Jen Johnson's video on blended learning draws a clear line in the sand between blended learning and technology integration. You can cross over the use of technology line into blended learning by incorporating some very key features. The use of technology has to specifically engage a student in the learning process so that there is a connection between what they are doing on line and what they are leaning in the classroom. There should be collaboration, opportunities for feedback and more student control of learning.
In the past I have used technology to engage students in the learning process, but it was not truly blended learning. I would have them practice math problems on a specific site such as Cool Math or engage them in a competition, with games like Kahoot or Jeopardy, but I realized that wasn't helping them learn the content. While they were having fun and use of those programs helped excite students who don't generally care for math, it did not improve their understanding of the concepts. I then began using a combination of tools to support a more student centered learning process. I started by incorporating a flipped classroom approach. I gave students an opportunity to work at their own pace or with a partner on the computer, using Study Island. Study Island has lessons associated with the concepts. Some of the lessons are step by step written explanations and other lessons are a link, connecting the student to Khan Academy. I was able to assign specific concepts and control whether students could play games or practice. The next day, we would go over the concepts that they learned and I allowed for group discussion at their tables. We then did practice problems using the integrated board. Students would explain the process. I also found a site that gave a visual presentation of graph's so that they could understand the process of graphing lines, finding the y intercept and the x and y coordinate points. http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/Graphit/ This was a favorite for many students. It was extremely helpful for visual learners.
One of the wonderful things about using the blended classroom in that you are often automatically differentiating for different learner modalities.
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