Never Going Back!

Presentation by: Paula Barr

Blended Learning

Paula Barr

Inspired teacher of an amazing Blended Learning Second Grade

34 year veteran educator 3rd year as the facilitator of a

blended learning classroom INACOL Blended and Online

Teacher of the Year 2015 2014 Lawrence Teacher of the Year Lawrence Schools Foundation’s Bobs (Excellence in Teaching) Award in 2004 Vicki Larason Landman Equity in Education Award in 2000

Paula Barrpbarr@usd497.org@pbarrhorses

Core Values

The core values around which my classroom revolves:

Personalized learning Empowered students Positive learning environment Student Driven Growth mindset High engagement Flexible in space and time Passion for discovery, investigation and

learning

My Brand of Blended

The experts on Blended Learning http://www.christenseninstitute.org/key-concepts/blended-learning-2/

Our district has personalized blended learning to meet the needs of our situation and students.

We considered: How to provide flexible learning spaces How to increase student engagement Tech that is purposefully not one-to-one A reliable learning management system, Blackboard Whether to purchase a published course master or create our

own Effective Professional Development How to communicate about blended learning with our parents

and community How to initiate and maintain the paradigm shift from

traditional to blended

Why Blend

She learned this concept last year and wishes the teacher would go faster

She has holes in the basic skills

needed to understand this

concept

He checked out the

minute the teacher started talking

He gets it and so is

disengaged, his learning has stopped

She is frustrated because the teacher is going too fast

She wishes the teacher knew she learns best by doing and talking

He doesn’t think he is smart enough to learn

He could learn this better and faster on a device

Most of these students would enhance their learning through discovery and discourse

For whom is this classroom

designed?

Making the SHIFT

• Paradigm Shift• Streamline the

learning space• Slim Down• Design space for

students not for me• Promote

collaboration and fluid movement

• Let GO!

A Peek Inside

• No front of the room• Round tables• White board tables• Non-traditional seating• White boards around the room• Collaboration stations• Purposefully limiting devices• Streamlined classroom • Their classroom, not mine!

Beginning the Year

• Build a community of trust• Collaborative skills• How to coach • Introduce devices with non-

challenging academic tasks• Introduce devices in pairs and

small groups• Add create programs and APPs

one at a time• Troubleshooting charts• Growth Mindset & self reliance• Trust

LMS - Blackboard• Houses all the information,

video clips, and links I want my students to access

• Organizes and explains assignments

• Quizzes, group discussion and wikki boards, journals, upload assignments

• Allows me to differentiate • Allows students to follow a

personalized learning path

Not Just Screen Time

• Myth – students sitting at screens with headphones all day long

• Investigation and discovery is a key part of BL & are student driven

Biggest Shifts to Overcome

• Letting go of the control• Trusting students to take control of their learning• Getting rid of all the STUFF in my classroom and files• Technology, technology, technology!• Allowing students to move ahead• Allowing students to slow way down

What Helped the Most• Transparency with students and colleagues• GRIT –sticking with it even when I wanted to give up• Flexibility to move to Plan B, C, D…• Sharing failures and successes with others• Starting with one curricular area

Questions from Colleagues

• How do you plan for a blended learning classroom?• How do you assess your students and keep track of their

progress?• How time consuming is the planning?• Where do you find your resources?• How do you communicate with parents about blended

learning?• How has homework changed?

Where to Find Me

http://blendedwithbarr.weebly.com/

Blackboard

http://www.blackboard.com/k12/index.aspx• Explore Blackboard’s

BLOG• Explore Case Study

Lawrence Public Schools