Foundations of Blended Learning

Executive Functions are the brain skills that everyone needs and uses to complete tasks in our daily lives and include working memory, mental flexibility, and self-control. Executive Function skills provide an important foundation for learning and difficulties with Executive Function are associated with learning challenges and a greater likelihood of behavior problems. These skills are not inherent and are influenced by both positive and negative experiences. Supportive caregiving, high-quality early education, and practice can help improve Executive Function skills. This course will provide you with strategies to incorporate into your classroom to help students see, emulate and develop executive function skills.

Setting clear norms and procedures in the classroom is a high-leverage strategy as it promotes respectful interactions, collaboration, incorporates student voice, makes expectations transparent and provides opportunities for feedback. In this session, determine norms and procedures that support any learning environment - face-to-face, hybrid and remote, as well as strategies for developing, teaching and implementing norms and procedures. Promote collective understanding and values with clear expectations for your classroom community.

Digital citizenship is more than just a collection of isolated lessons. In order to establish and support the multi-faceted culture of digital citizenship, educators need to recognize that as students grow, their use of technology changes. This means that the choices they need to make also change. In this course, we are going to explore the specific skills and behaviors learners need to master to be empowered digital citizens. You will identify what you are already doing that aligns with digital citizenship and adjustments you can make to strengthen the culture of respect as it relates to digital citizenship.

Video conferencing software can allow us to connect with each other in a variety of contexts, despite any physical distance. Video-conferencing can not only close the physical distance but also allow us to continue providing meaningful educational experiences to our students. In this course, learners will unpack the foundational features and uses of video conferencing as well as explore common tools and features available for video conferencing platforms. They will consider some best practices for the use of these features in facilitating video conferencing sessions and practice designing experience to utilize the tool.