Taking A Bite Out Of Blended
Spotlight on all things blended and beyond
That AHA Moment
Here are some stories from Sunny Heights teachers that highlight one of their AHA moments, when it came to blended learning.
Ms. Stuart's AHA Moment
"My AHA moment came after I noticed students were lagging on Lexia. They lacked motivation. I noticed they weren’t growing. They weren't staying focused on task. I then decided to incorporate the Lexia tracking forms and data folders. Week 1 of implementation – five kids had already passed a level. It was like a complete transformation. My kids were motivated, they were growing, they were on task. As soon as students were able to track and see their own data, they were completely motivated to continue to grow. I have also noticed that it has created a culture where students are celebrating each other’s success."
Ms. Brainard's AHA Moment
Ms. Blaising's AHA Moment
"My biggest struggle and barrier was my reading block when thinking of blended learning. I thought 'How am I going to hit all of the components of my reading block in small groups with the short amount of time that I have with them?' I just could not seem to wrap my brain around it. However, I dove in and really started to focus on small group instruction. I saw significant growth in my students since I started doing small group. I also realized I knew my students strengths and weaknesses on a more personal level. But the real AHA moment came with I observed a model of a strategy/skill small group. It was the piece of the puzzle I was missing for reading block instruction. I then planned and taught a skill group and it all made sense. I realized small group isn't always a guided reading group. I can teach a certain skill, standard, or strategy to a group of students who are struggling with that particular concept. I taught my first skill group just focusing on a specific skill and one of my students understood the lesson, caught on right away, and then referenced it the next day. It all seemed to just click. I now feel that I have a better understanding of how to fit in small group instruction in the blended learning model during my reading block."
A Challenge for YOU: #whyipersonalize
QR Codes
Ms. Rogers' students audio recorded their fables that they wrote and then created QR codes to share. Talk with her about the logistics if you are interested in implementing this in your room! Here is an example:
Blended Learning Forum
https://sites.google.com/a/warren.k12.in.us/warrenblforum/home