Blended Learning

What is it

Really?

What is it?

• Blend learning• Different things to different people• Engages students• Technology

Definition

• “Blended instruction combines the best of empowering technology and human touch so we can help each student learn more than ever before.”

– Alex Hernandez, partner at the Charter School Growth Fund

Benefits

• Additional courses• Flexibility• Scheduling• Variety of experiences• Personalized learning• Use of technology

Models

• A Rotation Model– Station Rotation Model– Flipped Classroom Model

• Flex Model• Self-Blended / A La Carte • Enriched Virtual Model

Elements For All

• Group Work / Collaboration• Differentiation• Discussions– Community of Inquiry

The Key

The key to ensuring that blended learning is beneficial to students is to focus on how it enables personalized learning and instruction.

Best Practices

– Relationships + community = student success

– 4C communication, collaboration, connections, celebrations

– begin early include all stakeholders– be consistent– remain open – be encouraging

– celebrations build community and confidence• celebrate daily• collectively and individually• involve everyone• big and small successes

– students who feel connected are successful

– makes learning personal– ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

Best Practices cont…

Teacher Skills

– Confidence• Felt like 1st year teachers

– Reflection– Willingness to collaborate– Willingness to take risks

• Allowing students to take ownership• Allow them to grow on their own• Become a coach• Need to teach students how to do

– Willingness to be a learner• Dedicated to working hard • True grit

Blended Learning in Practice

Fraser Valley Distance Ed

• Online and paper• Online and classroom• Flipped learning• Field trips • Project based• tutoring

Riverside Virtual School, California

• Blended Model has taken off• Enrollment types– Self paced– Full courses – Flexible scheduling

• Hybrid– 60/40 split• Core academics at RVS• Athletics/fine arts at HS

RVS

• Concurrent Program–Semester based

• Blended Learning–flipped classrooms–Combination

RVS

• Students can be at the school as much as needed

• Avid online program for Middle School

– Get kids to make a Wordle on who they are– Post it to mural.ly– Cyber lounges

• Face to face place to go for online students• Retired teachers to moniter the cyber lounges

– Use remind101 for text messages to kids– Use calendar to communicate with kids for

special things to send out auto messages when you want

– Design the program, then add the tech.

Example Class

• One learns people through the heart, not the eyes or the intellect

– Mark Twain

Think About