Tools for Administrators for Supporting Blended Learning Teachers. Based on iNACOL's Roadmap for Implementing Blended Learning

1. www.inacol.org
Tools for Administrators
to Support
Blended Learning Teachers
Rob’s Wiki: http://robdarrow.wikispaces.com
Dr. Allison Powell
Dr. Rob Darrow
iNACOL
March 2014

2. Slides and Tools Here
Rob’s Wiki: http://robdarrow.wikispaces.com

3. Introductions
• A little about you:
– Teachers
– Administrators
– Other
– K-6; 7-8; 9-12; college
• Me
– Lifelong Californian – Educated in Ca public schools
PreSchool-doctorate
– Online charter school principal, school librarian and
teacher (Taught K-8)
– Full time with iNACOL, Director of Member Services

4. International Association for K-
12 Online Learning (iNACOL)
• iNACOL is the premier K-12 nonprofit membership
organization for blended and online learning.
• 4100+ 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 all students have access to a world-class
education and quality blended and online learning
opportunities that prepare them for a lifetime of
success.”

5. November 4-7, 2014
Palm Springs, Ca
• Over 2000 experts, educators,
administrators, companies and thought
leaders sharing and networking
• RFP Currently Open:
http://www.inacol.org/events/symposium/

6. iNACOL Supporting Documents
www.inacol.org/resources
• iNACOL Blended Learning Roadmap
(NYC)
• Mean What You Say: Defining and
Integrating Personalized, Blended and
Competency Education
• Transforming K-12 Rural Education
through Blended Learning: Barriers
and Promising Practices
Rob’s Wiki: http://robdarrow.wikispaces.com

7. Session Focus
• Administrative support for blended learning
teachers
• Tools to assist in blended learning teachers
• An Evolving Field
– Online Learning is just 14 years old
– Blended Learning about 7 years old
• Research is emerging – there is evidence of
effective online and blended teaching

8. Not About the Technology
• Change in teaching
• Change in learning
• Change in pedagogy
• Things should look different in a blended
learning environment, more student
centric, more personalized learning

9. But…
• Effective and efficient personalized
learning cannot exist without the use of
technology
• A change in teaching, learning, and
pedagogy cannot occur without the use of
technology
• The classroom cannot be more student
centric without the use of technology

10. The Ultimate Goal
• College and career ready
students and
100% graduation rate
• [Current graduation rate: 70% among
white students, and 50% among
Latino and African American males)

11. My Belief: Tipping Point
• K-12 Online Learning already there
• Every school will become a blended
learning school to better personalize
learning for all students
• Ultimate goal: College and career ready
students and 100% graduation rate

12. This is a journey,
not a destination.
It takes time to transform
thinking and teaching.

13. What do you currently do to
measure teacher effectiveness?

14. What do you do to measure or
observe teacher effectiveness?
• Lesson observation
• Walk-throughs
• Talk with teacher
• Lesson plan observation
• Ongoing benchmark data
• End of year achievement tests

15. Online Teacher Observation
• Instructional design
• Student satisfaction surveys
• Teacher record keeping
• View course management system data
• Observe an online class session
• Communication / response time to email

16. A Story from New York City
• New Principal and Quality Assurance
Officer observe a teacher in the
classroom

17. Defining blended learning.
What does it look like?

18. Tech-rich = blended

19. Blended Learning Definition
• “a formal education program in which a student
learns at least in part through online delivery of
content and instruction with some element of
student control over time, place, path, and/or
pace and at least in part at a supervised brick-
and-mortar location away from home…”
- (Horn and Staker, 2013)

20. A formal education program in which a student
learns at least in part through online learning, with
some element of student control over
time, place, path and/or pace
at least in part in a supervised brick-and-mortar
location away from home (such as school).
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The modalities along each student’s learning path
within a course or subject are connected to
provide an integrated learning experience.
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Definition Expanded (2012)

21. There are blended learning Models
• Rotation
• Flex
• Self-Blend
• Enriched Virtual

22. Emerging blended-learning models

23. But…the models don’t discuss:
• How to best implement blended learning
• Or how to support teachers in a blended
learning program
• Or the types of technologies that need to
be in place
• Or how school leaders can best support
blended learning teachers
• Many of the models are in charter schools
vs. traditional public schools

24. Teaching and Learning
• What the student is
doing and where the
student is.
 What the teacher is
doing and where the
teacher is.
 What and where the
content is.

25. @MichaelbHorn Tweet
“If you cannot identify
the front of the room,
you are probably in a
disruptive / blended classroom”
– #inacol13, Oct. 2013

26. Questions?
Comments?

27. The Tools
(handout)
• Continuum from Textbook Enhanced to
Online Teaching and Learning
• Rubric for Blended Learning
– Develop walk-through tool with rubric
• Observation Form

28. Continuum (see handout)
Where do you fit? Where does your school fit?
• Textbook enhanced teaching and
learning
• Technology enhanced (not online)
• Web/online enhanced
• Blended
• Online

29. From Textbook to Online Teaching
Online
Teaching
Textbook
Enhanced
Teaching
Technology
Enhanced
Teaching
Web / Online
Enhanced
Teaching

30. The Rubric
1. Leadership
2. New Staff Roles
3. New Student Roles
4. Personalized Learning Plans and Progress
5. Next Generation Curriculum and
Assessment
6. Flexible and Real World Learning
Environments

31. 4-Point Rubric
1. Under Developed
2. Developing
3. Proficient
4. Well Developed

32. Indicator: Leadership
• 1.1 Measurable goals have been written and
communicated with all staff.
Well Developed
Ongoing progress towards each goal is
being collected and tracked by teachers and
administrators.

33. Indicator: New Staff Roles
2.1 Teacher as facilitator/coach
Well Developed
• Teachers regularly circulate around the room meeting
with small groups and individuals identifying progress
toward learning goals.
• Teachers regularly document student progress daily
through some digital record keeping system.
• Student data is regularly used as a means for
differentiating instruction.

34. Indicator: New Student Roles
3.1 New Student Roles
Well Developed
• Students regularly take active role in their learning and are
able to choose types of content (e.g. textbook, video or
online) that causes their best learning.
• Students regularly track their own progress towards learning.
• Students regularly have ability to complete work at own pace.
• Students regularly know where to find help or support when
needed.

35. Questions?
Comments?

36. Be the observer!
Is this blended learning?

37. Blended? Yes, No, Maybe?

38. Blended? Yes, No, Maybe?

39. Blended? Yes, No, Maybe?

40. Blended? Yes, No, Maybe?

41. Classroom Walk Throughs?
• What do you look for?

42. Classroom Walk-Throughs
• Evidence of student centric
– Student learning focus / Students in groups
– Student computers/devices on a course management
system (access school and home)
– Students can explain what and why they are doing
• Evidence of personalization
– Teacher working with individual or groups
– Student data used by teacher
– Variety of ways for student to communicate with
teacher (verbal, discussion boards, email, twitter, etc.)

44. How to Observe a Blended
Learning Teacher
• Adapt the Rubric
• View student computer/device screen
• View teacher interaction with students
• View data teacher uses
• Talk with students
• Talk with teacher

45. What does
blended learning
really look like?

46. Mott Hall V, New York City
7th Grade Science
One-to-One
Group Projects

48. Management

50. What data do I use?
Test 1 60.0% avg
Test 2 76.6% avg
review activity

51. Prep Academy at Southeastern High School
Detroit, Michigan
Science Classroom

52. Prep Academy Management:
Student chooses their weekly schedule

53. Data to personalize learning

54. iNACOL Webinar
• A Day in the Life of a Blended Learning
Teacher
– Alex Paraskaveides (Mr. P), Lead Blended Learning
and Science Teacher, 7th Grade, Mott Hall V, New
York City
– Haley Hart, PASE Prep Academy Science
Teacher, Southeastern High School, Educational
Achievement Authority, Detroit
• Recording:
• https://sas.elluminate.com/p.jnlp?psid=2013-11-
21.1455.M.A4AD5CB70B5A4D831FFD0B6FB3AD
9A.vcr&sid=253

55. An Effective
Blended Learning Teacher
• Classroom is controlled chaos:
– students generally in groups
– teacher circulating
• Student centered learning
• Students focused on work, but may be in
different places in a unit
• Teachers use data on a daily basis to
personalize learning / re-group students

56. Any California Blended Learning Schools?
• Summit Denali (Sunnyvale, Ca. Currently 6th
grade. Eventually 6-12. Charter)
• Rocketship Si Se Puede (K-5, San
Jose, Ca, Charter)
• Silicon Valley Flex Academy (9-12, Morgan
Hill, Ca, Charter)
• Milpitas Unified, Joseph Weller Elementary
School (K-5, Traditional)
• KIPP Empower (Los Angeles)

57. Joseph Weller, Milpitas

58. Questions?
Comments?

59. Now, the Technology Needed
• Robust Network
• Student Devices
• Course Management System
• Content

60. Successful Blended Learning
Involves Six Elements
• Leadership
• Professional Development
• Teaching/Instructional Practice
• Operations/Admin
Systems/Policy
• Content
• Technology

61. 1. Leadership
School Implementation
• Identified administrator/leader and teachers at each school
• Ongoing interactions (one-on-one, formal and informal) and
meetings of those involved in iLearn
• Administrators, teachers and administrators work together
towards the blended learning goals established in each school
Promising Practices
• School culture of innovation and empowerment
• Start small and build
• Communication is strong and occurs between involved people
in a variety of ways (one-to-one, phone, email, chat, etc.)

62. 2. Professional Development
School Implementation
• Both formal and informal (Schedule ongoing group and
individual support – online and face-to-face)
• Modeling, webinars, small conferences, workshops, cohort
meetings
• Support teacher / school librarian / implementation managers
are key
Promising Practices
• Scheduled Time (within work week)
• Participating Teachers as Resources
• Professional Sharing / Professional Learning Community
• School Support

63. 3. Teaching/Instructional Practices
School Implementation
• Common Vocabulary / Resources
– Blended Learning Continuum, Blended Learning Rubric, Observation Form
• Support for new blended learning teachers – modeling and
mentoring
• Analyzing real-time data to personalize learning for each student
Promising Practices
• Classroom Setup
• Data Analysis
• Individualized Instruction
• Student Engagement
• Digital Content

64. Note about Blended Teaching
• End of Year Assessment: Difficult to show
a marked difference via end of year
assessments and implementation of
technology.
• Need to identify other assessments (e.g.
engagement) to report to educational
stakeholders.

65. 4. Operations/Management Systems/Policy
School Implementation
• Restructuring of the traditional school class / school day
• Emphasis on using real-time student performance data
• Change in instructional delivery model
Promising Practices
• Removal of institutional barriers / policies
• Operational support
• Policy development examples
• Data-driven instruction

66. 5. Content
School Implementation
• Common course management system
• Content providers to choose
• Professional development and teacher sharing about content
provider and platform use
Promising Practices
• Content Decision Making (purchase or build your own)
• Customizable platform – teachers use base curriculum and
customize based on student needs
• Customizable for individual students

67. 6. Technology
School Implementation
• School leadership ensures that technology needs of students
and teachers are addressed, and proper training provided.
• Dedicated technical support for the blended learning programs.
• School leadership is visible in their own use of technology;
modeling expectations.
Promising Practices
• Technology Training
• Technology Support – Technician on site
• Hardware and Software in place to use

68. Handouts - Use and Improve
• Links / Documents on Resource Page
• Resources
– Continuum from Textbook Enhanced to Online
Teaching and Learning
– Rubric
– iLearnNYC Observation Form

69. Questions?
Comments?

70. Remember:
This is a journey,
not a destination.
It takes time to transform
thinking and teaching.

71. www.inacol.org
Contact Information
Rob Darrow - rdarrow@inacol.org
Allison Powell – apowell@inacol.org
Rob’s Wiki: http://robdarrow.wikispaces.com