Tag: catlin tucker

Reimagining the Classroom: The Shift to Student-Led with UDL & Blended Learning

Why This Book Should Be on Every Teacher’s Radar

If you’ve ever found yourself carrying the full weight of your classroom on your shoulders—exhausted, overextended, and wondering if your students are truly engaged—The Shift to Student-Led by Catlin R. Tucker and Katie Novak offers a powerful path forward.

By blending Universal Design for Learning (UDL) with blended learning strategies, this book helps teachers transition from being the center of the classroom to becoming learning designers and facilitators, without sacrificing structure, rigor, or accountability.

Let’s break it down 👇

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The Shift to Student-Led: Reimagining Classroom Workflows with UDL and Blended Learning

Tucker, Catlin R. (Author)
English (Publication Language)
270 Pages – 11/09/2022 (Publication Date) – Impress (Publisher)

🔑 Big Ideas in The Shift to Student-Led

Empowers learners to take charge of their education through student-led workflows that build agency, motivation, and metacognition.
Aligns with UDL principles, offering multiple ways for students to access content, express learning, and stay engaged.
Supports teacher sustainability with practical tools that reduce burnout and promote shared responsibility in the classroom.
Includes ready-to-use templates and reflection tools for immediate implementation—in class or in PLCs.

What Are Student-Led Workflows?

Tucker and Novak outline 10 specific shifts that flip the script on traditional classroom practices. A few standout transformations:

From…	To…
Sit-and-get lessons	Inquiry-based discovery
Whole-group discussions	Student-facilitated conversations
Solo assignments	Projects with authentic audiences
Teacher-led feedback	Student self-assessment & reflection
Private practice	Peer-created practice tasks

Each shift includes step-by-step guides, examples, and tools to make it manageable, even in busy classrooms with diverse learners.

🎯 Why This Matters Now (More Than Ever)

Teaching is hard. Teaching after a pandemic, amid ongoing changes and rising needs? Even harder.

This book isn’t just about pedagogy—it’s about reclaiming joy in your practice and building classrooms where students are doing the work of learning. That includes:

Meeting diverse needs without creating 30 different lesson plans.
Building life-ready skills like reflection, goal-setting, and collaboration.
Creating space for student voice, choice, and autonomy.

Who This Book Is Perfect For

👩‍🏫 K–12 Teachers looking to create more student-driven classrooms
🤝 Instructional Coaches supporting PLCs or teacher growth cycles
🏫 School Leaders designing systems that promote learner agency
🎓 Pre-service Teachers & Faculty studying modern learning design

Free Resources to Get You Started

✅ Templates for Choice Boards, Self-Assessments, and Project Planning
🎯 Book Club Discussion Guide for PLCs
💻 Online Courses & Webinars with Tucker and Novak
📚 Downloadable tools embedded in each chapter for immediate use

Ready to Start Small? Here’s How 👣

Pick one workflow to try—maybe feedback or group discussions.
Invite students into the process: What helps them learn? What’s not working?
Use reflection check-ins to adjust and improve.
Celebrate growth—with student artifacts, voice recordings, or video showcases.

Classroom Scenarios That Just Work

Middle School ELA: Students run peer-led literature circles with discussion protocols
High School Science: Learners build digital flashcard decks and quiz each other
Upper Elementary: Students design mini passion projects and present them to families

Final Thoughts: Why This Shift Matters

This isn’t a silver bullet, but it is a breath of fresh air. The Shift to Student-Led gives educators the tools to create meaningful, student-centered learning without burning out. You’ll find yourself doing less of the heavy lifting and more of the inspiring.

And that’s the kind of classroom every student—and teacher—deserves.

Want to Dive Deeper?

📘 Read: The Shift to Student-Led: Reimagining Classroom Workflows with UDL and Blended Learning
🎧 Listen: Podcast Episode with Tucker & Novak
📺 Watch: Video on Small-Group Discussion Shifts
🛠️ Access Templates + Book Club Kit

SaleBestseller No. 1

Universal Design for Learning: Principles, Framework, and Practice

English (Publication Language)
204 Pages – 07/30/2024 (Publication Date) – Cast, Inc. (Publisher)

SaleBestseller No. 2

UDL Now!: A Teacher’s Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning

Novak, Katie (Author)
English (Publication Language)
196 Pages – 05/17/2022 (Publication Date) – Cast, Inc. (Publisher)

Bestseller No. 3

Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice

Meyer, Anne (Author)
English (Publication Language)
238 Pages – 12/17/2013 (Publication Date) – Cast Incorporated (Publisher)

Empowering Students, Relieving Teacher Burnout

From a practical perspective, you are doing all the work, delivering whole-class instruction to learners—instruction that you are staying up until 2:00 a.m. to design. As a result, students come to believe it is your job to do all of the work. You are exhausted, and students are disengaged or excluded. That is a bad deal all around.

In education, we often find ourselves trapped in a cycle where teachers shoulder the bulk of the responsibility, crafting lessons late into the night and delivering instruction to a room full of passive learners. The quote above from “The Shift to Student-Led” by Catlin Tucker and Katie Novak captures this predicament perfectly:

From a practical perspective, you are doing all the work, delivering whole-class instruction to learners—instruction that you are staying up until 2:00 a.m. to design. As a result, students come to believe it is your job to do all of the work. You are exhausted, and students are disengaged or excluded. That is a bad deal all around.

This dynamic leads to teacher burnout and deprives students of the opportunity to take ownership of their learning. When teachers do all the work, students become passive recipients of knowledge, disengaged from the learning process. This traditional model of education is unsustainable for teachers and ineffective in fostering deeper learning and student agency.

The science of learning and development emphasizes the importance of creating environments where students are active participants in their learning journey. By shifting to a student-led approach, we empower students to take charge of their learning, make decisions, and engage in meaningful, authentic tasks. This increases their motivation and investment in the learning process and helps them develop critical skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, and self-regulation.

From a practical standpoint, this shift can significantly reduce the burden on teachers. Instead of spending hours designing one-size-fits-all lessons, teachers can focus on guiding and supporting students as they explore, inquire, and create. This approach fosters a more dynamic and interactive classroom environment where students are at the center of their learning experience.

The transition to student-led learning is not without its challenges, but the benefits far outweigh the effort required to make this shift. Teachers can reclaim their time and energy while students develop the skills and mindset needed to succeed in an ever-changing world. It’s a win-win situation that promises to transform education for the better.

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Beyond English: Why Writing Belongs in Every Classroom

person holding blue ballpoint pen writing in notebook — Photo by picjumbo.com on Pexels.com

Given the benefits of writing on reading skills, comprehension, information retention, higher-order thinking, and quality of learning, it makes sense for all teachers to focus on increasing the time they dedicate to writing in their classrooms.
Dr. Catlin Tucker

Dr. Catlin Tucker emphasizes the importance of integrating writing across all subjects in education. Tucker argues that writing enhances learning, academic success, and helps students develop relationship skills and manage emotions.

She highlights how writing boosts reading skills, comprehension, and higher-order thinking. It underscores the necessity for educators to support students through the writing process, leveraging it for a deeper understanding of material and emotional well-being, regardless of the subject taught

Are We Entering an Edtech Renaissance?

low angle photo of the florence cathedral — Photo by Chait Goli on Pexels.com

I remember the days of the early 2010s as a number of edtech tools we now all know and use regularly first hit the scene. And everyone talked about the coolest thing they’d seen and how it would “revolutionize the classroom.”

Plot twist: It didn’t.

Now, we see all the hype around AI and the onslaught of new AI apps made specifically for education. Of course, I’m excited about the potential, but I also see the problem of focusing on the wrong questions.

Catlin Tucker has a good take on what’s happening right now in the world of edtech:

It reminds me of the early days of the edtech boom when I would attend the Computer Using Educators (CUE) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conferences, and the most popular sessions had titles like “50 Tech Tools in 50 Minutes.” I remember questioning how effective those sessions would be at improving teaching and learning. Yes, attendees were exposed to a list of fun tools they might use, but they were not learning how to use those tools in service of strong pedagogical practices. That is the same concern I have now.

Scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, I see endless videos of teachers sharing AI-powered tools. They demonstrate the efficiency and simplicity with which these tools generate lists of questions, create quick assessments, and plan lessons or entire units. I can appreciate the excitement since lesson planning is a time-consuming endeavor. The piece of the design puzzle missing for me is how educators can use these AI tools to architect student-centered learning experiences that better meet the specific needs of learners.
– Catlin Tucker, PhD

3 Pillars of High-quality Blended Learning

group of people sitting on chair in front of wooden table inside white painted room — Photo by Christina Morillo on Pexels.com

Catlin Tucker continues to lead the way in blended learning. Her most recent post outlines the three pillars of high-quality blended learning.

Tucker describes the three pillars of successful blended learning are student agency, differentiation, and control over the learning pace. Student agency involves giving students meaningful choices in their learning process, such as content-based choices on subjects or topics and process-based decisions on learning approaches or resources, fostering a sense of responsibility and engagement.

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The Complete Guide to Blended Learning: Activating Agency, Differentiation, Community, and Inquiry for Students (Essential guide to strategies and … student learning in blended environments)

Catlin R. Tucker (Author)
English (Publication Language)
232 Pages – 07/05/2022 (Publication Date) – Solution Tree Press (Publisher)

Differentiation, the second pillar, requires adjusting teaching methods to address each student’s unique needs and abilities. This could involve varying assignments based on proficiency levels or providing structured guides for students who need additional support. The final pillar is student control over the pace of learning. Misalignment between the pace of learning and the learner’s needs can lead to disengagement or distraction; therefore, granting students autonomy over the speed at which they learn enhances engagement and success. By integrating these pillars, educators can create robust blended learning environments, enhancing student engagement and improving educational outcomes.

Beyond Homework: The Evolution of the Flipped Classroom

flexible man doing flip on street — Photo by Mary Taylor on Pexels.com

As the landscape of education continues to evolve in response to global disruptions and digital advancements, blended learning models have surged in popularity. Among these is the flipped classroom model, a strategy that leverages video instruction to mitigate potential obstacles that make it challenging for students to access information presented live. However, I often hear the question, “Can I use the flipped classroom if I don’t assign homework?”
Catlin Tucker

Catlin Tucker explores the evolution of the flipped classroom model and discusses its potential beyond traditional homework assignments. The author reflects on how the concept has transformed over the years and provides valuable insights into its current state.

Tucker emphasizes that the flipped classroom is no longer limited to a mere reversal of in-class and at-home activities. Instead, it has evolved into a more dynamic and interactive learning experience. The traditional model involved students watching video lectures at home and completing practice exercises in the classroom. However, Tucker suggests that educators can now take advantage of various digital tools and instructional strategies to enhance the flipped classroom approach.

Sale

The Shift to Student-Led: Reimagining Classroom Workflows with UDL and Blended Learning

Tucker, Catlin R. (Author)
English (Publication Language)
270 Pages – 11/09/2022 (Publication Date) – Impress (Publisher)

One key takeaway from the post is the importance of leveraging technology to make flipped learning more engaging and personalized. Tucker suggests incorporating interactive videos, online discussions, and collaborative projects to foster deeper student engagement. By diversifying the resources and activities, educators can create a more inclusive and interactive learning environment.

Another significant point highlighted by Tucker is the need for intentional planning and scaffolding in a flipped classroom. Educators should design clear guidelines and structures to support students in their independent learning endeavors. This involves providing explicit instructions, organizing content in manageable chunks, and offering continuous guidance throughout the process.

Tucker also explores the concept of differentiation within the flipped classroom. She suggests tailoring instructional materials and activities to meet the diverse needs of students. By providing a range of resources, teachers can support students with different learning styles and abilities, promoting an inclusive and equitable learning environment.

UDL and Blended Learning: Thriving in Flexible Learning Landscapes

Amazon Kindle Edition
Novak, Katie (Author)
English (Publication Language)
234 Pages – 05/28/2021 (Publication Date) – Impress (Publisher)

In conclusion, Catlin Tucker’s blog post emphasizes the evolution of the flipped classroom beyond its original concept of homework flipping. By embracing technology, intentional planning, and differentiation, educators can create a more engaging and student-centered learning experience. The flipped classroom has the potential to transform traditional teaching practices and foster deeper understanding and collaboration among students.

Link to the original blog post: Beyond Homework: Flipped Classroom