Well, challenge one is that I have been recovering from oral surgery and am just now catching up. Teaching is interesting with a mouth full of stitches, but the students have been awesome.
Now, my real challenge:
Now, my real challenge:
My problem of practice is "How might we design a blended learning environment for my fifth grade inclusion classroom for math and science?" I do not, however want that to sound like my end goal is to push technology into my classroom. My reasons for wanting to experiment with blended learning is to better meet the needs of each individual in my classroom exactly where they are on the continuum of learning, and provide opportunities for each student to engage in learning and creation, to cultivate “grit,” and to be ignited with curiosity about the world around them, and know how to find answers. With increased numbers in my class sizes, and increased diversity of learning profiles, meeting individual needs is becoming very challenging. My hope is that blended learning, combining the resources of the web with face to face instruction, and providing opportunities for exploration and problem solving, will help us to achieve that goal of keeping every child engaged and learning.
Rosalind, I agree that meeting all students needs is really important and a challenge there never seems to be enough time to prepare lesson, but also for direct instruction with each child. Sorry, what is blended learning? My problem is also keeping every child engaged and learning especially the ones that are disconnected in some way. Sometimes I don't even know why I can't motivate the student.
ReplyDeleteBlended learning is some combination of regular face to face instruction and instruction through digital media/online tools. Most experts incorporate student choice and individualization into the definition, and there are are several models for how it can work. I'm thinking of the station model for my room, where students use the computers at one station, I instruct at another, and collaboration happens at a third. We will see…
ReplyDeleteRosalind, my school uses blended learning in their classrooms about three times a week. We do have problems with students who are in stations with technology. They have access to the app store with their iPads so they tend to play games then doing the assignments. There is no teach supervision so when the rotate to the next station the teacher does not know they have not done the assignment until they get to one to one with the teacher. Sometimes I believe some students are not mature enough to handle the independence. Most students do well with blended learning.
ReplyDeleteHi Yvonne, I am thinking of how to address the matter of staying on task. If we had not sold our school's soul to Google, I would use Edmodo and award badges. Since we are using Google Classroom instead, I am trying to build in a way for students to quickly and easily provide evidence that they have completed the assignment or reached a certain milestone or benchmark. I like using Assistments in math because the report tells me which students asked for hints, which students consistently got the incorrect answer, and provides timestamp data. For more open ended tasks, like a web quest, I am thinking of having students provide me with screen shots. They have had lessons in taking screen shots, but they are 10 and 11 years old. I may ask the students what ideas they have about providing evidence.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to following you, as I am going to be looking into flipped classroom I feel we closely connected!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of screen shots, my 6 year olds screen shot their work or scores in certain games and email them to me. While I am working in a group my computer beeps and I know that someone in the group is doing what they are supposed to be doing. It takes learning how to shoot the screen and email, but it is powerful. I have a feeling that blended learning will end up as part of my problem as well. That is a name put to everything I am thinking of.
ReplyDeleteI decided to test drive the screen shots this past week. It worked well!
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