To Make Blended Learning Work, Teachers Try Different Tactics By now, most would agree that technology has the potential to be a useful tool for learning. Many schools have invested in some form of technology, whether it’s in computer labs, tablets, or a laptop for every student, depending on their budget. But for many schools, finding a way to integrate the use of tech in a traditional setting — teacher-centered classrooms — is proving to be a challenge. At this point, just a couple of years into the movement, there are no definitive answers yet. “It’s going to be more about teachers having nimble classrooms.” But for any of those tactics to work, educators agree that the key is to have a clear vision of what the technology is being used for, and how that will affect the teacher’s role. Catlin Tucker, an English teacher in Windsor, Calif., who integrates tech into her students’ school and homework, takes full advantage of what the technology affords her. That might be easier said than done. “The tech is going to kill you the first year. Related
Blended Learning: Combining Face-to-Face and Online Education There's this myth in the brick and mortar schools that somehow the onset of online K-12 learning will be the death of face-to-face (F2F) interaction. However this isn't so -- or at least in the interest of the future of rigor in education, it shouldn't be. In fact, without a heaping dose of F2F time plus real-time communication, online learning would become a desolate road for the educational system to travel. The fact is that there is a purpose in protecting a level of F2F and real-time interaction even in an online program. Face-to-Face + Synchronous Conversations + Asynchronous Interactions = Strong Online Learning Environment And if distance learning is to have the level of quality that we dream for it, we as educators need to proactively be a part of the Blended Learning that is inevitably coming our way. The Threat Ahead in Teacher Interaction I recently helped to pilot a number of distance learning programs for my school district. $%#^$^&?!!! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Blended Learning: Strategies for Engagement There are methods and models for implementing blended learning -- from the flipped classroom, to the flex model. All of them are on the continuum of just how much time is spent online and in the online classroom. Blended Learning can provide a unique way of not only engaging students in collaborative work and projects, but also personalizing and individualizing instruction for students. However, there is still one piece that is missing from a great blended learning environment: engagement! #1 Leverage Virtual Class Meetings with Collaborative Work One of the most prominent features of blended learning is the virtual meeting or synchronous class meeting. #2 Create the Need to Know The key here is an engaging model of learning. #3 Reflect and Set Goals Related to the comment on metacognition above, students need to be aware of what they are learning as well as their progress towards meeting standards. #4 Differentiate Instruction Through Online Work #5 Use Tools for Mobile Learning
What Will Work in New Blended Learning Experiment? Lenny Gonzales As the blended learning movement grows in the U.S., schools will need to experiment with what works best in different types of settings. There’s still a lot to learn about different types of blended learning models, and a new nonprofit called Silicon Schools will raise and invest $25 million toward that effort. With partial grants from the Bay Area’s Fisher family (owners of Gap), and the advice of board members Michael Horn from the Innosight Institute and Salman Khan of the Khan Academy, the nonprofit, which has raised $12 million so far, aims to fund new and innovative approaches in existing blended learning programs with grants to each school. The effort is led by Brian Greenberg, who chronicled the successes and challenges of piloting the Khan Academy in Oakland’s Envision Schools on the Blend My Learning blog. Giving students more responsibility for the learning process was also a significant outcome of the Envision pilot program.
District's answer to overcrowding: Blended learning Manchester, N.H., superintendent’s plan would put students in virtual courses to overcome crowded classrooms From wire service reports Read more by staff and wire services reports November 21st, 2012 The proposals are part of an education reform agenda pushed by Mayor Ted Gatsas following an outcry over crowded classrooms. Could technology help solve the problem of crowded classrooms? The Manchester, N.H., school district is poised to find out as soon as next semester, when it plans to offer virtual classes that students at the three high schools would be able to take without physically being in the same room as a teacher. Superintendent Thomas Brennan has presented the plan to the school committee in the form of a report titled “Maximizing Educational Opportunities.” Under Brennan’s plan, students also would be able to take college-level courses through the University of New Hampshire-Manchester. Gatsas wholeheartedly agreed.
37 Blended Learning Resources You Can Use Tomorrow 37 Blended Learning Resources You Can Use Tomorrow by Dr. Justin Marquis Remixing the curriculum – compiling resources from a variety of sources such as free online texts, proprietary information from publishers, and self-created media such as podcasts – is starting to push its way into K-12 and higher education. Gathering the Ingredients Before Remixing Like any course development process, there is a good deal of research that goes into remixing the contents of a new or existing class curriculum. Consider including a small selection of remixed materials at first and expand each time you teach the class. Free Courseware Free Online Texts Video Resources Remember, as will all sources from the Internet, you will want to confirm the validity of each one that you choose to include in a class. 37 Blended Learning Resources You Can Use Tomorrow is a cross-post from onlineuniversities.com and Dr.
13 Real-World Examples Of Blended Learning Blended learning—which combines traditional, face-to-face instruction with technology-based learning—is considered by some to be education’s next big thing. Salman Khan has made a name for himself with the method through his Khan Academy , which is used in around 15,000 classrooms to augment the learning experience. Many school districts and even colleges have shown improvement when blended learning is implemented, with some underperforming schools even performing complete turnarounds. This year, Education Dive has already compiled case collections of iPad classroom projects and flipped learning uses. Today, we break down 13 examples of how blended learning’s proliferation has made an impact at various levels nationwide: 1. 2. Earlier this year, New York teacher Sam McElroy blogged about a year of blended learning under the iLearn NYC Program. 3. Dr. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. When Venture Academy opens in 2013 , it will be Minnesota’s first blended learning middle-high school. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
Blended Learning Toolkit | Blended Learning at GrayHarriman.com What is Blended LearningWhy use Blended Learning?How does one create Blended Learning?What medium can be used in Blended Learning?What are the challenges of Blended Learning?What are the advantages of Blended Learning? What is Blended Learning? 1. 2. Why use Blended Learning? 1. 2. 3. 4. How does one design Blended Learning? To design blended training, the instructional designers start by analyzing the training or course objectives and braking them down into the smallest possible pedagogically (for children) or andragogically (for adults) appropriate chunks (learning object). After the course or training has been chunked, the best approach to deliver each segment of instruction (learning object) is identified. The course is then aggregated by grouping the instruction logically while taking into account the medium of delivery. What medium can be used in Blended Learning? The medium is not limited to technology and can include: What are the challenges of Blended Learning?
6 Types of Blended Learning Blended Learning is not so much an innovation as it is a natural by-product of the digital domain creeping into physical boundaries. As digital and social media become more and more prevalent in the life of learners, it was only a matter of time before learning became “blended” by necessity. That said, there’s a bit more to Blended and “Hybrid” Learning than throwing in a little digital learning. 6 Types of Blended Learning Face-to-face DriverRotationFlexOnline LabSelf-BlendOnline Driver The following infographic takes a different approach to the concept, labeling it “Disruptive,” and even offering an interesting matrix. The Challenge Of Blended Learning: Why EdTech Is Still In Its Infancy Why EdTech Is Still In Its Infancy first appeared on forbes.com and wiredacademic.com “The technology is five years behind where it needs to be.” It was the complaint of yet another school trying to build a blended-learning model that utilizes multiple providers. “The software content providers are proprietary. It’s impossible to get data out of them. And when we do, the data doesn’t connect easily to the standards and the data from other providers.” So went the grumbling from another blended-learning school. What strikes me as most noteworthy about these comments, however, is just how un-noteworthy this state of the industry is in any industry. At the outset of any industry, the technology tends to be immature and not yet good enough for the majority of users. But as an industry matures, the technology improves. As this happens, customers begin to prioritize new dimensions of performance. Furthermore, some approaches to solving the problem seem unlikely to bear fruit.
Transforming schools with blended learning Blended learning—which combines face-to-face classes with online courses—is quickly gaining ground in education. In fact, some studies suggest that blended learning, also called hybrid learning, offers a better academic experience than pure brick-and-mortar classes or online-only courses. Whether students are out of school on extended absences, want to enroll in a higher-level course not offered in their local district, or need to recover academic credits, blended learning offers flexible solutions and different scenarios for students and teachers alike. With the generous support of Connections Learning, we’ve put together this list of stories from our archives, along with other relevant materials, to help you best determine how blended learning might meet the needs of your school or district. —The Editors
Will Rocketship Change Its Learning Labs? Rocketship Schools in the Bay Area have been one of the trailblazers in the ever-changing landscape of blended learning. Located in low-income neighborhoods, the schools’ Learning Labs — where students spend up to 90 minutes a day on computers working on math and literacy software — has been one of its defining characteristics. But this model isn’t working, some Rocketship teachers say, and because it’s a charter school network with evolving systems, it may soon be changing, according to this PBS Newshour story. “There’s definitely an aspect of us kind of not knowing enough about what’s going on in learning lab to be able to use that in our classrooms,” said teacher Judy Lavi. “We don’t yet get data that says, OK, teach this differently tomorrow because of what happened here. And that is — that is a frustration point,” said teacher Andrew Elliott-Chandler. Adam Nadeau, principal of Rocketship Mosaic Elementary, says he doesn’t think the Learning Lab model will continue next year. Related