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Response to Intervention in the Blended Learning Environment

Sept. 22, 2015

A Guide to Common Core

Aug. 21, 2015

Three Strategies for Consistently Engaging Learners

Aug. 10, 2015

The importance of cultivating a growth mindset with students

July 15, 2015

Becoming a reflective educator

July 7, 2015

Developing prosocial behaviors and interactions within the classroom experience

June 30, 2015

Identifying at-risk learners. Two critical components

June 15, 2015

Three key factors in igniting the fire in learners

June 9, 2015

Memories of school veterans. Thank you

May 24, 2015

Keeping early course finishers engaged

May 17, 2015

The right curriculum for blended learning

May 11, 2015

Blended Learning Technology. Selection Process

April 26, 2015

Students who finish early. Four ways to keep grads-to-be engaged

April 20, 2015

Generation DIY. Benefits of blended learning that transcend instruction

March 30, 2015

Generation DIY. Benefits from the Blended Learning homefront

March 23, 2015

Top 6 Lessons from Madness. NCAA March Madness

March 16, 2015

Preventing the Dreaded: "Why Do We Need to Learn This?"

March 9, 2015

8 Blended Learning Space Considerations

March 2, 2015

5 Favorite Practices for Effective Communication

Feb. 23, 2015

Second-Order Change: The Blended Learning Mandate

Feb. 16, 2015

6 Ways to Match Blended Learning Models

Feb. 9, 2015

Using the SAMR Model in Blended Learning

Feb. 2, 2015

Planning for 1 to 1 Learning: Making the Blended Learning Model Local

Jan. 24, 2015

Eight Elite Questions to Ask When Selecting Online Content Providers

Jan. 17, 2015

Five Tips to Overcome the "January Syndrome" in Professional Development

Jan. 11, 2015

Blended education: Student-led discussions

Jan. 5, 2015

Next Generation Learning Spaces eBook offer and conference information

Dec. 9, 2014

Learning from Reality TV. Five Important Presentation Lessons for Teachers

Oct. 31, 2014

Six steps to great technology training

Oct. 27, 2014

Why I’m "Bullish" on Blended Learning

Oct. 20, 2014

Lessons from the One-Room Schoolhouse

Oct. 13, 2014

6 Keys to Deliberate Practice in Blended Learning

Oct. 6, 2014

Top Fifteen Skills Students Need for College and Career Readiness

Sept. 29, 2014

6 Ways Google Drive Docs Rocks in Blended Education

Sept. 22, 2014

Effective Instructional Probing Questions

Sept. 12, 2014

6 Career Types for Personalizing Learning

Sept. 8, 2014

Back to school thoughts

Aug. 29, 2014

Using data to inform instruction. Rigor, Relevance, and Results

Aug. 25, 2014

Teaching to Learn

Aug. 14, 2014

Social and Emotional learning matters

Aug. 9, 2014

Infographic: 7 Blended Activities to Start the New Year

Aug. 4, 2014

Tips for electrifying instruction (even when the lights go out)

Aug. 1, 2014

Lansing's Woodcreek Achievement Center: Blended Learning ideas to improve reading comprehension

July 26, 2014

Top Five Blended Learning Tweets (of the summer so far)

July 21, 2014

Infographic: 8 key points to include in digital citizenship

July 8, 2014

Deliberate practice makes remember-able perfect

July 4, 2014

The 'One Minute Manager's' advice to teachers and students

June 27, 2014

Ways to Get the Most from ISTE 2014

June 23, 2014

Educators advocate for new programs, more technology, increased funding. 3 simple steps.

June 16, 2014

7 Favorite Ways Students Like to Learn

June 9, 2014

Adapting Teacher Observations to Blended Learning Environments

June 2, 2014

Celebrating Successes. Student Learning in a Blended, Personalized Environment

May 26, 2014

Teaching in a Blended Environment: 12 Questions for Reflection and Discussion

May 19, 2014

Great ways to support teachers in blended, personalized, and online learning classrooms

May 12, 2014

Engagement doesn't necessarily equal buy-in. Working through pushback in Blended Learning environments

May 5, 2014

Connecting Classroom Instruction to Online Content

April 28, 2014

Blended Learning Classrooms Start with Blended Learning Professional Development

April 21, 2014

Top 3 Ways Blended Learning Really Works in Professional Development

April 14, 2014

Must Follow Organizations Supporting Blended, Personalized Learning

April 7, 2014

Great Probes for Blended, Personalized, Online Teaching

March 31, 2014

Four Key Considerations for Selecting Blended, Personalized, and Online Learning Tools

March 24, 2014

Four Creative Ways to Share the Vision for Blended, Personalized, Online Learning

March 17, 2014

Series: Planning for Blended and Personalized Learning: Blended Learning Goals

March 10, 2014

Planning for Blended and Personalized Learning Series: Crafting a Vision

March 3, 2014

News from the Field: eLearn Magazine – Call for K12 Blended Learning Articles

Feb. 24, 2014

Does Big Bird "Tweet"? Teaching Generation Z

Feb. 17, 2014

Five Characteristics of Great Blended Learning Teachers

Feb. 10, 2014

Empowering Students with the Top Four Blended Learning Models

Feb. 5, 2014

Three Interrelated Parts of Real Blended Learning

Jan. 28, 2014
Great ways to support teachers in blended, personalized, and online learning classrooms
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May 12, 2014
Tags: supporting teachers,lesson objectives,assessment objectives,educator feedback,
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After all the celebrations for National Teacher Appreciation Week, we come back to the basics - how can we best support best practices in our classrooms? Instructional leaders can provide just the right front-line support as teachers develop their blended, personalized, and online learning classrooms. Just as research indicates that investments in mentoring first-year teachers provides significant and sustainable dividends for school districts, it is entirely appropriate to assume that mentoring and supporting teachers new to blended and online learning settings would provide similar rates of return. Today’s educators are not the "digital natives" who sit before them in today’s classrooms. They are in fact often "first year teachers" in a blended learning setting and deserve meaningful, job-embedded, and ongoing support to ensure the intended program outcomes associated with implementing a blended learning approach are successfully realized.

In the same manner teachers create lesson plans to guide instruction, district leaders should similarly carefully choreograph a "lesson plan" that aims to provide the resources and support necessary to ensure long-term success. The following lesson plan is offered as a guide for supporting teachers in a blended learning environment:

  • Objectives of the Lesson: Provide teachers with information about the goals of the blended, personalized, and online learning classroom. Blended learning is implemented for a variety of reasons. It is important to make sure that they understand the goals associated with the initiative and how it will leverage technology and digital resources to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom. It is critical that teachers recognize that the district is committed to the blended learning program and the teacher's success in this new setting. The International Association for K12 Online Learning (iNACOL) provides a wealth of information about current trends and standards for blended and online learning. Just as a teacher’s lesson plan often includes "objectives for the lesson," it is important for leaders to provide teachers with an understanding of what the teacher will be able to accomplish in a blending learning classroom.
  • Assessment of the Objectives: Recognize that teachers enter a blended or online learning classroom with varying levels of background in blended and online learning formats. Just as we look to offer students pre-assessments to ascertain what a student knows prior to teaching a unit, it is advisable to similarly take the time to conduct pre-assessments of teachers. Find out what they know and how they feel about the program so that meaningful professional development can be offered to ensure sustainable success. This pre-assessment and ongoing checks for understanding ensure that teachers feel supported throughout the process and helps alleviate frustrations in learning that make negatively impact sustained progress.
  • The Lesson: Teaching in a blended learning setting is drastically different from teaching in a traditional classroom. New pedagogical approaches need to be shared with teachers so that they are effective in mentoring students in a blended learning environment. Teachers often become less of the provider of information in this setting and more of the facilitator of learning. This is often difficult for teachers to transition to and therefore it must be modeled for all teachers. Support teachers by sharing with them best practices from other blended and online settings that will be replicated in your setting.
  • Materials Needed: Ensure that all necessary resources are present to support the teachers and students. Teachers, for example, must have access to reliable technology that engages students and expands learning. Teachers also need to have immediate access to technology support personnel to respond to the eventual technology glitch. Other materials needed include access to colleagues in successful blended learning classrooms. Some of the greatest experts in blended and online learning are often in similar classrooms in the district. Many districts have also turned to online discussion boards, quarterly professional learning communities, and other channels to share best-practices that further the goals of the program.
  • Follow Up: The greatest gift of support from instructional leaders is the ongoing gift of feedback and patience. Blended learning is a challenging transition for many teachers and feedback from professionals in the industry who have successfully navigated the initial roadblocks present in similar settings. Every path to success starts with a first step. The best way to support teachers is to ensure that each and every step of their journey will be accompanied by a scaffolding of support to ensure that they are never alone. They key is to keep them exploring and discovering the opportunities that exist for them and their students in a blended and online learning setting.

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