Music going blended

I've done some research and found things that can work with certain aspects of music education. Things like notation, reading and even composing can be practiced and monitored by an instructor using programs like Kahn Academy. There are also video lessons that I found for music history that have built in quizzes as the student watch. One of the good ones that I found talked about musical form. I could have students working with me talking about medieval music in a broad sense, a station where students read and write about medieval composers and another station where students can export the video and quiz.

Do we have Google Apps for Education?

Recent Research

Blended learning was almost across the board, in the studies I looked at, identified as a combination of face to face and web based techniques. A few technologies that were mentioned repeatedly were podcasts, wikis, blogs, twitter, virtual worlds, videos, websites, interactive exercises, individual and group activities. Blended learning was described in one study as "enriched education" (Kazu & Demirkol, 2014).

Recent research I found indicated that overall a blended model of learning has a positive impact on students. One study's investigation found that students who studied in a blended learning environment are more academically successful than students in a traditional classroom (Kazu & Demirkol, 2014). In addition, a study I found that related to foreign language asserted that the blended learning environment was more effective in increasing success via increasing motivation (Isiguzel, 2014). This is an important insight because motivation is truly the key to success in a foreign language as the cognitive and affective dimensions both have an impact on the learning process. Another positive impact it was found to have was giving students who may be more introverted in a traditional classroom a level of disinhibition based on possible anonymity to their peers in an online environment (Martin). There was also a lot of information out there surrounding the benefits (as well as challenges) of a blended learning environment for at risk students.

Blended learning requires teachers to effectively integrate face to face with electronic learning using the same best practices we used to guide our traditional classroom. There is a new added layer in shifting to a blended environment at first where the teacher must support the learning of various online technologies as well as the classroom content (Kazu & Demirkol, 2014). Blended learning requires teachers to shift their role to a facilitator of learning and a curator of tools and information.

Below are images from some of the studies I read, specifically ones mentioned above:

In addition to the theoretical research I came across a lot of new applicable tools I am excited to try out in the classroom this year.

Voicethread - for projects and having students practice their language orally, can also be created collaboratively.

Quizlet - for practicing different grammar skills in a fun, accessible way that also allows students to send their immediate feedback to you so you can better track progress.

Kahoot - I am a huge fan of game based learning and Kahoot is a fun way to do that, it can be used as practice or review, you can use what is there or make your own.

Duolingo - new feature allows you to make a class and track student progress, Duolingo looks and feels like a game and you get immediate feedback for each question which is very helpful and also motivating. I have to look into it more, hoping I can control the order in which students practice vocal to align with curriculum so this can be used in the classroom as a practice option.

Moodle - am still researching what this platform has to offer but so far it looks promising.

Glogster - fun, creative way to have students do a project / make a poster or teachers can use it as a way to present a topic to students.

Google Drive tutorials - pretty well done and thorough explanations for people new to Google Drive or looking to find out how to best harness all it has to offer!

Instagrok - really helpful research / information gathering tool - watch the tutorial video to see if you might want to use this !


Still researching how to best organize my classroom / tools that will enrich learning....

Don't Reinvent the Wheel

As I was thinking about my implementation plan and what blended learning might look like in my classroom this Fall, I came across a wealth of resources on BetterLesson that hopefully we can all leverage in some capacity to inform our work. (For those of you not familiar with BetterLesson, it may just become your new best friend.  It houses a wealth of instructional resources from teachers across the country, and more recently has partnered with "Master Teachers" in ELA, Math, and Science to develop high-quality, standards-aligned units and lesson plans.)

Most relevant to our work is BetterLesson's newest project: a "Blended Master Teacher" feature that provides resources on how to design a blended learning classroom, deliver instruction through blended instructional practices, and continue to develop as a teacher in a blended environment.  Each of the teachers who are posting resources have been vetted by BetterLesson through an extensive and competitive application process, and, at first glance, the resources available seem outstanding. Interested in finding out what formative assessment might look like in a blended classroom?  How about small group instruction? What about independent student learning?  Or just what routines and procedures might look like in this redefined instructional space?  All of these questions - and many more - are answered through the site, which is carefully curated and includes videos of the eleven Master Teachers at work, as well as instructional materials they are using with their students.  Check out all that the website has to offer here.  Enjoy!

ISTE 2015 Takeaways

1. Relationships are MORE important now and 50 years from now.  Students can get content ANYWHERE!

Regardless of the tidal wave of technology that is now present in the classroom, we must do what we as teachers know is important in order to reach our students: get to know them, earn their trust, and form a nurturing relationship that will motivate them to succeed.  

It is also important to recognize that the smartest person in the room is the room.  Teachers are not the end all be all of knowledge.  We must incorporate the talents, skills, and knowledge of all participants in the room.  If we don’t, we are limiting our students.  Don’t be afraid to give the students power.   Often times, they will come up with far more engaging, creative, and challenging questions.  But do they know how to question?  We MUST teach our students HOW to question.   Questioning Toolkit.

2. To transform our teaching, we must transform our classrooms.

vs.

The factory model of education is no longer viable.  If we want to be student-centered, the teacher cannot be the focus of the classroom.  Classrooms environments need to be as flexible and fluid as the demands of the student-centered curriculum and the strategies that nurture critical thinking skills and collaboration.

3. Technology doesn’t make a difference if we do not change the work that students do.

A worksheet is still a worksheet if it is simply loaded online and done digitally.  Teachers must be trained not only on the various forms of ed tech tools, but also what to do with the mountains of data that can be gleaned so quickly from these tools.  To personalize learning, we MUST use data and plan/personalize accordingly.

Art going blended

Great!  Glad I figured out how to blog!  So far I haven't been able to find any blended art lessons in my research, guess I'll create my own.   Where is the implementation template?

ISTE 2015

1. WHAT vs HOW. The session Aligning Personalization with PBL with Andrew Miller described how to personalize project-based learning and discussed some of the common roadblocks teachers face when implementing PBL, as well. One challenge he identified was the demand to cover all content. When he introduced the expectation that teachers cover every last piece of the curriculum, he asked a simple question: How is that going for you?  He made me realize that attempting to “hit” everything was unrealistic, and isn’t being able to prioritize a skill that we want our students to master? Rather than flying through and skimming the surface, Miller encouraged us to provide a plethora of resources for our students and allow them to decide what they would like to learn about. Their projects (which IS the learning, not the quick assessment at the end) allow students to dive deeper into the subjects that interest them and also inform their classmates about other areas in that general unit during presentations.

2.    1:1 - Who is first, student or device? This idea was brought up in the session Rigorous, Relevant and Technology-Enhanced PBL to Master the Common Core with Dayna Laur and David Ross. The first bit of advice was a reminder about what we teach: We teach students. Technology is not the answer, it is the enhancer. In their classroom visits, Laur and Ross found that many teachers were excited about their new devices and everything they could do, but they were starstruck. They forgot about what the technology is supposed to support: the kids.

3.   Play with what you have. As previously discussed in Takeaway #2, you need to make the technology fit your needs. This is where the session How Can We Create Truly Reflective Learners? Google Forms, That’s How! with Claudia Felske comes into play. In this session, Felske gave us live examples of how she used student-owned Google Forms for individuals to track progress and create goals throughout the year. An example of the form she gives students can be found here, along with an example student response form. Reflection is such an integral part of learning, and using Google Forms is a great way to keep paperless data that is collected and analyzed by our students.

ISTE Reflection

After four days of inspiration at ISTE, the country's largest Edtech conference, I'd like to share my 3 big takeaways.

1. Indigestion

I mean, check out that cheese whiz...

But seriously, here are my takeaways:

1. Everyone in the building needs to be invested in making our 1:1 deployment work. This conversation needs to start with providing a reason for change that everyone can latch onto. We are not changing because computers are cool or because of some larger initiative, we are changing in order to advance students' learning. What teacher, staff member, or parent can say no to that? Aside from adults being invested, students need to feel a personal investment. Many presenters spoke about the success of student-run "genius bars" or help desks to aide in tech triage. How empowering could it be if our students were the ones responsible for the care and upkeep of our devices?

2. Teacher learning needs to reflect our ideas for student learning. If our vision is "anytime, anywhere" learning, teachers need to have access to professional development resources so that they can learn at their own pace, place, time, and path. One-time professional development sessions on the latest and greatest apps do not support teacher learning because, just like students, teachers need repeated chances to learn new material. I am excited to work on a professional development plan through training modules that meet teachers' immediate and long-term needs.

3.  We need to celebrate teacher learning, just like we celebrate student learning. We all know and love the idea of teaching students towards mastery of specific standards. In fact, standards are what drive our instruction and assessment. If we as teachers are to be models of life-long learners, why shouldn't we be striving to demonstrate growth towards specific competencies. In one practical session, district edtech coaches shared the competencies of teachers as digital learners. While this document is several pages long, they asked teachers to create goals for their continued growth along any two competencies. Most importantly, as teachers demonstrated growth and mastery, the coaches offered rewards in the form of digital badges and recognition on the district blog. Needless to say, as you all demonstrate digital learning, expect some recognition on this very blog!

ISTE: A Brief Reflection

Over the last four days, Rose Mary, Kim, Paul, Lauren, and I learned (and ate... and walked) a lot in Philadelphia at the 2015 ISTE conference. Below are some conference-inspired ideas and tools that will shape the work of my classroom this fall, and perhaps be useful to others as we all engage in this journey together:

1. Engaging with PBL: In short, PBL (or project-based learning) provides opportunities for students to engage in rigorous, relevant, and authentic learning experiences that promote student agency, voice, and choice.  One session focused on helping teachers identify an entry point within existing curriculum for designing a unit (or portion of a unit) that leverages the principles of PBL, without a wholesale rewrite of existing practices.  The presenters – both from the Buck Institute, a pioneer in the field – also described the eight key design principles for teachers interested in embedding PBL within their work, and some easy next steps for making that work a reality.  The notes from this session, plus a terrific collection of links to resources on PBL, can be accessed here.
2. Flipping the classroom: As we continue to close the digital divide and remove barriers to access by rolling out web-connected devices to each of our students, we have new opportunities to experiment with what “traditional” classroom instruction can look like.  To “flip a class” means to have students access direct instruction/lecture outside of the classroom (typically through video content, though not always), while using class time to engage in higher-order thinking (usually by applying the knowledge/skills developed through direct instruction through analysis, evaluation, and creation).  The pioneers of flipped instruction – and authors of many books on the topic - Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, shared twenty best practices and considerations for flipping a classroom.  Notes from that session, as well as a link to their website which is a portal for a wealth of flipped resources, are available here.
3. Some edtech tools: The sessions and expo hall also offered a glimpse of plenty of edtech tools that may be useful this fall.  Here are two that stood out:
1. EDpuzzle: while not new, EDpuzzle may be more useful now that our students will have more consistent and reliable access to video content outside of the classroom.  This tool allows teachers to embed multiple choice and open-ended questions – as well as other formative assessment items – within a video and track student progress through some sophisticated analytics.  My hope is to use EDpuzzle more extensively as I experiment with flipping my classroom this fall.
2.  MasteryConnect: while also not new, MasteryConnect has grown in some important ways over the past few years.  The platform allows teachers to create standards-aligned formative and summative assessments and then have those assessments automatically graded when administered online.  Teachers opting to administer the assessments through pen-and-paper can still take advantage of the scantron-like technology built into the app.  In addition to providing instantaneous feedback to students about their performance, all of the data is compiled and tagged to standards, to help facilitate true data-driven instruction.