It Should Be The Charm...

YEAR 3
It should be the charm in the development of

Blended/Personalized Learning Paths...

But, how can it be when we have just as many questions as we had during year one! 

Big questions like:

•           Which is the most effective digital content to meet the diverse learning needs of each student?      
•       How do teachers stay on top of student-generated data, necessary for maximizing student learning potential?
•           How is it possible for one teacher to sit with a small group of students, during teacher-directed instruction, and oversee two other groups: one group on computers and one group engaged in project-based learning, simultaneously?

·      Compound the three-station rotation monitoring challenges with the fact that the students’ ages are between 5-10 years old, depending on the grade, and the challenge is extremely apparent, daily.

     

      Then, remember that fundamentally,

“I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.”

This question lurks, loud and clear:

 Is the “doing” on the computer really enough engagement for the internalization of knowledge over time?

Our students are engaged in digital content programs, daily, and the data generated illustrates lines of percentage growth, reaching peaks of performance. The more time spent on the programs, the higher the growth lines peak.

Yet, as peaks of performance present themselves, facilitators of student learning paths are realizing that digital engagement, in and of itself, cannot stand alone in students’ acquisition and internalization of sustained knowledge over time.

In order to maximize a student’s learning experience, with authentic and unwavering understanding of new knowledge, the development and integration of individual and collaborative activities, which enable student-directed and student-centered opportunities, must be presented.

Computer-generated learning must be partnered with project-based learning, for without the “doing” component all that students may possibly reap is the data paper peaks of performance, which may be as flimsy as the paper itself.

The challenge for teachers:

Reinforcing what’s being delivered via adaptive digital content, when the expanse of content and the pace of delivery are not only differentiated, but perpetually changing for every student.

It’s probably going to take at least another year, or two, before blended learning/personalized learning paths and related best practices, flow with ease, deliver perpetual productivity and ultimately deliver pure, uninterrupted, student learning.

Here We Go…Year 3 & In the Know!?

The Cultivation of Personalized & Blended Learning

What we know, as we continue to grow:

1.    All school players must be onboard, they’re the soil

2.    Infrastructure, the roots

3.    Devices, the stem

4.    Digital Content, the water

5.    Teacher planning and facilitation, the sun

6.    Student motivation and individualized learning paths, the oxygen

*Important instruction:   

The blended learning lead must wear pruning gloves, for the garden requires constant and consistent tending amidst the multiple thorns that persistently exist.

What we have:

·      A collective faculty belief that individualizing learning paths, for attainment of student learning potential, is optimum.

·      Teaching practices that weigh heavier on the side of teacher-driven instruction, rather than on student-centered/data-driven learning.

·      Continual time challenges thwarting teacher/student checks and balances of individualized learning paths and fundamental collaborative communication concerning the care and maintenance of blended/personalized learning paths.

·      Deficient devices

·      Differentiated digital content meeting the needs for remediation and acceleration.

·      New award winning digital content with limited upfront time to master implementation and utilization. 

What we still want:

·      All hands and minds cultivating the soil and committing to the growth of personalized & blended learning.

·      A technological infrastructure that remains firmly rooted.

·      Devices that withstand the wind of change and the frequent use, and possible abuse, of users.

·      Digital content that flows into young minds, and seamlessly elevates skill levels, while providing teachers with clear-cut and easily accessible data with which to target direct instruction.

·      Teachers who plan precisely, according to the individual learning paths of each of their students.

·      Students, who,  develop the tools with which to understand themselves as scholars, are empowered through development of their learning paths and are intrinsically rewarded for navigating and persevering through the thickets of essential skills.

·      Collective time to plan for the future, to understand the present and to reflect on the machinations of the past.

Blended Learning – End of Year 2

    When measured, our progress, on the perennial and mightily purposeful path toward the hallowed paradigm shift, from teacher-directed instruction to student-centered knowledge acquisition, demonstrated markedly diverse results, depending on which administrator, teacher, student and/or parent was examined.

To have scored the ultimate measure of blended learning success, it would have meant that:

· Every student, by year’s end, developed into a self-directed learner whose personalized learning path meandered through a wealth of digital, teacher-augmented and hands-on learning opportunities that not only excited and motivated, but accelerated learning far greater than any other year!

· Data-driven decisions manifested into precise positioning of individual learning paths and provided teachers with acute awareness of learning optimization.

· Classroom schedules identified time for recess, lunch, PE, art and music, all other time was used for personalized blended learning acquisition. The only bells heard were for the occasional fire drill.

· Technological hardware was an extension of student appendages, working seamlessly through time and space.

· Adaptive digital content captured student interest, challenged their minds assessed their skill levels and sequentially delivered engaging lessons of quality and worth while developing skills sets with vigor and mastery.

· The three-station rotation model transformed into integrated learning spaces for one on one encounters, cooperative group pods, digital learning micro-environments, furnished sections for teacher-directed instruction and learning stations that offered a variety of skill building and problem solving opportunities. Rotations were student-directed by need and learning path.

· Dedicated time was spent on data collection, data analysis and student – teacher conferencing to collectively review and align learning activity menus for optimum personalized learning paths. In addition, there were frequent meetings between teacher and administrative minds to discuss successful practices and future strategies.

    Had all of these been a reality, our second year of blending learning would have been a grand slam. In actuality, some of our teachers and students came pretty close to hitting one out of the park. For year three, we hope to continue to have more players score high and hopefully touch all the bases!

Trust…and you shall see….

           For all the information, philosophical discussions, practice and aggregated performance data, there is no guarantee that blended learning, in and of itself, will be the panacea for targeting student potential. Yet, as the blended learning lead, my mantra continues to resonate with the passionate plea for teachers to trust that this paradigm shift, from teacher-directed instruction to student-centered learning, will pave the way for educational optimization.

It is our second year on the paradigm path shift in grades K-5. Having learned, to a great extent, what blended/individualized learning encompasses, how to plan the path of production and actualize its presence in classrooms, as well as how to cultivate productive partnerships between students & digital content, students & teachers and students & project-based learning teams, it would seem that clarity of practices and  definitive results would begin to prevail, yet, the view of the depth and breadth of this paradigm shift continues to broaden and deepen with more questions than answers.

What we knew:

• Students love to learn when the content material contains intellectual and sensorial appeal, along with fun-filled interaction.
•  Teachers want insurance that digitally-delivered content is a reliable & quality means for students’ acquisition of the scope and sequence of subject-related information.
•  Differentiating instruction, according to need, is essential for student learning.
• There are not enough hours in the day, nor teachers available, to provide each and every student with individualized instruction according to his/her needs. 

What we learned:

• Student generated data is a terrific tool for driving instruction, marking goal posts and creating learning paths, also for understanding where a student places in relation to others.
•  Much of the digital content lacks the exciting bells and whistles required for lengthy student engagement.
• Teachers do not fully trust digital content as a means for comprehensive knowledge and skill acquisition.
• Isolating blended learning to math and reading sets an obstacle in the path for obtaining an overall paradigm shift; you can’t develop a mindset, with accompanying methodology for teachers and students alike, when the impending development is halted due to the fact that particular academic content has not been included in the paradigm shift.
•  Finding the time to analyze data, then use the data to provide individualized teacher-directed instruction, is mostly overwhelming for classroom teachers to accomplish on a daily basis.  
•   Learning stations require monitoring for maximum productivity.  

What we hope to learn:

• An efficient way to scrutinize digital lessons for quality content
• How to find and integrate the best combination of digital content and off-line resources for each student’s learning needs.
• How to motivate all students along their learning path.
•  Best practices for managing an individualized student-centered classroom  
•  How to efficiently obtain & use current data
• An authentic way to assess individualized learning paths
• How to determine whether or not learning is being maximized as a direct result of the digital content being delivered.  
• How to secure the best educational staff members for optimization of individualized learning.
• How to facilitate high quality, real world applications in relevant, skill-based projects.
•  How to obtain the time to meet all students’ needs. 

On Your Mark...Get Set...Go!

                              

                                On Your Mark…

            Get Set…

                                 Go!

Year two of personalized “blended learning” is a skip and a jump away. The first year’s training wheels have been removed and staying on course, without losing balance, is the goal. Reflection of this past year’s results has been crucial for smoothing the path in anticipation of year two’s optimal ride.

Trajectory tenets required for balancing, optimizing and accelerating our personalized “Blended Learning” journey:

Overall:

Insure buy-in of the belief, from kindergarteners to head of school, teachers, parents and board members that personalized learning is indispensable for its potential to individualize, advance and enhance learning for all students. 

Teachers:

·      Collect & analyze student data

·      Utilize data-driven class/lesson management

·      Establish and maintain station/rotation flexible groupings

·      Devise the year’s master plan of skill benchmarks and provide a menu of lesson offerings (both digital & teacher directed) that eliminate redundancy in the curriculum, except when needed.

·      Maintain time efficiency to accommodate the learning requirements of each student. 

·      Strategize with colleagues as to best practices for productivity

Student-Teacher Partnerships:

·      Develop strategies that inspire students to become self-directed and motivated learners who take responsibility for maintaining their focus on digital instruction.

·      Increase student comfort with independent work

·      Follow policies and procedures to control social behavior

·      Foster Internalized learning ownership

·      Modify student need for teacher and peer approval

·      Cultivate innate motivation for differentiated learning according to skill levels

·      Promote self-satisfaction and pride as the rewards for personal progress

·      Set skill goals to develop individual education paths

·      Support analysis and reflection upon personal data as a steering tool towards skill mastery.

·      Establish daily pathways for communication between teacher and student

Oh, so easy to write the trajectory tenets of operation before the school year begins. Now, the “how to” begins as teachers convene for pre-service week and brainstorm for successful implementation.

To be continued…