- [Jennifer Faulkner] You've heard the words
They say it can increase student engagement and achievement
and that it meets our students needs and learning styles.
But have you ever wondered what is blended learning?
This is Blended Learning In Plain English,
inspired by Common Craft.
To make sense of blended learning,
we must first get an idea of what blended learning is not.
Let's look at the revolution of teaching.
1801: Invention of the blackboard.
Read the passage I have written on the board
and answer questions one through five.
1960: Invention of photocopiers.
I've run off some worksheets for you.
Read the passage and answer questions one through five.
1985: First computers hit schools.
I've used a computer to create a worksheet.
Read the passage and answer questions one through five.
Now we have even more access to technology
from personal laptops, smartphones, and tablets
in our hands and those of our students.
The use of technology needs to be harnessed
in a way that fosters the inquiry process for students
and engages them in the learning process
that prepares them for a future that isn't here yet.
I've created a webquest. Turn on your computer
and follow the prompts to find questions
one through five and answer them.
But wait! If we use technology like tools in the 1800s,
has teaching even changed?
Have we created conditions for
success for our 21st century learners? No!
This is not blended learning.
This may be substitution of one tool for another.
It might be a step in the direction towards blended learning
but it's not true blended learning.
Blended learning is a mix of face-to-face teaching,
or traditional teaching, with the use of
21st century tools in a digital environment.
The digital environment allows students who process
information more quickly to have access to relevant
materials immediately, while exploring and learning
in a non-linear fashion.
The digital environment is called a
learning management system, known as an LMS.
Learning management systems allow teachers to create
virtual classroom space for students
to join their learning together.
It builds a community of learners.
An example LMS is Desire2Learn, or D2L.
D2L has the same features as a physical classroom,
without the walls and paper.
An LMS functions as a classroom with lessons, discussions,
Dropbox, grades, quizzes, portfolio,
class calendar, locker, checklists, glossaries,
any web 2.0 tool you can think of.
Web 2.0 tools can enhance a learning management system
by expanding the potential within the learning environment.
It can allow a student to demonstrate their learning
in an alternate form, or medium.
Examples of these tools might be Prezi, Glogster,
Slideshare, Vuvox, GeoGebra, LinoIt, VoiceThread,
Evernote and Dropbox, Scoop.it! and a multitude
of Google apps that can be used for just about anything.
Think of all the technology our students have access to.
Personal laptops, tablets, smartphones,
mp3 players, video recorders.
As a teacher, how do we use these
tools to our students advantage?
We use blended learning!
We'll meet the students in an environment they're familiar
with, help them develop proficiency with tools they may need
in the future, and we'll support their inquire process.
Blended learning fosters creation,
the highest order thinking skill on Bloom's taxonomy,
and lends itself to differentiated instruction.
Blended learning also strengthens connections with
parents, as it makes the classroom walls more transparent.
Blended learning is awesome!
I'm Jennifer Faulkner, and this has been
Blended Learning In Plain English
inspired by Lee LeFever and Common Craft.