Article Review

Can Blended Learning Improve Equity in One of Nation's Most Diverse Districts?

Article can be accessed here 

This article by Jen Curtis describes how one diverse district has implemented a blended learning model to meet the wide range of students' needs. The New Jersey Morris District is diverse both racially, socioeconomically, and academically. While the student population makeup is 52% white, there is a significant number of Latino and African-American students, 32% and 11% respectively. More than one-third of their students are on free or reduced lunch. There is a significant number of ELL students, as well.  

The district began transitioning to blended learning in 2015. They use a station rotation model where students have designated time with the teacher in small group and then spend time learning independently using technology that meets their specific needs. They do have 1:1 Chromebooks in grades 6-12 that go home with the students, and they support families without connectivity through a local philanthropic organization.

As a result of this blended learning model, they have seen impressive gains on the 2015-2016 PARCC scores in ELA and Math with minority groups' growth outpacing that of the white student population. At the middle and high school level, it has been more difficult to measure potential growth with many parents opting out of the PARCC test. However, when they looked at AP course enrollment, they have seen it at its highest ever. Ultimately, they are confident that they will continue to see the blended learning model continue to positively impact student achievement.

This article was interesting to me, because my district has a similar population of students, and many teachers in tech pilot classrooms use the station rotation model of blended learning. While we are only in our second year of the tech pilot, our data has shown that students in these classrooms have shown slightly more growth than students who are in non-pilot classrooms. I agree with the teachers in this article. Blended learning takes away the stigmas associated with race, socioeconomic status, and/or academic struggles. The students are less self-conscious about using the modifications and adaptions that technology offers, because it is seamless and goes undetected by their peers. It also allows them to be more independent, because they know how to use those tools (dictation when writing, reading of text, etc.) without assistance. Using blended learning increases student engagement and renews their interest in learning and school. I think as my district implements and grows the tech pilot, we will continue to see significant impact on student achievement, and I think the use of blended learning supports that.

Can Blended Learning Improve Equity in One of Nation’s Most Diverse Districts? (EdSurge News). EdSurge. Retrieved 11 March 2017, from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-02-14-can-blended-learning-improve-equity-in-one-of-nation-s-most-diverse-districts

Article Review

In the article, Technology Starts with Professional Development and Training (Peterson, 2016), districts share the creative ways they provide technology professional development and training when time and financial resources are in short supply.

Three things that I found insightful are:

• Schools that are successfully implementing technology recognize that technology has to be woven into a larger landscape of learning goals. It's important to look at both short and long term impacts. In the short term, adjustments should be made to professional development strategies as feedback is provided. In the long term, data and anecdotal information should be collected on the impact of technology in the classroom.
• Districts with successful professional development and technology integration recognize the overwhelming duties and tasks that teachers already face and find ways to "job embed" the PD with the use of technology specialists in each building. They understand that expecting teachers to go figure it out on their own time is not effective. Finally, there should be consistent follow up with teachers to make sure they aren't struggling with a particular tool or implementation strategy.
• Districts that make PD and training fun, find that teachers are more open and willing to explore technology integration without fear or inhibition. Providing incentives and unique approaches to PD make teachers feel in control of their own learning goals.

Two things I would like to see in my school/district are:

• I think my district is doing great things with our in house PD, but I would like to see more classroom support with more technology coaches. We are lacking in the follow up. I think teachers would appreciate the chance to co-teach a lesson or to have a lesson modeled for them.
• I would like us to continue to look for innovative ways to provide PD such as online webinars, Twitter chats, and more socially connected peer learning. I thought the idea of a Midnight Madness PD session one district did from 6:00 pm to midnight with food and interactive sessions was a fun and relaxed way to approach PD.

One question I have is:

• One district in the article said they use tech PD "points" as an incentive for teachers to participate in tech PD. They were able to cash in the points for technology in their classroom. I am wondering how the point system works exactly, and what kind of extra technology they can earn. 

The article can be accessed here.

Article Review

In the article Teaching Teachers (Murphy, 2016), the struggle for teachers to implement technology successfully in their classrooms is discussed. It discusses the innate desire of teachers to better their teaching and to incorporate technology into their instruction. The biggest hurdle is time and support.

Three things I found to be insightful are:

• Districts are recognizing that the days of district driven "sit and get" professional development are behind us. Teachers need their own personalized learning, and that equates to giving them choice. Teaching professionals know what they need and want to improve their craft. 
• Teachers are spending an enormous amount of their own time and money to learn outside of contract hours with little to no recognition or credit.
• Teachers are asking for role models and coaches for continuous and consistent support with technology integration.

Two things I would like to see in my school/district are:

• I am proud of the recent steps my district has taken to bring back internal professional development offerings taught by teachers, district leaders, and other professionals. Teachers get the choice they want, and they get to receive training from their colleagues who have experience with district curriculum, goals, and policies. A lingering problem is once the day is over, there is inadequate support for teachers. Also, it puts undo burden on teachers who teach full time and then have to prepare and give professional development. I would like to see more coaching positions to provide the needed support and to alleviate some of the PD teaching load.
• Currently, at the building level there are a few teachers who have been identified as tech competent who field day-to-day tech questions, but it makes it difficult to provide adequate support when you have the responsibility of your regular classroom in addition to that. I, again, think that additional coaches would resolve some of the issues associated with this model.

One question I have is:

• One of the districts in the article has a staff development teacher in each school. I would like to know if that is their only job or if they are full time teachers, as well. I am aware that the financial impact of paying to have a coach in each school is probably not realistic, but I would like to hear how other schools handle that situation.

The article can be accessed here

Article Review

I recently read an article titled Future K-12 Educators Learn to Teach Through Virtual, Mixed Reality Simulations in THE Journal (Ravipati, 2017). The article drew me in with its title. I began reading the article with touch of skepticism. I was thinking, "There's nothing that can come close to being in front of a classroom full of actual students." While most pre-service teachers do get their best experiences in actual classrooms, I think the idea of using a virtual reality platform as an initial introduction to student and parent interaction could be very beneficial. The article spotlights the use of virtual and mixed reality to train future educators at East Carolina University. Students work in simulated classrooms to practice classroom management, instructional techniques, and parent interactions.

Three things I found to be insightful are:

• The immediate feedback it gives pre-service teachers allows them to make adjustments to their techniques before implementing them in front of an actual classroom full of students. This cuts the learning curve down substantially, and allows the student teachers to use their limited time in a true classroom setting to focus on more difficult tasks and instructional approaches.
• The experience can provide them with a wide variety of situations that they may or may not encounter during student teaching or practicum courses. This builds a strong background that they can tap into later in their career, if needed.
• Using VR early in their education program may allow them to change majors sooner rather than later if they find they are not comfortable in the teaching setting. Often, student teachers discover teaching isn't a good fit for them too late, and they feel stuck because they've already invested a lot of time and money in their education.

Two things I would like to see in my school/district are:

• I would be interested in professional development related to VR, so that I could find ways to implement it in my classroom. I think it would be a valuable tool across all grade levels to provide background knowledge for students for better comprehension, and also to help students find some direction when deciding on a career.
• I would like to see the university we partner with use something like this in their teacher prep courses. I think it is an excellent introduction to what can happen in real world education environments, particularly with parent interactions. Dealing with an angry or aggressive parent is intimidating and unsettling for a new teacher, and I feel like this could be a viable solution to preparing them for those uncomfortable situations.

One question I have is:

• What are the costs associated with using VR?

The article can be accessed here