Floating, Flexing, and Filling Tetris Gaps: LESSONS FROM K-12 BLENDED LEARNING CATHOLIC SCHOOLS Fr. Nate Wills, CSC, PhD Institute for Educational Initiatives University of Notre Dame nwills1@nd.edu
What is Blended Learning?
Blended Learning is a formal education program in which a student learns: (1) at least in part through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace; (2) at least in part in a supervised brick-and- mortar location away from home; (3) and the modalities along each student’s learning path within a course or subject are connected to provide an integrated learning experience. http://www.christenseninstitute.org/key-concepts/blended-learning-2/
Why is Blended Learning important or interesting?
Di ff erentiation Dilemma: WE BELIEVE 1. Every child is created in the image and likeness of God WE KNOW 2. Kids learn better with personalized instruction
The 2 Sigma Problem (Bloom, 1984) Conventional Mastery Learning Tutorial 1-30 1-30 1-1
The 2 Sigma Problem (Bloom, 1984) Tutorial 1-1 Mastery Learning 1-30 Conventional 1-30 Summative Achievement Scores
The 2 Sigma Problem (Bloom, 1984) Tutorial 1-1 90% Mastery Learning 1-30 Conventional 1-30 20% Summative Achievement Scores
4 5 6
4 x 11
4 x 11 ✔ X ? X ? ? ? ? ? ✔
5 4 4 5 6 6 4 8 2 5
The 2 Sigma Problem (Bloom, 1984) “Simply, blended learning is a delivery 90% mechanism for personalized learning …It is possible to do personalized learning without technology — but it is very difficult to scale personalized learning for each student in a classroom and school without effective and meaningful applications of technology to enable the differentiation and flexibility in pacing required” (p. 14). -Patrick, Kennedy, and Powell (2013) 20% Summative Achievement Scores
“In the end, both supporters and critics of school technology (including researchers) have claimed that powerful software and hardware often get used in limited ways to simply maintain rather than transform prevailing instructional practices.” -Larry Cuban
“In the end, both supporters and critics of school technology (including researchers) have claimed that powerful software and hardware often get used in limited ways to simply maintain rather than transform prevailing instructional practices.” -Larry Cuban
“In the end, both supporters and critics of school technology (including researchers) have claimed that powerful software and hardware often get used in limited ways to simply maintain rather than transform prevailing instructional practices.” -Larry Cuban
“In the end, both supporters and critics of school technology (including researchers) have claimed that powerful software and hardware often get used in limited ways to simply maintain rather than transform prevailing instructional practices.” -Larry Cuban
It seems that teachers use technology as a preparatory tool for their lessons , but not as a tool for their students to engage more deeply in the subject matter at hand. -Gibbs, Dosen, Guerrero, 2008
“The Catholic school sets out to be a school for the human person and of human persons.” -The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium
Dynamic / interactive Support Witness to faith Challenging Social and emotional growth Efficient Brick-and-Mortar Cyberschooling Catholic Schools Personalized / differentiated Experience and expertise Adaptive Resources Community Data rich diagnostic tools
Brick-and-Mortar Blended Learning Cyberschooling Catholic Schools
What does Blended Learning look like?
Divine Providence Academy Grand Rapids, MI
Peer Conferral Test Peer Practice Conferral Problems Quiz Teacher Conferral Practice Problems Video Teacher Conferral Learning Trajectory
Blended Learning Model: “Flex” 6-8th Math 1-1 Devices Independent Work Teacher tutoring as needed 90-min math block (1 correction: “Kevin, please get to work”) Teacher 6th Grader 7th Grader 8th Grader
Mission Dolores Academy San Francisco, CA
Blended Learning Model: “Station Rotation” Most popular model
Research Findings
From Floaters…
… to Swimmers
From Floaters… “ [With Blended Learning] There’s no way you can “float along.” I have seen so many kids who are “floaters.” They just want to float along. Now, I feel like everybody is so much more engaged. I see kids who are at the same spot. And I ask them, “what are you doing?” and they say, I’m doing my math. I say, “no you’re not.” They can’t do that because the program doesn’t go . And that’s why some kids don’t like our school. I honestly believe we’ve had a few kids leave because they were floaters and their parents were happy with them being floaters because they were Judy 3-5 all subjects, 6-8 writing ” happy. Some people say they want rigor and they don’t really want rigor. … to Swimmers
From “Tetris Gaps”…
…to Grade-Level Achievement
From “Tetris Gaps”… “ Jack was a 6th grader, ‘learning disabled’ was his label and [there were] some definite skill gaps there … the blended model allowed for us to kind of go back and address some of those skills that he had missed and target some of his struggles in math: like he just totally missed basic understanding of place value and because math builds on itself, no wonder he was constantly struggling as math got more and more conceptual because he just didn’t have the basic understanding of what a base ten system was… When it came up for his three-year reevaluation and we did all the standardized testing on him, he had worked up to grade level and no longer qualified. And that was the first time in my career that I had ever sat in a middle school IEP where a child Deborah, Principal ” was exited out of special education services. Typically at that point if they’re in, they’re a lifer. …to Grade-Level Achievement
From a Habit of Failure…
…to a Growth Mindset
From a Habit of Failure… “ Before this [Blended Learning] approach, I felt like some kids got in the habit of failing. Failing became a habit and a learned behavior. [imitating a student] ‘Yep, that’s me, I’m a failure. I fail at math, I fail everything. I fail every quiz, I’m just a failure. I stink at math. I’m just no good at it.’ …[Blended Learning works well], especially at the low end where, even if they’re behind, you’re still showing them, ‘well, you were at 3rd grade and now you’re at 4th grade. You’re still a Judy 3-5 all subjects, 6-8 writing ” year behind, maybe, but you grew a whole year.’ So they’re still getting a feeling of success. …to a Growth Mindset
Results Beyond Test Scores Non-Cognitive Indicators of Success Tough (2012) Grit • Self-Control • Zest • Social Intelligence Gratitude • Optimism • Curiosity
Results Beyond Test Scores Inclusion & Di ff erentiation
But Fr. Nate, I like numbers!
St. Paul School, Seattle NWEA MAP Score 2013-2014 Reading Math One Year of Growth http://ace.nd.edu/news/new-blended-learning-model-sees-impressive-gains-in-first-year
St. Paul School, Seattle NWEA MAP Score 2013-2014 Reading 8th Grade Math Math 122% 147% One Year of Growth http://ace.nd.edu/news/new-blended-learning-model-sees-impressive-gains-in-first-year
St. Paul School, Seattle NWEA MAP Score 2013-2014 Reading 8th Grade Math 122% 233% One Year of Growth http://ace.nd.edu/news/new-blended-learning-model-sees-impressive-gains-in-first-year
St. Paul School, Seattle National Average Math Reading 100 % of students at or above grade level 75 65 60 55 50 38 25 0 Fall 2013 Spring 2014
St. Paul School, Seattle “Jayden” 6th Grader Cancer in 2nd grade At beginning of year, “This school has been the answer to prayers.” -Jayden’s mom 4 grade levels behind In one year , increased 4 grade levels in math 2 grade levels in reading
How does a school “go blended?”
Conditions for Success Electrical Outside Funding Internet Partnerships Software Project management Infrastructure Support 3:1 Devices Change management Leadership coaching High Qual PD Evaluation Technical Support Stretch Goals Leadership team Tweaking Model Cross-Pollination Supporting Strugglers Continuous PLCs Seeking Best Practices Systems Improvement Instructional coaching Sharing results Data informed instruction
Conditions for Success Support Continuous Improvement Systems Infrastructure
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