Day 71--Tis the season!

Highlights from Day 71: Nothing is better than seeing student engaged and focused on learning! Also, HDES door decorating contest is starting to heat up!

Day 70--Upcoming Blended Learning Webinars

Sharing some upcoming webinars on Blended learning:

WEBINAR #1
Join our Blended Learning webinar this Wednesday, December 9, with Julia Freeland Fisher from the Clayton Christensen Institute on how to leverage all of the tools Achieve3000 provides to implement the most successful blended learning models in your school.

WEBINAR #2 The Future of Blended Learning

As blended learning becomes more accepted in more schools throughout the country, the ways that teachers and students are using this method continue to expand. Hear from a top blended learning expert and a school superintendent as they discuss the changes in blended learning, how you can implement a program successfully in your schools, and how to avoid the implementation dip. In this webinar, attendees will learn about: •The growth of blended learning •The most promising models of blended learning •How blended learning can increase student engagement and achievement •The future of blended learning Webinar date and time: Dec. 9, Noon ET Participants who view the webinar for 45 minutes or more are eligible to receive a certificate for one hour of professional development certificate from Scholastic.

Blended Learning Webinar with H. Staker

Blended Learning Teacher of the Week:...I enjoy teaching more this year because...

2nd Grade Teacher Mrs. Gilland

BLENDED LEARNING TEACHER OF THE WEEK:

MRS. GILLAND

Q. How long have you been teaching?

     I am in my 27th year of teaching!  :-)

Q. What grade do you teach?

     I presently teach 2nd Grade.

Q. How has your BL implementation been going?

     I have been excited about Blended Learning!  The children have been kept busy, busy, busy with lots of learning and lots of practice with reading comprehension and response, writing, spelling and grammar, Math, Smarty Ants, and Dreambox!   I love that I get to meet with each small group of students and work with them more closely, every day, getting to know them and assisting them at “sharpening” their individual skills.  Honestly, in the past, I don’t feel like I ever met with the studentsand understood their needs as much as I have this year.  Students are becoming more independent and accountable.  I give Blended Learning a huge “thumbs up”!  

Q. How has BL changed your thoughts about teaching?

     I really do enjoy teaching more this year because I do feel like I’ve not only gotten to know the students better, I feel like I’m making more of an impact with what I do with the students.  Students keep very active through rotations, I set high expectations for students and expect students to set attainable goals for self- improvement.  The students and I both are excited when we meet our goals!

Q. If you had one word to describe BL what would say and why? 

     Awesome! -because it’s been one of the things that HDES has implemented that I think is making a huge difference in the way that our students think and learn as well as a great difference in the way that I plan and teach!

Day 69 BL brings in newness

Day 69 Highlights on the 1st Friday in December. Blended Learning brings new discoveries every day. As administration is making it through our 2nd round of observations one commonality we have been seeing is in the Guided, Tech, and Independent groups there is a newness every lesson, every day. Our teachers confidence in the guided stations is growing daily and the students use of technology with the adaptive programs is becoming more and more tailored to meet the needs of the students. Below are some pictures from Day 69.

Day 68 HDES Staff is Extraordinary

Check out the highlights from day 68!

Day 67--Going Upward

Check out these highlights from Day 67 at HDES. What a great job students and teachers did today!

Day 66 Breakdown of Blended Learning Definition

For Day 66 we will break down the blended learning definition that we have adopted at HDES from the Clayton Christensen Institute. This brief breakdown is our view on what it means.

Part I: Blended Learning is a formal education program in which a student learns...A Formal education program is a key term that should not be glossed over when understanding blended learning. This applies to having certified and trained teachers who have went through a college teaching program.  Having quality instructors in every class is vital to providing a student centered and personalized learning experience for students. Unfortunately, over the past decade or so we have had to rely on Teach for America programs and lateral entry programs to those who would like to 'try' to be a teacher. There has been much talk about teacher shortages and the lack of students enrolling in universities to be teachers. I would like to give a word of advice to those who know within their heart that they want to be teachers but have been driven away by all the negative press and naysayers. I have come to realize that this is actually the best time to be a teacher. Blended learning makes teaching fun again because it provides the way to reach every student you teach. No more having to be the sage on the stage hoping that your lecture style doesn't bore the high students, hoping the limited students catch up and settling on teaching to the middle. Blended learning creates a student ratio of 1:7 or less during the guided station. Blended learning leverages technology with online content and programs for each student to go at their own time, place, pace and or path. Blended learning makes coming to work every day a joy because it provides purposeful direction for the teacher and students. We need college students who have the desire and commitment to getting themselves trained to be teachers, and ready for this generation of students who have a great appetite to learn new things in new ways! It is a great time to be a teacher! Go find a great formal education program and give yourself to this great profession!