I have been teaching with online curriculum for five years. I see many different approaches in the various curricula with which my students and I interact. Some programs rely heavily on reading while others include more video instruction. Some require students to submit teacher-graded work regularly.
What stands out to me most about Accelerate Learning is how often the program requires students to set their screen aside and engage in other types of learning. Beyond worksheets, students are provided with creative projects, research projects, and science labs. These are not merely extra suggestions but an integral part of the student’s learning.
I appreciate, as their teacher, seeing the projects my students create in Accelerate as well as the subsequent learning. For example, here is a project one of my math student’s submitted.
The student is expressing measurement as well as exploring various concepts of geometry. But what I love about this project is the artistic perspective and creative attention to detail. This student clearly enjoyed the project!
Projects like this add another layer of learning and encourage students to engage with the content on multiple levels. The result is l. And if students enjoy projects, they are more motivated as well as more likely to remember what they learned.
This science project encourages students to learn from common household items.
The chart that accompanies this activity helps students to organize their data. And note the question: “Why do you think they are different in size and voltage?” I like the open-ended questions that Accelerate uses to build higher-level thinking skills in students.
The other advantage of hands on projects with Accelerate is that, as a teacher, I see what students are learning. I see them working through problems and formulating their own ideas from what they are learning. This ensures authentic learning (it’s not just a student accidentally clicking the correct answers on a computer graded activity) and enables me to see if a student needs help understanding a concept.
So, bottom line, Accelerate’s hands on approach helps students to learn better and helps teachers to teach better. Thanks, Accelerate!
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