Blended Learning

Blended Learning is a combination of face-to-face instruction and online instruction. With the continuous support of a classroom teacher, blended Learning provides students with the opportunity to develop skills essential for success in the 21^st century. Blended learning in Ontario will look very different from classroom to classroom. It can be said that blended learning falls on a spectrum because of the many factors it depends on (e.g. access to and comfort with technology, professional development).

More information can be found here: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/elearning/pdf/TeachLearnOverview.pdf

Primary Education:

When I worked in a Kindergarten classroom, the students loved using the Explain Everything app. They loved using the app to create stories. As each student was developmentally at different stages, each story format was different (based on their comfort and abilities). Some of the Senior Kindergarten students would create their stories by taking pictures and writing/typing words, while others opted to record themselves telling the story. Either way they were creating “books”, and were very proud to share them with the class.

In her blog, Mrs. Wideen explains how she uses the Explain Everything app in her classroom. In her split grade 1/2 class students complete various tasks using the app.

1.    Students explain their thinking after completing pencil to paper work. They take a picture of what they completed and then record themselves explaining why they chose to complete it the way they did.

2.    During the procedural writing unit, students have the opportunity to take step by step pictures, create a video and record themselves discussing the procedures.

3.    Students have the opportunity to show their learning by creating videos as a culminating task. In Mrs. Wildeen’s class students created videos explaining the water cycle.

More information regarding Mrs. Wideen’s approach to using Explain Everything, including student videos can be found on:

http://www.mrswideen.com/2013/03/using-explain-everything-in-primary.html

Junior Education:

Sesame is an app that allows students to create online portfolios. Teachers and students are able to document observations, conversations and student products. Teachers provide ongoing feedback with anecdotal notes, rubrics, checklists, and rating scales. Sesame has Ontario’s curriculum embedded so it is very easy for teachers to create these assessment tools. The app is very simple to use and each student's portfolio updates instantly and can be shared with families.

Ms. Bullock, a fourth grade teacher in Waterloo, Ontario used Sesame to help make their project-based environment on ancient civilizations a success. Her students recorded video explanations of each feature on their landmark. They took pictures to show how they made it. “Sesame saved them time by automatically organizing everything into each student's portfolio”. Ms. Bullock was able to provide instant feedback to students using her phone (at school or home). Parents were invited to a museum presentation to see all of the final creations but they were also able to witness the learning that their child gained behind the scenes – “they were grateful for the opportunity to witness the progress as it happened”. 

More information about Ms. Bullocks story can be found here: https://sesamehq.com/stories/ancient-museum

Intermediate Education:

Blended learning is a core part of P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School in Florida. A math teacher in Florida creates math podcasts and lessons using the ShowMe app. She creates podcasts of her lesson and assigns questions for students to work on independently. Each student has access to his/her assignments online. The students have unlimited access to the podcasts, while one student might have to watch the video once to understand the content, another student might have to watch the same video five times. She often has students create their own podcasts to show and explain their thinking/learning. While students are working independently, the teacher has the opportunity to work with students in small groups or on one-one-one. The best part is that the teacher can differentiate instruction easily by assigning modified work or simplifying her podcasts/lessons.

More information can be found here:

http://www.edutopia.org/practice/blended-learning-making-it-work-your-classroom

Teaching Students to Become Responsible and Ethical Digital Citizens

When teaching students about Copyright laws and Fair Use Acts, it is important for students to learn how to appropriately share the work they find online (e.g. avoiding plagiarism). It is also important for students to learn how to protect their own images, writing, and multimedia creations. Teachers need to demonstrate, guide, and help students practice appropriate and professional behavior while using blogs, wiki spaces, google, online research, and much more. While researching this topic I came across an informative blog post by Ronnie Burt, titled “The Educator’s Guide to Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons” (2012). Ronnie Burt discusses two simple rules:

Rule #1: You Can’t Use Everything You Find On the Web

Rule #2: There Are Resources You CAN Use

One of the resources that Burt discusses is “Creative Commons”. Creative Commons can be used to display a licensing mark on a blog, image and/or piece of writing to authorize sharing, reusing, and/or building on the creative works. Modeling and teaching how to easily use appropriate tools/resources such as Creative Commons in your own classroom will help prepare students to become responsible and ethical digital citizens.

Resources:

https://www.theedublogger.com/2012/02/09/the-educators-guide-to-copyright-fair-use-and-creative-commons/ 

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/responsible-student-technology-use.shtml

Ontario’s Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession

Ontario’s Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession provide a framework of principles that describes the knowledge, skills, and values inherent in the teaching profession. Members of the Ontario College of Teachers use these standards to complement and reinforce the work they already do on a daily basis. I definitely believe these standards are relevant to 21^st century teaching and learning, they encourage innovation, collaboration, risk taking and lifelong learning.

Ontario’s Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession:	Relating the standards to my own values and beliefs about education:
Commitment to Students and Student Learning	·         Being fair does not always mean to be equal. ·         Teachers need to be sensitive to the needs of their students. ·         The classroom should be a positive, and safe learning environment where all students feel respected and valued. ·         Every student is unique and should be treated as the individual he/she is. ·         Teachers should be committed to differentiating their instruction and doing all that they can to make sure ALL of their students are successful. ·         Teachers need to encourage students to become active, critical thinkers, problem-solvers and socially conscious global citizens.
Professional Knowledge	·         Teachers must understand and reflect on the Ontario curriculum. ·         Teachers should plan for cross-curricular integration.          -  According to a recent Ontario case study:                    “Connecting curriculum to real-world issues led to             greater use of non-fiction materials and increased             relevance of reading and writing activities”             (Integrated Learning in Ontario 2010). ·         Teachers need to know and understand their students. Read OSRs, talk to previous teachers, know about their individual learning styles, collect data (PM Benchmarks, CASI, DIBELS, PRIME), and monitor growth and progress.
Professional Practice	·         Teachers must integrate a variety of teaching and learning strategies, activities, technology and resources to enhance student learning. ·         Teachers should clearly share with students what the learning goals are. Students should always know what is expected of them (e.g. success criteria checklists, rubrics, posted learning goals in the classroom). ·         It is very important for teachers to provide ongoing descriptive feedback to students. ·         Teachers should strive to make learning meaningful. ·         Teachers should provide many opportunities for students to collaborate and problem solve with their peers. ·         Teachers themselves should collaborate with grade partners, divisional teams and other professions to support student learning.
Leadership in Learning Communities	·         All teachers should be able to build professional relationships based on trust and respect with students, parents and the community. ·         There should be always be ongoing two-way communication between the teacher and parents. ·         Communicate openly and regularly with members of the learning community through newsletters and/or available technology (e.g. classroom websites, social media, apps).
Ongoing Professional Learning	·         Teachers should adopt a lifelong learning mindset and recognize that continuous professional growth is an integral part of professional practice ·         Teachers should engage in professional learning to enhance effective practice (e.g. participating in “Collaborative Inquiry of Learning” within the school, participating in interested workshops and professional development). ·         Teachers should register for Additional Qualification courses. Most are available online and provide teachers with the opportunity to network with other teachers throughout the province.

Additional Resources:

http://www.oct.ca/public/professional-standards/standards-of-practice

https://www.oct.ca/-/media/PDF/Living%20the%20Standard%20Booklets/Living_Standards_Booklet_6_EN_web.pdf

http://www.edudemic.com/lifelong-learning-educational-mindset/

https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/CBS_integrated_learning.pdf

Six Strategies to Teach Safe Social Media Use in the Classroom

Dealing with Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (or other social media sites) is a reality in the classroom and in life - regardless of age or grade. “Technology is all around us, and your students don’t stop using cell phones and social media when they get to school. Both in and out of the classroom, teachers can play an important role in keeping [children and] teens safe” (Facebook Safety Center – Teaching Digital Kids).

As a 21^st century teacher I believe it is VERY important to explicitly model and teach digital citizenship to our students! Strategies that I would use to teach safe and appropriate use of these popular social media sites include:

1.    Create "fake" Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter bulletin boards/projects prior to implementing the online classroom accounts. Explain the many features that the websites have to offer. Stress to your students that anyone who walks the halls can read their writing and see the pictures that they choose to put up. Tell the students that the decisions they make online today can stay with them, and the rest of cyberspace, forever (check out: Online Safety Tips…. Your Digital Footprint)!

         Sample bulletin boards:

          Instagram: 

 https://dborck.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/student-life-on-display-with-instagram-board/ 

          Facebook:

student profile example: 

http://www.applesandabcs.com/2013/09/a-tour-of-my-classroom-4th-grade.html

Interactive board example: 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/133348838939727179/

          Twitter: 

                                  http://www.marcicoombs.com/2014/01/classroom-bulletin-board-ideas.html

2.    Review/discuss Internet safety tips. I found a few great quick videos on www.commonsensemedia.org that you could play for your students.

3.    Have your students sign a Social Media Contract that outlines what students will and will not be able to do while using the sites. It should also include consequences for any rules that get broken. It is important that your students know that the online space created for them is positive, safe, and judgment free.

A free child-friendly contract can be downloaded here: 

http://www.imom.com/printable/social-media-contract-for-kids/#.VsqgurQrLIU

4.    In groups, have students discuss answers to:

a.    Why is it important to have a good and secure password? What makes a good password?

b.    How can you decide if a website is a credible source that can be trusted?

c.    Is it always safe to download content such as information or music? Explain.

d.    What is cyberbullying? What steps should you take if you are being cyberbullied or you no longer feel safe online?

e.    What should you do if a friend tells you she is receiving mean messages or pictures?

f.     Should you agree to meet someone in person that you met online? Explain.

g.    Why should you think about the items you want to post before posting them? Explain.

5.    Invite the police department to share some valuable information with your class. In London, Ontario, the London police have started to teach internet safety to students as early as Grade 2 (read the article here: http://www.lfpress.com/2016/02/09/london-police-teaching-internet-safety-to-elementary-school-students ).

6.    Maintain your own positive digital footprint! Be a role model for your students and their families! 

Social Media Parent/Guardian Permission Form (Sample)

Internet Safety Poster

http://buildingdigitalcitizens.wikispaces.com/

The Difference a Century Makes in Education

       A 21st century teacher must engage and prepare all students to be active participants in our exciting and quick changing global community. Today's students need to master a new set of skills that will prepare them for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Students need to know how to collaborate effectively, think critically and creatively, and use technology tools to communicate (the 4 C’s), while still focusing on reading, writing, and arithmetic (the 3 R’s). 4 C’s + 3 R’s = Strong Success for 21st century students. 

Melinda Kolk, March 30, 2011

      
 Technology has had a huge and positive impact on education. As a result, teachers are now required to have digital skills that were not necessary in the past. With the unlimited information that students can easily access online, teachers no longer need to have students think of things, but think about them.There has been a paradigm shift from teacher-centered classrooms to student-centered classrooms. 21^st century teachers place students at the center of their own learning, they have a voice in why, what, and how their learning experiences will take shape. Inquiry and/or project based learning is motivating students to learn, it makes learning experiences more relevant and meaningful. 

Lori Reed: “21st Century Learners 21st Century Learning”, June 22, 2011

For further information on the 21^st century teacher I suggest reading Tsisana Palmer's article found on: http://www.edutopia.org/discussion/15-characteristics-21st-century-teacher