Click here-- blended learning and the future of education: Monique Markoff at TEDxIthacaCollege

Summary

This talk explores the potential of Blended Learning, where students engage with computers for a significant portion of their school day, enhancing individualized education. It discusses various models like rotational, lab, flipped classroom, and split models, emphasizing the importance of teacher involvement and the right mindset. The speaker highlights the cost-effectiveness of Blended Learning programs compared to traditional education and calls for a collective effort from educators and developers to innovate and improve educational technology.

Takeaways

• 🤔 The concept of 'Blended learning' suggests a model where students spend at least 25% of their time learning from computers, complementing traditional classroom instruction.
• 📈 Blended learning has shown success in Fresno, California, where students who had access to teacher support in online courses had higher pass rates.
• 👨‍🏫 The 'Face-to-Face' aspect is crucial in Blended learning, indicating that human interaction and guidance remain integral to the learning process.
• 🏫 Different models of Blended learning exist, such as rotational, laboratory, open classroom, and flipped classroom models, each with its own approach to integrating technology.
• 🚫 Blended learning is not solely about teaching technology skills; it's about using computers as a tool for learning, focusing on content rather than the tech itself.
• 💡 There are various educational programs available that support Blended learning, ranging from paid platforms like Accelerated Reader and ST Math to free resources like Khan Academy and Codecademy.
• 💻 When students engage with computers in learning, they can benefit from personalized pacing, immediate feedback, and access to lessons and assignments from home.
• 💼 The financial feasibility of implementing Blended learning can be achieved by adjusting classroom structures or using alternative support figures like coaches or tutors.
• 🔄 Effective Blended learning requires flexibility, commitment, the right mindset, and a redefined role for teachers, who become orchestrators of complex learning paths.
• 🌟 The potential of Blended learning lies in its ability to individualize education, optimize learning pace, and enhance teacher effectiveness, calling for collective effort to make it a reality.

Q & A

What is the main idea proposed in the context of computers in the classroom?

The main idea is the potential of having every child with their own teacher, and how computers could help achieve the positive aspects of personalized education.

What is Blended Learning as defined in the script?

Blended Learning is defined as a model where students learn from computers for about 25% or more of their day, distinct from online courses and involving a mix of traditional classroom instruction and computer-based learning.

How did the introduction of a teacher in an online course setting impact student success rates in Fresno, California?

When a teacher was available to support students in an online course setting, the pass rate increased from 23% to 43%, and further to 95% when students had a full day with teacher support.

What are the different models of Blended Learning mentioned in the script?

The models mentioned are the rotational model, the laboratory model, the open classroom model, and the flipped classroom model.

Why is the face-to-face interaction considered important in Blended Learning?

Face-to-face interaction is crucial as it allows for personalized support, immediate feedback, and the ability to address issues that cannot be managed solely through computer-based learning.

What is the difference between using technology in education and teaching technology as a subject?

Using technology in education refers to leveraging computers as tools for learning, whereas teaching technology as a subject focuses on skills like coding, managing websites, and using software applications.

Can you provide examples of programs that students use in Blended Learning environments?

Examples include Accelerated Reader for reading level assessment and tracking, ST Math for math comprehension, and Khan Academy and Code Academy for free online instruction in various subjects.

How does Blended Learning aim to make students more independent learners?

Blended Learning allows students to learn at their own pace, receive immediate feedback, access lessons from home, and submit assignments digitally, thus fostering independence.

What are the financial considerations for implementing Blended Learning in schools?

Blended Learning can be more cost-effective than traditional educational systems by increasing class sizes for computer-based learning or using coaches, tutors, or parents instead of additional teachers.

What are the key factors for successful implementation of Blended Learning according to the script?

Key factors include flexibility to change approaches, commitment to support and training, the right mindset to value the learning process over simple completion, and the crucial role of teachers as orchestrators of learning.

Why is teacher involvement considered even more important in a Blended Learning environment?

In a Blended Learning environment, teachers act as critical thinkers and innovators, selecting appropriate programs, targeting skills not covered by computers, and creating engaging, hands-on projects to complement online learning.

Outlines

00:00

😀 The Potential of Blended Learning

The speaker introduces the concept of Blended Learning, where computers are integrated into the classroom to enhance the educational experience. They pose the question of whether every child could have their own teacher, and how technology could help achieve this. The speaker plans to discuss the potential of Blended Learning, its limitations, and the current state of technology in education. They define Blended Learning as students learning from computers for at least 25% of their day, contrasting it with online courses and emphasizing the importance of face-to-face interaction. The speaker shares examples of different Blended Learning models, such as rotational, laboratory, open classroom, and flipped classroom models, highlighting the flexibility and variety in implementation.

05:00

📚 Exploring Blended Learning Programs

The speaker delves into various educational programs that can be used within the Blended Learning framework. They discuss programs like Accelerated Reader and ST Math, which focus on reading levels and math comprehension respectively. The speaker also mentions free resources like Khan Academy and Code Academy, which offer educational content at no cost. The discussion highlights how these programs can be tailored to individual students' needs, allowing for self-paced learning, immediate feedback, and digital submission of assignments. The speaker emphasizes that Blended Learning is not just about using technology but about using it as a tool for learning, which is different from teaching technology skills.

10:02

💡 Implementing Blended Learning: Challenges and Solutions

The speaker addresses the financial and practical aspects of implementing Blended Learning in schools. They discuss how schools can manage costs by increasing class sizes or using alternative staff like coaches or tutors. The speaker stresses that Blended Learning requires a commitment to innovation and flexibility, as it is a new approach that requires ongoing adaptation and improvement. They share an example of a failed implementation due to a lack of student engagement and highlight the importance of having the right mindset and teacher involvement. The speaker argues that teachers play a more critical role in Blended Learning, as they need to orchestrate learning paths and focus on skills that computers cannot teach. The talk concludes with a call to action for educators and developers to join the effort in advancing Blended Learning and to reflect on the potential of personalized education.

Keywords

💡Blended Learning

Blended learning refers to an educational approach that combines online digital media with traditional classroom methods. In the video, it is described as a model where students learn from computers for about 25% or more of their day. It is emphasized that blended learning is not just about using technology but about enhancing learning through it. The video provides examples of different models such as rotational, laboratory, and flipped classroom models, illustrating how blended learning can be implemented in various educational settings.

💡Computers in the Classroom

The term 'computers in the classroom' is used to denote the integration of technology into educational settings. The video discusses the potential of computers to personalize education and provide individualized attention to students, which is likened to having a personal teacher. It also touches on the historical context of computers in education, from early learning games to modern applications.

💡21st Century Skills

21st century skills are a collection of abilities and qualities that are deemed necessary for success in the 21st century's economy and society. The video mentions that while these skills, such as PowerPoint experience and coding, are important, blended learning is more focused on using computers as a tool for learning rather than teaching about the technology itself.

💡Individualized Education

Individualized education is an approach that tailors teaching methods to meet the unique needs of each student. The video suggests that computers can help achieve this by allowing students to learn at their own pace and receive immediate feedback. This is contrasted with traditional classroom settings where a one-size-fits-all approach is often used.

💡Online Courses

Online courses are self-paced educational programs that students can take over the internet. The video references a study where students were given online courses to complete for credit, and the difference in pass rates when students had access to a teacher or tutor for support, highlighting the importance of Blended Learning.

💡Educational Models

Educational models refer to different structures or frameworks for organizing teaching and learning. The video discusses various models such as the rotational model, laboratory model, and flipped classroom model, each with its own approach to incorporating technology into the learning process.

💡Accelerated Reader

Accelerated Reader is a program mentioned in the video that tracks a student's reading level and progress by assigning levels to books and providing quizzes. It is an example of a tool used in blended learning environments to enhance literacy skills through technology.

💡Stmath

Stmath is a program mentioned in the video that focuses on math comprehension skills, from elementary math to algebra, using a game-based approach. It exemplifies how technology can be used to make learning more engaging and conceptually focused.

💡Flexibility

In the context of the video, flexibility is discussed as a key attribute for schools and teachers when implementing blended learning. It involves being open to change and adapt educational practices to better suit the needs of students, as traditional methods may not always be effective in a technology-integrated environment.

💡Mindset

Mindset, as discussed in the video, refers to the attitude or perspective of students and educators towards learning and technology. It emphasizes the importance of students believing in the value of the work they do on computers, which is crucial for the success of blended learning initiatives.

💡Teacher's Role

The video highlights the evolving role of teachers in a blended learning environment. Rather than diminishing the importance of teachers, blended learning requires them to become orchestrators of learning, selecting appropriate programs for students, and focusing on skills that computers cannot teach, such as motivation and real-world application.

Highlights

The concept of 'Blended learning' is introduced, where students learn from computers for at least 25% of their day.

Blended learning is differentiated from online courses, emphasizing the importance of face-to-face interaction.

A case study from Fresno, California, shows the impact of Blended learning on student pass rates.

Different models of Blended learning are discussed, including rotational, laboratory, open classroom, and flipped classroom models.

The necessity of a teacher's presence in Blended learning environments is highlighted.

The 'split model' used at Alpha is described, where students alternate between computer work and teacher-led instruction.

The importance of not confusing Blended learning with teaching technology is emphasized.

Examples of educational programs used in Blended learning, such as Accelerated Reader and stmath, are provided.

The potential for a vast expansion in the number of educational programs available to schools is predicted.

The benefits of computers in education, such as personalized pacing and immediate feedback, are discussed.

Financial considerations for implementing Blended learning, including cost comparisons to traditional education models, are explored.

The importance of flexibility and commitment in successfully implementing Blended learning is stressed.

The role of the teacher in Blended learning is redefined, emphasizing their role as orchestrators of learning.

The need for a change in mindset for both educators and students when adopting Blended learning is highlighted.

A call to action for educators and developers to contribute to the development of Blended learning programs is made.

The potential of Blended learning to individualize education and optimize learning pace is discussed.

The talk concludes with a reflection on the potential of computers to enhance personalized education.

Transcripts

[Applause]

what if every child had their own

teacher this was posed to me in the

context of computers in the classroom

what if every child had their own

teacher and could computers get us

closer to the positive aspects of that

reality I will warn you in the next few

minutes I planned on toying with your

emotions a little bit I want to get you

really excited about the potential for

Blended learning and then I'm bum you

out a little bit and tell you about some

of the limitations of our current

educational system and why this is not

flooding our classrooms currently but I

hope you leave here with a cautious

optimism for what this might hold to

start I am curious as to what you think

when I say Blended learning some of you

may need a hint that it has to do with

computers and classrooms and education

that's okay others of you might be

thinking of a student working at a

computer and you're

thinking kmen San

Diego or maybe like me more organ Trail

and that's because this is what we had

when we were in schools learning from

computers and then there are some of you

that are thinking of all the potential

possibilities there's the kid who's you

know answering a quiz question on his

iPhone he's you know programming on his

iPad he's you know doing a presentation

on PowerPoint on his uh laptop probably

simultaneously but no matter where you

start today I bet at one point or

another you've thought this technology

thing this could be big you know kids

these days with their YouTube and their

Facebook you know we should be able to

use their technology prowess in order to

enhance their education so I will Define

it a little bit very broadly Blended

learning is where students are learning

from computers for about 25% or more of

their

day this is different than online

courses there was a a school in Fresno

California that offered credits to their

students if they wanted to uh take an

online course but only 23% of their

students actually passed those courses

then they said well what if we did an

after school you know lab where we had a

teacher available for those online

courses and then 43% of the the students

were able to make up these courses and

this is for courses they needed to make

up to receive graduation credit for and

so they said well let's take it a step

further for summer school what if they

came for a full day and had a teacher

available to them to help them through

these courses and then 95% of the

students were able to complete their

course credit

so this face Toof FaceTime is very

important to Blended

learning in 2011 um I worked for Alpha

and we were we were on the founding team

of this school and we were interested in

this Blended learning model so we

decided like what's out there what are

people doing so we first looked at the

rotational model and this is where in

one given classroom you have some

students working in a small group with a

teacher you have some students who are

working with with each other in a

collaborative group and you have some

students working on the computer

computer and then they rotate through

those stations throughout the

day another more familiar setting might

be the laboratory model where at some

point in a student's day they're going

into a lab setting and learning from

computers uh rocket ship Charter School

in San Jose California actually went

from this model and they changed to an

open classroom model this is where you

have you know you could have 60 students

in a classroom with three teachers and

then they use the space as flexible

space designed to enhance student

learning another model that's got a lot

of notoriety is the flipped classroom

model where students are expected to

come to class having already watched

videos having already done some readings

and then they do the homework in the

classroom at Alpha we decided to use a

split model where at any given point we

some students would be on the computers

and some students would be with the

teacher and what's really exciting about

Blended learning is that there's no one

way to do it because it's so new there's

no best practice no one knows how to do

it best so across the country there are

just different schools doing different

things it's also a good chance to talk

about what Blended learning is not um

what you'll often hear is that we need

uh computers in schools because kids

need 21st century

skills and this is where I want to point

out the difference between using

technology and teaching technology like

kids do need 21st century skills you

know employers want students who have

PowerPoint experience and work with

Excel you know who know how to code an

app who know how to manage a website

these are very important skills but

that's not necessarily what blend

learning is Blended learning is about

using the computers as a tool from

learning from the computers not

necessarily learning about computers so

that was an important distinction to

make I want to walk you through some of

the programs that are available just so

you get an idea it's not just organ

Trail what are kids doing when they're

on these computers one program is called

Accelerated Reader and to begin a

student would take a quiz and it assigns

them a reading level and then any book

that's in the library they can choose

and they can find out that book's

reading level and take an online quiz

about it and the computer program tracks

how many words they've read what reading

levels of books they've read what their

vocabulary usage another program called

stmath targets math comprehension skills

and it does everything from elementary

math all the way through algebraic

properties and it does it all without

words so very focused on um making

everything a game and focusing on

conceptual learning and these are two

programs that you would pay for you

would pay for them either per student

per license or per school but there are

also plenty of programs that have no

cost

KH Academy has you know received much

ACC claim for its free online videos

namely targeting math instruction code

academy offers free instruction in

programming whether it's Java HTML PHP

and others and that's very you know

that's that's exciting to see just this

small snippet of programs that are

available my guess is that within three

years you will have 10 times as many

available to schools to choose from

everything from dissections to public

speaking these will all be in a

kid-friendly

format this is really exciting because

it could help students learn and help

teachers be more effective and efficient

when students are on computers they are

able to go at their own pace they're

able to get immediate feedback when they

get a question wrong they can access

their lessons from home and then they

can go and submit all of their

assignments digitally and so this is an

an excellent tool to help students

become independent Learners and to have

uh teachers be able to to focus us Less

on

remediation so might ask how is this all

financially possible to have all of

these computers and programs in schools

and it might surprise you to find out

that these programs actually have a

smaller price tag than some of our

traditional Educational Systems and this

is done usually one of two ways either

uh schools will say there should be more

students in a classroom with the

understanding that some of them will be

on the computers and some of them will

be working with the teacher or they can

do it in an alternate way in more of a

laboratory style model but they don't

put a teacher in the classroom they'll

put coaches or they'll put Tutors or

they'll put

parents and I warn people who are

looking for a financial fix when they're

thinking about Blended learning you will

probably fail Blended learning is

definitely a work of heart and certain

pieces have to be in place for it to be

effective I'll give you an example in

2009 I was working at a school that was

just thinking about maybe doing this

program and so they decided all right so

this this new teacher we're going to put

put him in a lab class for an hour a day

with the the kids doing a math program

and you know the ex expectation was at

the time oh kids love computers if they

can spend three hours a day on Facebook

one hour doing math should be easy and

of course that's not what happened you

know kids were youtubing gang fied and

ripping off the keys to spell out YOLO

like this is what kids were doing with

that time and this was a um thrown out

after a year an ineffective

practice and so you know we really have

to think about how we are going to to

make this program effective the computer

is just a tool the same way we wouldn't

hand a student a textbook and say great

educate yourself we can't expect to hand

them a computer and say the same thing

at Alpha we actually have this as part

of a model and so it can only be one

piece of a model meant to improve

education it's just one piece of a very

complex model and teach and learning

will change and so in order to use this

tool we have to change and this can be

really

scary when a when a school asks me what

what would we need to do to be able to

go blending or we're thinking about

going Blended what would we need and I I

usually say one of four questions or all

four questions one are you flexible do

you have the flexibility to Midway

through the year completely change what

you're doing because it's not working

are you flexible enough to let teachers

be innovators and have them do different

things than each other or than you

planned and let them experiment to find

these uh best

practices two are you committed you know

you can't go halfway you can't say yeah

kids are going to learn on computers

every day but not be prepared to fix

them immediately or not have the

bandwidth needed to have all the kids on

the computer at the same time in order

to be fully committed to this model you

also need to train teachers to be

proficient at using these programs and

to commit to using the data in order to

make the students work valid and

visible the next question I have is

about mindset if you sit a student at a

computer you know how are you going to

know that they want to engage with that

program you a stu this program is only

as valuable as the student thinks it is

and so I'm going to paraphrase Carol DW

she said whatat do we do if a student

does a math problem and they do it

perfectly and they do it quickly do we

praise them and she would have said no

what we say is I'm sorry I wasted your

time that was obviously too easy let me

find something that you can learn from

and that's the type of mindset that we

need to be encouraging with our students

when they sit down at that computer do

they believe that the work they are

doing will make a difference will be

valued the last question I ask is about

the role of the teacher some would say

in this model that teachers matter less

since computers are taking over some of

the instruction but I actually think

teachers matter more in this uh in this

model and they are now the orchestrators

of these complex learning paths picking

which program should go for which

student they have to now Target all the

skills that the computer can't do how to

motivate that child how to connect what

they're doing to their home life how to

create a Hands-On project that

complements what they're doing online

all of these um will mean that the

teacher needs to be a critical thinker

and an innovator and we'll need to treat

them as such

and so you are learning a lot of lessons

today and so I hope that you are able to

retain that you can't be distracted when

people are telling you that we need to

have computers in classrooms because

they're cost-efficient because we need

21st century skills they're right those

things are true but that's not why we

engage in Blended

learning and second I hope that I've

prompted you to get excited about

Blended learning and the potential that

computers can have in classroom

and lastly I hope that you feel that you

want to get involved we need Educators

as well as software developers website

developers there is so much need in the

area of Blended learning join be a part

of the solution um we need so many

people to start really developing some

of these programs um there are schools

out there that still have phone trees

because we don't know how to make it

better so help us I also hope that we

can uh reflect on the first question you

know if we have one teacher to you know

to one student what is that what is that

potential and if computers can help us

get there to where we're really focused

on individualizing education and

optimizing their their pace of learning

you know why aren't we there and what

can we all collectively do to make sure

that that is a reality in the near

future thank

you but