Week 11: Blended Learning
Focus One:
· Why has blended learning taken off in recent years and become so popular?
· According to studies, blended learning tends to be somewhat more effective than online learning or traditional learning alone
· How can schools help support the move toward blended learning?
· How do you motivate faculty to engage in blended learning?
· Blended learning as a ‘gateway' for faculty to go fully online
· The potential for blending essential traditional classroom elements* into the online course environment to increase engagement and retention *(specifically, face-to-face verbal dialogue and social learning aspects).
· Handling push back from those who feel technology does not belong in the classroom
· What kinds of content should be online and what should be face-to-face?
I think blended learning has gained popularity because of the recent integration of online assessments, computers, and tablets into the classroom. Even before the pandemic, many public schools provided students with tablets to turn in assignments, participate in discussions/forums, apps, and use learning software to improve their reading skills. In addition, with schools closed due to the pandemic, classrooms were transitioned to an online setting which has given teachers experience that may be used to initiate blended learning in the classroom. As students go back to school, those who attend class on campus will have several hours of asynchronous time after meeting with their teacher. The majority will be spent working online. It seems like a form of blended learning.
I believe that blended learning is more effective because it increases engagement and allows students to go at their own pace. It’s difficult for some learners to sit in a classroom for long periods of time or keep their attention solely on the teacher. Providing them with engaging tasks and software where they can express their learning in many different ways is stimulating and beneficial.
Schools can support the move to blended learning by doing their research, providing teachers with tools, and inspiring their faculty. In some cases, the administration is quick to try new things without providing the proper training or the materials necessary. By supporting the teachers and listening to their questions and concerns, schools can motivate their faculty and facilitate integrating blended learning.
Schools that already have a blended learning environment may have been better prepared to go fully online during the school closures. I do see blended learning as a “gateway” but it’s not something that should be mandatory since research has shown that students learn best when they participate in both traditional and online classrooms.
I would prefer to keep discussions and verbal dialogue in the traditional classroom. I think students feel more encouraged to participate and ask questions. Many aspects of social interaction are lost through zoom and video chat. Collaborating in groups online is possible but students would benefit more from interacting with their classmates and teachers face to face. A reason I can see teachers moving face-to-face communication online is if they plan to record the discussion and allow students to rewatch for retention purposes.
The best way to handle pushback is to inform parents of the benefits. I think schools should hold presentations and meetings where they explain how and why the technology is being used in the classroom. Some concerns may be that their child is easily distracted with technology or that their child is too young. If teachers and the administration are able to have these open discussions it will resolve misconceptions and put parents at ease.
I think the majority of group discussions and face-to-face interactions should remain in class. Teachers are able to receive immediate feedback and can assess their students social-emotional learning. I think group projects and presentations can be moved online. If students can’t meet in person, they can go online and work through a collaborative document or presentation. It also puts at ease those students who may get too nervous to present when they are in front of the class.
Cindy, I definitely agree with you that blended learning is more popular now due to the pandemic a lot of schools that are going back have kids in the classroom either morning or afternoon and then go home and get online to finish up their day. Yes, kids are more engaged especially with all the online resources we have as teachers, technology in general, and all the great apps kids can use that are kid friendly and easy to navigate. I agree that we need research to be done and all of the resources we can get in order for us teachers to be as prepared as we can! For me, blended learning would work so much better because I have always been a slow reader so it will benefit me so much if I had this type of learning growing up where I read a passage and did not understand anything I just read and then will go back and by the time that happened the teacher will call out "time is up". We definitely need to keep the kids in school too! We need that face to face learning experience. Cindy you are right, I have seen so much loss on that conversation between teacher and her/his students due to being online only where kids are allowed to not have their camera on and tend to not participate, it is really sad to watch that. Technology is a must and I agree that we need to inform the parents and give them proof why technology is so important especially in today's world!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you blended learning is fast becoming a preferred teaching strategy for all grade levels. For the most part it is effective because it combines both the traditional face to face, in person instructions in the classroom and it combines the benefit of online learning mostly the part of using technology and addressing the needs of many students who strive more with online instructions, such as my children. The part that really helped my children is eliminating the test taking anxiety and participation in the classroom. Online they are participating without being afraid of being judged or being wrong, with their cameras off, they are expressing their opinion if they with too without feeling any pressure or being worried from bullying from other classmates. Online learning also helps children be responsible and have ownership of their learning, my girls for example learned how to manage their time and set some learning goals. They learned to attend class on time, make a schedule to finish and turn assignment on time, respond to the teacher’s comments and other classmates, work collaboratively with other classmates on some projects and be able to manage having time for their hobbies and exercise. My youngest developed a wonderful reading habit and my oldest found a passion for digital art so after finishing their homework, they pursue their own passions of reading and drawing. Blended learning also cut costs for the school and for the parents, for me personally for example, I do not have to buy a lot of stuff for my kids now which helped a lot in this pandemic. One more benefit that I liked from the reading is that blended learning increases collaboration, which is very true in our case as college students and my children case because we both have the flexibility to work within our schedule and with anyone else, we want there is usually more transparency when the entire group can see the progress.
Delete@Jacki Oh no! I'm sorry you had that experience. It's so sad when the students aren't able to go back and reread the text or need a moment to understand it but they need to move on. It's wonderful that online learning would let them work at their own pace and allow student's to set their own goals.I've been working in small groups and the lessons are tailored to each student's individual need. It helps so much to be able to acknowledge what they know but also individualize instruction by targeting specific needs. They have an app that takes the data from their assessments and provides games that work on the topics they are struggling with. It's really neat because I think many students would be discouraged if it had games that were more advanced or that dealt with topics they haven't mastered yet.
Delete@Team Old School I'm so glad to hear that it helped your children by lowering test anxiety, and helping them set their own goals! I definitely think blended learning builds a student's sense of responsibility. It's also preparing them for the future because as they get older they need to keep track of their assignments and projects. I've seen some great reading programs and learning apps that really engage students and help them improve. Digital art is such a great outlet for children. It's definitely something I would like to include in my classroom.
Maggy, I'm so glad to hear that distance learning has given your kids time to focus on their own pursuits. I also think that the money issue you bring up is so important. We are so used to everyone driving everywhere all the time, we just accept that as normal, but for equity and environmental reasons, I hope that we come out of Covid with some new ideas about how our world could work.
DeleteJacki and Cindy, I completely agree with so many of your points about blended learning. There are definitely pros and cons to both in-person learning and distance learning. Blended learning seems like it might really offer an opportunity to combine the best of both worlds. Some parents need school to be available full-time while they work, so I think there will always be full-time in-person school as an option, but I think it would also be great to see more flexible solutions available for families. BIPOC families, in particular, have voiced a preference for more distance learning options. I would love to see more data on this, as well as creative solutions. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/11/technology/remote-learning-online-school.html
As an adult student, I can absolutely see the benefits of blended learning. There are things I miss about being in class with all of you (robotics!), but as a mother, it has been so much easier to attend classes at night here from home. I'm a little nervous about how I'm going to manage everything next year when I'm trying to juggle my student teaching with my own kids' schedules and trying to get to CSUN for my evening classes. I'm hoping that they maintain some of their classes as an online option.
As Marc Prensky said in his presentation, we may well be on the brink of rethinking our education system. Covid-19 has been terrible in so many ways, but it could potentially reshape the way we think about a lot of our social structures, like work and education. Reading and writing and math will always be an important foundation, but technology and creative thinking/problem solving are becoming crucial skills. I'm wary of billionaires like Jeff Bezos wading into education. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/bezos-investment-in-pre-k-reflects-education-as-favored-cause-for-rich/2018/12 Billionaires rarely get it right when they mess with education. I think they often do more harm than good. My hope is that educators will take the lead on reshaping education for the future. Blended learning seems like a really important part of that.
I agree with you all on the benefits of blended learning. There are some experiences, particularly for younger learners that I believe are necessary to be had in person, but as students age this need decreases. Socialization is important and access to hands on materials is as well, but I am hopeful for what the future holds for blended learning. Like Em said, there have definitely been advantages to my attending classes at CSUN online in the evening, but I am excited to go back in person. I think in the future there may be more options and autonomy when it comes to choosing how we attend to our educations, regardless of age and grade-level.
ReplyDeleteBethany, that's a really good point about younger kids and socialization. I do think that is one of the most important aspects of school for them. I do think it's important for adults, as well. I was a freelance copywriter for many years. When I went back to work full-time, I remember feeling like I had to relearn a lot of social skills. I think that will be the same for many of us after Covid! I hope we don't get too disconnected from people, but I do hope we have more options for people. My husband is a continuation teacher and many of his students work and/or have children. I think a distance learning option might be very beneficial for some of them in the future.
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