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
The 88 Best iOS Apps For Mobile Learning Mobile learning is here to stay. Students and teachers alike can build entire libraries of apps and web tools that let them learn and do, well, anything. We’ve covered this just about every day and love finding new resources to share. So, if you haven’t yet, follow @edudemic on Twitter! Our friends at Online Universities took a recent list of top iOS apps that ran on Edudemic and turned it into a handy visualization that any teacher could refer back to in a time of need. Brain Exercises Take advantage of these games, puzzles, and other brain teasers to build general cognitive skills needed to process and retain necessary information. Quizzes and Flashcards Whether cramming for a class, heading down the self-taught route, or playing simple games with friends, the following resources bring familiar study strategies into the digital age. Math Overcome math anxiety — or indulge the love — through some of the iPhone’s diverse selection of tools to help that mind crunch some tasty, tasty numbers.
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
Mobile Learning in Action: Our 101 Favorite Apps | Best Online Universities Mobile platforms have opened the door to a whole new level of accessibility for educational materials. There are educational apps covering any subject matter imaginable, and the self-motivated learner has never had better options for learning on the go. Some of the best educational apps have been created to serve as an additional resource for students participating in more structured education programs. Students in traditional education programs or taking online classes can access a bevy of mobile supplements to their education, including: Plenty of apps also cater to independent learners who are not taking structured courses. From pocket atlases to games for learning a second language, there are educational apps for every conceivable subject. Calculators, unit converters, and self-contained Algebra courses are just the tip of the iceberg. Return to Top
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.
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.
BYOD Web Quest » Best Teacher Practices Greeting FVMS Staff. Today you will embark on a web quest. BYOD will be implemented in our school next year. Directions: 1. 1. 2. 3. 4.Nearpod - watch the following video and then explore Nearpod for yourself. 5. Conclusion Your analysis and evaluation for each resource will be written in your PLT minutes. 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.
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.
Professional Development Guide Blended Learning Toolkit | Guidelines on Learning that Inform Teaching