Posts by Throughline Learning
Understanding the Impact of Community Educators on Students’ Social Networks
Understanding the Impact of Community Educators on Students’ Social Networks One aim of Throughline Learning’s liberatory approach to data is to expand the set of metrics we use to define and measure success in education. Through our community educator work, we’re beginning to map student and adult networks to understand and grow their social capital.…
Read MoreWelcome to Throughline Learning!
Welcome to Throughline Learning! When the Highlander Institute team embarked on a yearlong rebranding process in summer 2022, we wanted a new name that embodied the complex and comprehensive nature of our work. As we reflected on our mission, vision, and values, the concept of a “throughline” emerged and resonated deeply with the way we…
Read MoreHelayne Jones Named Chair of the Throughline Learning Board
Helayne Jones Named Chair of the Throughline Learning Board January evokes thoughts of fresh starts, new chapters, and resolutions. At Throughline Learning, this month marks the transition of Helayne Jones into the role of Board Chair as we launch our very first independent governing board. We are thrilled to make this announcement. Helayne has been…
Read MoreFrom Wooden Tablets to AI: Preserving the Heart of Teaching Across Generations & Innovations
From Wooden Tablets to AI: Preserving the Heart of Teaching Across Generations & Innovations by Malika Ali As a child, my father learned by lawh — a wooden tablet which housed his lessons. In our village in East Africa, he would visit a carpenter to cut him a piece of wood, then journey to the…
Read MoreAI Doesn’t Have an Evidence Base, But Teaching Does
AI Doesn’t Have an Evidence Base, But Teaching Does by Shawn Rubin During the blended learning era, we put thousands of kids on digital platforms with the promise of transformation. The reality was that most of these tools had no rigorous evidence base behind them. Some eventually developed one, but as a field, we were…
Read MoreThe “Techlash” is Telling Us Something. Are We Listening?
The “Techlash” is Telling Us Something. Are We Listening? by Shawn Rubin Right now, district leaders across the country are navigating a debate that is only getting louder and more complex. On one side sits parents and community members demanding that schools move faster on AI, frustrated that their children are falling behind students in…
Read MoreBefore We Buy Anything
Before We Buy Anything by Shawn Rubin There’s a feeling I’ve chased but rarely experienced since I left the classroom sixteen years ago. Being in a room full of people who genuinely believe schools and systems can be better for kids, and are doing something about it. The New Schools Summit I attended last week…
Read MoreBringing a Collective Artistic Vision to Life
Bringing a Collective Artistic Vision to Life Part of what makes Throughline Learning collaborations so powerful is our unwavering commitment to the people we partner with. For Michaelle Larracuente, Throughline Learning’s Director of Program & Implementation, launching a project in January 2024 with Providence principal Cynthia Torres struck a deeply personal note. Raised in the…
Read MoreCRSP Framework
Our Book! Pathways to Personalization
Pathways to Personalization: A Framework for School Change by Shawn C. Rubin and Cathy Sanford Pathways to Personalization offers an innovative five-step framework to help school leaders and teacher teams design and implement blended and personalized learning initiatives based on local needs and interests. The book draws on principles of improvement science and change management,…
Read More