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The shift to online learning, enabled by technology and furthered by the pandemic, came with its benefits and drawbacks. Students were able to stay connected to their school communities, but some fared better than others. Many students are still catching up from lessons lost.
Happily, Lincoln Learning provides innovative curriculum solutions for teachers and parents who still want to inspire students through virtual, hybrid, blended, and home schooling. There are lesson plans suitable for kindergarteners through high school seniors.
A boutique, bespoke approach
Lincoln Learning is a nonprofit organization whose offerings meet and exceed state-specific standards. Curricula are developed by a team of content-certified developers using videos, games, and interactive elements to keep students engaged. In addition to core courses, Lincoln can provide an expansive list of electives necessary for graduation and college-career ready standards, including a variety of world languages, art, music, and physical education. The lessons adapt to the varying needs of teachers and students.
“We are consumed with creating a ‘living’ curriculum that can continuously improve, keeping up with the latest educational standards and changes in society,” said Lincoln’s Chief Academic Officer Charles Thayer. “Flexible and customizable learning encourages students to explore, absorb, and retain knowledge more effectively, fostering an inclusive environment for growth and success.”
For California learners, Lincoln adheres to mandated California State University and University of California guidelines set by the Department of Education and College and Career Readiness standards.
A vast content library makes learning possible for everyone
One of the advantages Lincoln Learning offers is its Content Bank, an award-winning, multi-modal educational content library that plugs right into a school’s Learning Management System. Teachers save time because they can search for and insert one or a number of learning assets directly into their course. The Lincoln Content Bank is capable of equipping teachers with nearly 110,000 highly vetted, rigorous learning assets they can configure and assemble to meet the needs of their students.
The Lincoln Content Bank enables what’s known as “differentiated learning,” or tailoring courses to each individual learner. “Figuring out what material to hit, for how long, is a tricky pedagogical tightrope, and one that technology companies are eager to help educators navigate,” says Education Week in a special report. Three of the components Education Week underscored as imperative to supporting students with learning differences are providing flexibility, ensuring communication, and cultivating inclusive environments.
The Lincoln Content Bank gives educators the ability to quickly and simply search for the best fit for individual students, small groups, or entire classrooms, and in doing so, helps teachers close learning gaps, challenge students, ensure alignment with IEPs and 504 plans, and obtain standard mastery.
“You can look by standards, or you can look by grade, or by subject, or any combination,” said Don Lamison, CEO and director of operations for Urban Green Education. One of the Urban Green schools near Jakarta, Indonesia, uses the Content Bank. “These kids don’t just have, for example, one chemistry textbook. Their teacher has the ability to use any of the features, which naturally blends into strategies like flipping.” Flipping is an educational approach that aims to increase student engagement with more classroom problem-solving.
Support is a pillar of Lincoln’s mission
As with any service or product, user support is paramount to optimization. Lincoln Learning’s team of experienced online teacher facilitators to provide instructional services for students, assisting them with content-related questions and offering supplemental support for asynchronous learners, who learn better on their own schedule as opposed to set class times. The Client Success Team is dedicated to support, assisting with enrollments, and answering any questions that arise. The Training Team guides teachers and parents through best practices for implementing the Lincoln Empowered Curriculum and getting started.
"Lincoln Learning continues to help us provide high-quality, virtual curriculum as well as hands-on and offline materials for our students,” said Bobbi Jo Stoner, principal of Early College & Innovative Programs, Gull Lake Community Schools. “Together, we have trained our local teachers to utilize the materials in a way that can benefit each student's individual learning pathway. Through our collaboration, we have developed a robust program to deliver meaningful learning experiences to our families – our families are very savvy consumers and expect only the best learning experiences for their children.”
To learn more about Lincoln Learning Solutions, visit the website.