Throughout my global career in education within a handful of varied school districts, I have heard common phrases utilized within school systems; one phrase being, “Don’t fix what isn’t broken.” Can you imagine this type of school?
What about on the opposite side of the spectrum, “We are building the plane as we fly it.” Can you also imagine this type of school?
Upon deeper reflection of these words, will teachers flourish within their profession while working for EITHER of these types of schools? There has got to be a better way.
When it comes to ideas surrounding the implementation of Blended Learning, pure intimidation can be a huge hurdle to overcome in the initial stages. If school administration truly has a growth mindset, then they WILL want to “fix” their schools by making changes and improvements for the benefits of the students. They will also NOT want to haphazardly create and distribute a plan that hasn’t yet been fully planned. Bottom line, planes in need of renovations will not fly. And planes that have not yet been built, will also not fly!
Blended Learning will benefit the learning of middle school students everywhere in any class. The real and final question remains: How can Blended Learning be understood and implemented successfully by all middle school teachers?
(5 Principles of Effective Professional Development, n.d.)
An easy way to begin tackling this seemingly overwhelming inquiry would be to begin breaking down Gulamhussein's (2013) FIVE Key Principles of Professional Development. In this way, the ideas surrounding Blended Learning can be broken down and more easily digested for the support of everyone. Here is a list and explanation of those components:
One - Blended Learning can be best understood, accepted, and appreciated over a lengthy period of time. Approximately 50 hours of PD learning must take place for teachers to properly implement ANY type of new foundational learning strategy. In this way, teachers can feel fully and truly supported through the entire learning process.
Two - When it comes to the implementation of Blended Learning, teachers need continued support. Each classroom should feel ready to implement their new learning strategies and each teacher should be well practiced and prepared. This strategic shift should be targeted to benefit every learner.
Three - When educators are introduced to the idea of Blended Learning, it should not be within a passive workshop PD environment. Instead, teachers should learn through a variety of ways including action, discussion, reflection, and more to ensure that everyone knows and sees how Blended Learning works and can be most effective.
Four - Administrators and teacher mentors should be modeling Blended Learning concepts throughout training, PD sessions, and in their own meetings and classroom environments. Teachers should have a variety of encounters with this method of learning. For example, teachers could visit a variety of classrooms to see examples of powerful implementation practices.
Five - As educators are understanding and practicing Blended Learning techniques, they should begin to realize how their own classrooms of students can directly benefit. Each discipline should be given time, resources, and structure to work collaboratively toward a plan for success. For example, math instructors can be given time during PD to meet with additional math teachers in which they can create a way to connect Blended Learning into their upcoming unit. This ensures that everyone knows they are an important part of a successful transition.
COLLABORATION
In addition to these five key principles, it is also important to ensure that collaboration occurs in and throughout each school. For Blended Learning, it is critical for middle school teachers to be able to learn from and understand each other since they are the experts of their own student learners and their individual needs! Built-in Professional Development time will be given during each meeting to allow for teachers to meet and discuss within small teams, ensuring relevance, deep reflection, and a constant sharing of ideas. Grade-level collaboration and content-specific collaboration will be helpful for success.
LEADERSHIP
Varieties of leaders can guide each school through the full step-by-step implementation of Blended Learning. A “technology coach” (or coaches) can be at the forefront of true core leadership. This individual can be a go-to beacon for presenting overall goals and key information.
Additional “instructional coaches” and “curriculum coordinators” can be a second layer of foundational structure for key questions, celebrations, and concerns. A newly formed “Blended Learning team” of volunteers can assist with guiding Professional Learning activities, take feedback from fellow coworkers, assess implementation success rates, and create/track overall targets and goals. School administration should be active within PD sessions, supportive during classroom observations, and serving as role models throughout their own daily tasks and routines.
A team of dedicated Blended Learning modeling teachers will be selected for coworkers to observe in action and seek for direct mentoring. Grade and subject “team leaders” can also serve as flagstaff leadership to guide on a more direct level, influencing and supporting from within their teaching teams. If everyone lends a hand, then any school can account for swift successes.
AUDIENCE
When it comes to Blended Learning within a middle school environment, the audience for education is each middle school teacher. When widening that perspective, the true audience becomes every middle school student since they will be the ones directly benefiting from this shift within their school.
Each teacher will need to have understood with clarity the meaning and benefits of incorporating Blended Learning strategies. This audience will also be given the opportunity to safely voice their needs so that the leadership team and their coworkers can continuously work toward viable, specific solutions. Middle school students specifically need ongoing support that oftentimes changes on a daily basis. Due to this concern, targets can ever shift to make sure each teacher and classroom environment is well-supported.
3 Column Table
When it comes to planning for exact ways in which Blended Learning can be accomplished within a middle school setting, it can be broken down into bite-sized goals and achievements through the use of a 3 Column Table as modeled by Fink’s (2013) research. This is a great way to understand the variety of ways in which learning can take place surrounding this topic. This table is presented below.
As defined by Dey-Twomey (2017) first, we can start with a “big, hairy audacious goal.” When discussing the targets for a school and dissecting the components of Blended Learning, we could set a district-wide goal example of: “Teachers will be able to understand and utilize the components of Blended Learning and for the benefit of all student learners.”
SCHEDULE
Since a minimum of 50 hours of learning, practice, and implementation are needed for true success when it comes to incorporating new Blended Learning benefits into the classroom, it is best to plan out a timeline for goals to be met. Here is an example for implementation:
April - Provide a brief explanation of what new changes (Blended Learning) will be focused on during the upcoming new school year.
May - Present options for professional learning opportunities over the summer months, such as readings, websites, videos, and webinars for teachers and staff.
August - Get leadership team and coaches up-to-date and prepared for rollout.
September - Begin formal PL opportunities surrounding Blended Learning. Dedicate at least one hour each week to introducing Blended Learning within PD meetings.
October - Create a team of volunteer teachers to gather feedback and set/monitor Blended Learning goals. Dedicate at least two hours each week to explaining Blended Learning ideas and benefits within PD meetings.
November - Show examples of Blended Learning in action, through video and live-action examples during PD meetings. Allow teachers to try Blended Learning techniques with peers during informal meeting times and allow for individualized brainstorming sessions. Continue to dedicate at least two hours a week to understanding and setting personal Blended Learning goals.
December - Begin allowing teachers to observe role model teachers as they implement Blended Learning within their classrooms. Continue to dedicate at least two hours a week to the understanding of Blended Learning by creating personalized Blended Learning plans.
January - Teachers in every classroom will introduce new concepts to their students. Continual practice of Blended Learning concepts continues during team and PD meetings.
February - Every teacher implements the first step of their personalized Blended Learning plan within their classroom environment. Feedback is given to the team for reflection, corrections, and feedforward.
March - Focus shifts to further implementation of Blended Learning. The whole student body understands that every teacher and class is working toward the same beneficial goal.
April - Confidence soars as students accept the shift toward dedicated Blended Learning activities. Team of volunteers continues to receive feedback and adjust overall school targets.
May - Whole school celebrates achievements made. A party or specific event is held in which successes are shared and new, specific Blended Learning targets are set for the next school year.
RESOURCES
Now change is never easy, but with time and support everyone is able to meet their goal! Here are a few resources where it may prove to be helpful when it comes to the introduction and explanation of Blended Learning within any school environment:
Working together, we all can succeed! Blended Learning can be implemented and utilized as a tool for motivating positive change and creating a better support system for our students and their individualized learning needs. What better way to promote CHANGE than by allowing students to learn and thrive in their own way?
Overall, this means no one will have to stagnate their teaching or learning. Also, no one will have to implement a new meaningless educational trend year after year. One goal can reach all! And that’s the power of Blended Learning through proper planning and support.
References
5 Principles of Effective Professional Development. (n.d.). H5p.org. Retrieved November 22,
2021, from https://h5p.org/h5p/embed/124294
Dey-Twomey, T. (2017, July 31). Goal Setting 101: Move Your Business To The Next Level.
Alexander Twomey. https://alexandertwomey.com/goal-setting-101/
Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to
Designing College Courses. John Wiley & Sons.
Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Teaching the teachers effective professional development in an
era of high stakes accountability. Center for Public Education.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/j13c5mk092kmqv9/Teaching_Effective_Professional_
Developmt.pdf?dl=0
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