Teaching looks a little different for everyone this school year. Many schools have gone hybrid or remote, while others are on standby just in case they need to make the switch to fully remote.
To help teachers navigate these challenging times, we brought in Heather Staker, Founder and President of Ready to Blend, and Cheryl McKnight, Blended Learning Coach and former district leader, to discuss four modalities for conducting blended instruction that are great alternatives to streaming lessons. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, so we’ve gathered the highlights here to make it easier for you to see how you can make remote teaching more engaging for your students, and more rewarding for you.
Are streaming lessons the best solution right now?
To kickoff the webinar, we conducted a poll to see if people thought that streaming lessons live is the best way to conduct remote learning right now. Here’s what speakers, Heather and Cheryl had to say about it:
What is a Blended Learning Arc?
Heather suggests one way to structure your blended and remote instruction is to create a blended learning arc. Find out what a blended learning arc is and how it can set your students up for success.
Alternative 1: Group Discussions
Heather and Cheryl talk about why group discussions are so important, make recommendations for how to conduct one, and offer tips for how teachers can overcome the challenges of doing group discussions.
Alternative 2: Independent Work
Providing online coursework can empower learners to drive their own learning. Understand how effective independent work makes synchronous learning time even better.
Alternative 3: Collaborative Work
Balancing independent work with collaborative work is a winning recipe for teachers and their students. Heather provides suggestions for third party project-based learning and game modules to support your collaborative work activities while Cheryl provides tips for how you can empower your students.
Alternative 4: 1-on-1 Check-ins
Find out why 1:1 check-ins are the secret sauce of blended learning and which questions every teacher should ask their students…
Designing a Weekly Blended Learning Arc is one of the six competencies outlined in BloomBoard’s Foundations for Blended Learning micro-endorsement. If you’d like to learn more about our blended learning offering, contact us.
If you enjoyed these clips, don’t miss our next webinar, The New Perspectives District Leaders Gained By Preparing for this School Year and Supporting Teachers Now.
