I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but it is MAY JUNE!!! I saw this image on Facebook recently, and this is just how I feel right now! Or at least that was how I felt a few weeks ago when I started this blog! Sometimes blog posts take a little longer than expected.
During the last few months, the focus has been on creating a personalized learning environment for ALL. This means we are looking at ways to personalize learning for our students, as well as for our adult learners! For our students, we are developing blended learning classes at one of our middle school campuses and at our high school. Blended learning is a learning environment where students learn with both face to face instruction and an online component.
After touring a couple of districts during the fall, we have started our own journey into blended learning. Teachers and administrators first visited campuses in Lewisville ISD and saw how teachers created blended learning environments in a variety of content areas and at different levels. Sometimes, just seeing the physical space helps us to shift the way we see our learning spaces. On each of the campuses, there were many different types of collaborative spaces for the students to use while on campus. At the high school level, students could choose not to work on campus on their online days, but space was certainly available if the students were on campus.
We were able to see first hand the power of a blended learning environment. In a high school algebra class, students were receiving one on one help, even though it was not a face to face day.
At the middle school level, students would check-in at various collaborative spaces using a device and a Google form and begin work.
Lewisville ISD was so gracious as to invite us to attend a blended learning training in the spring. We took eight teachers to the training, some who will be teaching a blended learning course in the fall, and some who are interested in learning more and offering a blended learning environment for their students.
We will be reading the book, Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools by Michael B. Horn & Heather Staker.
Our journey has just begun, but we are excited about the possiblities and how we can better meet the learning needs of our students!
