CHARACTERISTICS

• Is Instructor led by educators who have “walked the walk” with expertise and experience with the content they teach. They provide explicit feedback and guide the teacher’s learning experience from the moment of registration.
• Provides support for teachers through an ONLINE Learning Community for teachers to collaborate to refine their practice. Virtual tools built into the courses support both independent and collaborative work during the learning process.
• Provides courses that are triangulated, i.e., the standards/objectives for both declarative and procedural knowledge are stated, instructional tutorials in the course explicitly address the standards/objectives, and assessment tasks measure the performance of the declarative and procedural knowledge. The courses model sound instructional design.
• Learning Bridges embeds into every course modifications to close the achievement gap. Clear and distinct symbols and text markers make it easy for teachers to identify the Urban Learner Framework.
• Embedded VIDEOS in every course provide an opportunity for teacher to see skilled teachers in action in real classrooms.
• Meets all of the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) Standards for high quality learning for educators. Meets all of the NSDC NICI E-Learning Standards for high quality online professional development.
• Provides an opportunity to learn the vocabulary and concepts related to the strategy, the impact on learning and where to best use the strategy, how the student’s brain is learning with the strategy, how to differentiate instruction with the strategy, be provided with modeling and guided practice with the strategy (including sample lesson plans), and be provided with an opportunity to transfer the knowledge (planning, implementing, evaluating learning) to classroom with real students.
• Provides for activation of prior knowledge and Metacognitive activities to embed the learning into long term memory with every lesson in the course content.
• Provides many virtual tools - a Getting Started video, video help, Toolkit, Message Center, Conference Center, and Learning Log to demonstrate thinking and learning throughout the course. Powerpoint, weblinks, research resources, instructional materials from the web store, and downloadable documents are also available to teachers to use in each class.
• Accredited by California State University – Bakersfield. All courses receive 3 or 4 quarter graduate credits (optional) as well as Proficiency Certificates. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are provided to teachers who successfully demonstrate proficiency with the strategy and choose not to take it for credit.
• Proven to MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. The pilot study, conducted in Minnesota by McREL, resulted in stunning improvements in achievement. The 2008 McREL Research Results proved that Learning Bridges makes a difference in pedagogy in the classroom - the USED it! Learning Bridges increased teacher knowledge and skills. The 2009 McREL Research Results identified a significant, positive the relationships between the Learning Bridges professional development and academic achievement in both language arts and mathematics. Students of color, students living in poverty, English language learners, and females (with teachers participating in the professional development) OUTSCORED their counterparts (with teachers NOT participating in the professional development). Effect sizes were .31 - .56 for gains in achievement of 13 - 21 percentile points.