Is your hybrid (classroom) good for the (learning) environment?

Each year, our North Country schools invest more time and money to bring technology into classrooms. We're getting more devices and better connectivity, but now what? We hear a lot about 1:1 computing initiatives, blended learning, flipped classrooms, instructional technology, even online testing... it's clear that our schools are going digital.

What's also clear is that the integration of technology relies on the teacher to make sound curricular and instructional choices for the classroom. This is no different than at any other time in educational history. But, we all know that it IS an added layer (and often added pressure) for the teacher to manage.

What are hybrid/blended/flipped classrooms?

Blended classrooms "integrate online with traditional face-to-face class activities in a planned, pedagogically valuable manner." The professional development article that referenced this quote by the Online Learning Consortium is worth the read for anyone new to the concept.

Why move toward a blended classroom?

Simply put, we need to be thinking about instructional strategies that will help prepare our students for life beyond our classroom walls. (In fact, maybe our classroom shouldn't really have "walls..." but that's for another post when we could discuss global citizenship.) It would be hard to argue with the 21st century skills that we are frequently directed toward when designing instruction:

Image: http://projects.upei.ca/ed626-2015/2015/07/24/4-cs-21st-century-skill-for-success/

But pause for a moment. There's something extremely important that all stakeholders (teachers, administrators, board members, parents, students...) need to understand:

Creating the contemporary learning environment that addresses these 4 C's is a whole lot different than simply digitizing instruction. (Take the time to read Heidi Hayes Jacobs' post about this issue.)

In an article written for ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), Nicole Krueger writes:

Bringing technology into the classroom is the easy part. Integrating it seamlessly into a lesson plan is another matter. Blended classrooms, or those that use online content and tools as an integral part of instruction, go beyond using the latest gadget to get kids’ attention. They apply technology to expand classroom learning into new realms, providing unique learning experiences that enhance, rather than replace, face-to-face interaction.

In all of the searching and reading that I've done recently about blended classrooms, I feel like Instructional Technologist and blogger Amanda Dills' ideas about technology integration really resonate the most. She suggests that teachers shouldn't think about the first step of IT transition as "digitizing" as much as we should think about "maximizing." Because face-to-face classroom time with students is a teacher's most valuable commodity, instruction needs to be both impactful for students and rewarding for teachers. When you identify the most valuable instructional activities (she suggests categories of presenting, responding, questioning, connecting, facilitating, and coaching), you can start thinking about how to best utilize the precious face time that you get with your students.

The next logical step is digitizing. Maximizing classroom time requires a set of tools (technologies) that will allow you to assign work to students outside of class time that typically would have been done in class (this is where the flipped/hybrid/blended idea comes in). Technology can aid the process of in-class learning as well, from the sheer efficiencies provided by dynamic and accessible documents (provided by Google Classroom/Drive) to the real-time collaborative capabilities of a whole host of Web 2.0 tools.

How can I maximize when I need to spend time teaching students the digital process?

Of course it takes time for students to master digital skills (just like it does for any other idea they need to learn). Establishing new routines, expectations, and classroom culture will not happen overnight. Start small. Don't throw too many new tools at them and expect students to respond happily just because they enjoy the novelty of getting some screen time. Besides - I don't know about you, but I really don't have time to reinvent every bit of instruction into something digital. Make your initial investment in those activities and assignments that you can reuse year after year or for multiple instructional purposes. Your prep time needs to be maximized, as well.

Remember - if your digital assignment is "worth it" (you identified that the learning objectives were valuable) - you've already decided that the increased feedback/collaboration/productivity/efficiency/rigor provided by digitizing is beneficial to your students. Making the up-front time investment in "teaching the technology" will pay off in the end. The more comfortable students become with technology, the more you will be able to "flip" your classroom so that students spend in-class time with you face-to-face rather than face-to-screen.

Finally - one added benefit to moving toward a blended classroom is the reduced need to get all your students' attention at once - something that most teachers feel greatly reduces their behavioral management needs (and makes your time more productive!).

Resources to help you make the leap:
Arm yourself with background: https://www.iste.org/explore/articledetail?articleid=117
Build up your repertoire: http://themaximizedclassroom.blogspot.com/2015/11/40-ways-to-digitize-instruction.html
Join a supportive community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/105027787430185650434