Blended Learning

Hi Everyone!

Wow! I can't believe that this course is almost coming to an end, I have learned so much over the course of these last few weeks!

This week we learned about blended learning which is a form of education that blends online and on campus learning in both content and instruction. Our class had the opportunity to experience blended learning, Pat provided us with a hardcopy and online worksheet that outlined five different stations that explained this topic. Blended learning is really unique because it allows for the students to study at their own pace online, but also allows students to engage with teacher in person. This type of instruction can be very useful in Math, as shown in the Blended Learning Unit for J/I Math video. In this video, through an online module, students are able to see the success criteria and learning goals prior to beginning online lesson. Then students engage in completing a set of variety of tasks such as e-practice and check own understanding. These types of tasks allow them to self assess and reflect. Finally, the module is completed in the consolidation section whereby students are able to make connections to other concepts. Allowing for students to go through this can be very helpful for them, however I also think that it is crucial, that in every online learning lesson students, students are given the opportunity to collaborate, share, and provided with rich final tasks that incorporate these types of applications they are using.

I felt that through my own experience, I was able to complete the assignment at my own pace, allocate my own time, and search for other resources to further my understanding on the concept. I think that blended learning can be particularly important in Math because students are able to take the time to read, reflect and discuss the content rather than being expected to understand instantly. Blended learning really provides students with an opportunity to really customize their learning which can contribute to their engagement. This type of learning is also mirrored in many high tech companies goals and strategies. To show an example of this, below is an infographic I found on the type of strategies that 'leaders' in organizations use to increase employee productivity:

(Google Images, Online)

Another important tip that I got from this week's blended learning experience is that when creating online learning opportunities, it is imperative that the teacher is cognizant of the applications they are using. That is, it is important that the applications, that one uses, work with the students and task that they help student reach those success criteria's. An amazing poster that I got from this week is the Pedagogy Wheel which lists the appropriate apps for the appropriate task. See below.

(Google Images, Online)

Bibliography

Carington, Allan. "It's about Transformation - In Support of Excellence." In Support of Excellence. Designing Outcomes, 22 Apr. 2016. Web. 7 Oct. 2016. <http://designingoutcomes.com/the-padagogy-wheel-v2-0-its-all-about-transformation-and-integration/>.

Sinclair, Ashley. "5 Tips For Success With Leadership Blends [INFOGRAPHIC]." Kineo. Kineo, 1 Apr. 2015. Web. 7 Oct. 2016. <http://www.kineo.com/blog/insights/5-tips-for-success-with-leadership-blends>.