Blended Learning in Plain English

Louder version available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzVeA0hP_Tg

Inspired by Lee LeFever (@leelefever) when he did a talk at RCAC in London Ontario in early December, this video has been a labour of love as many people do not understand Blended Learning and I hope to rectify this.

Blended learning is a powerful change in pedagogy from the chalk and talk method of 'lesson delivery'. Teachers can embrace their inner 'Guide on the Side' instead of the 'Sage on the Stage' and foster inquiry, collaboration, and support the 21st century learner.

Please visit my website for examples of ways to blend learning and to optimize student engagement and acheivement - http://learninghood.ca . Check out my Scoop.it at http://www.scoop.it/t/blended-learners for articles and resources that support the Blended Learning movement.

- [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.