Greenwood College School is utilizing blended learning to help personalize our academic program. Blended Learning at Greenwood differs from the blended models adopted by many other institutions largely because teacher contact time is not reduced. In this video the role of blended learning in personalizing education at Greenwood is explored.
In this year’s edition of our blog about teaching and learning, we hope to illustrate how Greenwood teachers and students put Dewey’s ideals into action, and in doing so, how we are preparing our students for the future.
Showing posts with label blended learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blended learning. Show all posts
Wednesday 5 December 2012
Wednesday 18 April 2012
Blended Learning Courses Help Students Better Organize And Manage Their Time
At Greenwood College School, one way that we personalize the student experience is through self-paced blended learning courses. Some believe that successful navigation of these courses requires students to be organized and have strong time-management skills. Although it can be advantageous for students to have these skills, I do not feel that they are necessary prerequisites. I believe that with proper guidance and support, the students enrolled in a self-directed blended learning course will develop these skills.
When we talk about personalizing a student’s experience in a course, we need to look beyond how they acquire course content and the explicit curriculum. Our role as educators is to help students develop the skills needed to achieve personal success now and in the future; skills such as working effectively with others, self-motivation, organization and time management. We cannot expect each student who enters our classroom to have mastered these skills.
Secondly, any teacher - whether the focus is on personalization or otherwise - can instill effective work habits in their students by establishing classroom norms and routines early in the year. In a classroom that has all students working on different tasks, strong classroom management affords the teacher the time and freedom to support individual students.
Students need to be taught a routine to start the class so that they effectively get to work. They need to know that productive conversation is encouraged but that while a teacher is helping others, the student will be held accountable to work effectively and quietly on their own.
Establishing these routines and norms often requires “policing” of students at the beginning of the year – a task that most teachers do not enjoy. However, once the classroom management is in place, the teacher can spend their time supporting both the curriculum and the growth of their students.
The combination of strong classroom management and blended learning materials creates an environment in which the personalization of more than the curriculum can take place. Within this type of classroom, students can both work at their own pace and obtain guidance as they better develop their organization, time-management, perseverance and communication skills.
When we talk about personalizing a student’s experience in a course, we need to look beyond how they acquire course content and the explicit curriculum. Our role as educators is to help students develop the skills needed to achieve personal success now and in the future; skills such as working effectively with others, self-motivation, organization and time management. We cannot expect each student who enters our classroom to have mastered these skills.
The beauty of a blended learning environment is that there is more space and time available to spend coaching students in these areas. Two examples of how a teacher can guide the development of executive functioning skills follow.
The first example involves a teacher in a classroom that has students working through material at their own pace. This teacher needs to identify which students have the skills to self-direct and which students need support. The teacher can then work with the individuals needing support to make a plan outlining which to cover each day both in and out of class. Eventually, this support should transition from the teacher helping the student create the plan to the teacher checking the student’s plan.Secondly, any teacher - whether the focus is on personalization or otherwise - can instill effective work habits in their students by establishing classroom norms and routines early in the year. In a classroom that has all students working on different tasks, strong classroom management affords the teacher the time and freedom to support individual students.
Students need to be taught a routine to start the class so that they effectively get to work. They need to know that productive conversation is encouraged but that while a teacher is helping others, the student will be held accountable to work effectively and quietly on their own.
Establishing these routines and norms often requires “policing” of students at the beginning of the year – a task that most teachers do not enjoy. However, once the classroom management is in place, the teacher can spend their time supporting both the curriculum and the growth of their students.
The combination of strong classroom management and blended learning materials creates an environment in which the personalization of more than the curriculum can take place. Within this type of classroom, students can both work at their own pace and obtain guidance as they better develop their organization, time-management, perseverance and communication skills.
Thursday 8 March 2012
Adapting to Meet the Needs of Personalized Learning
Those of you who have been following our blog on personalized learning will have observed that in order to meet the needs of personalized learning, the role of the teacher must evolve.
As Heather, Jennifer and Kyle have described in their entries, the shift in ownership of learning from student to teacher is at the heart of personalized learning. Aside from creating course content, teachers work closely with students on a range of learning needs. A teacher’s understanding of these needs relies heavily on the use of ongoing assessment, as the emphasis is more on student mastery of learning rather than coverage of content.
This change in emphasis is one of the more pronounced differences between personalized learning and a one-size-fits-all approach. Rather than staging evaluation in timed intervals (i.e. at the end of a unit), teachers instead assess student progress on an ongoing basis. These results are used to determine day-to-day student programming, with the student playing a far greater role in deciding what to do next.
Schools intending to move towards a personalized learning approach will need to ensure that teachers have the necessary time and support to refine their knowledge and skills, as the demands upon teachers to keep pace with this rapid pace of change will be significant. Schools may find as well that some degree of specialization within its teaching cohort is a more efficient way to proceed.
Presently, we are utilizing this approach at Greenwood. Our expert teachers are developing course content and teachers in the early years of their career oversee the face-to-face component of the classroom. Thus far, this approach has provided those teachers involved in the program with a great opportunity for dialogue and collaboration.
You can learn more about how the changing role of the teacher by listening to this NPR broadcast which examines the use of blended learning in Northern California.
As Heather, Jennifer and Kyle have described in their entries, the shift in ownership of learning from student to teacher is at the heart of personalized learning. Aside from creating course content, teachers work closely with students on a range of learning needs. A teacher’s understanding of these needs relies heavily on the use of ongoing assessment, as the emphasis is more on student mastery of learning rather than coverage of content.
This change in emphasis is one of the more pronounced differences between personalized learning and a one-size-fits-all approach. Rather than staging evaluation in timed intervals (i.e. at the end of a unit), teachers instead assess student progress on an ongoing basis. These results are used to determine day-to-day student programming, with the student playing a far greater role in deciding what to do next.
Schools intending to move towards a personalized learning approach will need to ensure that teachers have the necessary time and support to refine their knowledge and skills, as the demands upon teachers to keep pace with this rapid pace of change will be significant.
Blended learning provides an opportunity for a more sophisticated type of personalized learning. By placing the direct teaching and/or guided practice part of a typical classroom lesson online (as is the case with the Khan Academy videos), teachers free up class time for rich face-to-face activities which can be completed in groups or independently. Clearly, it takes a high level of teacher expertise to create these online videos and higher-order thinking activities.Schools intending to move towards a personalized learning approach will need to ensure that teachers have the necessary time and support to refine their knowledge and skills, as the demands upon teachers to keep pace with this rapid pace of change will be significant. Schools may find as well that some degree of specialization within its teaching cohort is a more efficient way to proceed.
Presently, we are utilizing this approach at Greenwood. Our expert teachers are developing course content and teachers in the early years of their career oversee the face-to-face component of the classroom. Thus far, this approach has provided those teachers involved in the program with a great opportunity for dialogue and collaboration.
You can learn more about how the changing role of the teacher by listening to this NPR broadcast which examines the use of blended learning in Northern California.
Friday 24 February 2012
Reflecting on the Direction of Personalized Learning
In previous blog posts, I have described how the blended mathematics classes at Greenwood College School operate. We are using blended learning as a tool to personalize the student experience by allowing them to work at their own pace through the material. These mathematics courses combine concept videos with inquiry-based activities, group work and problem sets. All material for a unit is available online for students at the beginning of a unit. Students can then work through the material at their own pace, spending more time if needed on some concepts or moving more quickly through other topics. The blended approach that we have adopted provides an in-depth online experience while maintaining the same amount of face-to-face time with the instructor.
I recently watched a video online called What’s Blended Learning? Ask Salman Khan. Khan is the founder of Khan Academy, an online resource predominantly for math and science courses. As I watched Khan share his ideas about blended learning, I began to reflect on how our blended mathematics courses fit into his model. Khan says that blended learning education should allow students to work at their own pace so that they can master concepts before moving on.
The end of Khan’s video has an excellent discussion on the breadth and depth of learning that can take place in a blended learning environment. He explains that the videos and technology can help take care of the concept development, but it is critical to have the human interaction with a teacher to push and guide students through solving more open-ended problems. Time for these rich teacher-student interactions is available when students are learning concepts through videos on their own.
As we move forward with the blended learning project at Greenwood College School, we want to focus on this aspect of how to personalize the student experience - creating more teacher-guided individual experiences for students to engage in deeper thinking activities.
I recently watched a video online called What’s Blended Learning? Ask Salman Khan. Khan is the founder of Khan Academy, an online resource predominantly for math and science courses. As I watched Khan share his ideas about blended learning, I began to reflect on how our blended mathematics courses fit into his model. Khan says that blended learning education should allow students to work at their own pace so that they can master concepts before moving on.
As we move forward with the blended learning project at Greenwood College School, we want to focus on this aspect of how to personalize the student experience - creating more teacher-guided individual experiences for students to engage in deeper thinking activities.
I was pleased when I watched this video to see that Khan’s opinion about where the blended learning approach should head in the future aligns with what we are doing in our mathematics classes at Greenwood College School. We are allowing students to work through material at their own pace. We are using constant formative assessment to gauge what students have learned and then we - as teachers - are striving to help students understand the basics before moving on to the next concept. By removing the need for all students to be working with the same concept at the same time, we are able to help students when and how they need it.The end of Khan’s video has an excellent discussion on the breadth and depth of learning that can take place in a blended learning environment. He explains that the videos and technology can help take care of the concept development, but it is critical to have the human interaction with a teacher to push and guide students through solving more open-ended problems. Time for these rich teacher-student interactions is available when students are learning concepts through videos on their own.
As we move forward with the blended learning project at Greenwood College School, we want to focus on this aspect of how to personalize the student experience - creating more teacher-guided individual experiences for students to engage in deeper thinking activities.
Wednesday 15 February 2012
Personalizing Content-Heavy Courses
The curricula for science and math courses often contain so much content that teachers find it difficult to complete the course by the end of the school year. They sometimes feel pressured to adopt a lecture-based approach and remove the activities that students enjoy such as labs, discussions, demonstrations or cooperative learning structures.
Even more challenging than covering all the required topics is finding a way to personalize this type of program.
A typical science lesson plan will often involve the introduction of several new topics, a few example problems, an activity and individual practice. However, introducing new topics regularly requires more time than planned as students have questions or a concept needs to be explained in multiple ways. When this happens, the lesson plan is adjusted in the moment and may result in shortened activities or some topics receiving less explanation.
By removing the classroom lecture and making resources available outside of the classroom, the fear of not completing a lesson in the time allotted is eliminated. In-class time can be used for discovery labs (where the concept is introduced and presented through a lab), games and group activities. Both class time and outside of class time can be used to work through interactive multi-media and videos.
For example, when a student has a question, they receive individual help from the teacher - but if another student knows the answer to the question they simply continue working.
Even more challenging than covering all the required topics is finding a way to personalize this type of program.
A typical science lesson plan will often involve the introduction of several new topics, a few example problems, an activity and individual practice. However, introducing new topics regularly requires more time than planned as students have questions or a concept needs to be explained in multiple ways. When this happens, the lesson plan is adjusted in the moment and may result in shortened activities or some topics receiving less explanation.
By removing the classroom lecture and making resources available outside of the classroom, the fear of not completing a lesson in the time allotted is eliminated. In-class time can be used for discovery labs (where the concept is introduced and presented through a lab), games and group activities. Both class time and outside of class time can be used to work through interactive multi-media and videos.
This approach has some similarities to the flipped classroom, as videos are utilized. However the role of the video differs with the technique I am describing as videos may simply act as an additional or optional resource to support another activity. This gives students considerable freedom with how and when they learn, which is not inherent to the flipped classroom.
This approach does require students to develop a specific skill set such as organizational skills, time management and the ability to be self-directed in their learning. However, by not having to sit through a one-size-fits-all presentation and having more control over their learning, students are able to progress more quickly through the material as the program is streamlined to fit their needs.For example, when a student has a question, they receive individual help from the teacher - but if another student knows the answer to the question they simply continue working.
The additional class time freed up by removing the lecture can be used to further personalize any program. In our chemistry class, we have divided the course into two sections: core content (which covers our curriculum) and contract activities (which allow students to explore topics of interest to them).
Some examples of the contract activities undertaken by students include conducting additional labs, performing class demonstrations, development of a video or other classroom resource, an independent study on a new chemistry topic, completing additional problem sets and analyzing the chemistry of cooking.Thursday 9 February 2012
Blending and Personalizing a Creative Writing Unit
One of the courses I teach at Greenwood is the Grade 12 Writer’s Craft elective. Students in this course either have an interest in creative writing or want to improve their writing. The units are organized such that students first encounter criteria for success in a particular form, read examples of that form by established writers and then write their own samples having explored good models. In a recent non-fiction unit, I had all the instructions and activities online so that students could choose two of three forms to study, and could work at their own pace using class time for peer editing and teacher feedback.
The first part of the preparation was done through collaboration with my colleague Kyle Acres. I prepared all the instructions and the content while Kyle created the online modules that students would use to access the materials and submit their assignments.
I noticed that even though peer collaboration was required, it was not as thorough as when I orchestrate it in a regular class. Students like to work online and tend to focus in on their own work. There are aspects of the writing process that demand collaboration and so I will need to ensure that it takes place in future blended units.
What the unit has shown me though, is which students can be allowed to move ahead more quickly with course content and which ones need more structure and reinforcement so that I can better personalize instruction. To readiness for content, I can also add readiness by organizational skill to create learning pathways for the class.
The first part of the preparation was done through collaboration with my colleague Kyle Acres. I prepared all the instructions and the content while Kyle created the online modules that students would use to access the materials and submit their assignments.
While all instructions were written, there was an audio clip at the start of each module in which I gave verbal instructions as I would have done in a live class. Since the module was laid out in sequence and online, many students completed the tasks on their own time outside of class. There were two places in the module where they had to collaborate with a peer. I used class time to work with students individually or in small groups to assist with their writing.
Feedback from students at the end of the unit indicated that they enjoyed the process and having control over the pace of their work. Some admitted that time management was a challenge for them and that the process allowed them to see where they needed to improve that skill. Students who need more verbal instructions found parts of the process a challenge, even though I was there in each class and repeating some of the instructions in that way. Students who were absent for one or more classes during the seven lesson unit were most disadvantaged because they did not get the feedback they needed during the writing process.I noticed that even though peer collaboration was required, it was not as thorough as when I orchestrate it in a regular class. Students like to work online and tend to focus in on their own work. There are aspects of the writing process that demand collaboration and so I will need to ensure that it takes place in future blended units.
I also learned that the executive functioning skills of time management and organization have to be reinforced continually so that all students can have greater success using this method. The students who possess those skills were more productive and had greater success while the others underestimated how much time each task would take. I appreciated how some of the more mundane instructional information could be put online either with audio or in writing, leaving more time for the one-to-one conferences that lead to better writing.
That said, however, I also found that I had to spend more time doing administrative tasks such as checking which tasks were completed and who needed reminders to submit work as everyone had their own schedule for doing so.What the unit has shown me though, is which students can be allowed to move ahead more quickly with course content and which ones need more structure and reinforcement so that I can better personalize instruction. To readiness for content, I can also add readiness by organizational skill to create learning pathways for the class.
Friday 27 January 2012
Using Blended Learning And Personalized Learning Simultaneously, Not Synonymously
As we talk to more and more people about what we are doing at Greenwood College School, I have noticed a misconception developing that personalized learning is synonymous with blended learning. This is not the case. Blended learning can be used to personalize a classroom. It can also be used as a tool in a non-personalized classroom. Personalized learning can be accomplished with or without the use of technology. However, many teachers find that technology is an incredibly useful tool for personalizing their students’ experiences. Hence, the two approaches are beginning to be thought of as one and the same.
Personalized learning asks teachers to get to know their students’ strengths and weaknesses. The teacher’s role is to guide the students towards challenge or support, depending on what is needed.
The senior mathematics classes that I am developing at Greenwood College School combine the two approaches of blended learning and personalized learning. Blended learning resources are used as the tools to personalize how students move through the course material. All of the lessons are videos accessed online. Class time is spent working on problems and activities. The difference between this and the usual “flipped classroom” is that the students are all working at their own pace. This allows them to work through the material in a personalized manner. Some students will work ahead and complete two courses in one year (Greenwood College School is non-semestered, so until now, students were only able to complete one course in a year). Other students will spend more time on certain topics, using their class time to get reinforcement from a peer or from their teacher.
Because technology is such an excellent education tool, more and more teachers are creating blended learning courses and courses that use the “flipped lesson” approach. Personalization is a way to meet the needs of and to motivate individual students. In the senior mathematics classes at Greenwood College School we are using both of these techniques simultaneously. We have seen that while blended learning and personalized learning are not synonymous, using them in conjunction gives the teacher time to work one-on-one with students and guide them in a direction that meets their individual needs.
Personalized learning asks teachers to get to know their students’ strengths and weaknesses. The teacher’s role is to guide the students towards challenge or support, depending on what is needed.
This can be done without any technology at all. For example, an English teacher might recognize that a student needs more support with writing an introduction and that another student needs to be reading a more challenging book. When the teacher acts on these observations, they are personalizing the experience for these two students.
Blended learning combines face-to-face teaching with technology-rich activities, such as online content videos and interactive activities. The “flipped lesson” is an approach being used in more and more schools. This approach has the students watch a video of the lesson the night before for homework and then complete problems or work deeper with this content while in class. Most often, the students are all watching the same video lesson on the same day and then completing the same activities when in class. This is an excellent example of blended learning, but it is not personalizing the students’ experience.The senior mathematics classes that I am developing at Greenwood College School combine the two approaches of blended learning and personalized learning. Blended learning resources are used as the tools to personalize how students move through the course material. All of the lessons are videos accessed online. Class time is spent working on problems and activities. The difference between this and the usual “flipped classroom” is that the students are all working at their own pace. This allows them to work through the material in a personalized manner. Some students will work ahead and complete two courses in one year (Greenwood College School is non-semestered, so until now, students were only able to complete one course in a year). Other students will spend more time on certain topics, using their class time to get reinforcement from a peer or from their teacher.
Because technology is such an excellent education tool, more and more teachers are creating blended learning courses and courses that use the “flipped lesson” approach. Personalization is a way to meet the needs of and to motivate individual students. In the senior mathematics classes at Greenwood College School we are using both of these techniques simultaneously. We have seen that while blended learning and personalized learning are not synonymous, using them in conjunction gives the teacher time to work one-on-one with students and guide them in a direction that meets their individual needs.
Monday 21 November 2011
Personalized Learning in the Math Classroom
Students enter our classrooms each year with a range of skills and confidence levels. These levels are particularly pronounced in subjects that build on past skills, as is the case with mathematics.
In most math classrooms, whether it is a required Grade 9 or 10 math course or a senior calculus course, we have a spectrum of needs. For some students math concepts are intuitive and easily understood. Other students struggle on the first step of an introductory problem. Students who grasp math concepts easily get bored and become disengaged when they have to wait for classmates to catch up. Unfortunately, we tend to pace our class for the typical student and this is slower than some students want and need.
Yes, we do structure our class so that the quicker students move on to the homework when they are ready, but they need more. They need a personalized approach. They need a program that allows them to progress at their own speed. They need a program that will keep them engaged and motivated in their learning.
Let’s not forget the students on the other end of the spectrum: the students who struggle with concepts, need a confidence boost and who need additional support. These students need a voice. They need to be able to talk about their work and to ask their questions without feeling that they are holding up the rest of the class. They need a program where the teacher has time to work with them as individuals or in small groups. They need a program that is customized to their needs.
By using personalized learning in the math classroom, the needs of both groups can be satisfied simultaneously. Currently, I am piloting senior math courses that use blended learning as a tool to personalize the student experience and enable them to self-pace.
Currently, some students are working ahead by a few days; some are working so quickly that they will complete two courses instead of one; while others are using the lecture-free class time to get support and have concepts reinforced.
I will talk more about how I am personalizing these senior math courses in future blog posts, but needless to say, there is a need for personalized learning in all classrooms, mathematics being one of them!
In most math classrooms, whether it is a required Grade 9 or 10 math course or a senior calculus course, we have a spectrum of needs. For some students math concepts are intuitive and easily understood. Other students struggle on the first step of an introductory problem. Students who grasp math concepts easily get bored and become disengaged when they have to wait for classmates to catch up. Unfortunately, we tend to pace our class for the typical student and this is slower than some students want and need.
Yes, we do structure our class so that the quicker students move on to the homework when they are ready, but they need more. They need a personalized approach. They need a program that allows them to progress at their own speed. They need a program that will keep them engaged and motivated in their learning.
Let’s not forget the students on the other end of the spectrum: the students who struggle with concepts, need a confidence boost and who need additional support. These students need a voice. They need to be able to talk about their work and to ask their questions without feeling that they are holding up the rest of the class. They need a program where the teacher has time to work with them as individuals or in small groups. They need a program that is customized to their needs.
By using personalized learning in the math classroom, the needs of both groups can be satisfied simultaneously. Currently, I am piloting senior math courses that use blended learning as a tool to personalize the student experience and enable them to self-pace.
Currently, some students are working ahead by a few days; some are working so quickly that they will complete two courses instead of one; while others are using the lecture-free class time to get support and have concepts reinforced.
I will talk more about how I am personalizing these senior math courses in future blog posts, but needless to say, there is a need for personalized learning in all classrooms, mathematics being one of them!
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