Supporting Teachers in Blended Learning

Environments Pat Errico, Asbury Park Instructional Technology Specialist

Heather Hay, Imagine Learning NJ APM

1. Defining blended

learning

2. Creating the foundation

3. Differentiating PD

4. Integrating the data

Today’s Topics

- Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, Blended Learning Model Definitions

Benefits of Blended Learning

Greater student access to high quality content

Embedded 21st century skills

Access to real-time student data

Access to flexible groupings and more opportunities for individualized instruction

Increased equity through instructional scaffolding

High levels of student engagement

Restructuring of face-to-face time for higher order thinking

Additional opportunities for teacher collaboration

Personalized learning for all students

Increase teacher efficacy

Increased student confidence

- National Center on Time & Learning, Supporting Student Success through Time and Technology

“…efforts are in vain if they are aimed at providing an even better way for students to do something that they were never trying to do in the first place.” -Michael B. Horn and Heather Staker Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools

Creating a Strong Foundation

“Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. By WHY I mean your purpose, cause or belief - WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care?” -Simon Sinek, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

• Why does your district/ school/ classroom exist?

• Ideally, what would you like to

offer that isn’t offered now? • Why is blended learning a good

solution for your school?

Given the competing demands on teachers, effective implementation requires that teachers understand how leveraging technology will support their current efforts and better the needs of their students. -National Center on Time & Learning, Supporting Student Success through Time and Technology (p 49)

Mindset and Pedagogical Shifts • Whole-group to small-group • Teacher ownership to student ownership of learning • Equal instruction in basics vs. increase in higher order thinking • Consistently adapting teaching practice based on data

- Education Elements and iNACOL, Understanding and Supporting Blended Learning Teaching Practices (pp 7,8)

- Supporting Student Success through Time and Technology, National Center on Time & Learning

Aides

Parents

Technology Department

Teacher Leaders/ Tech

Advocates

School Administrators

Planning for Thoughtful Training

and Professional Development

Self-Assessment for Professional Development

Topics Resulting from Rubric-Based Reflection

Project-based learning

Creating/ changing flexible groups

Skill-strand strategies

Classroom management for small groups

Building purposeful, quality stations

Sharing blended learning with parents

Guiding student goal setting

Empowering students with technology skills/ knowledge

RtI

Developing quality HOT questions and conversations

Encouraging student reflection

Integrating the Data

“…Teachers are more likely to think about differentiating instruction when provided with individual student-level data broken down by concept.” -US Dept. of Education, Teachers’ Ability to Use Data to Inform Instruction: Challenges and Supports, 2011.

Possibilities for Planning

• Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

• Ongoing coaching (master teachers and instructional specialists)

• Ongoing training sessions (after school, lunch and learn, early dismissal)

• Common planning data deconstruction

Proactively Supporting Progress • Measurement Tools

• Specific walk-through & observation criteria • Adapted lesson plan evaluation criteria

Kerr and colleagues (2006) found that district leaders communicate sincerity about the constructive intent of walk-throughs in several ways. One way is to focus walk-throughs on areas where teachers and site leaders have ample professional development opportunities and support to implement changes. … Leaders can also communicate good intentions by using high-quality data-collection instruments and training walk-through observers in their use.” - Jane L. David, What Research Says About…/ Classroom Walk-Throughs

Proactively Supporting Progress

• Master classroom observations

• Voluntary coaching

• Professional collaboration

• Ongoing coaching (master teachers and instructional specialists) with increased observation

• Feedback opportunities

Collecting Feedback

What Support Looks Like