Last week I took a look at the big ideas and major takeaways of EC&I 834. It has been great to connect with all of you. You have helped me create an online course for the grade one students in our school division and I look forward to continuing to develop and use blended learning with our youngest learners.
I have really enjoyed reading your blogs, following your tweets, and our breakout sessions in zoom. I look forward to crossing paths with many of you again sometime soon!
I always love writing these posts at the end of Alec’s courses because it is amazing to see and reflect on the amount of growth that has happened over the course. This course was extremely challenging for me as I am currently on maternity leave (and my 9 month old is a stage 5 clinger… and my almost 3 year old is much better. haha!). At the same time, I am so proud of what I accomplished this course. Creating my online course will not only benefit me, but also all grade 1 teachers within Regina Catholic schools (and really any other teachers using a word study program) because all of my lessons are shareable and editable.
At the beginning of this course we were asked to list our main goals for the course. I have listed them below and have reflected on them and how I progressed this semester.
My number one goal for this course is to get through it without missing a deadline and being able to produce the quality of work I am used to producing! (YES! I did it. I was able to keep my deadlines straight in my head and did not miss an assignment, WOOHOO!). Three other goals I have are:
I feel like this course went by in the blink of an eye. Here is a quick timeline of the major takeaways from the course related to designing for online and blended learning.
What is Blended Learning? from The Learning Accelerator on Vimeo.
My mind was blown away with the learning activities we did together in our first class. I have taken other classes with Alec before, but it just seemed like doing group work and connecting with others was SO easy and natural in the course. In our first class we worked in breakout groups to define what is blended learning and online learning. At the same time, Alec polled Twitter to get their definition and within a few minutes we had a collaborative document that was created by 25 individuals and a twitter thread with multiple responses. I was very excited to see what the rest of the course would entail.
I really like this definition of blended learning by Vaughn, Cleveland-Innes, and Garrison:
Blended learning can be defined as the organic integration of thoughtfully selected and complementary face-to-face and online approaches and technologies. A direct result of the transformative innovation of virtual communication and online learning communities, blended learning environments have created new ways for teachers and students to engage, interact, and collaborate.
One of the most crucial readings to my development this course was the Tony Bates Chapter on the continuum of technology-based learning.
Blended learning can include a wide variety of designs. One of the best things about this course was seeing the wide variety of courses designed by my peers and all the different ways ( CMS/LMS/VLE and selected platforms) their online courses would take place.
‘Blended learning’ can mean minimal rethinking or redesign of classroom teaching, such as the use of classroom aids, or complete redesign as in flexibly designed courses, which aim to identify the unique pedagogical characteristics of face-to-face teaching, with online learning providing flexible access for the rest of the learning.
One of the most challenging (and rewarding) things done this semester was creating my content modules. I thought this would be fairly easy when I first looked at the assignment, but after many, many hours of work, edits, and design, I found that perhaps creating an online course is more work than teaching F2F. I feel like a lot of the work in in an online course happens at the “design” stage and you really need to think of what you want to accomplish in your course and how you are going to get there. BUT… once you create your online course you can use it again, again, and again. So it is worth it to put in the effort at the beginning.
I really liked having the opportunity for some free exploration this semester to look at creation tools, open content resources, and tools for videos, audio, and presentations! Being on maternity leave basically back to back has left me feeling a bit in the dark and the opportunity to explore these tools will help me a great deal when I get back into the classroom!
One of the BEST experiences in the class was reviewing my peers courses and receiving the feedback on my course. This was so valuable as I was able to see what my peers were doing and also reflect on the changes I needed to make my course better. This feedback was really a game changer in my online course and if you look at my first submission to my final submission, you will notice that A LOT has changed.
The community created in this course was one of the best communities I have had in my graduate studies and it was through an online course. I really appreciated the time to do breakout sessions with my peers where we could discuss and work together to deepen our understanding of blended learning. I enjoyed connecting with everyone on Twitter and working with my PLN to find and share resources on blended learning. And I enjoyed reading everyone’s blogs to see how their journey was going this semester as well.
Here’s to one more week!!
“Innovation is a process, not a product.” –George Couros
Creating my online course did not happen overnight, it has a been a journey over the last few months learning new and innovative technologies, figuring out what I should focus on, and trying to make this online course usable for 6 year-olds.
The importance of creating smaller learning cohorts within the larger classroom environment is critical to a balanced literacy program. By creating smaller learning communities, the teacher is able to customize and personalize instruction for individual students or small groups. A first grade classroom brings a wide range of abilities, especially when it comes to literacy. Using blended learning and specifically the station rotation model, an educator is better able to accommodate and engage the individual learners as you are able to customize the lessons to the individual students. This course is a blended course using a station rotation model, which includes online instruction, teacher-lead instruction, and collaborative activities and stations. There will be a set time for face-to-face instruction, followed by online work. Students will be divided into groups based upon their reading level.
Below you will find my journey as I worked towards the product for my major project for EC&I 834. To see the final product , which is still a work in progress (I will continue to chip away at the remaining modules over the next few months), please download a copy of the online course. Please click the links below to see the process of completing my final project in more detail.
Please watch the screencast below for an inside view of my online course.
* You can also find this post on my EC&I 834 Major Project page.
This week we learned about the online collaborative learning. Harasim describes online collaborative learning theory (OCL) as:
a model of learning in which students are encouraged and supported to work together to create knowledge: to invent, to explore ways to innovate, and, by so doing, to seek the conceptual knowledge needed to solve problems rather than recite what they think is the right answer. While OCL theory does encourage the learner to be active and engaged, this is not considered to be sufficient for learning or knowledge construction……In the OCL theory, the teacher plays a key role not as a fellow-learner, but as the link to the knowledge community, or state of the art in that discipline. Learning is defined as conceptual change and is key to building knowledge. Learning activity needs to be informed and guided by the norms of the discipline and a discourse process that emphasises conceptual learning and builds knowledge.
(Harasim, 2012, p. 90)
When teachers are able to create a course that is well organized and encourages active participation and collaboration the OCL model can improve conversational learning, allow opportunities for deep learning, develop academic knowledge, and knowledge construction. Bates reminds us that discussion forums are not an addition to the curriculum, but rather the core component of the teaching. Bates says, “it could be argued that there is no or little difference between online collaborative learning and well-conducted traditional classroom, discussion-based teaching.”
When teachers successfully create an educational community of inquiry in the online environment, students are able to “collaboratively engage in purposeful critical discourse and reflection to construct personal meaning and confirm mutual understanding” (Garrison, Anderson and Archer, 2000).
With online collaborative learning, the aim is not to replace the teacher, but to use the technology primarily to increase and improve communication between teacher and learners, with a particular approach to the development of learning based on knowledge construction assisted and developed through social discourse.
(Bates, 2015)
… so how am I going use online collaborative learning in my course prototype with Grade 1’s? Hmm… honestly when I first started thinking about this question I was stumped. Creating a community of inquiry is rather challenging in the primary grades to begin with and takes a lot of practice, so to implement this successfully online will be an added challenge. Because of my demographic, we will be focusing on using one app to learn an master to encourage student-to-student, student-to-instructor, and student-to-parent interactions.
Seesaw allows students to share their work, and specifically encourage individual 
reflection and peer feedback. This will be modeled by the teacher and practiced as a group to ensure that feedback is meaningful and purposeful. The structure I plan to use to encourage authentic feedback is 3Cs and a Q. In the Seesaw app, teachers have the opportunity to review any comments before they are posted to ensure that feedback is constructive & appropriate.
Seesaw will also be used to collect work and give direct private feedback to students. I plan to push assignments to students for them to complete and turn in via Seesaw, creating a place where students and teachers can interact around their work. The beautiful thing about this app is that while I am busy with other students during guided reading, I can still see what students are working on after they submit their assignments and post to their account.
Lastly, Seesaw will allow me to communicate with families and keep them in the loop on the learning their child is doing at school. Students will add posts to Seesaw that they are proud of in a self directed way, as well as work their teacher has assigned allowing families to provide immediate feedback during the day or ask them about it that evening.
I feel like Seesaw really fits my purpose of my course module and allows me to create a community of learners that support each other and learn from each other in an online environment.
References
Bates, A.W., (2015) Teaching in a Digital Age. Tony Bates Associates Ltd.
Garrison, R., Anderson, A. and Archer, W. (2000) Critical Inquiry in a Text-based Environment: Computer Conferencing in Higher Education The Internet and Higher Education, Vol. 2, No. 3
Harasim, L. (2012) Learning Theory and Online Technologies New York/London: Routledge
This past week we had the experience to receive feedback from our peers on our online course. Receiving this feedback is so valuable to me and I truly appreciate the time and effort my peers put into looking at my course with a critical eye and providing me with the positive areas of my online course and where I could improve or areas that were unclear. This will help me a great deal as I continue to develop and revise my online course. (Alec, this is a brilliant idea to encourage community, provide room for growth, and help your students be successful. Thanks!)
After reading both Joe’s and Dani’s reflections, I thought I would respond to my feedback in a similar approach by including some direct quotes from my feedback form and responding to them.
It would have never crossed my mind to do an online course for grade 1.
The idea of targeting the grade-one student population within the school division is a wonderful idea.
I agree and thank you! I was questioning my choice of doing an online course in grade 1 as I knew there would be some challenges as grade 1’s are very reliant on the teacher. I feel like the focus on one major online tool, Seesaw, allows them to master the tool and then they are able to focus on the learning activities related to the outcomes, rather than learning multiple tools.
Research has shown that students often memorize words for a test and then promptly forget them. Assigned spelling lists often require students to study isolated words rather than phonics, the sounds that letters make within the words. Therefore, the goal has been to create a program that does not completely abandon weekly lists, but emphasizes opportunities for students to investigate and understand the patterns in words and build word knowledge that can be applied to both reading and writing. Hopefully this online course will do just that!
The station-rotation model of the blended course gives an opportunity for teacher-student and student-student interaction, as well as independent work where students can experience both face-to-face and online learning.
I feel like the above reviewer understood my online course and how it would work in a grade 1 classroom, but perhaps I need to include some more information on this in my course profile as the following questions were asked in my feedback form:
In Guided Reading: Responsive Teaching Across the Grades, Second Edition, Fountas and Pinnell emphasize that “small-group instruction is more powerful when nested within a variety of instructional contexts with varying levels of support,” (Fountas and Pinnell 2017). This word study online course allows for a small group of students to work independently on the “we do” portion of their word study practice while the teacher does guided reading with a small group of students. Other students in the classroom would be working on writing, reading to self, or listening to reading. A station-rotation model of blended learning allows for a purposeful and engaging use of technology in a grade one classroom. In addition, this online course can be accessed from home to allow for enrichment with parental support. This small group instruction guided by assessment will allow for differentiation for individual students whether they are EAL, reading above grade level, reading at grade level, or reading below grade level.
At the beginning of the year multiple assessments will be used to determine a student’s current reading level. This will help the teacher to decide where to begin instruction. Each level of text along the gradient brings new challenges in the form of vocabulary, words to decode, high frequency words, concepts, and syntax. Supportive teaching enables students to expand their reading strategies by gradually increasing the level of challenge and at the same time assuring that they are successful each day.
This benchmarking tool will be the main influencer in grouping students into different groups. However, a spelling inventory will be completed as well to determine a student’s stage of spelling. The Words Their Way Primary Spelling Inventory would be completed during the first couple of weeks of school. This inventory provides the teacher with specific information about each student’s knowledge and application of specific spelling features.
Please see the powerpoint below that was created by our divisions ELA Consultant that provides more detail on the the Word Study program within our school division. This program is the backbone of this online course.
As part of the formative and summative assessments, incorporating a variety of activities, such as seesaw activities, weekly spelling tests, and observations from small group instruction will give an accurate picture of the students’ academic progress.
As you continue to build this up, the single blog post would get pretty long. Would it be worth exploring making your course into a blog of its own, and being able to divide it into categories, etc ?
I agree. I think I will create an online document, almost like an online teacher module with live links that allow for the teacher using this course to plan and access materials.
If this does pan out into the teacher resource that it looks like to me (a pretty fantastic one at that) then you could use videos of yourself doing some of these activities to supplement as visuals and aids for teachers wanting to implement this. You could use placeholders as doing this may not be feasible in the amount of time we have to build this?
This is a great idea! I will definitely keep this in mind for future development!
I very much appreciate the rationale and driving purpose behind this course. Creating a structure that generates purposeful targeted instruction is exactly what teachers have been/are trying to do. This is a relatively novel way to do it, and I would love to know what happens as you implement!
I am really looking forward to see how this course develops over the next few weeks. I am also extremely excited to share it with other teachers within our school division so that they can have the opportunity to blend within their classrooms and not have to do as much of the “leg work” to get there. I am a huge fan of sharing and collaborating and my hope is that as a team of teachers we could create online word study courses for the grade 1-3 range.
Thanks so much for your feedback! I can clearly see my gaps and this has given me some guidance on how to improve my online course!
This week I decided to take a look at primary literacy and coding. To be honest, this wasn’t even on my radar prior to this course. I have always had a keen interest in primary literacy, which is why I became a Teacher Librarian, and coding was something I dabbled in (if you could even say that) with our Kindergarten classes using Bee-Bot before my maternity leave. However, putting the two together was a completely new concept until Alec suggested I take a look at incorporating some coding into my online course after reading my course profile and my interest grew even more after some “playing around” with coding in class last week. I decided this something I MUST have in my online course. BUT, how could I tie it meaningfully to primary literacy??
To start this learning journey this week I began looking through Kathy Cassidy’s resources on APPS, ‘BOTS AND CODE: THE NEW ABC’S IN THE ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM. For those of you who don’t know Kathy Cassidy, she is a trailblazer in bringing technology into the primary classroom, I highly recommend you visit her website and follow her on Twitter. After hours and hours of exploration, I decided that ScratchJr would be a program I would like to use as it hit many requirements for classroom use and more specifically, primary classroom use:
And upon further exploration, there are teaching resources specifically targeted at primary literacy, which could easily be adapted to fit into my online course. 
Lastly, there are GREAT resources for teachers under the teach tab, with resources, lessons, and videos on how to use ScratchJr in the classroom. It really can’t be any more user friendly or easily accessible. My next step will be creating lessons based on my word study modules for students to code the words we are working on during that unit. I am so excited to continue to explore ScratchJr and make some modules using this app for my online course.
I continued to explore the world wide web to see how everyone else was using primary coding and literacy and I came across a great post by Kelly Hincks on Mixing Reading with Coding in Early Childhood. All I can say is WOW! What a goldmine I found here. She is a teacher librarian just like me and her content is amazing. In her post she says,
As a librarian, my goal is to expose students to all forms of literacy. Coding, to me, is just another form. Teaching coding allows me to integrate multiple disciplines together. Coding is a process just like the research process. That is why it fits so nicely in the library. Additionally, coding teaches problem solving, cooperation, and how to overcome failure.
With all that being said, I do not believe in just coding for coding sake. I feel it should fit within a bigger picture. Combining coding skills with other literacy skills is always my ultimate goal.
This is so accurate! I want the technology I use to “blend” to be authentic, purposeful, and engaging. It should transform and enhance my end goal and not be used just because it is something “cool” I stumbled across. In her post, she talks about lessons to introduce coding to primary students and lessons to apply coding concepts.
Another site of interest that I explored this week is code.org. They have some spelling lessons and other online courses for primary students that could be used to introduce coding and teach the basics. Although this site probably won’t make an appearance in my online course, it is something I have added to my toolbox for when I get back to school.
In conclusion, I am really glad we had this week to just explore an aspect of blended learning that we are interested in. I was able to find something I could use to enhance and transform my online course and I am excited to see what I can come up with!
To download a copy of the course prototype, please click here.
Please see my course profile for a scope and sequence of the course.
This is a working document as the course is still in the development stages. This course protype is based off the units created by Regina Catholic School Division. This course may be most successful in a connected educator classroom during balanced literacy/guided reading time; however, it due to the nature of the station rotation, this course is accessible to other classrooms who have access to a smaller number of devices. Devices such as tablets are best for the station-rotation model as they eliminate the need to log in and provide quick access to materials and lessons.
The format of this blended course uses the gradual release of responsibility.
High Frequency Words: like, my, ran, the
| Resources |
| Magnetic letters
Words Their Way Level A by Bear, Invernizzi, and Johnston Reading A-Z Mentor Series: Short vowel “a” Reading Rods (Word Families) Tablets Seesaw Activities
|
| Traditional Classroom Instruction |
| Day 1:
· Introduce Sort 6-TG page 26 (Words Their Way). You may want to use highlighter tape to highlight the –at and –an words. · Project short “a” book, Nap and Pap, from Reading A-Z. Follow the lesson plan on Reading A-Z (contact Jillian Laursen – RCSD ELA Consultant – for your log-in information) · Sort 6: -at and –an word families TG page 26 (Words Their Way) o Introduce Picture/Word Sort TG page 26 (Words Their Way) o After modeling this activity, students will complete at the Word Study Station through Seesaw activities. In addition, students could re-sort their cards. Next, students make the words with magnetic letters and then print the words in their word study notebook. · Introduce high frequency word(s).
Day 2:
· On the projector, model using the reading rods to make short “a” words. o After modeling this activity, students will complete at the Word Study Station on Seesaw activities. · Practice the Sort TG page 26 (Words Their Way). · Introduce/review high frequency words.
Day 3: · Apply the Skill TG page 27 (Words Their Way). · Show the Making Words Lesson 1 pages 5 and 15 (Making Words for Grade 1) o Make: an, at, pat, pal, pan, tan, plan, plant · Introduce/review high frequency words.
Day 4: · Complete the Sort-Paste in Place TG page 27 (Words Their Way). · Learning Phonograms: -at, -an page 292-293 (Phonics Lessons for Grade 1). · Learning Phonograms: -an page 304-305 (Phonics Lessons for Grade 1). · Introduce/review high frequency words.
Day 5: · Introduce/review high frequency words. · Assessment o Spelling Test (“-at and -an” words and a couple of high frequency words).
|
| Station Rotation Activities |
| Watch the video: Short Vowel Word Family Lesson Review -at, an
|
| Seesaw App:
For the purpose of this course prototype, please use the following to sign in: If you’re using Seesaw for the first time: 1. Go to app.seesaw.me 2. Choose “I’m a Student” 3. Type in the code: JDLP XCCT. This code expires on February 19, 2019
In the actual course setting, grade 1 students will access seesaw using the following steps:
After you sign up as a student in my Seesaw class, you can access the following activities:        |
| 3. Scratch Jr. Coding
Recognizing and Naming Uppercase and Lowercase Letters: This project reinforces a student’s knowledge of writing and recognizing uppercase and lowercase letters.
|
High Frequency Words: all, how, be
High Frequency Words: if, she, big
High Frequency Words: put, run, you
High Frequency Words: as, not, for
High Frequency Words: am, has, day, cat
To be continued…
This week I decided to do a review on a 1st Grade Math Unit from Khan Academy on Place Value. Since my major project is for a grade one classroom, I thought I would explore a digital unit for a primary grade. I was interested in seeing how Khan Academy set up their unit for such young learners and I wanted to see if a grade one could really do this unit independently and “learn” online.
The slogan for Khan Academy is:
You can learn anything. For Free. For everyone. Forever.
When I first landed on the website I thought the slogan was very catchy and I was very excited because this is an amazing concept and I truly believe in open education sources. I was hoping I would be able to find an English Language Arts unit for primary grades on Khan Academy, but it seemed to be more Math and Science focused.
I decided to do the module on Place Value for the first grade. I was able to get through the modules fairly quickly (as you would hope!), but I tried to look at the modules critically, specifically I looked at the following aspects:
Here is my review…
Production values: I found the actual module itself fairly basic. The lesson was a basic screen cast with narration and the quiz was a simple picture with a box to enter your answer. To be honest, I was underwhelmed with the aesthetics of the whole production. This is a free resource, so I understand why it is so basic, but I can’t imagine a grade 1 student being engaged or excited about this lesson.
Perceived difficulty of creation of the module: I feel like this module would be fairly basic to put together. I could see myself using Khan Academy in the future to create and find modules for my students as an added dimension to their learning. Although I think this would be a fairly easy way to create an online course, I don’t think it would be my first choice for the primary grades.
Potential impact on student learning: This course was very, very basic. I don’t think there would be much impact on student learning. I could see accessing this module with parent help at home, but this wouldn’t be my first choice. I feel like there are many other options out there that are more engaging, such as YouTube videos, IXL Math, or open source interactive sites.
Whether the format adds value to or impedes the facilitation of the content: Unfortunately, I don’t think the format of Khan Academy adds value to teaching place value to the first grade. I think it is a good resource to have as an “add-on” for parents who need help understanding, but I really don’t see this course being used in a grade one classroom.
I did try out the app Khan Academy Kids as well and did find that it has more potential than the online modules for the primary grades, but still needs some development to reach its full potential. Something I will keep in mind when I begin making my course is the accessibility of it for grade one students. I found this course wasn’t super easy to navigate and wasn’t super appealing to a grade one student.
A lot of ideas went through my head when I began thinking about the online course I would design for EC&I 834. I am on maternity leave right now, so I am not tied to a grade or subject and when I am back to work, I am teacher librarian, so this also affords me a lot of flexibility and the ability to collaborate with different grade-levels and subjects. After much contemplation and discussion with our divisions English Language Arts consultant and Information and Library Coordinator, I decided the most beneficial thing not only for me, but also our school division would be creating an online course for grade one students on word study.
The importance of creating smaller learning cohorts within the larger classroom environment is critical to a balanced literacy program.By creating smaller learning communities, the teacher is able to customize and personalize instruction for individual students or small groups. A first grade classroom brings a wide range of abilities, especially when it comes to literacy. Using blended learning and specifically the station rotation model, an educator is better able to accommodate and engage the individual learners as you are able to customize the lessons to the individual students. Although creating an online course for grade ones will bring challenges, I am looking forward to see how can be used to enhance and transform learning in the primary grades.
Please keep on reading to see my course profile. This is a working document and appreciate all feedback and comments you may have for me as I am sure this will change as I “work-through” the development of my prototype.
Target Audience
Students who are in grade 1 in Regina Catholic Schools.
Course Timeline
This course would run over the duration of the school year. This primary resource used to develop this course is Words Their Way by Invernizzi, Johnston, Bear, and Templeton. Words Their Way is a developmental spelling, phonics, and vocabulary program that is part of a balanced literacy program.
Course Delivery
This course will be a blended course using a station rotation model, which includes online instruction, teacher-lead instruction, and collaborative activities and stations. There will be a set time for face-to-face instruction, followed by online work. Students will be divided into groups based upon their reading level.
The course outline, teacher modules, and all other pertinent information will be housed on a google document. The face-to-face lessons will be reviewed through an online module that students will be able to access via a YouTube video. Students will scan a QR code to get to the appropriate module. Following review, students will learn and practice the spelling features by completing activities such as word sorting, word hunts, making words, and other games through Seesaw activities. Students will have the opportunity to work individually, with partners, and in small groups to encourage cooperative learning and individual responsibility. Communication and assessment will be communicated through the Seesaw app.
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
The objectives and outcomes of this course are developed from the Saskatchewan Grade 1 English Language Arts Curriculum. Throughout this course students will:
Course Materials
This course would may be most successful in a connected educator classroom; however, it due to the nature of the station rotation, this course is accessible to other classrooms who have access to a smaller number of devices. Devices such as tablets are best for the station-rotation model as they eliminate the need to log in and provide quick access to materials and lessons.
There is no required text for this course, but the following resources will be used:
During the course, a variety of materials will be accessed and/or made available online and accessed through the Google Doc and Seesaw Activities.
Special Announcements
As this course follows a station rotation model and allows for individualized instruction, the needs of any students with a disability, injury, or illness who feels they may need academic accommodation will be dealt with as they arise.
Attendance and Punctuality
Regular and punctual attendance at school is an essential part of student success. It is especially important as this course is based on participation and experiential learning rather than lecture.
Assessment
Students will demonstrate understanding through the Seesaw app and activities. The activities and data submitted will be assessed through this app as well. Students will also complete a weekly pre-test and post-test each week as summative assessment.
Assessment Strategies
Students will be assessed in a variety of ways including but not limited to seesaw activities, weekly spelling tests, and observations.
Assignments
Assignments will be shared in each individual module/lesson. As individual students require varied methods of instruction, assignments and expectations may vary dependant on student needs. This will be discussed between the teacher and the student’s family prior to the beginning of the course.
My experiences with blended learning as a student are very similar to Michael. I can also remember the time when classrooms had access to one or two computer and we used them to practice keyboarding using All the Right Type or to print banners that we could later colour in or in some of our progressive classrooms to search the world wide web. As a person who has always been interested in technology and exposed to different technologies as a child, I was always excited to get the chance to use technology to change the way I was learning something.
Through my undergrad, technology and how teachers used technology to teach really transformed and we started to see a mix between traditional classroom learning and online learning, which is typically known as blended learning. I really enjoyed reading the Bates chapters and thought the continuum to describe online learning as pictured below was really helpful to understand the different types of online learning.
This is my fourth graduate course I have taken in a blended learning environment and I must say I find them very enjoyable, social, and convenient. I would also say that some of my deepest learning and reflection has happened in these blended learning environments compared to the traditional classroom environment. Seems a little backwards, but it is true. I find myself more engaged and active in the online community than I do in the classroom. I also find myself making more connections when we are not in class and my learning continues through the week and is driven by open source materials, not just a singular textbook. Of course there can be the challenges of your internet not working fast enough or your mouse dying mid-broadcast (haha!), but generally my overall experience as a student in a blended environment has been very positive.
As an elementary school teacher, my experiences with blended learning have been quite limited and haven’t reached much further than station rotation blended learning.
Station-Rotation blended learning is a: “…model (that) allows students to rotate through stations on a fixed schedule, where at least one of the stations is an online learning station. This model is most common in elementary schools because teachers are already familiar rotating in “centers” or stations.”
Taken from TeachThought
I would like to include more blended learning in my teaching, but I need to wrap my head around it and ensure that it is enhancing and transforming teaching and learning and remember the relative importance of instruction and pedagogy versus educational technology and media on the quality of learning. My goal is to jump into the SAMR swimming pool and use technology to enhance and transform my teaching.
Kristina Boutilier 