Transforming with Blended Learning

In this learning experience, we will place ourselves in the learner’s shoes in order to experience the virtual learning space that we have created for our learners. In doing so, we will evaluate how we might implement research-based strategies to prevent potential cognitive barriers. Throughout the virtual session, you will create your own evaluative resource to support building impactful learning experiences in your virtual classroom!

Teachers will explore how to use instructional design principles to create or improve eLearning courses by utilizing features of their Learning Management System (LMS). Following this session, you will be able to evaluate and choose the best features of your LMS to design an eLearning experience that best serves all of your students.

If you think about your school setting, schedule organization, and student attendance, location, and routine, what comes to mind: in-person, remote, hybrid, or multiple method instruction? These models of learning have been widely adopted. They can be adapted to create learning experiences that are accessible to all students. This course will provide an overview of these models, compare them to our experience with learning models, and discuss various approaches. Next, this course will examine ways in which these models can be leveraged to meet specific challenges, needs, and goals of school communities. By the end of the professional development experience, participants will create a turn-key learning model resource to use in their classroom, schools, and/or districts.

With the increased use of technology in the classroom, we first look for digital tools that allow us to have continuity in instruction to adapt to a variety of learning environments, such as hybrid or remote. As teachers and students become more skilled at using digital tools, technology can be used not only to supplement learning activities but also to transform the way students learn and connect with the world around them. In this course, you will learn how to transform how students use and interact with technology by learning about the SAMR Framework. Learners will analyze the framework, explore examples of transformational virtual practices, and apply the SAMR framework to their own learning activities.