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Showing posts from January, 2021

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...

#45. New Twist on a Old Lesson: Theories of Emotion

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If you have been following my blog you already know that I am a HUGE fan of the station-rotation model. The essence of the station rotation is that students rotate between carefully curated online and offline learning stations. This can occur both within and outside of the classroom walls so this model lends itself well to the remote and hybrid learning environment. In this post, I will share how I transformed  my existing lesson plans on the theories of emotion into a station rotation that can be used both in-person and online. The key to a successful station rotation is balance . One of the most helpful resources that I have found in my blended learning journey is a book and blog by Catlin Tucker. According to Tucker, a strong lesson balances teacher-led stations with online and offline stations. You might already have ideas of what types of online and offline activities you could build into your station rotation. If not, consider checking out this document she created th...

#44. Putting All the Pieces Together

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https://images.app.goo.gl/Ueg3vMzXBsUFj8gRA I began this blog in 2017 to chronicle the development and implementation of a blended learning curriculum in my classroom. My original purpose was to collect data and critically analyze the effectiveness of this model. Over the last three years I have shared the different methods and strategies that I have used in my own class. This has been a process of growth and revision. Recently, I turned my focus to developing self-paced and mastery-based blended lessons. It was obvious to me based on the number of comments and questions that I received on my last post " The Case for Mastery Checks " that self-paced and mastery-based learning really resonates with a lot of teachers. The most common question that I received was regarding the logistics  of a self-paced, mastery-based classroom. I will share what mine looks like with a few caveats. First, this is not a one-size fits all approach. This is meant to inspire what your class can lo...