Week 6 -- July 29th - August 4th Chapters 16 - 18
Can you believe it? We are on the last week of our book study!
In Chapters 16, 17, and 18, you read about innovative designs, growing up digital, and how to keep students from failing.
What stood out to you as you read those chapters? What, if anything, do you plan to do or use in your role with students?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Being an elementary teacher, Chapter 16 confused me or maybe I am gearing up for my new year and my mind is wandering too much as I am reading. Although on page 197, the paragraph that suggests giving the students choice to when to take their courses interested me. I can see it in a regular elementary classroom with small groups and pull outs though. Digital courseware does allow for more students to take a course where in a f2f classroom it would be limited. Like in college when a class closes out or isn't offered until a certain semester.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 17, I liked the reminder that we need to prepare of students to be digital learners. As the book said, kids are always on their phones, but it's not for education. I found this idea last year with my 4th and 5th graders. I didn't know what email was, or the variety of websites to research content and not to always pick the first google link. What I like about IVS, we have an Orientation/Introduction Unit, this gets the online students familiar with how their computer should be set up, how to navigate the course page and to participate in turning in first assignments. I need to plan something like this for my 4th and 5th in my f2f school.
In Chapter 18, I like the concept that Lindsay Unified School District has performance based education. i like the idea of students advance once they demonstrated mastery of content instead of being held back from or stalled until the whole class can move along. I felt the idea of removing grade levels was a good idea so kids could excel at their own paces. Think of the innovative learning that really could occur with something like that. I feel with how I teach art with the old kids in my f2f school they do have this opportunity. Each student has their art standards and may move in any order, any subject, any media, technique of their choice to apply what they have learned in our individual mini lessons with me or through tech.
When I taught high school art class, the more advance students were able work independently and was more performance based education. Some students concentrated in clay while others mastered oil paints. The students were proud of their projects and took all their finished projects home.
DeleteI agree! When it comes down to it, learners learn in different ways and paces. The ultimate result is accountability and feeling proud of one's work.
DeleteChapter 16
ReplyDeleteOur vendor courseware selection has some electives that students could choose from but most I believe tend not to take the extra classes but focus on passing the required coursework needed to graduate. The hybrid college design may work for older students such as Juniors and Seniors but I do not believe it would be suited well for Freshmen and Sophomores. They need a Monday-Friday routine and as they mature would do well with a flexible schedule.
Chapter 17
The idea surrounding students learn more if they are taught to ‘go slow,to go fast philosophy in learning any subject. It would naturally build confidence and encourage students to pursue many educational endeavors. There are a few students who are ready to graduate early using an accelerated program of study. The four C’s(critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity) are key in enriching a students learning. Pg. 224
Chapter 18
I am all about not allowing students to fail but the reality is that many of our students come to the school for reasons other than learning. School is a safe place, a social place, a place to eat, and if they learn something along with all of that it is a side benefit for quite a number of our students. We are dealing with high-risk, traumatized individuals who are doing their best to survive in the world they find themselves in. We, as educators, will continue to work on blending the digital curriculum, work one-on-one, and small group teaching as well as be in the classroom in the hopes that we can educate our young people in the subject we are knowledgeable in. I use rubrics in my classroom for each project they complete which is based upon how well they complete each requirement. It would be useful to try beginning the year by establishing learning goals/pacing calendar as the Lindsay Unified School District has established for each student and review the student’s goals on a regular basis.
Vschultz - your comments about chapter 18 - students come to school for many other reasons than to learn is a very true comment - at all ages. You listed some great reasons. Making connections with students does help them have more of a desire to learn - but it is not this way with every student. I had a student last year, who, if he showed up to class, he sat there and did absolutely nothing - I encourage, worked, helped, showed etc...trying to get him to just do anything but sit there. Looking back on all my years of teaching, he was a challenge that I could not reach. His counselor said that he was the same way with everyone - at home included. What can we do when faced with this type of student?
DeleteYou know Crisha...sometimes I am not sure but I do know you are a bright spot in many lives. I continue to be cheerful and encourage all students but occasionally I am 'stumped' as well. It is frustrating and I have sent students to the counselor for time alone because we all have bad days.
DeleteVschultz - thanks! for encouraging me - I stay positive, and encourage students because I know they come from all kinds of backgrounds, I want them to know I am on their side, there to help them.
DeleteChapter 18: I had a principal who always wanted to get to why a student acted they way they did. She would even say "they might not have had breakfast."
DeleteLoomis nails it in the first 2 paragraphs of Chapter 16! I especially love this…”An individualized learning environment that is based on entrepreneurial, creative, and innovation. It’s time to re-think the factory model of schools. To think outside the box.” (p.197) She emphasizes that digital learning doesn’t have to be limited. I appreciate knowing that the possibilities with digital learning are so endless.
ReplyDeleteAs the times are changing, so are our students and their ways of learning. Chapter 17 hits on the fact that we are living in a digital age. Even though most students have unlimited access to various types of technology, it’s important to remember that NOT ALL students have this privilege. I have a handful of students each year that are just learning how to use Chromebooks, iPads, desktop computers, etc. We have to be aware of this and be prepared to provide all students with an introduction to courseware (p. 213), regardless of their previous knowledge of devices and other programs.
The final chapter is titled “Don’t Let Students Fail.” What a fitting way to word it! As educators, it’s our duty to be sure that our students are mastering content, rather than blowing through it just to meet the standards. Using the CIA of blended learning requires us to find a balance of allowing our students to learn at their own pace while still providing teacher instruction where appropriate (p. 234). This can be a difficult concept for many of us, as we’re often set in our ways. Setting goals and sticking to them is the best way to ensure success in a blended classroom.
I too liked Loomis comment regarding "entrepreneurial, creative, and innovation." Also, what good is meeting standards if you are not competent and mastering the skills when they exit the course? You nailed it to Mrs. W!
DeleteFrom Shea-Alison Thompson
DeleteMrs. W, I wholeheartedly agree with your observation here. I can't tell you how many books address this factory learning model that we propagate. I'm discussing it in the book I'm writing as well. You are so right about some student having limited access to technology. This forces the educator to be innovative and creative, and not necessarily with technology. 21st century is not just about the tools. Great points!
Agreed! Time to start restructuring what education looks like in order to keep up with the quickly changing digital world.
DeleteI also loved the emphasis on the limitless possibilities with online learning!
DeleteI also agree with needing to make sure that our students DO know how to use the technology that we expect them to be using. It is easy to assume that everyone will already know what they're doing, but there will be students who do not, and who will need to be introduced before they can be successful.
I too love the idea that we as educators need to think outside the box and be more creative in how we teach, what we teach and how we grade....but there are so many obstacles lack of money, lack of technology and lack of backing by administration. While I have gotten a lot out of this book and am looking at blended learning units for my class this fall. I can't help but think that in order for this book to really benefit me as a teacher and my school as a whole, I need my administrators to read this book and get on board too.
DeleteLisa, we DO need inspired tech leadership in our buildings. If not the administrator him or herself, we need to hope they can HIRE a tech specialist with people skills to work with teachers on their desired classroom transformations.
DeleteGary Norris Chapter 16
ReplyDeleteI like the concept of Rolling Enrollment introduced on page 205. As an educator in an alternative school setting, our school experiences a constant flow of students entering and leaving our program for various reasons. Therefore, its important that we offer flexible and realistic course schedules to give students a better chance to complete credits. Also, the 9 week block scheduling is more palatable for learners who often struggle with attendance issues while an 18 week semester course becomes a dreary and almost impossible task for them to complete.
Hi Gary! I also think the shorter 9 week block scheduling would help students who consistently struggle with attendance issues. Is your school considering adopting these shorter opportunities to obtain credits?
DeleteGary,
DeleteOur online school has 2 different LMS systems and one does offer the rolling enrollment. It does keep me on my toes to keep track of when each student is enrolled as we are required to send out welcome information as they enroll. I have heard great feedback from parents and students that they like how they can get the course when it fits into their schedule.
A rolling enrollment is certainly advantageous in many areas, I agree. I'm also a huge proponent of year-round school to introduce more flexibility in scheduling and learning as well.
DeleteOur school has 2-3 LMS as well. This has positives and negatives with regards to innovation, but it seems that both staff and students adapt.
DeleteGary, in the online school where I teach, we have had rolling enrollments for a number of years now. It was an adjustment at first, but now it makes perfect sense and I have adapted my record keeping to be as streamlined as possible. (Believe it or not, part of that record keeping includes a faithful steno pad.)
DeleteChapter 16- This section mainly discusses what an “individualized learning environment” may look like. The comments about rethinking the “factory model of schools” (p.197) is definitely on that is being tested in schools across the country. Project-based schools, Mastery- based schools, online schools, etc. It is apparent that the traditional education system is flawed, but why hasn’t it changed?
ReplyDeleteThe main thing missing from this Chapter is the acknowledgment of the fact that in order for schools to change, society’s ideas of what school is needs to change along with it. There is still a vast majority of the public that views learning as something given to students in a familiar format.
Chapter 17- I really appreciated the discussion about Freshman year on pages 220-223! I work with Freshmen in my f2f school, and find Loomis’ observations about the additional support that they need to be true. Sometimes I feel like I spend the majority of time helping them learn how to be successful in High School than teaching my content area. Again, this makes me wonder and wish that my school had an Advisory period! I believe it would make the process easier for these students.
Chapter 18- Competency-based education is something that I have been interested in since I entered education. The traditional grading system that we have used is flawed and tells me little to nothing about what a student knows. Some schools have adopted the 50% instead of a zero and this seems to create even more apathy in students taking control of their learning. Where I have witnessed troubles in the discussion about what words like “proficiency and mastery” mean and what that looks like. The English Department at our school moved to a Proficiency-based grading system two years ago, that centered around students showing mastery over identified skills before being allowed to move on. Parents and students really struggled with this move away from “task completion” and traditional grades, but honestly the most painful conversations took place within the teachers in our district. The question of “what does proficiency look like?” turned into some heated and unnecessarily long meetings.
Why do you think the US struggles with the idea that schools need to evolve and change? Why won't we look at other models from around the world that are considered more successful than our own?
DeleteChange in education tends to take place at glacial speed. Many colleges of education are still training teachers for the 20th Century.
DeleteThose colleges who DO prepare digital teachers are sending those graduates out to schools mired in the past.
Chapter 16
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with the teacher having basically 2 sets of students each class period but what I do think is unfair is why one group is in the classroom 3 times a week & the other only 2. Are the students that are in the classroom 3 times a week just doing one day in the classroom using the computers. I know my children would all of rathered to be in the computer lab three times a week as opposed to only 2. How would that be decided who goes where? The luck of the draw? One part I don’t agree with is trying to do an entire semester class in the 9 weeks. I don’t think they can retain enough information in that short of a period of time. HOwever, if it was the right student who always excelled & studied hard I could probably make an exception.
Chapter 17
SInce I teach middle school I paid closer attention to the details in that section. I do agree that this age is not the time to do an independent study for most but I have had a few students in 8th grade that would have benefited from working ahead and have been successful working on other skills. I feel that if we had the digital courseware for that handful students it would be well used. I certainly would like to see my district implement a summer bridge program to help students with the foundational skills they need. I don’t teach high school but I know for my own children that digital courseware in Freshman year would have helped them immensely, and all the other years too!
Chapter 18
I don’t think anyone ever wants a student to fail! I definitely believe that digital courseware is the way to go to help students who may be falling behind or do not have the foundation that they need. I do think that having the right staff, with the right mindset, in the classes with the digital courseware is important. Lastly, as it said in the last chapter take your time and make the program work the right way, don’t rush!
Perhaps with a block schedule (A and B days), the alternating days on computer and classroom would work out better.
DeleteI had many questions about this chapter's ideas. It would be a great addition to the book club if we could have K. Loomis on a webinar once or twice as we discuss these ideas. She could probably help us out with more elaboration.
K. Green, I agree....slow changes and do it right. This book has given me so much to think about. I've planned two units that will use blended learning and I'm anxious to see how they go.
DeleteJo Dodds, yes I responded on another post how useful it would have been to actually see these things in action for myself or at least talk to someone who has successfully done them. Maybe a future plan?
DeleteKatie W.
DeleteI agree with your comments about the "summer bridge" program - great use of the courseware!
Three vs two days: Base it on 10 days (2 weeks). Then 3 days in week one and 2 days in week 2. So in a two week period, all students get 5 days in the computer lab.
DeleteGary Norris Chapter 17
ReplyDeleteIn the early nineteen sixties, the junior high I attended used a form of what we call today "blended learning.' Of course there was no internet at that time but schools began using television to deliver curriculum. I recall having a history class in a large auditorium with several classes participating. The class met once a week and the remaining weekly classes were spent in a traditional classroom. As a student, I enjoyed this format. Why, because the TV time was well organized as there several TVs placed strategically in the auditorium so that all students could easily view the program. Also, the program was appropriate for junior high learners. More importantly, we had a teacher who presented material that was interesting and designed projects that were fun to participate in. The day John Glenn was launched into space, the teacher brought the TV to our class so that we could view this event in real time. I think this is an example of a school system that properly planned how electronic learning would be administered, considered the age level of their students and assigned competent content teachers to oversee the program.
Were all of the teachers from the various classes present in the auditorium or did they have the classes monitored by just one teacher? I know my biology classes experimented with this idea a few times as several classes watched a common video.
DeleteCh 16—Innovative designs
ReplyDeleteI must admit this college hybrid design and mass hybrid design in a lecture hall fired me up. Not enough schools, not enough teachers, so let’s double up a teachers assigned student class load and let them lecture and then use digital courseware for assignments and tests, graded by the computer. This screams impersonal. What ever happened to building relationships with students? This type of student learning, to me, would increase the number of students not passing and having to do credit retrieval. What about hands on classes such as science? Pottery? Welding? I felt overloaded with 30 in a class! I can’t believe this is a suggested solution. Then AP by the handful implies that AP courses can be taught alongside a general ed class with the AP students “using digital courseware in the back of the room, with immediate access to the course instructor.” That doesn’t sound like quality education even with the AP designated courseware. All of these examples of Thinking Outside the Box seem to be more about solutions to overcrowding not about best strategies for student learning. I graduated from high school in Las Vegas. At that time, our schools had large populations but we had reasonable numbers of students per teacher.
Ch 17—Growing Up Digital
I couldn’t agree more that our students know there way around digital devices but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are digital learners. As K. Loomis has said in previous chapters, “go slow, to go fast.” Using a small pilot program makes sense, but let’s have students who volunteer to be in the new program. Several times I have seen online classes created for lack of hiring a f2f teacher and students moved into a digital course without consulting them. Many students are very unhappy and don’t do well.
On p. 213, K. Loomis suggests starting slow with an elective class as they can be fun and engaging. I really wasn’t sure if she was talking about a digital elective course being fun and engaging or a traditional course. Perhaps all courses could adopt more engaging strategies. I think the blended learning could be one of those strategies.
I agree that students should have an orientation before starting their online course. Too many students have the tech learning curve along with the content learning. It is hard to juggle both. I did find that this chapter was similar to previous chapters. Perhaps this book wasn’t meant to read from cover to cover but to use as a reference.
Chapter 18—Don’t Let Students Fail
K. Loomis starts off reassessing the purpose of school – to educate students, no matter what it takes. Families and students have so many more options now, including total immersion in digital online schools. Similar to many of Loomis’ models, at our alternative high school students can earn one credit every three weeks. They are in one class for that term and can earn the same number of credits at the end of a semester as a traditional school student. You know you have to be creative with learning strategies, including blended learning in this model. This is just one of the examples I know that really was thinking outside the box. Providing alternative education can also include using your community college for classes not provided by the school or online. It is an exciting time to be in education. I agree with K. Loomis’ bottom line that we want all students to be educated as our society gets even more complex.
I totally agree with Loomis that we have a responsibility to educate students not matter what it takes. And, you are right, we have options in education that seem to be popping up before our eyes. I like the idea of using community colleges and technical colleges to help educate these kids. I really think education for kids looks different to different educators. Try tell a group of English teachers that not every kid needs to read Shakespeare. It gets taught no matter what but the about half really read the assigned reading or care about the content. It is time to consider what education looks like for different students in regard to curriculum.
DeleteI agree that the information presented in chapter 16 seems to solve issues of too many students and not enough qualified teachers. It was a good solution for overcrowded schools, but necessarily what is best for students in general. It is difficult connecting with students when you have 30 in the classroom each period, there is no way you can really know how a student is doing when you have that many.
DeleteI agree with your sentiments about chapter 16 and doubling up on students and how this would not help to build student teacher relationships. One year, my school resorted to digital courseware because we couldn't hire a qualified teacher. Unfortunately, this was a disaster, as no planning had gone into the delivery of the courseware and students spent the majority of the class time playing games and watching ESPN. The most important thing I've taken away from this book is the need for organized and careful planning before course delivery occurs. Too often, that does not happen.
DeleteI have to say one teacher and 700 students in 2 semesters was a crazy solution, but desperate times require desperate measures. I hope that didn't become the standard for the future. I can see the benefit of auto graded assignments with immediate feedback or error analysis, freeing up time in the classroom where teachers have to the opportunity to discuss more deeply or offer projects the reach higher level of learning would be awesome.
DeleteGary Norris Chapter 18
ReplyDeleteCompetency-based learning systems provided a learning environment that stresses intense personalized instruction for a struggling student. I think the benefits of this method of instruction are that students with "gaps" in their education history can recover credits by mastering concepts at a slower pace. The key to success for a student is the amount of personal input from the teacher as well as a positive commitment from the student to take responsibility for his/her learning. Unfortunately, there will always be a student who has "shut down" academically and emotionally. They may in survival mode due to a dysfunctional living environment or suffering from the effects of mental or physical abuse. Whatever the reason, these students will require professional intervention, and I think teachers need to identify these students to administration who then can make recommendations for programs that might be more appropriate for this student. In our alternative school we recently had such a student who refused to engage at any level in our program. After trying several strategies to reach him, it was finally decided, with parental input, to investigate other resources which might he might connect with. He finally agreed to enroll in a military based program. Within a very short time, he became a model student and may be able to graduate on time. He visited us a few months ago and credited his success on a mentor/teacher who he connected with and thanked us for not giving up on him.
Thanks for sharing the story about this student Gary! I think all of us can relate in one way or another to a student like this one. I have found that the challenge in traditional schools is the amount of data that has to be gathered before administrators are able to address situations like this. The data gathering is very overwhelming and time consuming for teachers. Did your school have to go through the Response To Intervention(RTI) data gathering for this student?
DeleteI felt that these chapters did a great job in explaining why we as educators need to be looking and planning for the influx of technology. I think the most important chapter was the about not letting students fail. As the book mentioned, our traditional educational system leads itself to passing students that may or may not have successfully or totally mastered content...and yet they are expected to do well in subsequent courses. With schools that require sequenced courses (such as math) it is a tough for a student that struggles to pull a C to have a positive "go get em" attitude the following year in a more complex math course. I really liked the idea of quarter catch-up and I think that this would be an awesome way for students to really feel cared about and that schools were there to help.
ReplyDeleteI also think the chapter describing that just because students have grown up digitally does not mean they are adjusted to learning digitally. I think this is where a lot of teachers need to take a step back and really consider the use of technology in the classroom. As has been mentioned repeatedly in the book, it is too easy to "set it and forget it." But with students not understanding the system or lacking the motivation to learn digitally, frustration would inevitably ensue.
I agree that students need to show they have mastered the content before moving on - otherwise we are setting them up to fail.
DeleteI have to agree as well. Too many students get passed on when they have not mastered the content, and then expected to build on the knowledge that they never learned in the first place.
DeleteI really agree with the idea of going "slow" to start in order to go "faster" later in the journey. Giving both students and teachers the opportunity to understand the digital classroom and what it looks like, can prevent frustration/stress, can create a changing/open mindset,assist in incorporating digital content into the classroom, and help students/teachers in understanding how it works/expectations. Enhancing the learning environment through digital content is possible, but must be a process not to be rushed. I love the idea of a health/PE combo and offering various digital electives.I hope to see more digital Family Consumer Science course offerings because I think it is possible. In the school that I previously taught for, they were in just the beginning stages of offering blended learning courses. They started with a first year pilot program of teachers that were interested and did the same for the second year. I believe it is a process that takes time, planning, and preparation.
ReplyDeleteAs educators, if we allow students to fail, how are we preparing them for the real world? their future? I agree with the reading when it states, "We need to rethink the one-size-fits-all" idea of curriculum and learning spaces. We need to focus on individualizing learning for our students, create opportunities for engagement and mastery, which in turn will assist in preparing students for their future. I am eager to see and hear how digital courseware will continue to shape the future of teaching and learning.
Chapter 16: This book and this chapter have really gotten me excited about making changes in my classroom this year. I love the idea of allowing kids to set the pace as long as they reach the goals set. I like the idea of project based assessment but I am worried (as someone stated earlier) that the community and parents might not be on board with this. I wish that I could actually visit some classrooms that implement these ideas successfully. That might make it easier for me to sell to my parents. Any ideas?
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of some of the same things. I guess it is best to remember 'go slow, to go fast.' It would be great to see how it works with teachers that are doing it.
DeleteChapter 16-I love the idea of Project Based and adding this is one of my main goals for the upcoming school year, however, project based needs to be done correctly! We have too many situations where teachers think that by giving their students an assignment on google classroom and then letting them complete it at their own pace that this is project based learning. We have got to get teachers on board by providing them with lots and lots of professional development on how a Project Based classroom really looks, and continually providing them with the resources that they need.
ReplyDeleteChapter 17-As a late elementary and middle school teacher, I have maybe a handful of kids who are ready for digital coursework. I think it would be an excellent idea to put together some small groups and see how these students do in this type of setting.
Chapter 18-Our school continues to talk about standards and performance based grading. While I am ready to take this step in my classroom, I know that we have several parents and teachers who are not ready only because it is something new to them. If we take what our elementary teachers are already doing with performance based grading and add on to it, I feel we will have an easier time getting parents on our side.
Great ideas in entire book-can't wait to implement a few-but not going to rush anything!
Katie W.
ReplyDeleteChapter 16 - I do like the different options available to advance digital courseware, but I am still not sure about AP students working at the back of a regular classroom so that a teacher is available.
Chapter 17 - I think as someone stated above - the reminders of preparing the students and teachers (maybe whole staff and parents) seem worth repeating here. I like the idea of initiating courseware junior and senior year.
Chapter 18 - Overall - it seems digital courseware could enhance the lives of the students, teachers and their futures.
I am excited to see how I might advance all the advantages discussed in the book.
Chapters 16, 17, and 18 were my favorite weekly chapters/section of the book. Finally, I feel like ideas were presented in the book that were not solutions that have existed for a long time. These concepts were what I felt the entire book would entail and discuss. These chapters provided designs (hybrids and competency-based) that will help prepare students for their future. I believe strongly that all education should ditch letter grading and move to competency-based courses ,where students can learn at their personal learning rate. Since one student might move faster through math and another one English, what is wrong with that type of education at the student’s rate? Do we really care if it takes longer for one student to get through school than another? While competency-based courses are nothing new, the structuring of competency-based, hybrid courses with blended learning can be. What is old is new again! Competency-based courses can be reimagined. Who wants to pass students on with a grade, when they are not prepared for their future (whether a career, military, or college)? Who wants to have students move on to their next venture without competencies, while other teachers/schools may have higher standards and their students sail through the next venture and other students who lack competencies struggles in that next venture because they were not prepared? For this reason, I strongly disagree with Loomis (pg. 260) when she says that “students must show seventy percent mastery of one hundred percent of the content.” Why (if a state/school/district requires a course) should the percentage of mastery be so low? Seventy percent was the lowest percentage you could have to pass a course in the high school I attended. If the course is important enough to be required, shouldn’t we at least require an 80% or above? Doesn’t the word mastery mean a higher level than a little over guessing? If the student has the opportunity to continue learning until the skills/competency is accomplished, why shouldn’t it be higher?
ReplyDeleteA hybrid, competency-based program for required courses with a higher standard of passing all 100% of the content is what would help us ensure that we have prepared our students the best we can. After all, shouldn’t we be liable if our students cannot do what we have given them a diploma saying they can do, and we haven’t done everything we could to make sure they had that opportunity?
Chapter 16
ReplyDeleteLoomis says "Its time to re-think the factory model of schools. To think outside the box." (p. 197) While I agree with her, it seems a daunting task. The money, facilities and staff to maintain such a program seems daunting. She discusses different designs (I particularly liked the health/PD design) that could work in different schools. I do have to say that the large groups that sometimes she proposes these designs could serve seems crazy. But she still stresses the important of the teacher and how they craft lessons. "Finding the right balance between coaching and guiding students is the true art and craft of teaching digitally." (p. 204) And at the end of the chapter she states, "Ask yourself, "How can we use digital courseware for innovative program design?" In my school, a private school, I'm not sure that parents would pay to have their kids taught this way.
Chapter 17
It is true that we assume that all teenagers are tech savvy. But it is my experience that they all need guidance when it comes to taking an online class. A required orientation is so helpful! And even then there are students who don't read announcements or will miss aspects of assignments because they don't look at the instructions carefully. Students really do learn how to navigate the online course in addition to Spanish in my case.
She describes numerous ways to set up courses for grade level up to college.
Chapter 18
This chapter looks at competency-based system of learning. Learning is personalized by using digital courseware and "the teacher can focus on individual needs to help master course content." (p. 230)She stresses that no student is allowed to fail. I While this idea sounds intriguing, I am not sure my school is ready to take something like this on. I'd like to learn more about it and see how it has worked in other places.
Mary - we hear about thinking outside the box several times in this book. - it is encouraging that there were great examples given to help us to reach for this idea.
DeleteChapter 16: Innovative Design:
ReplyDeleteMy biggest takeaway from this chapter was "Think outside of the box". Several of the ideas in this chapter were geared for situations that I really don't have any control over - but I was encouraged by the using a lab rotation model to fit with my dental assisting classes as well as my Medical terminology classes. Since we are trying to prepare students for college, this would be a great fit. I also came up with an idea that would fit the semester electives - although my DA classes are year long- I could do a 9 week online and then 9 week skills - then do the same again the 2nd semester. My MT classes are a 1 semester class, so I think the rotation idea would fit best. Again - I am trying to think outside the box.
Chapter 17: Growing up Digital:
Orientation is huge! Teachers and students both need to go through an orientation process for this to be successful. We need to remember that we have done classroom orientation every time we start a new class - now it will be a digital version. Go slow, To go fast was stated several times in this chapter - a good point to remember when getting ready to make changes. I personally focused on the Blended Classroom information because this is what I am planning to incorporate - or introduce in the future. The college hybrid class was interesting as well, but I need to Go slow, to go fast....
Chapter 18: Don't Let Students Fail
The purpose of school is to educate students, no matter waht it takes. One-size will never fit all. We need to quit passing students just so they can move on. The goal should be DoK3 and DoK4 - to push students to create, design, justify and prove. Competency-based grading is in our future...so I need to allow myself to get over it and go forward, to learn what works and make it fit what I teach. In the end...a goal I would like to embrace is "students must take control of their learning. I ahve tried to teach this to students for several years, but am willing to push forward and keep improving what I have to offer to students. This book has given me a lot of food for thought. I have been thinking of creating a blended learning environment for a few years, but didn't know where or how to start. I have some tool to take with me and build on after this book study.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHi Crisha, I agree that we need to create a culture (that encourages students to take charge of their own learning). I truly believe that the success of any program requires all the participants (teachers, parents, and students) to work towards the same goals.
DeleteAgreed Patti. We can be the ones who care more than the students and parents, but at some point we need students on board with us. I see parents who care as much as I do, but without the student being involved, it is just caring not educating.
DeletePatti - very well said - all need to be partners - and unfortunately the one that lacks often is the parent's participation.
DeleteLori, yes, where I see the most success is when all are on board.
DeleteHaving had a 12 station STEM lab when STEM was in it's infancy, I am reminded on how much I relied on the management system. As I assume a new job teaching computer science and engineering to High School students I am thankful for the tips and talking points covered in Chapter 18. Technology learning is dependent on catching students who are discouraged and working with them to overcome obstacles. This course came at the right time. I can't wait until school begins in my new school to apply the management principles I learned from the book and others in this class. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading these final three chapters I am excited about the many opportunities that blended/online learning programs offer both students and teachers. However, with that the being said I am also concerned that some schools are still not leveraging technology to its fullest and simply focusing on the "junk and stuff" that Loomis talks about in Chapter 15. The "junk and stuff" look great and make for some great marketing opportunities.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me think about some of the technology I have seen in schools. For example, I remember when Smartboards were first introduced into classrooms - some teachers immediately adapted to using the boards and also allowed students to use the boards. For some teachers the boards brought a modern look to their classrooms, but were nothing more than an advanced whiteboard. In fact, some of these boards were eventually pushed into the corner or put into the bone pile of useless technology. I fear that this is still part of the problem with implementing digital content into classrooms today.
I did like the author’s 7 Steps to Program Design and believe these would be an excellent tool to use in developing effective programs for both students and teachers. Clearly, it takes a lot of time and patience to build quality programs. All stakeholders must be willing to work together towards a common goal and must recognize the road will have a lot of twists and turns!
From Shea-Alison Thompson
DeleteI agree, Patti, blended learning can be exciting. I also agree about the time factor. In my dissertation "time" was a utility value, meaning if we had more of it, we'd have more buy-in regarding new programs.
Sounds like a very interesting dissertation - "time" is certainly a valued commodity in education.
DeleteHi Patti,
DeleteI agree with your example of smartboards. Without professional development and continued education for teachers on HOW to implement the technology and continued reinforcement, the technology will simply be forgotten. Such a shame!
Chapters 16-18 In Chapter 17, the author states that the students are not digital learners, even though the are digital savvy. The students think they are "digital learners" when they google things. I work with early elementary students and they struggle to use a mouse in the computer lab, because their one to one devices are all touch screens--tablets, phones, etc.
ReplyDeleteI am excited to try out more blended learning this school year. I need to find more software/course work that tracks the students progress. The book and the comments were very helpful, thanks for everyone's input.
How do you think we can adjust student mindsets about what is digital learning?
DeleteChapter 16
ReplyDeleteWell...this chapter was a rough start for me this week. I feel like I’m lacking some sort of fundamental understanding on how logistically some of the author’s ideas would work in my F2F high school, as well as that fear I’ve already mentioned about how this could be used to cut back on certified staffing. I realize she proposes it as a way to meet understaffed areas, but I could so easily see how it could be used as reasoning to cut funding. Also, in my state, many of her ideas simply would not be legal in terms of classroom guidelines (as far as I understand them). As I’ve said previously, my state’s equivalent to a department of education for core content (and most classes except music), does not allow classrooms to go above 30 students, so her ideas such as mass hybrid in a lecture hall or college hybrid wouldn’t work. I also was confused as to how if it is school-implemented (not outside like IDLA or MTDA) digital content, how could the student numbers be sidestepped (I mean did the Government teacher end up having 500 students)? Would it still be counted regardless if it was F2F or digital? Who maintains these labs? Is it another certified teacher? A para? Who? In terms of mixing cores, the justification provided simply wasn’t enough for me. Why are we squishing two classes into one period? Why is this acceptable? How does this meet content time requirements? Anyway, I’m sorry for a mini rant, but this chapter was like several steps way back for me in terms of implementing blended learning into the classroom - she lost me quite a bit here. There was nothing from this chapter that I feel driven to implement at my school. Hopefully the next chapter will get me back on track!
Chapter 17
I liked many of the ideas the author presented in this chapter. The ones I would focus on if our school implemented blended learning would definitely be stressing the importance of a good orientation to all digital learning. I really like the idea of having an orientation that is separate from all classes that needs to be passed before students have access to any other online course. I have been astounded a number of times by students who cannot figure out the basics of how to navigate an online course - including all of the things that are absolutely essential to success in a digital course such as submitting assignments, creating discussion threads, or completing tests/quizzes, so requiring them to show proof they know how to do this? Amazing idea. Having a teacher around F2F to help any student that struggles with these basics also seems to be a super idea, so that a student can’t flounder around for days not progressing without someone noticing. I think one could argue that without successful courseware orientation in blended learning, there is a solid possibility for failure. I also liked the idea of AP and independent study courses being blended to increase the availability of courses to areas which might not be able to traditionally provide them! I’m glad this chapter made me conducive again to the benefits of blended learning.
Chapter 18
I will say a lot of what this chapter discussed would be beyond my ability to do anything about in my school - I can certainly share my opinions on competency-based grading and a minimum pace rather than a standard semester/quarter-based timeline, but I don’t have the power to actually force change. I understand the author’s reasoning behind each of these items, though I found myself much more willing to get on board with competency-based grading than minimum pace. I honestly don’t have a lot to say about this chapter, but I think it was a good one for her to end on in terms of “thinking outside of the box.”
Shea-Alison Thompson
ReplyDeleteI love how Loomis points out that with digital learning to support the traditional model, the classroom "no longer has four walls". This is definitely an innovative way of thinking about teaching and learning. And so simple. Yet so many teachers reject integration of something beyond the physical learning space. Another point Loomis makes is the IAEP model. This is a wonderful goal. A setback here though is personnel--enough counselors to track and facilitate this model.Loomis also makes several important assertions: start slow, magnify student ownership of the learning, reject the biased traditional model that supports "one size fits all".
What really stands out to me here is the notion of failing. Failing is necessary in innovation. But the type of failure we are discussing with students is the "F" in a course. This is a tough one. Sometimes, no matter how crafty the class design, there are underlying components that prevent students from having motivation or desire to learn in that setting. I do agree that meeting students where they are is critical in maintaining successful instructional delivery. This undeniably includes teacher professional identity shifts that support digital learning in a digital world. Students have to want to do what we're asking them to do. I would like to think that true innovation in this regard is providing a content-rich environment that students use to problem-solve. Problem-solving skills are a priority in today's economy.
In Chapter 16, I thought the lab rotation schedule that was modeled after college classes seemed to make sense. I think it goes back to teaching time management skills which are lacking in some of our youth. The idea of teaching 700 students seemed daunting to me but when the author broke it down I could see how it might be possilbe. The idea of half in the classroom lecture and half in the digital didnn't seem so drastic.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 17, gave me some good ideas for this upcoming school year. I thought it was a very good reminder that we should not skip teaching the basis for our students on the "how" to policies. Yes, our students are surrounded by technology but may not have the knowledge of how to read and submit emails, turning in electronic homework, etc. The author also recommends not to skip the orientation model at the beginning of the semester. The common idea again is blended classrooms work when there is a balance of face to face and online learning.
Chapter 18 I thought the idea of the time honored system and minimum pace concept was easy to understand but hard to change our minds around. The author states it best when saying" We are rooted in time" but what we should be saying is lets just keep pace and keep learning. No one should be left behind and if they can move forward let them. Another interesting point made by the author was that teachers have to buy into the digital curriculum they can't just pick "favorite lessons" to teach that are disconnected from the digital curriculum that makes the learning disconnected. What I took away from this book as an elementary teacher is that teachers are still important but our delivery and curriculum is changing we have to have both pieces working together to make it work. The digital curriculum when surrounded by teachers who are watching students learn and stepping in to help them makes this concept can make this successful. What is difficult for me to understand is how in such a small school we can make it work so we will need to "think outside the box " some more.
These last chapters were interesting and really made me realize how "old school" I am when thinking of how a student shows proficiency. I like the idea of competency based learning and also the flip classroom with two groups. My concern is will this divide students into groups where students may get stereotyped by how quickly they progress. I have been teaching 35 years, and I recall in elementary school a reading program call "Programmed Reading" with Sam and Ann. This was a competency based reading program in its own right. I remember how it divided the "smart" kids from the "average" or "basic". I don't think teachers thought about what it felt like for kids in the green book while others were in the blue and purple books. How would self-paced learning look without "labeling" students, or even making them less interested in school since their skill level is so obvious?
ReplyDeleteI had a similar concern about how students would feel when other students know they are moving slower. Kids can be cruel at any age, and that will hinder learning. Students will need to change their way of thinking. Can this be done at the secondary level or does it need to start in the elementary schools? I don't know.
DeleteThank you Dina. I was thinking I was completely off base. I do not know either, but it should happen as early as possible with the hope damage to self-esteem will not follow these kids through life.
DeleteIn Chapter 17 it states the “one place to stay away from in middle grades is independent study” and then goes on to explain how maturity level, even in the advanced students, is such that the students are looking more for the easy way to do things rather than trying to gain a conceptual understanding. I think this is also true for a lot of high school students (and even some college students). It is hard to stay motivated and on track in an independent study situation, especially if it is a subject that is not particularly interesting to a student. I know there are a few people who enjoy the independent learning and will challenge themselves to work hard and do well (and often finish quickly) but the majority of students need at least some guidance and teacher interaction and encouragement to stay on track and successfully complete the course. I know when I was in high school I did an independent study course my senior year and almost didn’t graduate because the course always took a back burner to everything else I was doing that seemed more important at the time. I did rush through the entire semesters worth of coursework the last week and barely earned a C but I did not retain any of the information and I certainly didn’t master any of the concepts. I believe a blended model would be a much better fit for most learners, and provide a better learning experience even in high school and college.
ReplyDeleteI believe that blended learning can be very useful for the majority of students, whether it be to help then relearn standards, make up content from missed days, move at their own pace, or cover a semesters worth of material in a quarter, however I am not convinced that it will help the students that are not motivated, not enjoying school, and not wanting to do the work. Just because it has a digital format does not mean it will be any more interesting or motivating for those students. I feel they are more likely to fall between the cracks. The book regularly mentions the need for authentic assessment. I don't think a computer graded assessment is ideal for most subject areas. Maybe if I saw a school that is implementing this it would convince me, but right now I am skeptical.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 16, I liked the idea of increasing the number of students who could be reached by a single teacher by using the flipped model where students working in one area on one day and then switched the next so they still had access to their teacher half of the time. i don't see this happening in my school, simply because our enrollment is so low.
ReplyDeleteI liked the concept of requiring an orientation course to the digital courseware. The online courses I teach require an orientation course before students are officially enrolled in my classes. I really like this as so many students don't bother to read instructions and simply assume they'll be able to navigate through the online course without actually knowing what they're doing (and then learning that they've failed). The orientation course has solved a lot of these kinds of problems. I've mentored students in my F2F school who have taken the same online courses I teach and I've watched them struggle though, because they don't even want to take the time to learn in the orientation course. The go slow concept is so appropriate!
In chapter 18, I liked the idea of using digital courseware as a bridge in the summertime. One summer when my son had fallen behind in math, I made him do Khan academy math to try to get caught up. While that program is free, I was thoroughly pleased with how well it helped him get caught up.
Chapter 16 laid out some great ways in order to implement certain types of blended learning. We need to start changing how we educate our students in order to meet them where they are in their learning. Students don't necessarily learn the same way we did and we are fighting the technology trends that we did not necessarily learn on (when you're my age). Again the only problem is the cost effectiveness for small districts. If there was a way for several districts to share perhaps that could be a solution.
ReplyDeleteThis leads into Chapter 17 with going slow into using the digital options. Students use technology all day long but not in a way that is conducive to learning effectively. They are using social media, etc. We want them to use the technology to learn but we need to make sure they understand what they are using so they don't get lost. I loved, "go slow, to go fast".
Finally, chapter 18, don't let students fail. As educators we need to want our students to do their best and to always learn. When they fail, we need to find out why, not just move on. Maybe they just need a little more help. Teachers also need time to learn the technology and how to use it to help their students.
I agree that we need to change how we educate our students. I am a fan of eliminating grades such as
Delete3rd, 4th, 5th etc. I think students should progress as they complete a level or section. If they move faster in math but need more time in English than so be it. Blended learning will help move to a mastery based learning option. Teresa Dodge
I have to agree, but do you think the system will ever be changed enough to eliminate grade levels?
DeleteI've been teaching for 16 years and have heard that we need to get rid of the factory model of teaching, but it hasn't happened. Maybe with computers and the internet it may be possible. We need to "think outside the box" as Loomis says. For that we need district and community support. I liked the idea of the one page informative handout for students and parents mentioned in chapter 18.
ReplyDeleteAnother idea I really liked was "go small, to go fast." This is important for building success, both with teachers and students.
I don't know if you I totally agree with don't let students fail. Failure is a part of life and can be a great learning opportunity. I agree with giving students multiple opportunities to master the material, but it is up to them to do it.
Josh -- I had similar thoughts on how we define failure in a digital era. Certainly motivated students should be given every opportunity for success. Enjoy the waining days of summer. Travis
DeleteHello --
ReplyDeleteChapter 16 opens with this statement: “An individualized learning environment that is based on mastery of content, not time in a seat will be better served in a society that is more entrepreneurial, creative, and innovation (sic)” (197). This phrasing is a bit awkward, but I get the point. My only push back, is that an education is made up of more parts that just ones that are quantitative. Students have important experiences and interactions that are not easily measured, but they are still fundamental and important for a student’s growth. For students needing to reduce their workload as an alternative road to success, the “three-block schedule” does sound manageable (206). I can see how alternative schools might adopt this sort of individualized schedule and how all schools can gain from considering this option.
The suggestions in this chapter to help a district “go slow, to go fast” seem sensible. I continue to appreciate the emphasis on an orientation. It is almost like a district needs to brand itself, and new students to the district or grade level need to be oriented to this brand. I also am interested in utilizing a blended environment to help create more “independent study opportunities (226). My ideal view of a blended environment is one that allows students more opportunities to pursue individual passions, not an environment that is primarily focused on mastery.
In the section from chapter 18 on “finding a balance,” the author states that in this “new style of learning...students must take control of their learning” (234). I certainly love the sentiment, but my concern is that too much focus on “competency-based” courses will condition a certain percentage of students into a narrow view of their education, where they are jumping through a series of predetermined hoops, and some students will focus too much on how quickly they can get through these hoops, not on the depth of their own individual learning. Ultimately, I agree that a blended environment is a key component to our continued reimagining of what a classroom can become.
I believe it’s absolutely important and necessary for us, as educators and even as a society, to reform the “factory model” mindset that American education has generally had for decades. This has been an issue for a long time now and more and more, educators are paying attention to it. It can be chipped away at by more educators adapting blended learning, as well as other various, non-traditional programs in their classrooms. Ultimately, however, for any meaningful change to happen will require administrators and government leaders to enact changes in their districts and states. Schools will need more resources. A larger overhaul of the education system will need to happen, and it certainly will not be easy.
ReplyDeleteIt’s very important for students to feel as though they play an important role in their own learning. The flexibility of blended learning, along with a level of freedom of choice, will help students take ownership. Many of the suggestions in these last few chapters can be implemented to assist with growing this mindset in students, especially problem based learning. Major shifts in education are necessary for us to move past traditional learning to a model that is more choice-based, strength enhancing, and inclusive.
David, I completely agree that their must be a major shift, that schools are going to need more resources and those will need to be made available through our administrators and government leaders and also there will need to be a shift in the societal mindset that the teacher is not the sole information giver...that students can and should utilize their resources to learn. The focus needs to be less on teachers teaching and more on students learning.
DeleteCh 16 Innovative Design
ReplyDelete“An individualized learning environment that is based on mastery of content, not time in a set will be better served in a society that is more entrepreneurial, creative, and innovation.” Pg 197
Blended learning is future, there is no replacement for the teacher, but the delivery will change. Proper courseware and authentic assessments are the key factors for success. Students should not be able to move or earn credit unless they score 75% or higher on all proctored exams, all exams should be proctored to ensure students are mastering their course.
Ch 17
I agree just because we are growing up digital, does not mean we are digital learners. Students will learn what they want to learn, or practice over and over to move up a level in a game, but asking them to learn core course like math, English, or science for the sake of learning will not happen.
Middle school is not the time to do an independent study, but could be an opportunity to experience on line learning either for Grade Improvement, Unit Recovery, Credit Recovery, or for the exceptional student independent study.
Ch 18
Don’t let students fail, I don’t think anyone ever wants a student to fail! Digital courseware is a way for students who may be falling behind or do not have the foundation to get the help they need. It is also the way for students to advance. Individual learning paths and the time needed for mastery should increase student success. Having the right staff and proper digital courseware is important. Digital learning is the future and as I learned earlier teachers cannot be replaced, it is nearly impossible to develop your own digital courseware, be sure to choose vendor courseware that offers analytics.
I agree that we should not just throw students into an online independent study course. I would like to see our middle level move to a gradual method where they are introduced, then given a blended course and then finally take a course online in 8th grade. In Idaho students have money which they can apply to online credits - thus they are free. It would be great to see more students utilize this.
DeleteWeek 6 -- July 29th - August 4th Chapters 16 - 18
ReplyDeleteWhat stood out for me in the book was…
• Lots of personal attention needs to be provided
• Manage time—student, instructors, school
• Schools and administrators don’t need be so afraid of on-line coursework.
• Designs that start small, then expand.
• Designs that mix and match
• Liked ALL the illustrations and suggested schedules
• Nice to know someone has already thought this out. Take a design and make it your own
I LOVED the first statement that today’s kids are digital, but that does not mean they are digital learners in Chapter 17. I used to teach computer classes to middle school students and parents would say to me “I bet they know more than you know.” Well, no they didn’t, BUT they were certainly not afraid of the computer.
The idea of going slow for the introduction/orientation, especially when they have a teacher to supervise. I teach an on-line class where I don’t see the students, so I often wonder how much time they take to go through the orientation, even though they have questions and discussions to answer about the orientation.
I think we are in the process of trying to figure out the best way to use digital learning and this book offered lots of ideas. I’m surprised we have not arrived yet, but it must be because we don’t know what to do or where to start. I’m glad to read the information in this book to see that it is not as overwhelming as we might think.
I agree about the knowledge of technology. I know most students and adults usually know enough information about technology or learning with tech to be dangerous, but not productive. We need to make sure we educate students on how to identify reliable tech as well as how to learn with tech.
DeleteOne of my favorite parts of chapter 18 is the statement that students must take control of their learning. I often hear students complain that they didn’t understand a concept or couldn’t do an assignment or didn’t do well on the test because “the teacher didn’t teach me that”. With blended learning students can and should be able to take control of their learning, they can go back and learn something they missed, or review something they are currently learning, or even move ahead to something that the rest of the class hasn’t gotten to yet. It doesn’t take the teacher out of the learning process but allows the teacher to be more of a guide rather than the sole giver of information. But it is crucial that the teachers have the digital courseware they need, they just don’t have time to create everything on their own. My goal is to go forward with the idea that the focus should be less on teachers teaching and more on students learning, and to begin to utilize the resources I do have to create more of the blended learning model in my own classroom.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the course ware is important so that students will be able to go on if needed. It is also important to teach the students how to use the course ware to go on, or review, or practice.
DeleteChapter 16-
ReplyDeleteRight off the bat I really enjoyed the quote stating that we need to teach our students how "to be successful in a future society..." (pg. 197). What strikes me most about this sentence is that it makes me reflect on our current system of education: are we teaching students how to be successful in today's world, or tomorrow's? And there's just no way around technology in tomorrow's world. The idea that I liked most from this chapter was the idea of a hybrid school allowing for lab rotations. I could see this work quite well in my f2f school. Through out this book I have dealt with a level of frustration at my lack of control over technology I can bring in to the classroom (due to funding and availability). However, nearly every school has a computer lab. Offering a lab rotation would open doors to numerous possibilities. Not only would it begin schools down a path to blended learning, but it brings continued reinforcement for students on a level that prepares them for the future.
I think the biggest thing that stood out for me was in the chapter growing up digital. I have tried to tell the counselors at my school for years, just because a student has a smart phone and plays games on the computer all the time does not mean they know how to use one for anything but playing. I hear it from parents all the time “my son should be doing great in your class he is on the computer all the time”. Playing games and surfing the internet is entirely different than knowing how to format a document for school, or use a spreadsheet for graphing numbers.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that there are so many ideas for different ways to effectively use digital technology in the class room. There are too many classes that have computers in the back of the room and they are never even used for school purposes. At my school some of the teachers that do not use the computers in the back have even had them removed. How sad is that?
I really appreaciated the last 3 chapters. I found it encouraging that it was stated to start off slow. Even though the students we are teaching now are practically born with a device in their hand it doesn't mean they know how to use that device for educational purposes. Making sure that each student is familiar with the program chosen rather than just giving it to them and saying "ok go". If we want to have digital classrooms we need to help them to become digital learners.
ReplyDeleteI also appreciated that Loomis points out that it doesn't have to be an all or none. I think exploring the flipped classroom would be beneficial for my students and that it one of the blended classrooms I plan on focusing on for a few chapters to test the waters.
Chapter 18 really wrapped it up for me. When all efforts are put forth there shouldn't be any students who fails. I don't know any teacher who wants a student to fail. Students need to show mastery of a skill before they move forward. A blended classroom will aid students who struggle with mastering a skill because it will allow them to contintue to go back and go over parts they might have missed or didn't make a connection with the first time. I agree 100% where Loomis says it "will require a huge mind shift" not just for us teachers but for everyone.
I keep coming back to student self-evaluation ruberics. Blended classroom or not I will definitely be using this as a check point and converation point with my students. If 50% of my class is evaluating minimal understandig on a topic that tells me I need to go back and reteach and try a different method. Student evaluations can easily be made on google survey where charts and percentages are provided for me.
I feel that this course opened my eyes to many things that I am already doing and didn't realize was blended learning as well as introduced me to some new ideas that may take time and effort but it doesn't seem so intimidating.
The bold "Think out of the box" and the different strategies really got me thinking about the ways I already implement technology. In the past few years my face-to-face school has gone to one-to-one. With this I have been examining and using different techniques to involve technology with the traditional. In reading the strategies it has helped confirm some of my choices, but also helped with some strategies to help the students improve. The biggest things I took away are mindset and helping students with time management. I really enjoyed reading through this and look forward to implementing some of these strategies.
ReplyDeleteChapter 16 - I like the different design ideas and I am trying to think how I can make them work for my courses.
ReplyDeleteChapter 17 -I love the first sentence in this chapter. "Today's students are digital, but that does not mean they are digital learners." I see this all the time. Assumptions are made that students know some basics about saving files in different format, uploading, etc and they are not capable because they have not be taught this. I think we need to remember that they need to start with the basics.
Chapter 18 - These are courses are meant to help students succeed but they need the foundation to do that. Teachers and districts need to provide that support. Which may include walking them through the basics to begin and helping pace them for success.
I like the idea of using the innovative approaches highlighted in chapter 16 if they are beneficial to students and help districts solve scheduling problems. I also think it is important to provide students with enough teacher assistance to make sure they have the help they need to be successful.
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense to carefully implement blended learning programs. It is important to help students learn how to be successful in the classes and select the best types of classes. Competency-based systems seem like a great idea as well.
Cathy Howlett
I found chapter 17 to be very eye opening in the idea that even though students are very skilled in cell phones/informal learning with the internet (i.e. Youtube tutorials) they aren't necessarily skilled formal learners. Realizing that there is a line between these two is an important first step when implementing technology into the classroom. Even though I don't have access to a blended curriculum in my f2f school, I do have access to some technology and as I reflect I'm wondering if I give enough courseware orientation. This is something I will pay more attention to as the new school year begins.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to point out that I really enjoyed the idea of a 'summer bridge'. If/when I have access to digital courseware in my f2f class I really would like to take advantage of giving students the opportunity to becomes better prepared for the next level of French!
"Don't let students fail". The beginning of chapter 18 really caught me off guard and made me raise an eyebrow; does anyone LET their students fail? Aside from that odd wording, I really like the idea of giving failing students the tools needed to succeed without having to redo the course entirely. There have been a few cases through out my years of teaching where digital courseware would have created a more favorable outcome for their grade and experience in my class.
ReplyDeleteNow that I am finished with this book and have spent some weeks reflecting on how the digital courseware could benefit my class, me, and my school, I am left wondering when funding will become available for a blended curriculum and I honestly cannot wait to implement it!
I felt like Chapter 16 and 18 were both great ways to end the book encouraging educators to “re-think the factory model of schools . . . and to think outside the box.” Yes, education has not changed much over the last 150 years. Why is that? What role does society play here? When we really think about it, the possibilities with digital learning are endless—not the same. As a face-to-face teacher of 27 years, I know that my students today are so different from my students of 27 years ago. Thus, I must be a different teacher today than I was from the start. What worked 27 years ago doesn’t necessarily work today. What works today may not work 6 months from now. Change is inevitable. For me, I believe the key is the word ENGAGE. If students are not continually engaged, they aren’t learning. Due to technology, today’s students expect to be engaged. What a better way to engage students than through digital learning and e-resources. Lastly, when digesting Chapter 18 and the concept of “Don’t Let Students Fail”, one size will NEVER fit all where education is concerned. Blended learning can certainly help bridge this gap in a positive manner when developed and implemented correctly.
ReplyDeleteP 204 "finding the right balance between coaching and guiding students is the true art and craft of teaching digitally.” I love this quote. The online teacher has to understand their role, the LMS, and how to help an online student. It is not a role of "here is the computer - I'll sit at my desk while you work."
ReplyDeleteI also like the alternate school schedule with reference to a daily goal setting, first thing, and then a goal reflection at the end of the day.
Ch 17 This chapter discusses all the different ways to help students recover credit. There needs to be flexibility and students still need to be held to standards.
Ch 18 Minimum pace - needed to keep kids on track but still allow some freedom. I did like that it mentioned a minimum proficiency of a C. My f2f middle school has standards based grading with 4,3,2,1 and the 1 - is equivalent to a D. Currently students with a D earn credit and move on - but teachers do not feel the student has demonstrated enough knowledge to be successful in the next level of the class. I’m hoping we will be able to eliminate the 1 on the scale and just have a 4,3,2 and 0.
The last few chapters were a gold mine of ideas. I am glad for the suggestion/mantra of “Go Slow to Go Fast”. It is a common theme within our district to find some new model or concept and jump into it feet first without much training or preparation. We tend to like the idea of having one or two teachers try a new concept, have them attend a few workshops, and then have those teachers train the rest of the faculty in the “Train the Trainer” type model. I appreciated how blended learning was broken down by grade levels and how it could be used in different ways in those grade levels. Though I am not an administrator capable of implementing these changes, I do favor the idea of beginning pilot blended programs in our freshmen campus. I think it would be incredibly beneficial for our freshmen to begin their high school career with blended programs that will use the “hand holding” approach to guide them into taking blended courses. Introducing them to it their freshman year will set the stage for them to be better prepared to take ownership of their learning, especially when they attempt to take higher stakes courses like AP bridges and graduation required classes such as Consumer Management and Government. Beginning the pilot at the freshmen campus will allow the freshmen teachers to become better acclimated to teaching blended courses and better able to help train and facilitate the blended courses at the higher levels. As a freshman teacher, it would be nice to be considered an expert or made to feel more valuable in the education of our students by being the first line of teachers to work with and improve upon blended courses.
ReplyDeleteAnother huge benefit that I saw in the final chapters is a possibility of dealing with a looming problem for my school district. Kendall County was the fastest growing county in the United States before the housing crash. However, Kendall County is growing again and that is leading to a population problem within our school district. It is inevitable, but eventually it will be necessary to build a second high school, though there is great fear and aversion to the idea of a Yorkville North and Yorkville South. Blended learning could be a bridge that allows the current high school to function despite the overcrowding that is taking place; it will give the school district more time to financially prepare for the construction of the new school, and it will create a large core of faculty that are familiar with courseware and blended classes. When the inevitable does happen and the new boundary lines for the district are drawn, we will see the transfer of both students and faculty who are well versed in blended classrooms in both buildings. This will be a huge benefit as the trained teachers will have established curriculum that they will be able to help the new faculty members implement.
I've been left wondering, as with every new education text that I read, whether or not all of these strategies and thinking outside the box is worth pursuing to its fullest. It seems that in my time teaching we've always been led from one adaptive strategy to the next without ever letting the previous one settle in. It's very true that all of our students theses days are digital kids, but is it really the best way to reach them on an educational level? Is having online or blended classes really a decent substitute for face to face instruction? Is a 1:1 school naturally better off than a school with only a couple of computer labs? In my online teaching experience I'm often shocked at how poorly these students are able to communicate. I can't count the number of no-subject, no greeting, text message style emails I receive from students who can barely explain any issue they're having. I have a lot of students who are happy to put their phones away, close their computers, and just learn. I don't mind that one bit. As with most texts, this book provides a good roadmap for creating and maintaining an engaging digital presence, but I think the practicality of it might be challenging.
ReplyDeleteChapter 16: This was a tough chapter for me to read. I would love to see our school implement one or two of these, however, it all comes down to scheduling. Unfortunately, in our small district, our K-5 scheduling is dependent on our junior high schedule which is dependent on our high school schedule (and vice versa). This is mainly because we share teachers throughout the levels. So, at this point, I can dream of chapter 16, but that is as far as it will go.
ReplyDeleteChapter 17: Courseware orientation is KEY! So many times we assume kids can figure things out on their own. I have found in my 17 years of teaching that students have a more difficult time thinking for themselves as the years go by. Starting small is essential, even though I like to jump in with both feet.
Chapter 18: Some people misunderstand the "do not let a child fail" statement. I have found that many students simply rush through things just to get them done and they don't care HOW they perform. These students need to realize that will not work in the "real world." If we let this go, what are we teaching them? There are, however, those who struggle no matter what. These are the students that need that one-on-one help in order to master the concepts. In this case, helping them to pass is a real motivator for them and something that can help with self-esteem. Competency-based instruction would be wonderful, however, there would be quite a push back from those who are used to the common letter grade. Standards-based grading would be necessary with competency-based instruction, and I'm not sure our small, rural community is ready for that at the high school level.
I was really inspired by the not letting our students fail. So inspired that I looked into it and found out that there is a consortium attached to LMS that allows the use of others materials. This allows be to create additional activities that students have to complete in order to retake. In addition to these activities, I have given the students a list of materials that they will have to personally discuss with me before taking the test over again. This allows me to make sure they are ready for the test and mastery of the subject has taken place. In addition, it puts effort on the student to require them to continue their learning of the material for more mastery of the concept not just a better grade
ReplyDeleteI really felt again like a lot of the planning and implementation comes down to administration. However, what I got out of the entirety of the book is that I need to better utilize the resources provided to me in terms of digital learning. If I am not going to be trained by my district, then I need to seek the information I need in order to best utilize the technology I have. I also agreed with the idea that often districts get this technology with no plan to keep up with the the upkeep of the equipment. For instance, we were allotted 11 iPads for our building a few years back. We had to go through a lengthy multi-session "21st century learning" course as teachers in order to be allowed to check them out for our classrooms. The course actually taught very little about the equipment itself and what was available on it. We had no clear or convenient way of getting apps we would like to use in our classrooms, were allowed no money to purchase apps, and free apps had to be requested in time for a district coordinator to have the time to "push out" the app to our ipads at our building as no one in our building was allowed to have the password to download the apps. In addition to this, each summer all apps were deleted from the ipad and you had to start from scratch. Eventually (and still), they ended up just sitting on a fancy charging storage shelf plugged in and used for kids that were stuck sitting in the office for the day instead of for actual instructional purposes.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to me as well how disconnected each district is in terms of technology. Some district/buildings still haven't gotten interactive white boards in each room, while others have had them for years and the kids are not really phased by them anymore. The same goes with 1:1 technology. Many schools are completely 1:1, while others are still working with a small number of desktop computers in their classrooms or no computers at all.
I believe that the ultimate decision is an administrative and at times, a legislative decision. Some districts and states have the luxury of a more efficient comfort zone in this area, and other are limited.
ReplyDeleteIn our district we do see progress with regards to one to one devices, but we also are heading in the right way. Again, fiscal limitations.
Not sure if I missed some notification but do we get a certificate that we completed the course and how many hours it was? Sorry for posting this here.
ReplyDeleteI have learned so very much from this book! I truly hope others in my building will be open to trying different options.
ReplyDeleteI am going to implement the use of technology to deliver the basic content so that I can build upon that in the classroom. I also plan to use digital content to supplement a student's learning when they are struggling. I feel that these are the best two places to start since I am only one teacher in a high school of 1000 students.
Hopefully the data will show that these are viable options for teachers and will spread throughout the building. Then, we can begin to implement other initiatives in the book.
I found this entire book very interesting and exciting. I am so excited to try some of the practices in my classroom this year. I am going to share this book with other people that I work with, especially my principal. I just finished up beginning of the year training, and I went to two different workshops that are very much blended learning. I will be re reading those pages, and implementing them with what I learned in my workshop for an exciting year.
ReplyDeleteThank you for another great book study this summer!!