Balancing Vision with Pragmatism
February 4, 2022Our journey to reimagine the classroom began more than a decade ago when we created Teach to One 360, a comprehensive, innovative learning model that reimagines the classroom experience for students. Over that time period, our work has evolved in several ways — most recently with the release of Teach to One Roadmaps, an all-digital version of 360 based on all we have learned, which can be used by students at school or at home.
As we’ve navigated this challenging school year alongside our partners, we’ve seen significant interest in Roadmaps. Educators are excited by its ability to provide each student with a personalized pathway consisting of the skills they need to achieve grade-level proficiency and algebra mastery, which is particularly critical in addressing challenges created by the pandemic. They also appreciate its ease of use, and versatility in remote, in-person and hybrid settings.
Relatedly, the pandemic has impacted the quality of Teach to One 360 implementation at several partner schools. The combination of labor shortages, continued disruptions to in-school learning, and an exhausted teaching force have all made it harder for many partner schools to implement Teach to One 360 with fidelity, and for our team to deliver the excellent support we are committed to providing.
In response, New Classrooms has made the strategic decision to focus on enhancing and scaling Roadmaps and to temporarily pause the implementation of Teach to One 360. We have worked closely with our 360 school partners to aid in the transition to Roadmaps so participating students can pick up exactly where they left off. During this time, we will also continue to refine Teach to One 360 in preparation for a relaunch of the program in Fall 2023. By then, we also expect the implementation conditions will be far better than they are today.
We very much believe innovative learning models like Teach to One 360 will play a key role in the future of schooling. But that transition will likely need to wait until after the pandemic is behind us. Until then, we are hopeful and encouraged by the opportunity to support more students and teachers during this critical moment with Roadmaps. If you have questions, please contact us at info@newclassrooms.org.