Creating Experiential Online Courses

Rob Darrow, ConsultantOESIS/Indian Creek, 2016

A Little About You

• K-3• 4-8• 9-12• Teachers / Others

Me: Consultant, BayArea BlendEd Consortium, Online School Principal, Taught Grades K-8, Adjunct Professor in California

Presentation and Resources

http://robdarrow.wikispaces.com/

My Belief: A Tipping Point

• K-12 Online Learning already there (close)

• Every school will become a blended learning school to better personalize learning for all students

• Ultimate goal: Personalized learning experience for ever student to best inform their future college and career choices.

The Ultimate School

Provides learning for students in the way they need it, when they need it:• Face-to-face• Technology Enhanced• Blended• Online

This is a journey, not a destination.It takes time to

transform thinking and teaching.

Myths: Online Courses

• Does not mean you never meet students in person (either f2f or online)

• Students at all levels value interaction with instructors and with one another

• Humans thrive and learn because of interactions with others (Instructor-Student; Student-Student; Student-Content)

What the student is doing and where the student is.

What the teacher is doing and where the teacher is.

What and where the content is.

Teaching and Learning

The BlendEd Consortium

(San Francisco Bay Area)

BlendEd CoursesCourses:‣ Open to 11th and 12th grade students.‣ Have 3+ spots reserved for each school in each class.‣ Rigorous, challenging, quality standards.‣ Designed and taught by our teachers‣ Take advantage of the unique local learning resources (f2f

field study experiences).

Question• Think about a course you teach:

what resources exist within 1-2 hours that apply concepts you teach? (e.g. if you taught U.S. History, visiting a Civil War Battlefield)

• Post answer online: http://robdarrow.wikispaces.com

BlendEd Course Design

• Built in f2f time online• Built in one-to-one / online

office hours• Built in field study

experiences

Field Trip vs. Field Study

Field Trip

• Viewing• Observing• Passive

Field Study• Applying a concept• Active• Lab based / project

based• Interact with

content or curator or researcher

Interactions

Online

VirtualSession

sF2F

Orientations

F2F

Modules & Content

Online

Class Meetings

VirtualSessions

Class Meetings

VirtualSessions

Student presentations & collaboration

Recorded Demos

Online

F2F Field Study Sessions

F2F

Bay Area Ecology: Overnight on Mt. Tamalpais

Hip Hop History:Viewing related art

F2F Field Study Sessions

F2F

- Organic Chem: Lab Meeting- Photo Course Outing

BlendEd Field Study

Students:‣ Attend 3-5 face-to-face (F2F) sessions per semester‣ Twice monthly virtual class meetings..‣ Receive credit on their home school transcripts.‣ Work actively, creatively, independently, and

collaboratively.

BlendEd Field Study

• Intentional• Related to Course Content• Provides f2f contact with instructor and

between students• Hands on / project-based learning• Increases teacher-student connection

Other Opportunities

‣ Virtual meetings with experts in the field (e.g. parents of students)

‣ Virtual field trips‣ Online global projects

Further Readings‣ Global Projects:

http://www.globaleducationconference.com/forum/categories/gec-2015-accepted-proposals/listForCategory

‣ Global Projects (Elementary): http://www.flatconnections.com/flat-projects.html

‣ Global SchoolNet: http://www.globalschoolnet.org/gsnpr/

‣ iEARN: https://iearn.org/collaboration

Measuring Success‣ Key success indicators:

- Real world experiences- Course catalog expansion.- Added value from teaching and learning in a new format.- Connecting with local resources + students from other schools.- Preparation for independent learning in college.

More info at:www.blendedconsortium.org

Whip AroundOne thought, comment, key point shared by everyone in the room.

Contact

Rob DarrowRob@onlinelearningvisions.com http://robdarrow.wikispaces.comBay Area BlendEd Consortium

www.blendedconsortium.org