Final Blended Reflection |
I must admit, I have always had an alternative approach to education. My first teaching job was at an independent school called Victoria School for Ideal Education and although not a blended learning school, it did provide flexible and individualized programs. Thinking back to my own public school experience is a painful exercise. Having an undiagnosed Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CARP) made it difficult for me to listen for a long period, to recall specific information, and remember and follow complex directions. I was distracted easily and could not work in a noisy setting. |
This is a familiar string of student issues most teachers are working with all the time. Today I would probably be identified with ADD, a common misdiagnosis with people functioning with CARP.
My experience of being a parent in both a blended learning and public school setting, plus teaching in both the public and independent system has provided me a unique perspective. The new curriculum is asking for great changes in the way we see and experience education, but does not provide the framework and support necessary to make those changes. My answer would be to design a blended learning environment to meet the needs of more students. According to Horn & Staker (2015), to be considered a blended learning program, the student must have some control over time, place, path and pace of their learning.
My ideal learning environment would be a mix of Enriched Virtual/Flex Model approach. I appreciate the way it supports students in terms of personalizing learning in a flexible learning setting. The students have an opportunity to control their learning path, are guided to set weekly goals through personal planning, are provided flexibility in pace of learning and work towards mastery over subjects. I would enable students to choose when and how to take assessment to further supporting self-directed learning. I like the idea of team teaching and collaborating with colleagues to create a student-centered approach. As I work with younger students, my role as an educator would shift between teacher and guide to help enable students to become more independent. My preference for a working schedule would be to create specific days of schooling. I would then be freed up for individual conferencing to focus on personalizing learning and small group intensive work. I look forward to one day working in such an environment.
On Vancouver Island, some of the K-7 distributed learning programs that include a blended learning component are North Island Distance Education, Island ConnectEd, and South Island District Education. Another newer program on the mainland I would like to look more deeply into is the Surrey Academy of Innovative Learning.
Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2015). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass
My experience of being a parent in both a blended learning and public school setting, plus teaching in both the public and independent system has provided me a unique perspective. The new curriculum is asking for great changes in the way we see and experience education, but does not provide the framework and support necessary to make those changes. My answer would be to design a blended learning environment to meet the needs of more students. According to Horn & Staker (2015), to be considered a blended learning program, the student must have some control over time, place, path and pace of their learning.
My ideal learning environment would be a mix of Enriched Virtual/Flex Model approach. I appreciate the way it supports students in terms of personalizing learning in a flexible learning setting. The students have an opportunity to control their learning path, are guided to set weekly goals through personal planning, are provided flexibility in pace of learning and work towards mastery over subjects. I would enable students to choose when and how to take assessment to further supporting self-directed learning. I like the idea of team teaching and collaborating with colleagues to create a student-centered approach. As I work with younger students, my role as an educator would shift between teacher and guide to help enable students to become more independent. My preference for a working schedule would be to create specific days of schooling. I would then be freed up for individual conferencing to focus on personalizing learning and small group intensive work. I look forward to one day working in such an environment.
On Vancouver Island, some of the K-7 distributed learning programs that include a blended learning component are North Island Distance Education, Island ConnectEd, and South Island District Education. Another newer program on the mainland I would like to look more deeply into is the Surrey Academy of Innovative Learning.
Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2015). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Author
K-7 Coordinator in SD68.
Completed the Leadership/Online Learning and Teaching Masters degree at VIU.
Blended and Inquiry based learning enthusiast.
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