The purpose of this needs assessment is to determine the familiarity with, and opinions regarding blended learning of the teaching staff of Timberlane Middle School and to determine the viewpoints of 6th grade students of Timberlane Middle School towards their preferred methods of instruction and classroom organization. To ascertain this information, I conducted two short surveys via Google Forms, one for the staff and the second for the students. The staff survey was sent to the teaching staff of Timberlane Middle School via district e-mail. The student survey was directly administered to the students in a classroom setting. The staff survey asked the teachers their level of comfort with and frequency of blended learning. Additionally, …show more content…
No staff members indicated they disagreed with the assertion that when students are given the opportunity to make choices in the classroom, their engagement level increases. Moreover, the staff overwhelming agreed with the assertion that utilizing various resources in class helps increase student motivation. Nearly 88% of the staff voiced their agreement with this statement, no staff members voicing their disagreement and only 12% stating their neutrality.
Regarding student information retention, the staff was split on the effectiveness of traditional instructional methods in promoting high levels of information retention. Although no staff members stated they strongly agreed with this statement, 31% agreed with the statement and nearly 55% of the staff remained neutral. Only about 15% of the staff voicing a level of disagreement with the statement.
The results of this needs analysis of the teaching staff of Timberlane Middle schools indicates that although the teachers feel relatively prepared to implement blended learning they have been hesitant to implement this instructional method on a regular basis. The teachers who do implement this method are most utilizing the station rotation method which has been utilized for decades without technology but is now included under the umbrella of blended learning because technology is incorporated at
What effect did your teaching strategies have in terms of promoting student learning and keeping your students meaningfully engaged? (APS 5.A–C)
My previous high school, Menomonie High School, does not have nearly as much technology available for the students to use as Crestwood High School does. In March of this year, I moved from Menomonie, WI to Elma, IA, I currently attend Crestwood High School in Cresco, IA. Menomonie High School has computer labs and computer carts the teachers are able to check out, but they have to reserve them months ahead of time because otherwise their students would not be able to have access to the computers. As a student, I noticed the transition from Menomonie High School to Crestwood High School has been very successful, I enjoy learning now and my grade point average has increased. Students like myself enjoy their education more due to having more access
In the last part of the year, Kim and I spent our time focusing on different classroom practices between the Virtual and Blended classrooms. In particular, we focused on whether we identified our classrooms as traditional or differentiated. For this we used a Classroom Practices Inventory that I was given in a graduate level course I was taking. Kim and I both separately used the Classroom Practices Inventory to categorize our classroom practices, and then brought them back to compare our findings. Since Kim and I both teach Civics, but in two different settings, it was interesting to see the outcome of this study.
Instructional design allows teachers to focus on the need of their students, and become more involved with designing instructional activities to ensure students are reaching the learning objective. “Specifically, in recent years, national initiatives for educational reform have generated support for both teacher-centered instruction and activity-oriented, student-centered methods of teaching that stress meaningful learning applied to real-world problems.” (Morrison et al.,2013. p.2013) In order to effective teach, it is vital assess the needs for teachers and students in their learning environment. There is a lack of technology in Khepera Charter School. Updated technological resources will allow students to be more engaged in learning, and teachers will have resources needed to compliment and differentiate instruction.
“ Students do become behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively involved in the learning activities their teachers provide (e.g., write an essay, solve a math problem), and their extent of effort, enjoyment, and strategic thinking does predict important outcomes, such as achievement. But students also do more than this. Students also, more or less, proactively contribute into the flow of instruction they receive as they attempt not only to learn but also to create a more motivationally supportive learning environment for themselves ( Bandura,
In today’s day and age, it is very easy to locate anyone, from ages 4-24, plugged into technology at any given moment. Although the increased usage of digital media and information had forever positively influenced our society, it is important to remember our foundation and to develop ourselves and the future generation with a different, more traditional perspective of life. Prior to deciding to convert a school’s curriculum to a more blended learning environment, realizing the possible detrimental factors that using technology to facilitate learning could cause is high significant.
This article explores the evolving landscape in education, where increased use of technology is not only recommended, but is essential. It explains the learning styles of millennials and digital natives, and compares them to “traditional” learners. The article makes it clear that teachers must be willing to adapt their teaching style to meet the needs of today’s students. This study was an action research inquiry, using the mixed methods model. Quantitative data was gathered through survey answers and observation checklists. Interviews and focus groups provided the qualitative data. The results of the study reveal that students who received instructions through technology were more engaged in the activity and asked fewer questions than the students who received the instructions verbally. The students that were guided by technology were also more reflective about their learning and were more excited about the project. The self-proclaimed weakness of this study is its relatively small scale. It recommends that a larger scale study be completed in the future. That being said, this study does seem to confirm Gagne’s principal of the importance of gaining the attention of the learner. Using technology in the classroom appears to be a viable manner of obtaining students’
The key components of disruptive blended learning model is giving students some control over the time, place, path and the pace of their learning. The students’ ability to learn according to their style will help accelerate their learning potential. Instead of teaching to the middle, the students have their own personalize education that helps reach for their potential and still meet the standard of the state’s education. Another key components of disruptive blended learning model are that part of learning happens in supervising, brick-and-mortar location. The technology does not replace the teacher, the teachers are there to help mentor and guide the students on their correct path. By having students been at the location, the teachers can
This learningenvironment was brightly decorated with wa ll cverings and visual aids. This aided learners to matine focsu and process infrmation more easily. The use of technology was an essental tool in this envronment. iPads and Kindles are used to exercise basic math and reading skills. These students also attend general education classes with indivdual supprt from teacher assistants. These students worked on a wide variety of adaptive skills such as self-care, social skills, school, and jobs daily with multiple community based instruction activities throughout the week. An inteergra instruction strategy discussed between instructors was the importance of a daily routine and esuring expectations and instructions are precise and understood.
Blended learning has been used in my own classroom for various content areas, but not in a workshop approach so I was interested in learning specifics. Authors Sonja Cherry-Paul and Dana Johansen understand the challenges of the classroom and offer clear step-by-step solutions to implementing a flipped approach.
A method to consider is the integration of a hybrid-style environment where technology is integrated into an existing course or parts of an existing course may be moved online. Arguably the hybrid course is an excellent choice for improved student learning with effect use of pedagogy (Brunner, 2006, p. 230). There is evidence showing that face-to-face and online classroom formats can help students build a sense of community. The benefits of both formats can be present in the hybrid course (Brunner, 2006, p. 231). Incorporating student to student or student to instructor discussions can be a vital part of an active learning environment. However, the conventional face-to-face synchronous discussion style has its limitations. A select few
Recently with technology becoming the most important aspect of learning in elementary schools, technologies can be a powerful too or resource, which also help meet the needs of the more diverse population. Digital devices, software, programs, and other learning platforms are equally more than capable of entertaining and grabbing those students’ attentions, especially those who are illiterate in specific areas while learning in the classroom. These options are capable of unimaginable ways of learning and experiencing. For example, no student has the same comprehension level when it comes to learning different subjects in the classroom (Herold, 1). In reality, every person is not the same in any way shape or form, and levels of learning are completely different, especially with science, English, social studies, mathematics, art etc. Technology in the classroom allows for each individual student to continue gaining academic strengths and deciphering what they show more interest, motivation, and personal preferences in. Considering society today is much more adaptive and interactive with teachers and students, the implementation is still considered to be a challenge due to budgets for school districts (Herold, 2). The most major issue between teaching classes like Biology and English for childhood elementary classrooms, whether students have disabilities or different comprehension levels of learning, is the blended learning abilities. Together, teachers would have to teach themselves how to adapt to the newer technologies, as well as consider combining their traditional values of educating. Whereas, they would also have to be more accepting to transition with older ways, and explore a new world of how technology can be a positive yet educational tool for their students inside and outside of the classroom
students are composed of many diverse groups of people together, which is a problem for teachers when providing lessons. However, engagement is best method or way for people to acquire knowledge. In schools, engagement is an important way that students acquire their education. When students and teachers are highly engaged in school, teachers are able to help students improve their learning. In the article "Student Engagement", the author pointed out that highly engagement between teachers and students help to reduce dropout rates and increased levels of student success. Also, the author believes it motivates the students keeping them interested in school and their education. (Sadker, M) The action of engagement it benefits both students and teachers. From the schools, teachers and educators point of view, it is important for teachers to engage students in the learning process, because it helps teachers to know and make sure the students are learning. In the "Teachers Engagement" article, the author explain the idea of teachers engage students in learning help students motivated and interested in school. Also, in the article, the author pointed out that most students are do not know purpose why they are in school, and teachers by engaging the students in school help students realize the purpose of education. (Kennedy, C) With those reasons, it shows that engagement it important for students and teachers in
Aaron Sanns and Jonathan Bergman are the first two teachers who use flipped classroom, they provide supplying absent students with an online lecture they could watch from home or from anywhere they had access to a computer and internet including school or local library. They find
My observations has taught me the importance of engaging students. I am now able to recognize when a student is not engaged. They seem distracted and are not paying attention to what the teacher is saying. Whereas an engaged student is alert, discussing the material, and asking questions