Instructional Innovation+

Jorge Valenzuela, PhD, is a respected performance and education coach, author, and speaker at Lifelong Learning Defined. His mission is to empower educators to lead confidently and teach effectively. Dr. Valenzuela specializes in instructional innovation and action research and provides expert training in team building, core instruction, project-based learning (PBL), STEM pathways, entrepreneurship, life skills integration, and the purposeful integration of AI tools in teaching and learning. Partnering with Corwin, he helps schools systematically enhance instructional practices and adopt innovative teaching strategies, including PBL and AI-enhanced instruction. He is a published researcher and author who also hosts the Lifelong Learning Defined podcast, sharing insights and strategies to inspire and support educators.

Acknowledgments About the Author Introduction Part 1 - Unifying the Path to Instructional Innovation by Building Collaborative Teams, Establishing Effective Feedback and Effective Core Instruction Chapter 1: Fostering Synergy: Creating Shared Agreements for Collaborative School Environments Chapter 2: Empowering Teachers: Effective Strategies for Providing Feedback Chapter 3: The 5 Key Building Blocks of Effective Core Instruction Chapter 4: Tools for Aligning Instruction and Assessment Part 2 - 5 Steps to Instructional Innovation Through Action Research Chapter 5: Step 1: Pinpointing Key Instructional Challenges and Problems of Practice Chapter 6: Step 2: Conducting Instructional Rounds Using Learning Walks Chapter 7: Step 3: Analyzing Learning Walk Data and Identifying Solutions Through Structured Data Debrief Chapter 8: Step 4: Designing Data-Driven Professional Development (PD) Interventions for Solutions Chapter 9: Step 5: Implementing Data-Driven Professional Development Epilogue Appendix A: Tools and Templates References