Kathy Hughes CUIN 6320 Script

Images of classroom set ups and students working throughout the years.

If you think about a few years ago walking into a classroom you might see a teacher at the front
of the classroom and desks lined up in rows. The teacher would say pull out your book and go
to page 91. There might be dictation there might be written work. Fast forward a few years and
now you have teachers walking throughout the classroom space and students sitting in tables
so that they can work collaboratively.
More recently we have options such as blended learning.
Display blended learning visual.
Blended learning is a combination of individualized personalized learning opportunities for
students embedded with technology and data-driven activities that allow students to be
successful. Blended learning allows educators to differentiate for their students.
Display example of choice board/playlist.
Teachers are able to give students the freedom to work at their own pace through something
such as an electronic choice board or a playlist. This allows teachers to assign students
different options and activities that best align to their needs.
Small groups picture.
In addition to giving students more freedom blended learning also allows for educators to be
able to assist students that might be at a high risk and provide interventions without too much
concern over time limits.
Platform logos.
So what resources can an educator use?
There are many platforms out there that are free to use for teachers. Teachers should feel
comfortable using the technology that they want to present to their students and be
knowledgeable about it. Teachers can use platforms such as Google Classroom, See Saw,
Flipgrid, Twitter, Edpuzzle and many more. Again, the key here is for students and teachers to
feel comfortable with the technology that is expected to be used in the classroom. For example,
some teachers might use a platform such as Edpuzzle to record a lesson that students can do
in a “virtual” small group as the teacher is doing face-to-face time small group with other
students. Blended learning could be the teacher doing small group as the other students are
doing one technology activity and then activities that are tailored to student needs. Blended
learning is not just about the technology it also allows students to get creative by completing
some type of maker activity pertinent to the lesson or content.
Find blended learning in action video/class.
So where do we start?
Flowchart.
Educators just starting out Blended Learning may be overwhelmed with all the information
available online. It is important to start small. If whole group is usually the way that an educator
does their lesson, then it may be time to move to doing small groups for that class now. As the
semester progresses introduce playlists. Continue to move into adding extension activities or
making the playlist more personalized to students. Blended learning is not a fast or quick form of
teaching it is a process that takes time. Educators should find different groups through social
media and within their school and school districts to find and create resources that will best
meet the needs of their students.