The eNotes Blog Marchs Teachers Corner BlendedLearning

Marchs Teachers Corner BlendedLearning In the olden days- really not that long ago- technology in the classroom was an intercom connection with the  office and a 16mm projector that showed black-and-white documentaries. When film strip projectors arrived  on the scene, they represented real innovation; a film strip machine with audio and auto advance was cutting  edge. The term â€Å"blended learning† didn’t exist because there was nothing to blend. The concept of blended learning didn’t enter the mainstream of education until the 1990’s as the internet  continued to expand and schools began investing in classroom computers and software. Since then, the idea  of â€Å"blending† internet and digital media resources with traditional classroom instruction has become the  prevailing force in determining how instruction is delivered. Laptops and tablets are quickly replacing  textbooks, and blended learning has become the focus of professional development. Teachers now race to  keep up with the explosion of new technology resources and the myriad ways they can be used in instruction. There are six models of blended learning. For an overview and a description of each model, check out this Web site.  Based on the descriptions, the â€Å"Face-to-Face Driver† model  seems to be most representative of how blended learning is being implemented in the majority of our  classrooms. The teacher delivers most of the curriculum and employs online resources to supplement  instruction and promote learning. Sounds easy enough, but keeping up with the increasing number of technology resources at  hand and using them most effectively have  become daily challenges. Here are some ideas to help sort things out. Kids the Internet With laptops, tablets, or shared classroom computers, students have immediate access to a world of  information. Sometimes, though, they lack the skills and experience to trek through the blizzard of articles  they find online. For younger students and those whose reading levels make it difficult  to use online resources, here are a couple of good Web sites: Factmonster is an online general  encyclopedia that’s not hard to navigate, and it’s filled with information in easy-to-read articles. Ducksters is designed for students K-8, and offers information and  activities in history, biography, geography, and science, along with homework help, games, and sports. Kids Computer Games Using interactive games and activities can be effective in supplementing instruction in every subject and grade  level. They’re also useful in differentiated instruction and remediation. There are thousands to choose from on  the net, but finding the right ones takes time, and time is always in short supply. To narrow your search, look  at these: For students K-12, check out the interactive games and activities at Hoagies Gifted Education Page. They cover many subjects, including engineering, physics,  space, and astronomy. At Interactive Sites for Education  you will find lots of good  interactive games and activities, K-5, in math, science, language arts, social studies, music, art, and  even typing. The brainteasers are worthwhile, too. Other Ways to Blend Learning In making blended learning effective and engaging, consider some of these ways to implement it: Tap into social media. Write some lessons that incorporate Skype, Twitter, and Facebook. Here’s a site  that features 100 ways to use social media in developing classroom projects and activities. Read books online, free of charge. Create a virtual classroom library filled with new books and stories.  At www., you’ll find eTexts of hundreds of works of literature that can be read in their  entirety online, free. Also free are the children’s books that can be read online at Childrens Books Online. It’s an amazing collection. Project Gutenberg  offers free ebooks in the public domain and features titles from world  literature. Supplement and enhance lessons with instructional videos, movies, and film clips. Save time in locating  what you need by visiting this article. It features The  100 Best Video Sites for Educators and describes what you can find at each one. Whatever subject or grade you teach, take your students on virtual field trips. A great collection of  virtual tours can be found at here. Among them  are some virtual reality tours of famous places as they existed in the past. Design lesson-related activities that allow students to use technology in creative ways- drawing  pictures, completing DIY projects, and making music or their own movies. You’ll find top-rated apps for  students K-12 at Graphite. Many of the apps are free. Every resource that can be tapped through technology isn’t necessarily valuable in the classroom. For blended  learning to be effective, it must be orchestrated by teachers who understand their students and who  recognize what can be achieved by connecting them with the right resources at the right time. As always, kids need their  teachers. Without them, the newest, most sophisticated technology is just an improvement on the film strip  machine. Have a great spring break! See you in April. This is a guest post from Staff Writer, Susan Hurn.   Susan is a former high school English teacher and college instructor. She loves writing for and also enjoys good books, creative writing, and all things related to history.   Let us know if youre interested in contributing to the   blog.