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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#9. Site Visit: Seeing Blended Learning in Action

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Site Visit Reflection – Community Unit School District 220 (IL)

This week our blended learning team had the opportunity to visit a nearby school district that has successfully implemented blended learning.  Barrington High School (CUSD 220 in IL) has offered blended course options for the last three years.  They shared with us a wealth of information on the implementation process regarding course selection, course design, professional development and their personal experiences and recommendations.  I have compiled a brief list of some of the things that I learned during our visit.

Takeaways
1. Start Small:  In the beginning, not every unit needs to be blended or include flex days.  Like any course re-design, this is a process and a quality product takes time.

2. Flex Days:  It seems to be good practice to label the days that the students are not required to be in the classroom as “flex days.”  Originally, I referred to these days as “blended days”; however, this term can create confusion because you can have a blended day where all of the students are in attendance.  Blended refers to the instructional model that includes both face-to-face and online learning.  Flex days refer to days in which the student might be able to “flex out” a period and be elsewhere in the school building.

3. Flexible Flex Days: When I first envisioned this course, I planned on the students attending class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and flexing out on Tuesday and Thursday.  Based on what I saw this week, this is an unnecessary constraint.  Flex days can be determined based on class and unit needs.  When I learned this I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders!  I still plan on letting the students know well in advance when they will have a flex day – but will communicate this information on their unit calendars that are given at the beginning of each unit instead of a making this a blanket scheduling decision.  This will also allow me to account for days off from schools, field trips, testing etc.

4. Monitoring Student Progress:  It is imperative to maintain detailed notes about the progress of each student towards his or her learning goals.  Each teacher seemed to have their own method for keeping track of student data.  I am planning on recording student data on a weekly basis.  I will include attendance, participation, formative and summative assessments as well as individual notes of student behavior as necessary.

5. Learning Management System: It appears that many blended classrooms use a purchased LMS.  At CUSD 220, every class is using Schoology.  This is will be something that I need to explore.  I’m not sure if our current LMS, Google Classroom, will be adequate for this instructional model.  I will be exploring both Schoology and Canvas this summer.

6.  Grading Philosophy: As a district, we have embraced Standards-Based grading.  This model is consistent with a blended classroom.  The students are given flexibility in how they present their knowledge as well as some flexibility in when their assessments are due. 

7. Organizational Supports: We learned a lot about the organizational supports that were put into place to support the teachers throughout the development of a blended curriculum.  First, the teachers who participate in blended learning self-select into this model.  It is teacher-driven.  Secondly, the teachers who opt-in are required to participate in a cohort and learn the fundamentals of blended learning.  Thirdly, they were very proactive in communicating the goals of the program with the community.  They host a parent's night at the beginning of each year to help the parents understand the concept of blended learning, address student expectations, share sample lessons and address parent concerns.  Lastly, they offer ongoing professional development on the integration of technology in the classroom and have an instructional coach that specializes in this model of instruction.  Their thoughtful and meaningful implementation has led to an outstanding program.

I would like to thank all of the teachers, instructional coaches and administrators at Barrington High School for sharing their time and expertise with us.  It was truly an invaluable experience.  I appreciate you opening your doors to us and allowing us to see what is possible as we embark on this journey.

 As always, please leave questions, comments or suggestions!  I'd love to hear your thoughts,
Cori

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