High Hopes - Acceleration & Blending Learning

High High Hopes - Acceleration and Blended Learning

(4-5 minute read)

Imagine a classroom where every student feels confident and excited about learning, where struggling students get the support they need to keep up with their peers, and advanced students are challenged to reach their full potential. This is the promise of blended learning and acceleration.

Echos of this promise can be heard in one of our favorite pop songs:

Had to have high, high hopes for a living

Didn't know how but I always had a feeling

I was gonna be that one in a million

Always had high, high hopes

Mama said

Fulfill the prophecy

Be something greater

Go make a legacy

Manifest destiny

How many of our students feel these lyrics echoing deep in their souls as they walk into our classes each day? High hopes to fulfill the whispers of prophecy that bounce around in their smiles, thoughts, and dreams?

In Panic At The Disco's hit song "High hopes," the group's lead singer, Brandon Urie, sings about a person who is euphoric about his future. He is determined, empowered, and ready to take on a seemingly uncertain world.

Think back to your years in school. How many "High hopes" did you carry with you as you walked the halls, worked in groups, and delivered those uh-mazing book reports to the class? High hopes carry us through so many of life's good (and not so good) events.

Self Efficacy

John Hattie's famous meta-analysis of classroom influences may be familiar to you. In it, he synthesized and ranked a variety of common practices or influences. Out of 256 entries, Hattie ranked self efficacy as the eleventh most important factor (click on link to left for full view). The .96 affect size attributed to self efficacy basically means that the more self assured and optimistic a student is in their abilities, the more likely they will be to succeed in school. A .96 is nearly two years worth of growth in one calendar year!

So how can we help grow these kid's high high hopes? Former Stanford Psychologist, Albert Banduras created a visual to help crystalize our thoughts around. In the image below, you can see that self efficacy can be bolster and is made out of four fundamental experiences: direct experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and physiological feedback. As the linked article (above) states, "High self-efficacy has numerous benefits to daily life, such as resilience to adversity and stress, healthy lifestyle habits, improved employee performance, and educational achievement."

All students should feel these high high hopes and it can't happen in a classroom that doesn't personalize learning experiences. It may sound like a tall order, but it doesn't have to be.

Experiences are just that. The experiences our students bring with them as they enter our campuses. However, these experiences are also based on performance outcomes. What have they done in the past and how successful have they been at those tasks. Practice becomes an important component to this part of self efficacy. Students who practice a skill, become better at it and feel better about the skill and the actions performed within the skill. This category is the largest indicator of students success (more on this in a bit).

Vicarious Experiences are experiences students see being performed. So when teachers practice (model) a skill in front of the students and verbalize those actions, students still pick up tid-bits and build self efficacy. Watching is less beneficial than doing, but it is still beneficial.

Dr. Banduras

Social Persuasion is when a student is performing a task and they receive positive feedback as they move through the steps of that performance. Verbal persuasion like this is affective with any age, however the effects diminish the older a person gets. So, being authentically positive with younger students can help build that self efficacy that we mentioned earlier.

Physiological Persuasion is connected to the student's psychological and emotional states. However, Dr. Banduras states that the states themselves are not as important as how the person perceives the state they are in. If a student is distraught but has high high hopes of getting past that stressor, then they will be less affected by that moment than a student who doesn't perceive that hope.

As you've probably guessed by now, what all four of these component have in common is the support that teachers can give during a lesson to help build student efficacy brick by experiential brick.

Because blended learning lessons are flexible and can allow for personalization of the process, product, and/or content, we believe that student efficacy can be combined with research based, gap-filling actions like acceleration to propel all students into the high hopes stratosphere.

Blended Learning and Acceleration: Supporting Super High Hopes

Before diving into our example, let's refresh our memories about blended learning and acceleration. Blended learning is an instructional approach mixing face-to-face teaching with digital tools, creating personalized and engaging learning environments. Acceleration gives students struggling with upcoming content a head-start by previewing new concepts and vocabulary, helping them keep pace with their peers (Tomlinson, 2014).

In acceleration, students are often given previews of content the day or week before the content is delivered to the rest of the class. In other words, students may be pulled into small groups to learn an upcoming skill or concept or be given time to learn new vocabulary terms. When they are exposed to the lesson with their peers, accelerated students have likely experiences ALL FOUR of the aforementioned self efficacy "chunks" that are in the image above.

Sample Unit

Now that we're up to speed, let's check out what blended learning and acceleration might look like in a 3rd-grade math classroom.

As you read the following lesson, please take note of the blended, accelaration and self efficacy components!

Fractions, Unite!

Picture this: our 3rd-grade class is starting a new unit on fractions. The teacher, a real-life superhero, wants every student to succeed. Here's how blended learning and acceleration can make that happen:

1. Assess students: The teacher identifies students who may struggle with fractions using assessments, classroom observations, and that good ol' teacher intuition. They may use diagnostic assessments, such as pre-tests, to gauge students' prior knowledge and identify learning gaps (Guskey & Jung, 2013). The teacher can tailor instruction based on where the students struggle, increasing the likelihood of success (Tomlinson & Imbeau, 2010).

2. Preview content: Before the fractions unit, our fantastic teacher offers struggling students access to digital resources, videos, and adaptive math platforms to introduce basic fraction concepts and vocabulary. By pre-teaching key vocabulary and concepts, students have a foundation to build on as new content is introduced (Walpole & McKenna, 2007). This strategy also increases students' confidence and motivation, as they feel better prepared for upcoming lessons (Graham & Perin, 2007).

3. Differentiate instruction: As the unit begins, the teacher employs blended learning strategies to create personalized paths for all students, including those who received acceleration support (Dabbagh & Kitsantas, 2012). One approach is the station rotation model, where students rotate through various learning activities. Differentiation allows the teacher to address students' individual strengths and weaknesses, promoting a deeper understanding of the material (Tomlinson & Imbeau, 2010).

Imagine a 50-minute math block:

• Warm-up (5 minutes): Students complete a quick fractions-related activity to get their brains in gear.
• Station Rotation (3 stations x 15 minutes each):
  • Station 1 - Teacher Table: Students work with the teacher on guided activities at their level, with targeted support for accelerated students. Activities might include using manipulatives to model fractions, working on fraction word problems, or comparing and ordering fractions. The teacher can use strategies like questioning, cueing, and prompting to help students develop a deeper understanding of the content (Van de Walle, Karp, & Bay-Williams, 2013).
  • Station 2 - Technology Station: Students use digital tools like interactive fraction games, online manipulatives, or adaptive platforms tailored to their needs and progress. These tools can help students visualize and explore fractions in a fun and engaging way (Clements & Sarama, 2016), fostering a deeper understanding of the concepts.
  • Station 3 - Independent Collaboration: Students work in pairs or small groups on hands-on activities, like creating equivalent fractions with manipulatives, solving real-world fraction problems, or exploring fraction patterns. Collaborative learning encourages students to share ideas, articulate their thinking, and learn from each other (Gillies, 2014).

4. Provide support: Throughout the unit, the teacher continues offering extra practice and guidance to help accelerated students solidify their understanding and keep up with class pace. This might include providing additional resources, offering targeted feedback, or setting up individual or small group conferences to address specific concerns (Wiliam, 2011).

5. Monitor progress: Our fearless teacher regularly checks in with students, assessing their progress and making adjustments as needed to ensure accelerated students stay on track. They might use exit slips, quizzes, or performance tasks to gather evidence of learning, and then adjust instruction accordingly (Black & Wiliam, 2009).

The Journey Begins

By combining blended learning and acceleration, our imaginary 3rd-grade teacher creates a personalized, inclusive environment where every student can thrive. With the right strategies and a touch of digital magic, all students can shine in the classroom.

So, fellow educators, are you ready to bring the power of blended learning and acceleration to your classroom? By embracing this dynamic duo, you can help all your students stay on pace and reach their full potential. With creativity, dedication, and a dash of digital wizardry, you'll be well on your way to creating an inclusive and engaging learning environment that empowers every student to succeed.

High high hopes!

Solutions: If this, then that.

 If you guys are looking for several practical ways to convert proven face to face activities into an online format, please check out our "If this, then that" page.

In the far left column you'll find face to face actives that many teachers use.  In the center and right columns you'll see online approximations of those activities and how to make them (in the far right column).  

Have fun pursuing through this resource.  If you happen to have an online activity you'd like to share, just reach out to us and we'll add it to the growing list!

Who do you think you are, dreaming about being a big star? Equity and Fear

"Kids were laughing in my classes
While I was scheming for the masses
Who do you think you are?
Dreaming 'bout being a big star" 

Goals/dreams are always impossible and nearly invisible things that hang perpetually in our future.  They wait.  They're silent. They almost seem to run away from us.  But goals and dreams, like mile markers on a highway, let us know where we are going and give context to whether we're headed in the "right" direction or not.  

Uncertainty is this weird unmeasurable thing.  It's empty and intimidating.

Risk, however, is quantifying or taking a bite out of uncertainty.

Many of those new to blended learning will count, among the list of struggles, that there is uncertainty in trying out something new in the classroom.  It's exciting, but also scary at the same time. But if you take a measurable step toward Blended Learning then you are controlling the risks involved with trying something new.  You are giving form to uncertainty and, thereby, controlling it.

Change for the sake of change isn't a good idea most of the time.  Change for the sake of benefitting your students? That's admirable.  But change reveals new horizons and those new horizons show us potentially newer and better changes for our student's betterment. 

Change is going to happen. The sometimes slow but always certain current of change has momentum…tremendous momentum. But it is dumb and unrefined momentum, like an undeniable ocean current. Yes, ocean currents can pull you out to the sea, but they can also be used to navigate that same sea in order to reach incredible destinations.

The calculating acts of shifting your sails or pushing the rudder a certain way are risks that help navigate through uncertainty.

The trick in being a teacher is to see the questions their adult selves will ask & address them in the here and now.  I would then base my calculated risks in class based on both my student's real needs and what I imagined their future selves might ask of me.

Change is happening and you can’t stop it…so lean into change by taking a risk.  Let calculated risks help you, your students, & America's Future (patriotic music and eagle noise in background)!

Here's a slide I like to use in our Blended Learning Academy.  It's one example for how to take baby steps toward blended learning.

Start becoming a Blended Learning teacher by including elements of Blended Learning, even if they are only parts and pieces.  If you use a timer, for example, you will be teaching your students time management skills which are crucial in blended learning environments.

Let your students laugh in your classes, let them scheme for the masses... let them dream about being big stars by building lessons for learning instead of lessons for teaching. The choice to be afraid to try new things hurts your special populations and economically disadvantaged more than main streamed students because personalized learning via blended learning is that "rising tide that lifts all boats".  Main stream students are more likely to have support at home, have a diverse background of experiences (ie. vacations, exposure to adults with a variety of career paths, etc.).   In short, focus on build lessons for learning instead of lessons for teaching via the blended learning lens.

If you can't do it in one lesson then incorporate lesson add-ins like timers, stations, student data folders and so on.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

Blastoff!  For many of us we are just weeks or even days away from the 1st day of school.  We've talked about what blended learning is, but now you might be thinking, "That's all great information, but just tell me what to do during the first week of school." Let's take a look at 4 things you can do during the first week of school to get your students ready for blended learning.

1. Teach your students how to log in.  Then practice, practice, practice!  I know this sounds so basic, but often times there is not enough time devoted to this.  When I say this, I'm not just talking about elementary kids.  I'm talking everyone from K to 12.  You might be wondering why I think high school kids need time to practice getting logged in.  Let me tell you what happened one year when my son was in high school.  We were using Edmodo for the first year.  A few of his teachers were trying it out and had their students create accounts to join their class.  My son got home from school and needed to access something in his Edmodo account for homework.  Guess what???  He didn't remember his password.  I was in shock.  How could a high school student not remember their password.  I told him to hold on and I would log into the admin console and reset his password for him.  I went to get my computer and by the time I got back, he was in his account.  I said, "Oh good!  How did you get in?"  He responded, "Oh, I just created a new account."  The part of me that was rolling out this software in our district wanted to shout, "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"  But the mom part of me completely understood that since no one had taught him otherwise then this was a pretty good way to solve a problem.  Let me just say - my son was not the only high school student who just created a new account every time they forgot their password.  It happened over and over and over.  How do I know?  Because I could see all of the duplicate accounts in our admin console.  So, please, please, please teach the high school students how to problem solve and recover their passwords rather than creating new accounts.  Even better, help all students come up with ways to keep their passwords safe but accessible for times when they forget them.

2. Get students acquainted with your devices.  We often assume that since our students were born into the digital age that they know how to use the devices in our classrooms.  This is often a false assumption.  Our students are good at using the most accessible devices in their homes which is usually a phone, but if you throw out a chromebook, macbook or other type of device students may not be familiar with all the nuances of using that device.  It never hurts to spend some time showing them not only how to use the device, but also some of the programs that you plan to use with the students most often.  One time Charles and I went out to a middle school to model a lesson.  We decided to have the students post to a Padlet as part of the lesson because everyone knows how to use Padlet, right?  Wrong!  We soon discovered once we started into the lesson, that the students had never even seen Padlet and didn't know how to post to the board, upload an image or record a video, so we had to modify the lesson in order to accommodate the technology.  This defeated the purpose of having technology to make things easier.

3. Start teaching students about digital citizenship from day 1. Again, this is one of those things that we assume students know or that their parents teach them, but in reality this is something really important that students need to be learning on a daily basis throughout every grade level.  There are different types of issues that are important and appropriate at different ages.  For example, in

elementary school I might be talking to my students about how to log in, choosing a good password and keeping your password safe.  In high school you might have to have more delicate discussions such as making sure what you do online is appropriate because once something is out there on the web, chances are it's out there forever.  I know what you are thinking... Now I have one more thing to plan and no extra time to plan it.  Let me help you by taking that off of your plate. Check out Common Sense Media.  They have amazing resources and already created lessons for all grade levels.

4. Establish a home base to use as a one-stop-shop for all of your online needs.  When I was a kid, I was living up north.  I can remember what a Saturday morning was like with my mom.  First we had to do our chores, but after that it was errand after errand.  We went to K-Mart (there was no Walmart back then) to buy any random home stuff we needed like towels, sheets, storage containers, etc.  Then we made our way over to the grocery store.  No, K-Mart didn't have groceries back then.  We bought all of our groceries except the meat.  Then we had to drive home and put the groceries away before loading back up into the car to head to the meat market.  I LOVED going to the meat market.  It seems weird now, but the floor was covered in sawdust so it was like playing in the sand and my mom always bought me one of those small, single serving size bags of BBQ chips. Yum, Yum!!  That might have been the end of the errands for Saturday, but there was also other trips to the pharmacy to get my sister's medicine (ear infections).  There wasn't a pharmacy in the grocery store.  I guess by now you are wondering why I'm telling you about my Saturday morning shopping

excursions in the 1980s.  Well, sometimes this is how kids feel when we throw about a bunch of tech tools and websites to them.  It gets confusing and tiring.  Think about how our modern day shopping experience works.  Charles talked about Target runs in the last post.  In this day and age, I can go to Target and get all the same things that it took 4 or more stores to supply in the 1980s.  Think of a home base like a Target store.  You always go to the same place, but once you are inside there are tons of options available.  So, to be clear.  I'm not saying don't ever use any other online tools except for your home base, but make it a convenient and easy place for you students to find everything they need as it pertains to your class.  For example, I might want to use a Padlet in class one day.  That is perfectly fine, but I need to make sure that I post the Padlet link to my home base (my Target stroe) so kids can find it when they log in to "shop."  There are so many different tools that you can use as your home base.  If your district has an LMS such as Canvas, then I would definitely use that as it has so many options and so much flexibility to make it look the way you want.  There are also lots of free choices available such as Google Classroom.  If you are teaching elementary, I highly recommend using Seesaw for your home base.  Check out this recent post for elementary teachers where I shared reasons why Seesaw was a top choice for elementary classrooms.

This is an exciting time of year.  Let's make the most of those first days of school to set our students up for a successful year of blended learning.  Post a comment below sharing any tips that you have for getting off to a great start with blended learning.