Blended Learning

The Ontario Ministry of Education offers a clear definition of blended learning:

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/elearning/blend.html

Blended learning should not be confused be e-learning. Blended learning combines a variety of tech-tools with face-to-face interaction in classrooms. Please take a look at the following video to understand what blended learning is in more detail. Please note that the video is American but the concept remains the same in Canada.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xMqJmMcME0

Our task is find one example of blended learning in each of the divisions (primary, junior, and intermediate) and share how it enhances learning and teaching. This should be a relatively easy task considering how many options there are out there...but that's the problem! There are SO MANY OPTIONS out there!! So how do I go about choosing which ones I want to showcase here? I guess it just comes down to authenticity...which ones would I actually use in a classroom? Well, here goes...

Primary Division:

I am not a primary teacher nor do I have much experience in any primary classroom. Therefore, I have to take the word of others. I know I have referred to BrainPop in an earlier post but I think it's pretty relevant here. There is an option to connect to the Ontario curriculum, which is perfect and it even works on a tablet or hook it up to the SmartBoard! 

Junior Division:

The In-Class Flip: A lot of schools in the states are moving to a flipped classroom model where students watch a pre-recorded lesson at home and then do that actual coursework or homework in class where the teacher can spend more time on the actual application of learning versus the delivery of the material. However, this depends upon student access to technology at home. The In-Class Flip is an interesting take where the teacher would still pre-record the lesson and set it up at one station. Here's a short video on how it works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhq3Yn_QgIA

I think something like this is great because it still frees up the teacher to move about and assist students in smaller groups. It is easier to differentiate and provide individual student attention and assessment.

Intermediate Division:

I haven't used this before but it looks really cool and I am definitely going to give it a try. It's called Kahoot! and isn't just pre-formed games or activities. The teacher has the ability to create, quite easily, and tailor the activities to the specific unit or assignment, etc. The program is free and there is no need to student accounts. The teacher has a free account to set everything up. This is a way to gamify your classroom, especially if your board has a BYOD (bring your own device) program or something to that effect.

https://getkahoot.com

Incorporating blended learning into your classroom on a regular basis is great for students with special needs. There are so many assistive devices (text-to-speech, dicto-text, gaming programs, etc.) that are easily incorporated into a blended learning environment. Having all students using similar technology makes our classrooms feel more inclusive and the students who require the assistive technology won't feel as though they stand out more than others.