101. The Transformative Power of AI

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Folks, let’s face it. Our classrooms are going to look a little different this year. AI, specifically ChatGPT, is going to change the way we design learning experiences and assess student mastery. I’ll be honest, when I first explored the ChatGPT platform I was terrified. As I have dug deeper into the technology and its capabilities, I realized that while it does pose significant challenges — it also presents us with some pretty amazing opportunities. In this series, we will explore what AI is capable of, its implications in the classroom, and how it can benefit both teachers and students. Let’s start by examining where we have been, where we are currently, and looking forward to where we are going. Whether this is a trip you wanted to go on or not, the AI train has left the station and it is time for all of us to jump on board. From Card Catalogs to Artificial Intelligence I belong to the micro-generation called Xennial. Xennials are considered to be a “bridge” between Generation X a...
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#8. Down the Rabbit Hole I Go...

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Resources for Re-Design

As part of our district initiative to  implement blended learning, a teacher-on-special assignment (TOSA) has been assigned to lead, coordinate and support the different blended learning courses that are being piloted in each of our district’s four high schools.  I met with our TOSA, Paul Humpa, last month and he provided me with a treasure-trove of resources regarding the development and implementation of a blended course.   

The purpose of this post is to share what I have learned regarding the process of redesigning  my AP Psychology curriculum to transform it into a blended (hybrid) model.  Over the next three blog posts, I will provide an overview of three sites that I found to be helpful, as well as some tools that I have added to my toolkit. 

Resource #1:  Oregon State University has a number of outstanding resources designed to support the development of a blended or hybrid course.

-First, check out their brief “Course Design Tutorials.”  These tutorials are short, informative and explain the FREE (!) resources available on their site.

One of my biggest takeaways from this tutorial was that this process truly is a re-design.  It is not just moving the digital pieces of the traditional class to an online format.   At the beginning of the tutorial, three hybrid “no-no’s” are discussed.  Here is what I want to avoid;


1. Course and a Half:  It is tempting to assign more out of class work to blended classes because the students have more "time" to do it.  

2. Frankencourse: This is a course in which the pieces of the puzzles just don't fit.  There is not a clear connection between classroom and online activities.  It is neither thoughtfully or meaningfully planned.

 3. Fake Hybrid: This is the model that is most concerning to me.  A fake hybrid is when the digital materials that are used in the traditional model are placed online (videos, articles etc) but they are not transformed into any type of active learning.  Because I have taught this course for a number of years, and have a plethora of resources, I will need to be very cognizant of this tendency and make sure that the students are interacting with the materials and with each other virtually as well as face to face.

Tools
I will be using the following tools to  avoid the above-mentioned pitfalls.  These will allow me to organize the content, assessments and methods of instruction at the beginning of each unit.  

1. Three-Disc Hybrid Design Mix Map Template: I will be completing (and posting!) a template for each unit that I teach in AP Psychology next year.  This will require me to  identify the online, face-to-face and “other” work that the students will be required to complete before beginning the unit.  I am looking to maintain a ratio of 2 face-to-face assignments:1 digital assignment for each unit.   This will reflect the “flex” time that the students have been afforded and prevent me from unconsciously requiring them to do more work than the traditional model (otherwise known as “course-and-a-half syndrome.”)



2. Planning Chart Template:  I will also be completing the (and posting!)a planning chart for each unit.  I will look at each unit as a whole and apply a backward design to align the course standards (AP Psychology Acorn standards) with assessments, strategies and content.   Additionally,  I will compare it to the unit in my traditional model class.

Final Thoughts
In this case, I believe the old adage "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" holds true.  I need to do this right, the first time around.  That involves following an established process that has worked for others and collecting data on my results. There really are no second chances once a program gets a bad reputation with the students, parents, staff or community. 

My next blog post will cover some of the resources available from the University of Central Florida.  Don't forget to follow my blog if you want to be notified when it is posted! Lastly, thank you for taking the time to read this post.  I would love to hear from you!  Please leave your questions, suggestions, experiences etc. in the comments section below.

Thanks!
Cori


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