by Sarah Rich, , Grade 2 teacher, RI:
I teach 2nd grade at the Paul Cuffee School in Rhode Island. Over my 17 year career, I have studied Blended Learning across all subjects and grade levels. One of the many reasons I am a fan of Blended Learning is due to the ease with which teachers are able to differentiate student work. In a Blended Learning classroom, students work at their own pace without knowing that they may be working on different work than their peers. Of course, to take advantage of these benefits, it requires some significant work on the teacher’s end to ensure things run smoothly. Here are 7 steps you can take today to set your class up for Blended Learning this school year.
1. Manage Student Expectations
If you are new to Blended Learning, it is important to impress upon students that you are BOTH learning something new together. Tell them that they are helping the school pilot a new important venture. By leading with this at the outset, you are able to engage students in the project and instill in them a sense of ownership. Additionally, it will keep you off the hook if there are any mix-ups and let’s face it, there are bound to be whenever we try something new.
2. Assemble the Right Classroom Layout
Since the nature of learning in a Blended Learning classroom is different, the classroom layout must be different as well. The classroom should facilitate collaboration in some areas while also allowing some students to work independently. This is particularly important in middle school and high school classrooms, which tend to be organized with desks in rows. I encourage teachers to group desks and to have yoga balls handy so students can sit and move around while working with others. If teachers have tables instead of desks, which cannot be put together, encourage students to stand or sit on the floor in groups. Teachers should also consider which areas of the room make sense for quiet work; remember to be creative take advantage of all the space in the classroom, including the front of the room usually saved for lecturing.
If I ever hear any comments about the “casual nature” of the Blended Learning classroom setup, I point educators to the research which confirms the positive impact on productivity from nontraditional work spaces. Like adults, student learning can also be positively impacted through movement and new perspectives.
3. Develop Routines
Routines are essential to a successful learning environment in a Blended Learning classroom. However, establishing these routines takes time and a lot of repetition. With middle school and high school students this is particularly important and tricky as class time together is limited in these grades. Do not be tempted to rush through the implementation of these routines at the beginning of the year. Invest the time in establishing procedures now so that the rest of the year will run smoothly. And it is essential to review the procedures frequently to keep it fresh.
Procedures should include the following:
- Devices: how to hand out devices, how to use devices, what to do when an adult is talking
- Headphones: how to wear them, what to do when an adult is talking to you, how to carefully remove and store them for others
- Moving around the classroom: how to walk safely with devices, how to sit, what voice level to use during transition
- Clean up: how to clean up and log out the right way to prepare devices for the next incoming student.
4. Establish a Blended Learning Classroom Culture
The right classroom culture is essential to successful Blended Learning. Students must take ownership of their own learning and feel empowered to help students around them when the situation calls for it. I find that it is imperative to review Digital Citizenship every year. It is also important to discuss the benefits of Blended Learning to allow every student to get the personalized practice they need. Teachers must talk with students about the importance of respecting each other's space and time when they are working alone as well as the appropriate way to work in small groups.
Another strategy I use to support this culture of student ownership is by introducing student coaches. I find that it is easy to identify students who are more comfortable with certain products or tools. I recognize these experts as student coaches with visors that say “expert” on them. For older students, you could place a trophy or a statue to symbolize that they are the “expert” for the day. Students can ask these coaches for help not only to keep students engaged but also to allow the teacher to work one-on-one or in a small group with students who need it.
5. Engage Parents
Educating parents about the importance of Blended Learning and the unique work they will need to do at home is essential at the beginning of the school year. I find that Open Houses are a great place to demonstrate tools students will be working with. I like to get parents signed up with their own accounts on FreshGrade at this time which allows me to communicate with parents and share classroom happenings and student progress. This is also a good time to demonstrate websites like TenMarks Math and show how students will use it in the coming year. I also share videos recorded in class during work time to help parents visualize what this kind of classroom environment looks like in practice. I also like to make one of the first homework assignments a letter explaining to parents the benefits of Blended Learning. It empowers students to send this important message home while giving parents the important information they need.
Of course the nature of Blended Learning requires that students do some prep work at home the night before. This can be a challenge to parents who are either anti-devices/technology or who do not have access at home. To accommodate these unique family circumstances that students have access to the computer lab before or after school. I also encourage students to use a parent’s smartphone if there is not a computer at home and they wish to view a playlist that might help them with homework-videos created by me.
6. Find Balance
Even in the Blended Learning classroom, hands on activities are essential to allow students to learn using different modalities and to support all learners. I try to incorporate a wide variety of activities to allow for balance even in a Blended Learning Classroom.
7. Use a Variety of Tools
I use a wide variety of tools in my classroom across subject and content areas. Here are a list of some of my favorites:
- TenMarks Math: I love the exposure the students get when questions are asked in different ways. Students get the options of hints or a video for ones they are struggling with.
- FreshGrade: Student digital portfolios. Parents and students can comment too. Excellent grading capabilities too. One of my all time favorite apps. Transformed my year as far as communication goes with parents.
- Blendspace: An excellent resource for building playlists.
- Buncee: This is a great resource for having students (any age) design projects. It’s similar to Google Slides but it’s Google slides on steroids.
- Padlet: It’s like a bulletin board where everyone can share their thoughts and ideas for all to see. Great for students and teachers. I add a padlet at the end of the playlists I assign for homework too.
- Do Ink (green screen, Ipad app): This enhances and project. You can change backgrounds, even put a video behind the student.
- Explain Everything (Ipad app): Also an older app for Ipad but I love this too. I’ve used it for years and teach almost every lesson using it. Great for children’s projects too.
- ShowMe (Ipad app): An oldie but goodie. This is great for students conferences. I record it and parents can see how the student solves a math problem with my support.
As you get started on the Blended Personalized journey remember to pick one or two things to focus on between September and December. It could be a tool you’re implementing or a specific model of Blended Learning. I think Flipped Learning or the Station Rotation Model are the best to begin with. I hope this will help you get started. Once you start you’ll wonder how you taught without Blended Learning.
Sarah Rich is a founding member faculty member of the Paul Cuffee School in Rhode Island. She has been teaching for 17 years. She is a recent graduate of the Highlander Institute's Fuse RI program. Sarah teaches using a flipped learning model with playlists. Her students use a station rotation model for math and literacy. Sarah’s strengths are classroom management in a 21st century classroom and parent engagement.
