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Topic:

Transitioning from Direct to Blended Learning in the Classroom

 

Potential Publishers:

Edutopia:

Edutopia seems to be the best fit for my type of writing and ideologies. I would not consider myself the most formal of writers and although Edutopia is a well-respected organization, I feel it allows for me to voice my opinions and thoughts as an educator a bit more than most. Below is the process for writing for Edutopia:

 

Send an email to GUESTBLOG@EDUTOPIA.ORG with “Guest Blog: [Proposed Post Title]” in the subject line, and be sure to include the following information:

 

• A few sentences describing your proposed post and a high-level outline (keep in mind that finished blog posts should be around 750–850 words)

• Links to any multimedia you plan to include

• A few words about the intended target audience for your blog (for example, high school math teachers, administrators, etc.)

• A roughly 80-word bio with details about your role in education

• Three to five links to other pieces (if any) you’ve written, particularly for academic publications

• Full disclosure of any commercial interest in any products or services mentioned

• Your Twitter handle (if you have one)

 

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM):

I follow NCTM’s website quite closely, however, they also have three journals that they publish articles by teachers in, they are “Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching in PreK-12 (MTLT), “Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME),” and “Mathematics Teacher Educator (MTE).” Based on their descriptions, blended learning seems as though it would be a fit for all the above. Each of the journals have guidelines for submitting. Their general description is as follows:

 

• NCTM's three journals provide guidance and resources for developing and implementing mathematics curriculum, instruction, and assessment that are coherent, focused, well-articulated, and consistent with research in the field. 

• Increased student learning can be achieved with the effective innovative practices found in our pages that bring a fresh perspective to the challenges of working with mathematics students in all grade levels.

• Some classroom teachers are intimidated at the thought of writing for an academic journal. As a first step, contributing to a department is a great way for classroom teachers to initially participate. Department editors are able to mentor authors one-on-one.

 

Connection to My Innovation Plan: 

My innovation plan focuses on utilizing a blended learning model in the classroom, specifically, at the secondary level in mathematics. The blended learning model is student driven promoting collaboration, communication, and problem solving/critical thinking skills, all of which have become a major area of focus following the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Where is the value?

Whether working directly with the blended learning model or just looking to create some flipped lessons to present content in a new way, educators are always looking to help one another. COVID-19 forced many teachers and students to be uncomfortable, but rather than reflecting on this negatively, we should take advantage of the forced change and build upon it. 

 

The Blended Appearance

There is no right or wrong way to implement blended learning in the classroom and not only will it look different from class-to-class, but it should! Differentiation is a buzz word at every level; however, it is also one of the most challenging parts of teaching. With many classes have 1:20 teacher to student ratios, meeting students at their level via a lecture/direct instruction format is essentially impossible.

 

Collaboration/Communication

At the secondary level, content aside, developing the interpersonal skills of students is instrumental. As the leader in the classroom, we are in a rare position where we can mold students year after year, however, it is important that we are keeping up with the times. Most schools have a learning management system (LMS) that students know how to navigate. Rather than simply using this as a place to house files, utilizing its many features allowing students to work together collaboratively or share their work with one another is a simple way to start. Additionally, many districts have the Google or Microsoft suite which is a great supplement to the LMS.

 

For teachers, the blended learning model is a great place for team teaching, the divide and conquer approach. One of the many tools used in blended learning is recording new videos (prior to class) to introduce new concepts. Although many choose to post these short videos on their LMS, they can also be shared on YouTube. Additionally, there are already countless videos uploaded to YouTube on almost any topic you can think of. 

 

Problem Solving/Critical Thinking

In a direct teaching model, productive struggle is often eliminated or forgotten. When students feel “stumped” it is for common teachers to quickly answer the question and move on to the next thing, even when they know this isn’t best for learning. The blended learning is student-driven, to the point where students could be working on completely different activities at the same. For this reason, there is more time for small group or individual conferences with students. Blended learning also allows for more discovery-based activities where the teacher is simply the facilitator rather than the instructor, mirroring the roll of the “grandmother” in Sugata Mitra’s ­“school in the cloud” (2013). When students take ownership of their learning, they gain a deeper understanding of the content and see its value and application.

 

Lessons Learned:

Blended learning may seem uncomfortable and suggest to some that you are even giving up some of your control of the classroom, however, it is not as different as one may think. I will be the first to admit that my math classes get monotonous at times, and at a surface level, the blended learning model avoids that. 

 

Organization:

Yes, implementing blended learning will require a great deal of time up front, creating lessons, finding resources, and setting up collaborative activities, however, all things take time. Changing the learning model does not require a change in curriculum. Many of the resources that you have been using for years can still be utilized, they just may look different. Collaboration with fellow teachers again can lessen the load and allows for activities/resources to be shared while also providing a sounding board to share feedback from students.

 

Your Learning will Mirror the Students:

I’ve talked about blended learning promoting collaboration, communication, and problem solving/critical thinking skills amongst students, but the same can be said for the educators leading the change. As classroom leaders, we are always adapting on the fly to the changes that occur from class-to-class, this will just look a bit different. Feedback and feedforward amongst peers is crucial. However, we must listen to the students and parents as well. Blended learning is not one-size-fits-all, which is one of the nice things about it, we must find what works best similarly to how we have done for years with direct instruction.

 

Digital Resources:  

All digital resources will have to be prepared prior by the teacher, so again, organization will be pivotal. For the teacher, it is important to start off basic and ease their way into it. Maximizing the apps available on the LMS and Google/Microsoft suite is a good place to start. Many of the LMS used by district have built in discussion boards and assessments tools that promote collaboration while providing a way to do quick formative assessments.

 

In a blended learning model, new content can be introduced in a variety of ways. In a mathematics classroom specifically, such as mine, I often rely on screen recording videos, voicing over PPs while writing on my iPad with my Apple Pencil. EdPuzzle works very well with PPs of this sort as it allows you to embed questions throughout to gauge comprehension. As I mentioned, there are countless videos on YouTube that have already been recorded. Desmos, for mathematics specifically, has many discovery-based activities where students must investigate to develop their own hypothesis.

 

Once the material has been taught, the practice/reinforcement activities can vary. Some of the quick multiple-choice options consist of Quizizz, Kahoot, GimKit, and Blooket. Most open-ended or discussion-based activities can live solely on the LMS, but Google/Microsoft Forms provides a ton of flexibility.

 

Wrap-Up:

Blended learning does not require a fresh start, but rather for us to adapt to where the world is moving. Taking advantage of the resources we have been provided with and the vulnerability education offers following the COVID-19 pandemic can start small but will lead big results. Differentiating instruction to cater learning to each individual student will allow students to buy in to the new format and feel that they are being put into the best position to be successful.

 

Arney, L. (2015). Go blended!: A handbook for blending technology in schools. San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass.

 

Mitra, S. (2013, February 27). Sugata Mitra: Build a School in the Cloud. YouTube. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3jYVe1RGaU