Why Blended Learning Matters: A National and International Perspective, Susan Patrick

Why Blended Learning Matters: A National and International Perspective Susan Patrick President & CEO

www.inacol.org

International Association for K12 Online Learning (iNACOL) • iNACOL is the premier K-12 nonprofit in online learning • 4400+ members in K-12 virtual schools and online learning representing over 50 countries • Provides leadership, advocacy, research, training, and networking with experts in K-12 online learning.

• “Ensure every student has access to the best education available regardless of geography, income or background.”

• Conference – Virtual School Symposium (VSS): New Orleans, LA on October 21-24, 2012

www.inacol.org Source: Susan Patrick, iNACOL

Providing Opportunities to All Students Accelerated Students

Traditional Public/Private

Credit Recovery

Medically Fragile Need to work and/or support family

Rural Students Home Schoolers

Special Education and ELL

Aspiring athletes and performers

National Standards for Quality Online Programs, Online Teaching & Online Courses

Role of Online/Blended Teacher • Facilitate and build an online and F2F community of learners • Engage learners in a variety of online and F2F environments through reflective and hands-on activities • Analyze data to assist in individualizing instruction • Personalize the learning through online discussion and group projects • Differentiate instruction (i.e. learning styles, adaptive/assistive technologies, pacing, supplemental activities and remediation.)

• Develop and deliver asynchronous and synchronous lessons that use appropriate and effective multimedia design elements • Student academic integrity issues (plagiarism and the safe and legal use of online resources)

Administrator Roles • Change management and continuous improvement • How to train, support and evaluate online/blended teachers • Student supports and services • Requires administrators to make wise decisions about resources and technology based on effectiveness – student learning outcomes • Allocation restructuring; innovation zones • Gather and analyze data that cross traditional categories • Lack of PD for administrators

Big Trends to Watch: • Blended learning & Continuity of Learning • District programs – new learning models using online and blended learning within single districts • Instructional materials and open access - with common core (46 states), districts and states developing materials for PD, content and learning materials are moving toward open public policies for content created with taxpayer dollars so it can be publicly shared across schools

www.inacol.org

International Perspective

www.inacol.org

Survey Findings • Almost 60 percent of the surveyed countries reported government funding for blended or online programs at the primary and secondary levels.

• China’s first online school was created in 1996; today it has expanded to more than 200 online schools with enrollments exceeding 600,000 students.

• Seventy-two percent of the surveyed countries reported that their online and blended classroom teachers participated in professional development for online teaching.

• Universities and colleges were reported as the primary source of training for educators, followed by regional centers and local schools.

Mexico • K-12 Digital Content, Laptop for Every Teacher, Preservice methods using engaging digital content, new strategies

iNACOL Canada Study All 13 Provinces and Territories offer K-12 online learning

Australia • Pioneer in distance education, mainly servicing isolated rural schools and families • Curriculum breadth and opportunities for students in rural and small schools still limited • Online provision available in each state served via Blackboard, Moodle etc.

• Nationally, much is first generation online content – flat text, limited interactivity and use of Web 2.0 capacity • Federal funded national rollout of 1:1 computing across years 9-12 by end of 2011

New Zealand • Professional Development – ICT PD • Teacher Laptop Program • National Broadband Initiative • Virtual Learning Network

European Union • EU: – EU E-Learning Action Plan – IB Diploma Programme Online (125 countries) – New Line Learning Schools

• UK: E-Learning Exports - 29 billion pounds annually; deal with China – Education as an export

Turkey, the Middle East & Arab Spring • Turkey: online courses • Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States

• Size

India

– 1 billion+, 70% rural population – Need 200,000 more schools

• Internet Accessibility – 2007-08 - 42 million users (3.7%)

• Online Learning – Universal access for K-12 in 10 yrs – Shortage of good teachers – “Leverage teachers using technology to bring to scale” – Educomp digitizing learning resources for K-12 Education

Hong Kong – Blended learning for Continuity of Learning

South Korea • South Korea – National Virtual School – Switch to digital content from textbooks

China • China: 1.3 billion people • Digitized K-12 curriculum • Training Master Teachers to teach online • With online learning: increase educational opportunities to 100 million new students

The Futurist: Education 2011 China may be the first country to succeed in educating most of its population through the Internet. – From 2003-2007, China spent about $1 billion to implement online learning projects in the rural country-side.

Singapore • Singapore: 100% of Secondary schools use online learning • All teachers trained to teach online • Blended Learning Environments • E-Learning Weeks

Trends in Education: Next Generation Models of Online and Blended Learning

www.inacol.org

Blended learning A formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online delivery of instruction and content, with some element of student control over time, place, path and/or pace and at least in part in a supervised brick-andmortar location away from home.

Tech-rich = blended

Emerging models of blended learning

Rotation • • • •

Station rotation Lab rotation Flipped Classroom Individual rotation

Flex Online platform with F2F support and fluid schedules

Self-Blend Students attend physical school & take 1 or more courses online

Enriched Virtual Students learn sometimes at a physical school, other times remotely

Competency-based learning (definition) 1. Students advance upon mastery.

2. Competencies include explicit, measurable, transferable learning objectives that empower students.

3. Assessment is meaningful and a positive learning experience for students.

4. Students receive timely, differentiated support based on their individual learning needs.

5. Learning outcomes emphasize competencies that include application and creation of knowledge, along with the development of important skills and dispositions.

How Students Learn

Videos • Not So Super of a Market - http://youtu.be/_LyuLJSByvI • Rocketship - http://vimeo.com/30557533#at=20 • School of One – http://vimeo.com/7964251 • Carpe Diem Collegiate High School http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s_O65rWV10 • New Line Learning Models http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnPLrK1USMA

Questions Dr. Susan Patrick spatrick@inacol.org http://www.inacol.org http://onlineprogramhowto.org

E-Learning Management System: A Blended Learning program

Powered by ANGEL Learning

Presenter: Amy Hance, Instructional Technology

  

Collier County is located in Southwest Florida. It includes Naples, Immokalee and Everglades City.

48 schools, 44,000 students, 140,000+ user accounts In 2005, we began a 3 year retrofit program and put a mounted video projector, document camera, sound enhancement system, and interactive whiteboard in every classroom.

In 2007  3 new schools opened as a 1:1 laptop schools.  1:1 laptop schools created a paradigm shift for teachers.

Students had more access to computers during the school day.  Needed a tool for teachers and students that would maximize this access to technology to its fullest potential.  Wanted a way to have students take more control of their own learning.

What is the next step?

We wanted to find a tool that provided     

A process that could deliver content and resources to students with face-to-face instruction from highly qualified instructors.

An opportunity to use the technology in their classrooms.

Differentiated instruction for students.

Engaging interaction for students.

Promotion and instruction of 21st century skills.

The tool is ANGEL. The instructional method is Blended Learning.

Blended Learning provides an opportunity…     

For teachers to communicate with students.

For students to be more in control of their own learning.

To deliver more professional development.

To communicate between home and school.

To differentiate instruction for students.

Collier fits in Model 5

How did we get to where we are today?



Purchased licenses  for all students and teachers in our 3 new schools.



Laid the groundwork  Imported courses and users, but not auto updated.



Provided Training  1 day of summer in-service, hands-on training.  40 minutes sessions throughout the school year.



New Teachers were hired  new schools hired beginning teachers, many whom have used a

learning management system in college as part of their education. 

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU)  Teachers have taken continuing education at Florida Gulf Coast

University in Estero and they use learning management systems! 

Monthly train/learn work sessions  One new school had many teacher interns which allowed us access to

teachers during the day. 

New teachers will try anything!



Equity  CCPS philosophy is to provide equity for all students and teachers, in

terms of equipment, facilities and software. 

Readiness of learners  We want the program to be available when the principals and teachers

decide they are ready. 

Professional Development  Create on-line first professional development course available in

Collier.



Principals requested demos for entire faculties  principals were intrigued by the new tool presented in the summer.  Instructional Technology (ITS) asked to give a demonstration of the

learning management system to faculty.  Provided 30-40 minutes demos.  Explained what an LMS is and how it works.  Presented during faculty meetings, before or after school. 

Principals requested specific faculty groups.  Wanted to share documents with faculty.  Principals modeled using the management system by placing

important information for teachers only in the groups.



Individual meetings with Principals  ITS staff met one-on-one with every principal.  Discussed all technology training available.



Hands-on training during school day  40 minutes sessions.  Planning periods.

▪ Added a syllabus to each course (secondary) ▪ Added events to the course calendar

Teachers wanted more!

Additional training requested



Hands-on training, 2+ hours after contract time.

 ▪

Must have 5 people minimum per session.

Saturday and evening sessions scheduled.  Community Groups created – 600+ groups currently 

     

School faculty groups Media Center Book Reviews – all students at a school Teachers of Gifted AP summer students Scholar bowl Girl's Basketball



Teachers/Students/Employees Announcement groups  Auto-imported all teachers, students, employees into specific groups

(based on rights level of staff and faculty).  Put announcements on the group page which shows on user’s home page. 

Email  Used to notify all teachers of new professional development courses.

▪ sent copy of email to external internet email address.  Keeps reminding teachers there is a learning management system.



Purchased a district license – all teachers and students. 



Created an upload of all courses nightly 

 

Course are exactly like they appear in our grade book.

Created an upload all users nightly Used as a tool for administrators  



includes all users from SIS - principals, adult learners, administrators, data entry, etc.

to present content in summer Administrator’s Academy for principals and subject area coordinators.

Required courses for new teachers and all Kindergarten teachers

Full implementation in Fall of 2009

 Created more Staff Development courses 

There are currently 49 Staff Development courses available.

 Used email to communicate from teachers to students  

with copy to internet mail (for teachers) Send information to all teachers

 Created more Community Groups •

Over 600 groups have been created



Use of Community Groups grows  Reading coaches formed a group to discuss classroom observations.  Building Technology Coordinators (BTC) posted information needed for

each building.  Media Specialists store meeting information and needed resources.  Teachers requested groups for AP students who are not yet enrolled in next year’s AP courses.

▪ review and do summer assignments.

▪ keep in contact with students over the summer.

 

Teachers post class notes and assignments for students.

Use of assessments has increased, both formative and summative assessments.

   

Send group emails–touches every user.

Created a district student and teacher textbook repository .

Created a District Curriculum and Resources repository for subject area coordinators. All teachers have access.

Created ELL courses which must be taken by all teachers.



 



Secondary Language Arts/Reading teachers completed the textbook adoption evaluation with shared assessments.

Science textbook adoption used surveys to gather information on textbooks.

Increased the number of Single Sign On (SSO) resources that are available to students and teachers. Currently we have Discovery Education, Pearson Successnet, FCAT Explorer and many other resources.

Purchased Blackboard Mobile Learn, summer 2012.

2010-2011

2011-2012

LOGINS BY ANGEL TOTAL TOTAL LOGINS =

LOGINS BY ANGEL TOTAL 2373967

TOTAL LOGINS =

3758810

TOTAL USERS =

55970

TOTAL USERS =

53691

USERS LOGED IN > 0

43384

USERS LOGED IN > 0

45941

USERS LOGED IN > 1

41791

USERS LOGED IN > 1

45057

USERS LOGED IN > 5

37674

USERS LOGED IN > 5

43193

USERS LOGED IN > 10

33987

USERS LOGED IN > 10

41171

USERS LOGED IN > 15

30854

USERS LOGED IN > 15

39025

USERS LOGED IN > 50

16084

USERS LOGED IN > 50

25039

Amy Hance Instructional Technology Specialist Collier County Public School hanceam@collier.k12.fl.us 239-377-0433