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!

4 tips to avoid the Land of Confusion in the Covid-19 era.

My favorite lines from this song have always been:

Now, this is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given

Use them and let's start trying

To make it a place worth fighting for

With the "new normal" of the COVID-19 world, there will likely be times when our daily tasks and routines are disrupted to one degree or another.  Tonight, President Trump suspended flights to and from Europe, the NBA has suspended the season, and there are questionable hoarding practices (toilet paper, really?) by far too many people.

Once the wave of disruption reaches your locality, it will NOT likely be like a bad weather day.  The disruption probably won't be corrected later in the school year using one or two predetermined "make up" days.  This coming front will be decidedly different than our last cold front.

IF... that's a strong IF... you have to start considering your own personal classroom contingency plan, consider the following:

1.  Take care of yourself & your loved ones: If you're not ok, then you won't be of any educational help to your students. This includes maintaining communication and connection with fellow teachers and staff.  Your campus is NOT simply the physical brick and mortar.  The cultural fabric of your school is made of relationships which can continue and gain strength in moments like this.

2. Reach out: Use tech resources like Remind, Zoom, Flipgrid, or even emails to check in on your students.  They need normalcy and you can provide that for them by simply checking in.  Make sure to reach out to parents as well to let them know what you are offering and when.  Make parents a part of the process if at all possible.

3.  Stay positive: It's a scary enough world already for most of our students and the "coolness" of sitting at home will wear off quickly enough.  Student's parents may be experiencing lay offs, a variety of material shortages, and/or a surplus of anxiety.  Act like a hero even if you have to fake it.  Model for your students that teaching isn't just a "job", it's a calling.

4. Be a rock: Move your teaching to an online format.  Teaching online means offering a predictable schedule/routine that your students can rely on and look forward to.  If you can keep your school schedule in place, then do so.  If you need to move somethings around, then do so.  But try to be available the same time each day and the same days each week.  It's times like these where you are literally the foundation of civilization by doing that thing you do.

4. Keep teaching: Whether you're an online expert, a blended guru, or something else, your lessons can serve as an appreciated addition to the "new normal".  Try using well thought out, high Bloom's discussion boards.  Learn or experiment with Canvas, Google Classroom, or some other tech LMS vehicle.  Create a "home base" for your lessons. As long as you keep the relationship in focus, keep pushing kids to think.  Keep engaging students with rigorous content/questions.  Keep putting yourself out there for your students. Model for them that the world hasn't shut down, it just look a little differently for a little while.

Don't ask:

Oh, Superman, where are you now?
When every thing's gone wrong somehow?

Rather, be that light that shines in the dark that cannot be extinguished by the dark. 

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.

Target Runs & Blended Learning Pathways

The Target Effect

My wonderful wife once got lost in Target.  Like... for real for real lost.

She innocently went in to get some gum.

Gum, as most of us know, can be found in the checkout lines at most grocery stores for your convenience.  As in,  it should have been a quick in-and-out operation.

Because of this fact, I offered to stay in the car and wait for her while I totally dominated level 894 of Candy Crush.  After my five lives were up and I asked my FaceBook friends for help I looked up.  What seemed to be about 4 hours had passed, but there was no wife.  I started wondering if I should call the police and file a missing person's report.

Soon thereafter, my wife came out with half a shopping cart full of "stuff" with a "I dare you to say something" look on her face.  I did not say a word.


Because of this event (and many like it), I got curious and searched the Google-inter-webs to see if this occurrence was a nationwide spousal issue, a genius marketing hypnosis ploy, or just my wife's very cute but very real DTMATS (Decreased Time and Money Awareness at Target Syndrome).

You see... Just like how grocery stores place those impulse-buy products near the register in order for you to see them at the last second and think "I need and can afford this $2 (candy, lighter, soda pop, etc)", Target has a hyper-focus on it's adult consumer experience.  Their stores are tech centered, bright, clean, organized, and well stocked.

So getting hypnotized and distracted is understandable and almost fated no matter how strong willed you are!

To get through a Target store and reach your GOAL without giving into distractions takes strength of character, skills, and a plan. But fret not, Target is organized in such a way that you can use their subversive powers AGAINST them.

The key to getting into and out of a Target in a timely manner is creating a PATHWAY map, at least mentally.

I know... keep laughing.

Creating a map with a pathway to get you into and out of that place while reaching your purchasing goal helps save time, money, and something I like to call marital energy.

Constructing pathways in a Blended Learning lesson is much like constructing a strategy for a Target "run".  In both cases, you must organize experiences so no one gets "LOST" in sections they don't need to be in.


Getting Started With Pathways:

A great first step is to pull out a trusted and loved lesson plan and actually make a physical flowchart.  What happens first? What is the teacher doing? What are the standards? Which question stems are being used?  But most importantly, is every student doing the same thing at the same time?

If your lesson is too linear (ie. only a single pathway for your students to follow & they're all doing the same thing at the same time), try to find a spot in your lesson where you can offer students a choice in how they do the work, learn the content, or express their learning.  Voila!  Just with these additions you have created three different pathways!  Next,  add those different paths to your drawn out flow chart.  If need be, use a game like Chutes and Ladders or Life as your mental (or actual) template.  Whatever you do, create multiple paths for your students as they make their way through the content.  Don't let them suffer from the Target Effect.  Don't let them get distracted by unnecessary facts, activities, lectures, etc. if they don't actually NEED them.

How?


Consider the following:

• Your higher level kids may already know much of the information in a lesson so don't let them get lost in a pointless lecture... give them something else to build upon.  Challenge them either with differentiation in CONTENT, PRODUCT, or PROCESS.  Not all three, necessarily. Heck, let them choose which one to differentiate!
• Your low or ESL students may need more videos and images to more easily fill in their gaps in knowledge. So give them teacher made or Khan Academy made videos.  Expose these students  to images or visuals.  Maybe even have these students express themselves in a medium that speaks to them.
• Your GT kids may need and want more challenging tasks or more open ended tasks.  They'll certainly get distracted by low level expectations, so don't be afraid to raise the bar using tools like Sandra Kaplan's Depth and Complexity sheet. 

Construct the learning experiences for each of the groups in a way that they won't want to wonder away from their sections.  You could begin constructing pathways by surveying your students past experiences with that particular content.  Make those gaps visible somehow and then build around them.  Further, get to know their learning styles, not just their favorite summer memory.  Get to know them as learners and you will, in fact, get to know them in a deep way.

Your role, after your pathways are constructed, will be to facilitate the learning instead of pushing the kids to learn.

If your students only need to get "gum" in an upcoming lesson, don't make them go through the clothing and house keeping sections.  They'll get bored, pull out their phones, and become discipline issues. 

Fight the Target Effect in the classroom. 

And pray for me and my wife the next time we go to Target.  We usually go in for one thing and end up in a situation that looks a lot like the following video...

Don't let your lessons be like this... add pathways!

Elementary: I Got You Covered!

     When you hear about blended learning, often times people just assume its for high school and college.  But if we think about the goals of blended learning, to personalize learning using data to
provide flexibility in pace, place, path and time, then we realize that blended learning is good for all students including elementary students.  One thing that can help make blended learning successful at the younger grade levels even down to kindergarten is having the right tools to make your students successful.  Today I want to take a look at what I would rank as my top 3 tools for an elementary teacher to make blended learning successful in their classroom.

Home Base

     I want to start out with what I consider to be the most important tool: A home base.  If you don't have one consistent home base where kids and parents know that they can find everything posted, then things will just become a confusing mess. 

There are so many different choices out there when it comes to a home base so it was pretty difficult to choose one, but I did settle on one because I believe it is the easiest to use for elementary students and has a lot of cool perks built in.  My choice for a home base is Seesaw.  You may not agree, but let me explain my choice and maybe you'll change your mind.
     First, I love the sign in choices that Seesaw offers for students.  Students as young as kindergarten can easily get logged in using a class code or a QR code.  As students get older, the teacher can utilize the log in through an email address and password to get students used to logging in the traditional way.  I think this is a great option and I'm sold just based on the log in options, but Seesaw didn't stop there.

     One of the greatest and most popular features in Seesaw is the ability to assign activities to your students.  You can create your own activities, but there is also a gigantic library of amazing activities that you can just grab and assign to your students.  You can also edit pre-made activities to fit the needs of your students as well as create your own from scratch.  When I've shown this feature to elementary teachers, it was a complete game changer for them. 

     Although activities are amazing, students also have the capability to create using the add to journal feature.  Through this feature, students can take a photo or video, upload a file, add a link, draw, record audio, or type a note.  These features in this easy to use format are an amazing addition for elementary students.  In one click, students can take a photo and add it to their journal where they can annotate over it, type a caption and/or record audio.  What's amazing is it took something that might otherwise require a bunch of app smashing and uploading and combined it all into one easy step that young students can easily master.  Now teachers can have their students not just consume, but also create.
     I could really go on and on, but let me just mention a couple more things that make Seesaw a great choice for elementary students.  Most importantly, this tool is free which is always amazing.  You also have the ability to add families so that parents can view their child's work.  How awesome would that be to have them view student activities and creations and even hear their child's voice explaining their thinking.  Another reason Seesaw is a great choice is their safety.  They are complaint with both FERPA and COPPA.  So you can rest assured knowing their your students are safe on Seesaw.  For more information about Seesaw safety, check out their Privacy Center.

Data

     You know from reading previous blogs and looking at our blended learning image above that data is super important to the blended learning process.  Teachers must continually be collecting data from their students in order to guide their instruction so that they can personalize the learning to meet

student needs.  There are many traditional ways to collect data such as exit tickets, activities, conferring with students, observation, quizzes and tests and many more.  I think it is important to also have a digital tool that teachers can use to quickly gather data and provide analytics to guide their instruction.  As I'm sure you all know, there are many, many tools out there that can quiz students and collect data.  I've chosen one tool to recommend for elementary for its ease of use, visual appeal, available features and compliance with COPPA.  For my data tool, I chose Quizizz.

     Quizizz is a great choice for elementary students because it is very easy to get logged in.  The students can simply go to the Quizizz site and use the teacher's code to join the game.  Alternately, if the students have Google accounts, the teacher can set up a class and invite his/her students to join the class using a link and their Google login.  Either way, the teacher is able to give quizzes and collect analytics.  

     Speaking of analytics, Quizizz has great analytics.  You can look at the class analytics as a whole class which are also color coded for easy viewing.  You can also view them by question and by student.  If you have a class set up, you can also email the scores to parents once students complete a quiz.  One other feature that I really like is that you can attach state standards to each question so that you also have analytics per standard.

     I know that the biggest concern is about getting quizzes into your account.  Rest easy.  There are many ways to get your quizzes going.  Before you do anything else, I would browse the library of quizzes that have been shared by other teachers and see if you can find something already created.  Even if the quiz isn't exactly how you want it, you can make a copy and edit it to add your own questions or delete questions you don't like.  This is by far the easiest and biggest time saver.  If on the other hand, you want to create your own quiz from scratch, you can certainly do that too.  When adding quiz questions, you can add text and/or images and there is even an equation editor built in.  One last way that you can upload questions is by uploading a spreadsheet that contains your questions and answer choices.  Once you have your quiz ready to go, you can either play the game live or give it to students as homework that can be completed in a station, at home or any time of day.

Sharing

     When trying to decide what I would include as my third recommendation, I decided that having a universal way to share is important.  My third tool is QRstuff.com.  QRstuff.com is a super easy website that takes URLs and converts them to QR codes.  I'm always surprised that when I share this tool how many people never knew how to create a QR code before.  Not only is this tool easy to use, but it's free and you can even customize the color of your QR code.  This is also a very reliable

website.  It's been around for many, many years and it is the only one I use nowadays.

     I guess you might be wondering why making QR codes would make my top 3 list.  First, I just love QR codes!  QR codes are such a great way to quickly share links with a variety of devices and people without having to have a home base or type in long URLs.  All someone needs to scan your QR code is a camera app or QR reader app on their phone or tablet.  If you use Chromebooks or laptops in your classroom, you can still use QR codes by installing a QR Code Reader Extension in the Chrome Browser.  Once this extension is activated, students can use the built in webcam to read the QR codes.  You can post QR codes in the hallway, send them to parents through email, post them at stations for students to use with iPads, and the list goes on and on.  

Not It's Your Turn

     It was hard to whittle down my tool choices to just 3 with the vast amount of tools available today, so let me know what other tools do you consider must haves in blended learning.  Post a comment below to share your top choices.

The Hero's Journey: Failure

Failure and the Hero

Spider-Man, Into the Spider-verse is a wonderful little offshoot of the Marvel Universe.  Miles Morales is bit by a crazy radioactive spider and sort of reluctantly becomes his universe's new Spider-Man after the original dies.  (Those aren't really spoilers).

When this new teen hero comes of age in the movie, a song can be a herd in the background: What's up danger?  The hero, Miles, comes to terms with the fact that a great power has been thrust upon him and he can't simply sit back and let other's take on challenges that are now his by right.

So the song, What's up danger, is indicative of that choice to meet "danger" head on instead of hoping that things just "turn out well".  The line "What's up danger? Don't be a stranger" underpins Mile's decision to welcome the challenges that are inevitable.  That's not to say he goes looking for danger unnecessarily, he simply doesn't shy away from challenges that present themselves as he works toward the common good.

In so many ways, teachers that invest themselves in other people's kids are heroes in the making.  I use the term "in the making" because a hero's journey happens without a final arrival.  Being a hero is an active journey, not a destination.

As educators, we will have a variety of students with a variety of needs who all want to take a variety of pathways in life to reach their various goals. It seems like a herculean task IF we assume that all of this variety must be owned and planned for ONLY by the individual teacher.

THAT IS THE OLD WAY OF TEACHING AND THINKING!

Your task is NOT to take on your student's present and future on your back and think and act for them.  Your task is to develop learning experiences that allow for a multitude of expressions and growth on the part of your students. 

You get bored when you go to PD that is cookie cutter and doesn't speak to who you are.  So do your students!  Variety, differentiation, and individualized learning are a moral imperative in education.

So how do we start this difficult and seemingly complex new calling in our classrooms?

Start small and celebrate the small victories.  You can't know how to hit towering home runs until you understand the nuances of swinging your hips, not dropping your shoulder as you swing, the need for strong wrists, and keeping your eye on the ball.  The small things add up to the big things.

The Hero's Journey

So, whether you are starting off with Blended Learning, Project Based Learning, or some other new fancy pants way to prepare for learning... you gotta start small, celebrate small, and progress incrementally.

As you an see in the image to the right in "The Hero's Journey" image, failure is part of the success.  Odysseus, Hercules, and other great heroes of the past went through very similar trials and tribulations before their ascension.  The journey, though, looks very similar to the many struggles we face and humans beings, demigods or not.  The small victories add up to the big ones. 

How to fail better

1) Break down large tasks into small tasks - the big stuff doesn't happen unless the small stuff happens.  Focus on the small stuff first.  Make sure it's in order.  Make sure you complete small step #1 before worrying about or moving on to step #2, and so on... Small failures are learning opportunities.

2) Keep track of your victories - All habits were originally a choice.  Keep track of your small choices and small victories.  Act on the small victories repetitively until they become good habits.  Document your past failures and how you overcame them.

3) Celebrate - Don't be afraid to "self promote".  Students, parents, administrators are saying things about you (likely good things!).  It wouldn't hurt to add your own voice to the chorus.  Be your own PR director.  Celebrate what you do well and send those celebrations out into the ether! Use instagram to give parents a window into your classroom.  Join twitter chats and share your lessons.  Join FB pages and ask for ideas to make your great lessons better.  Read books.  Celebrate your failures and lessons learned with others. 

4) What's up danger? - When a baby begins to walk and then falls down, you don't see parents chastising and bemoaning the baby's "failure".  We would NEVER learn to walk LOL. We support failing baby walkers until we are celebrating walking baby walkers.  Meeting your "danger" head on. Get ahead of the curve.  Anticipate your challenges.  Don't fret.  You WILL fail at some point.  That's a given.  What isn't a given is how you react.  The hero will never arrive at their destination.  The hero can only be a hero within the context of their journey and struggle.  Be a hero for your students. Meet your challenges and struggle in front of them and continue your journey... preferably with a smile.  Take on your failures head on and make them your friend. 

5) Blended Learning - If your mindset is ready.  NOW go reread our blog posts, attend our Blended Learning Academy sessions, read Blended Learning books... Fail for your students sake. 

How to Become A Man (or Woman) With a Plan

     I know what many of you are thinking... All this theory and explanation is great, but seriously just give me a lesson plan template to fill in and I'll be on my way.  It's okay, you can admit it.  I'm a realist.  This is what we kept hearing from teachers, so Charles and I both researched different templates for blended learning, but let me just tell you, the results were not good.  They looked like a regular lesson plan and included things such as objectives, digital tools used, in-person components, etc.  The problem is that it was just a list of items going down the page.  Blended learning is not a linear list.  It's fluid and sometimes circular, sometimes not.  Sometimes it heads in a million different directions and sometimes it all converges into one.
     In our quest to make all of our teachers happy, we continued looking for the perfect way to lesson plan.  One day Charles came upon the image to the right that can be found at this link.  We shared this image with one of our administrator groups about a year ago and got good feedback.  We realized that showing these icons helped them to understand what blended learning could look like and also to make the connection that it still uses pieces that we have always used such as assessment, small groups and independent work.
     We decided to take this idea to the next level and create icons that our teachers could use as hands-on pieces to see how their lessons transform from traditional at the beginning of the academy to blended by the end.  We created our own cards and added a few more icons so that teachers had some manipulatives to use.  You can access our cards, here.  These cards are used to plan different iterations of blended learning lessons as well as lessons done using different models.  Once you lay the cards out in the way that you want your blended learning lessons to look, then you can simply fill in the details that go along with each of the cards.  Let's look at a couple examples of lessons that teachers have mapped out using the cards in our academy. (More examples are included in the icon card file)

     As you can see in the images above, blended learning does not fit in linear boxes down a page.  So, if you want to be a man (or woman) with a plan for blended learning, then I suggest that you print out a set of our blended learning icon cards and start laying out your blended learning lesson.  If you want to try to create these blended learning maps digitally, try using this template that I created.

     Have fun planning and please be sure to tweet out a picture of your blended learning map to us! @MrsShawGTT and @Thrasymacus