Blending, Modeling, and Jimmy Buffett

One of the terms you are starting to see and hear much more often in education is “Blended Classes.”  This references courses that are neither fully online nor fully in the classroom.  Rather, they “blend” components of both.  Early research indicates this approach can have a significant positive impact on student participation and learning.

Last week some of you attended a training session on the use of Blackboard Discussion Boards.  Using these discussion boards can be one way of blending classes.  Students are required to access the discussion board, post several comments, and/or respond to other students in the class.  These discussions can deepen student understanding, provide a safe forum for students reluctant to speak out in class, and give great feedback to teachers to help plan future lessons.

False Assumptions

One obstacle to implementing this strategy is that many, if not most, of our students lack a good working knowledge of online protocols.  Our assumption is that our students are all digital natives and know how to handle this task.  Certainly some will be able to do very well, but Twitter and Facebook are the norm for our students, and the protocols appropriate to social media are not necessarily appropriate for a course-based online discussion. 

We do a disservice if we don’t teach and model what we want to see from our students.

Caitlin Tucker, writing in a recent edition of Principal Leadership, suggests in her book Blended Learning in Grades 4-12, gives the following sentence starters to use as models on discussion boards:

• Rebecca’s comment made me think about ______________.
• Although Rio made a strong point that _______________, I think _____________.
• I respectfully disagree with Zach’s assertion that ____________ because __________.
• I had not thought about Leigh’s point that ______________.
• Even through Dalia’s point is valid, I tend to ________________.
• In contrast to Michelle’s point, ________________.
• Bradley highlighted some key ideas when he said _____________.
• Lulu, can you clarify your statement that ______________?
• Carmen, your posting reminded me of ______________.
• Nadya’s observation that ______________ reflects _______________.
• Marcella, why do you agree (or disagree) with _____________?
• Robin, how would you define _______________?
• Like Amaya, I also connected _____________ to _______________.

Notice how nicely many of these fit indicators of our Teacher Effectiveness Rubric.  For example: Students asking higher-level questions of each other, students making and supporting arguments, and students applying knowledge in new ways.  Modeling your expectations is an excellent instructional strategy and immediately raises the bar for online discussions

Tucker further suggests this list of Do’s and Don’ts for student participation on discussion boards:

• Do address peers by name to create a friendly online tone.
• Do avoid slang and jargon; it may be familiar to you but not to others.
• Don’t use all capitals and avoid emotional punctuation like exclamation points unless you’re complimenting someone’s idea.
• Do read questions and conversation postings carefully (don’t skim), listen to all ideas presented, and ask questions if something is unclear.
• Do compliment peers when they post strong responses or contribute original ideas.
• Do be respectful and considerate; remember that your peers can’t see your body language or hear your tone of voice.
• Do critique the content, not the person. Focus on what’s said, not the person who said it.
• Do respond rather than reacting. Don’t write a response if you are angry. Read over your posts before sending: are your ideas clear and supported?
• Do avoid sarcasm, which can lead to tensions and hurt feelings.
• Don’t present your personal opinions as fact. Back up ideas with details, evidence, and examples.
• Do use “I statements” and present ideas in a constructive manner that encourages further dialogue.
• Do remember that there are no right or wrong answers in a discussion; a variety of perspectives is helpful.

The Essential Role of the Teacher in Blended Classes

Blended learning and discussion boards have real potential to help our students, but Tucker gives us a good reminder that a teacher who directs and models the learning is an irreplaceable component of good instruction. 

Phil

Kudos this week to all of the men and women keeping HSHS clean and functioning.  This building gets incredibly heavy use, and yet it always looks great.  Thanks for all you do, HSE Custodians and Maintenance Crews!

All this talk of Blending reminded me of Jimmy Buffet, so I’ll end with few quotes from the man who penned such immortal hits as “Cheeseburger in Paradise.”

• It takes no more time to see the good side of life than it takes to see the bad.
• Is it ignorance or apathy?  Hey, I don’t know and I don’t care.
• We are the people our parents warned us about.
• I just want to live happily ever after, every now and then.