Friday Matinee: Blended Learning With Google (Part 2: Storytelling)

No matter what you teach or what level your students are at, there are always stories to tell.  Using Google Docs and Slides, students are able to tell stories in ways they can't do on paper.  They can collaborate with others to tell their story, look back at their revision process, add images and links, do research collaboratively, and publish for a global audience.  Writing with technology also helps prepare students for their future.  By using the grammar and spelling checker, the built in dictionary, and comments and feedback between teachers and students, this takes the student beyond simply using technology to type a paper.

In Kasey Bell's second blog post on Blended Learning With Google, she discusses using Google Docs and Slides to help students tell stories, as well as other tools like Google Earth and Photos.  At KATE we are all big fans of Google Slides, because with Slides you can do so much more than just present information.  It can be used for discussions, stop motion animation, creating infographics, creating comic strips, writing digital books, and more (the common word here is "creating").  If you have joined any of the great Facebook education groups (here's Kasey's) or followed many educators on Twitter (@ShakeUpLearning), you will see how teachers are using these flexible tools.  Many are sharing their work for others to use in their classrooms.  I'm sure you've also seen the Bitmoji classrooms teachers have created in Slides.

Friday Matinee: Blended Learning With Google Part 1

Recently, Kasey Bell from Shake Up Learning published 2 posts on her blog about Blended Learning.  This week we are going to look at part 1.  

She keeps saying something the we at KATE say all the time, just in a slightly different way:

"It's not about Google, y'all!  It's about the learning."

We usually replace the word Google with technology and omit the y'all, but it is true.  The apps, extensions, web browsers and all of the other tech will change.  What's important is how you use it in your classroom to change how you teach and students learn.  

Kasey wrote a book entitled "Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning from Static to Dynamic.  In part 1 of her blog post, Kasey explores how Google tools can help create Dynamic Blended Learning experiences.  Don't have time to read the blog post?  You can listen to her podcast (same link).

Blended Learning With Google (Part 1)

As stated in her blog post:

"Dynamic Blended Learning:

Dynamic blended learning is characterized by constant change and activity, growing and evolving over time. This learning can take place anywhere, anytime, and it is personalized and differentiated. It is learner-centered, giving students choice and embedding communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity skills where they align with the learning goals.

Dynamic blended learning also extends beyond the traditional bounds of the school day, schedule, and physical walls, and beyond the physical notion of hard and fast due dates. Digital tools are used for more than substitution, to do and create previously unconceived of things. Dynamic learning is boundless, with limitless opportunities."

When you look at her "Do This, Not That With Google Tools", how can you change your teaching to be more dynamic?  This semester, try to make your teaching and student learning more dynamic.

Related post from Kasey: Do This, Not That - Dynamic v. Static Learning

Friday Matinee: Learning for All Conference Resources

Last week The Friday Institute at North Carolina State University held the Learning for All Online Conference with many wonderful educators presenting on a variety of topics including innovation, collaboration, blended learning, and more with the intention of bringing great learning experiences to all students.  They have shared a document with links to the recorded presentations and resources, although some links will be added shortly.  Feel free to browse through the presentations and watch the videos that you feel will benefit you as a classroom teacher and try a few that just sound interesting.  I have watched 3 so far and am looking forward to watching more!

Learning for All: Engaging All Students Through Innovative Learning Experiences

Blended Learning and How It Works

Guest post by Kelsey Randall, EDU 222 student at Murray State University.

Blended learning is also known as "hybrid learning" and it combines the uses of online learning and face-to-face instruction in order to enhance a student's learning. A common question is "How much face-to-face instruction will be replaced by online coursework?" and the answer is about 30 to 70 percent according to The Online Learning Consortium. Blended learning allows for more flexibility for both students and instructors, it gives more time for students who aren't understanding material to get that one on one instruction that they need and for the students who are already excelling to get time to do work on their own without being held back by the students that are struggling. Blended learning allows both students and instructors to develop better technology skills.

It is said that blended learning has three primary components: In person classroom activities facilitated by a trained educator, online learning materials that often include pre-recorded lectures by instructor, and structured independent study time guided by the material in the lectures and skills developed during the classroom experience. Courses in blended learning use the face-to-face time to do activities that are mostly benefited by direct interaction instead of just delivering material by lectures, teachers now deliver those through online programs and use class time for more hands on learning.

In many cases where blended learning has been implemented by many teacher, educators are redefining their role as teachers. Instead of being called teachers many that work with blended learning are calling themselves facilitators, this meaning that they emphasize highlighting and guiding students skills and knowledge that are required in order to make the most of the online material and independent study time. "Facilitators" focus on four main areas: Development of online and offline course content, facilitation of communication with and among students, which includes the pedagogy of communicating content online without the contextual clues students would get in person, guiding the learning experience of individual students, and assessment and grading (www.mindflash.com/elarning).