Is a blended classroom beneficial, yes or no? What do you think?

Submitted by Barbara Baker on Wed, 07/15/2020 - 10:41
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Hello Everyone, I would like to implement EdReady (and some other applied digital skills programs) in my Writing class for the high school equivalency program. I was wondering if you have any sources you can point me toward that talk about the benefit of a blended classroom and/or any research on EdReady being used in the classroom. I have quite a bit on EdReady, but mostly it is how to use the program and I would like some actual research that shows why it works. Any thoughts?

Comments

Hello Barbara,

Thanks for your question. I wonder if anyone else in the Integrating Technology group has been using EdReady (a program of the NROC Project) and if so, I wonder how you are using it. If you have suggestions for Barbara about its benefit in a blended learning context, please post them here for her, and all of us.

Barbara and others, a discussion today (July 15, 2020) is taking place in the LINCS Reading and Writing group on collaborative writing in which I posted a question about research on its effectiveness in an online and blended learning environment. That may be of interest.

David J. Rosen, Moderator

LINCS CoP Integrating Technology group

In the meantime, I would think that a hybrid course may be the way to go??? (not 100% confident of that statement.)

This term in the summer, we have pivoted to online Citizenship classes -- which really have been great, but I'm missing the JOURNALING component.  At the Literacy Texas conference last week, they suggested a blog (ie Blogger) so that the students can add in their thoughts (or via Google Docs(?) ).  I'm not certain how that would work.  

Anyone have any ideas????

 

Kathryn Davis

 

Hello colleagues, I am interested in hearing more ideas about blended classrooms and how teachers are structuring their courses. I think it would be great to integrate student blogging into a blended course. For those who have used student blogging, what sites work well for this. Please offer any tips for making student blogging a component of a course.

Thank you!

Take care, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, English Language Acquisition and Teaching & Learning CoPs

Susan,

I too would like to hear how student blogging is being used for virtual and blended learning, but i would ALSO like to hear how instructors are using blogs in this new blended and virtual education era. Some examples might be:

  • Using a program or instructor-created blog to broadcast announcements, reminders, and encouragement (rather like bulletin boards in hallways and classrooms).
  • An instructor using a Blog to post assignment instructions and materials for students (usually on a private blog requiring a password for access). This would be as an alternative for emails getting lost or even an LMS. For these purposes, a Padlet might even be considered a blog!
  • An instructor using a Blog to post interactive reading/writing assignments. Where students read an open-ended prompt (or article and questions) and then post their responses publicly, so peers can comment and expand on a "conversation" about the topic. This is also likely to be private.
  • An instructor using a public blog to post student's finished writing efforts, and then marketing this work to encourage feedback and comments from trusted sources: Literacy councils, program volunteers, other literacy classes within or external to the program, etc. (This would need to be moderated.)
  • An Co-instructor created blog to encourage a partnership between adult education programs/classes (like pen-pals) or an adult education class and an employer, post-secondary student mentors, or a community organization. 
  • An instructor-created blog with links to student - created blogs as a "one stop portal" to encourage students to view and comment on each others (public) posts.

Please let us (me) know if you or someone you know is doing anything with Blog or microblog tools like the ideas listed above - or something else!

Duren Thompson
National LINCS Trainer, Technology Integration

Hi Susan,

I've been thinking about student blogging and ways to encourage student writing or video blogging. 

I recently attended the coaching session with Susan Gaer to learn how to make a website on Google Sites. It's not as hard as I thought it would be to make a website! 

I'd like to get a website up and running soon and then I want to make a page for student book reviews in written and video format. I think there's a way for students to leave comments on each other's reviews too. 

~Jennifer Kluempen

ESL Instructor