Layered Curriculum® Makes a Smooth Transition to Remote Learning / Teaching

If you are a teacher who was already operating a student-centered classroom, your shift to remote learner/teaching environments has probably gone a little smoother than you may have expected for both you and your students. 

Layered Curriculum shifts much of the onus and responsibility for learning onto the students while moving the teacher more into the role of facilitator and coach.  This makes it ideal for the remote learning most of us are working with during the current pandemic and quarantine.  

A Layered Curriculum classroom requires very little adjustment in moving from the “brick and mortar” to the virtual world.  In fact, the Unit Sheet may need no adjustments at all.  The C layer learning objectives remain the same, and as long as the C layer assignment choices utilize material and resources the student can find at home, no change is required.  Make sure to carefully examine all your C layer assignment choices to make sure that you point to online or provided resources only. Also make sure that any partner or group choices are easy for students to implement using virtual video platforms or some type of electronic communication.  

Try to maintain some one-on-one oral defense of assignments.  This can be done in chat rooms, either individually or in small group.  

Consider having students share their B layer assignments with the entire class through your class webpage or Facebook page.  Encourage peer feedback and /or group presentations as well. Video presentations of B layer projects should be encouraged. 

A layers are done either as formal written pieces or as live debates.  Either of these is still possible via distance learning. The written assignments can be submitted through your usual channels and live debates can be conducted via scheduled video chat times.  

Because Layered Curriculum has already fostered independent learning, decision-making and self-guided progress in students, it is one of the best models to continue high-quality learning via distance education.