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- [Jennifer Faulkner][br]You've heard the words

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They say it can increase student[br]engagement and achievement

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and that it meets our students[br]needs and learning styles.

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But have you ever wondered[br]what is blended learning?

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This is Blended Learning In Plain English,

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inspired by Common Craft.

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To make sense of blended learning,

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we must first get an idea of[br]what blended learning is not.

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Let's look at the revolution of teaching.

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1801: Invention of the blackboard.

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Read the passage I have[br]written on the board

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and answer questions one through five.

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1960: Invention of photocopiers.

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I've run off some worksheets for you.

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Read the passage and answer[br]questions one through five.

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1985: First computers hit schools.

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I've used a computer[br]to create a worksheet.

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Read the passage and answer[br]questions one through five.

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Now we have even more access to technology

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from personal laptops,[br]smartphones, and tablets

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in our hands and those of our students.

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The use of technology[br]needs to be harnessed

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in a way that fosters the[br]inquiry process for students

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and engages them in the learning process

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that prepares them for a[br]future that isn't here yet.

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I've created a webquest.[br]Turn on your computer

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and follow the prompts to find questions

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one through five and answer them.

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But wait! If we use technology[br]like tools in the 1800s,

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has teaching even changed?

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Have we created conditions for

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success for our 21st century learners? No!

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This is not blended learning.

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This may be substitution[br]of one tool for another.

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It might be a step in the[br]direction towards blended learning

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but it's not true blended learning.

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Blended learning is a mix[br]of face-to-face teaching,

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or traditional teaching, with the use of

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21st century tools in[br]a digital environment.

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The digital environment[br]allows students who process

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information more quickly[br]to have access to relevant

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materials immediately,[br]while exploring and learning

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in a non-linear fashion.

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The digital environment is called a

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learning management[br]system, known as an LMS.

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Learning management systems[br]allow teachers to create

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virtual classroom space for students

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to join their learning together.

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It builds a community of learners.

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An example LMS is Desire2Learn, or D2L.

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D2L has the same features[br]as a physical classroom,

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without the walls and paper.

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An LMS functions as a classroom[br]with lessons, discussions,

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Dropbox, grades, quizzes, portfolio,

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class calendar, locker,[br]checklists, glossaries,

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any web 2.0 tool you can think of.

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Web 2.0 tools can enhance a[br]learning management system

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by expanding the potential[br]within the learning environment.

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It can allow a student to[br]demonstrate their learning

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in an alternate form, or medium.

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Examples of these tools[br]might be Prezi, Glogster,

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Slideshare, Vuvox, GeoGebra,[br]LinoIt, VoiceThread,

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Evernote and Dropbox,[br]Scoop.it! and a multitude

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of Google apps that can be[br]used for just about anything.

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Think of all the technology[br]our students have access to.

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Personal laptops, tablets, smartphones,

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mp3 players, video recorders.

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As a teacher, how do we use these

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tools to our students advantage?

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We use blended learning!

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We'll meet the students in an[br]environment they're familiar

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with, help them develop proficiency[br]with tools they may need

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in the future, and we'll[br]support their inquire process.

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Blended learning fosters creation,

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the highest order thinking[br]skill on Bloom's taxonomy,

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and lends itself to[br]differentiated instruction.

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Blended learning also[br]strengthens connections with

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parents, as it makes the[br]classroom walls more transparent.

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Blended learning is awesome!

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I'm Jennifer Faulkner, and this has been

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Blended Learning In Plain English

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inspired by Lee LeFever and Common Craft.