方面有什么特别的困难？

What improvements do ed-tech products in general need in order to help accelerate learning?

为了帮助加速学习，教育技术产品一般需要哪些改进？

Just thinking of what students need and keeping what kids need in mind. When it comes to math, is there an audio button so my kiddos who are struggling readers are able to still do math without struggling to read? Am I able to differentiate so that my kiddos who are ready for a challenge are able to get that challenge and really excel and students that are needing some extra practice are able to go back and have that extra practice? Does it give me data that I can use to improve my instruction or teach to students on their level where they’re at?

我们需要想想学生需要什么，把孩子们需要什么放在心上。当谈到数学，有没有一个音频按钮，让我的孩子们——他们在这一情况下正囿于阅读——仍然能够做数学，而不用挣扎阅读？我是否能够区分，以便知道我的哪些学生是准备好了挑战，能够得到挑战，并真正能精进于学业，哪些学生是需要一些额外的实践，能够回到课程中去，并有额外的实践？它是否为我提供了可以用来改进教学或根据学生所处水平教学的数据？

What should tech-enhanced accelerated learning look like?

技术增强的加速学习应该是什么样子？

I think it should look like you’re using some type of technology, but you’re also keeping that teacher component. I think that part is important. I think that building those relationships with students and giving them on-level grade material is really important. But [with tech] students can work at their own pace, at their level, at what is appropriate for them.

我认为它应该看起来像你使用某种类型的技术，但你也保留了教师作为其组成部分。我觉得这部分很重要。我认为与学生建立这种关系，并给他们提供符合水平的材料是非常重要的。但是[有了科技]，学生可以按照自己的节奏，按照自己的水平，按照适合自己的方式学习。