More than posting things online and posting videos.
Spectrum:
- Textbook, teacher-centric model, F2F
- Technology-enhanced (cds, video, projection, whiteboards)
- Blended: online activity, more student centric
- Online learning: 100% online experience, no f2f
Is blended right for all students?
yes! there will be so many options, it's realy about what options make most sense.
Some students require more direction than others.
No too. can't pick one blended learning model. Teachers needs to develop, students drive too.
Benefits:
Blended/self-directed learning reduces the student expectation of being spoon-fed information!
Creates successful life-long learner. college, workplace, internation, f2f small groups. wider skill set.
Online content is treated like textbook information... what is added to that is whats exciting.
Blended, self-paced has existed, technology allowing expansion and variety.
Gets the highest quality teacher in front of more students. Extended so not within time constraints of school day.
Models of Blended Learning (Horn and Staker)
Def: an intentional shift for at least a portion of the student day to an online learning environment to boost learning and operating porductivity. Adds some element of student control over time, place, path and /or pace. Can give new ways to think about staffing, student teacher ratios. budgets.
Categories: Rotation, Flex, Self blend, Remote. These are just four examples, but endless other models. Its about customizing a model or models that work for the student group and needs.It's also about the teacher and their capability and understanding.
Rotation:
Example: Carpe Diem Collegiate HS, Yuma. time in labs and well-taught seminars. Fewer teachers, more department than individual classes. Kids move through the system in cohort groups. More age flexibility. High Tech High in San Diego uses cohorts.
Rotation: station, rotations, labs, individual rotations
Flex: Online platform with F2f support and fluid schediles. Online platform delivers most curriculum. F2F teachers provide flexible support as needed. Individual tutoring and small group discussion.Case study: Advance Path Academics. Use data to find struggling students, target assistance, then work at own pace on individual plan.
Self Blended: Stuents attend physical school while taking 1 or more courses online. Great for advanced classes.
Remote:Sometimes students are remote with a physical school check in schedule.
NextGen learning foundation. developing ideas and promoting blended learning. Gates foundation.
Do students need to be on site 5 days a week?
Some say NO. Wow, what a thing to think about. Currently blocks meet 3 times one week, two times another. A 4 day model would allow a 7-block schedule to meet Mon-thurs, all twice a week. Then Friday (or Wednesday), the students do online components of each class. Some students work well at home less than that, some need every day. Michael Horn, "Disrupting Class"
Standards for Online Courses:
www.iNACOL.org www.CLRN.org, etc.
Trying to provide standards to know, how engaging is a course? are the meeting online standards? if not, teachers would supplement. Do assessments line up with whats being taught? Are teachers trained to teach in online environment? Brian Bridges@CLRN Blog http://bbridges51.edublogs.org/
Where does mobile or mLearning fit into blended spectrum?
Need 1-to-1 access. Accessing things on multiple devices. tablets/pads consumption devices. still need a keyboard and laptop. quantity of writing every day is too much to do without a real keyboard. Devices can be multiple...many options. 2-1 program with both!
Challenges and pitfalls:
Jump in too quickly. Why in stead of regular? PD? Must have standards, must have training.
www.onlineprogramhowto.org has guide to k12online learning. Building, good start.
Example with small teams of teachers to bring technology in and go through the learning experience. Created an understanding that learning from few and building from bottom up. Let the innovators teach and show the others. organic growth. Some resistance comes from teachers of next courses in the sequence who are not comfortable with students coming to them after learning in a different way.
What are some ways a single teacher can begin to blend now?
Get students with you and run with it. But must do due-dilligence of reading, research, get PD, etc to make it effective. Invite the leaders above you to learn with you by sending them material, samples, etc.
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