Teaching Online with
blendedschools.net
Chris Davis, Instructional Support Coordinator
www.blendedschools.net
Introductions
1.Who are you?
2.What do you teach?
3.Online Teaching /
Learning
Experience?
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Agenda
• Tuesday, September 10 and
Wednesday, September 11, 2013 (8:00 a.m. -3:30 p.m.)
• Introduction to teaching online with Blackboard using the
Blended Schools Curriculum with emphasis on the following
skills:
– Logging into and navigating Blackboard
– Getting familiar with the BSN curriculum
– Introduction to online learning
– Adding teacher presence to online classes
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
What is blendedschools.net
• Not-for-Profit Organization dedicated to providing
robust, engaging learning environment
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Network of Educators
Curriculum
Technology
Professional Development
Language Institute
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
What Makes BSN Unique
•
Not for profit.
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Tooling districts for the future.
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Goal is to help develop 21st Century teachers /
classrooms
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Courses are written by highly qualified teachers
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Employees are educators.
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
How Districts Use BSN
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Charter school students
Home schooled students
Homebound students
Gifted education or acceleration
Alternative education
Summer school
Supplementing regular classroom instruction
Students who travel
Remediation
Credit recovery
Other
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
How it Works
Join BSN
Designate Userband
Select an Online Primary
Contact (OPC)
Annual Agreement
OPC Training
Get Started
500 hours of PD
(onsite / online)
Continued PD & Support
Access to 190+ courses
Online Help Desk
Blackboard licenses
Live Help Desk
Weekdays
Video / interactive
learning objects
Online / onsite PD
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Language Institute
• Online world language instruction
• Includes curriculum and instruction
• Priced per enrollment per semester
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Arabic
Chinese
Japanese
Russian
Hindi
Spanish
French
Latin
German
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
www.blendedschools.net
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Username
mc99.cdavis
Password = welcome
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Edit Your Personal Info
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
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Edit Your Personal Info
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
The Blendedschools.net Tab
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
The Blendedschools.net Tab
Start Page
1. Add desired modules
1. Drag / Drop modules
1. Minimize / Expand modules
1. Edit Personal Info
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Who Develops These Courses?
• Practicing K-12 teachers
• Developers are trained in technology and basic
design principles
• BSN Staff supports new developers along with
previously successful teacher developers
• Teachers work in teams to develop the courses
• If you are interested in becoming a developer,
contact dmayers@blendedschools.net
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
The Course Catalog
• Find the BSN Course
Catalog on your “Classes”
tab.
• Click “All Available
blendedschools.net
classes.”
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Course Categories
• Catalog is organized by
discipline
• Use Category dropdown to a discipline to
browse. Then click
“Go.”
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
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Category Listing
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
The Course ID
Subject
Identifier
Level
Identifier
. .
Course Name and
Version
District Identifier
.
SC 09 EarthSpaceA_3.0 bnet4copy
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Consistent
Structure
• Breadcrumbs
• Class Information
• Class Menu
• Units
• Resources
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Unit Structure
• Enduring Understandings
• Unit Vocabulary
• Project Introduction
• Lesson Folders
• Assessments Folder
– Authentic project
– Knowledge and Skill Test
• Curriculum Map
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Essential Question
Lesson Hook
Note Taking
Direct Instruction
Videos
Multiple
Learning
Activities
Lesson
Components
• All elements of a
lesson fit together
for a complete
learning
experience.
• Feel free to edit,
copy, move
elements to fit your
students’ needs.
Evaluation
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Resources
• Differentiation Folders
• Teachers files
• Introduction (student
tutorials)
• Class Information Area
• Report an Error
Providing
Providing
Robust,
Engaging
Engaging
Learning
Learning
Environments
Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Class
Information
• Course Entry Point
• Contains
– Syllabus
– Enduring Understandings
– Course Materials Lists
– Customizable Policies
– Credits
Providing
Providing
Robust,
Engaging
Engaging
Learning
Learning
Environments
Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Syllabus Example
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Gradable Items List Example
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
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Do You Know?
Essential Question
•
Students will be able to answer at the end of the lesson
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Getting Started
•
Similar to a “bellringer” or “anticipatory set.”
•
Often in form of a simple joke, image, cartoon, video,
practice problem, or fact.
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Note-Taking and Vocabulary
Concept Vocabulary
• Simple games to
introduce key vocabulary
and concepts
Intentional Note-Taking
• Reminder for students to
take notes
• Graphic organizer of
outline of lesson
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Lesson Presentations
• Student Controls
– Pause, rewind, rewatch
• Multiple Videos
– If lesson is
complex
• “Flip” your
classroom starting
with these videos
• Use the PPT slides
(in teacher files) to
create your own
screencasts
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Learning Activities
Internet Links
• Editable
• Extension or clarification
Assignments
• Open-ended practice
• Interactive Activities for
practice
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
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Collaborate and Reflect
These activities require students to:
• think again about the big ideas
of the lesson
• be reflective in their writing.
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
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Checks for Understanding
In a lesson
• Open Ended Assignment
• Lesson Quiz
• Journal Reflection
At the end of a unit:
• Authentic Unit Project
• Unit test
• Course final
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
BSN 3.0 Course Introduction
New 3.0 Courses
• New course design
• Interactive lessons
• Self-scoring learning activities
• ScoreCenter tracking
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Why 3.0?
1.0
Textbook
Required
2.0
3.0
Textbook
Free
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
Lesson
Packages
www.blendedschools.net
What Does a 3.0 Course Look Like?
3.0
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
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Navigation
3.0
• Easy-to-use
navigation
• Helpful
sidebar links
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Interactive Lessons
3.0
• Practice
during context
of lesson
• Interact with
content
• Self-scoring
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Checks for Understanding
3.0
• Checks for
understanding
for formative
assessment
• Self-scored
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Teacher View of Participation
Attempt-based ScoreCenter Report
See score, duration, give feedback
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Teacher Control
Teachers can:
• Override auto-scores
• Edit settings for scoring
• Move lesson packages
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Previewing 3.0 Courses
Only enrolled users can
access these new lessons
due to ScoreCenter / Grade
Center connection.
So we have created a
special “Preview” area for
you, allows you to see the
full lesson without needing
to connect to Grade Center
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Getting Started with 3.0 Courses
Teachers
1. Hide the Preview area from
the class menu.
2. Show the actual unit content
areas in the class menu.
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
When will Courses Become 3.0?
2.0
3.0
• New Releases = 3.0
• Current Releases will be converted over time
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Have
you
ever…
1. Avoided speaking
in a meeting?
2. Hesitated in
joining a
committee?
3. Multi-tasked
during a meeting?
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
They
will…
• Hide
• Hesitate
• Hold out
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
What and How?
• What are the benefits of creating a
community atmosphere in an online class?
• How can you establish your presence in
your online class?
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Why Create a Community?
Perceived community = student learning = success or
failure of the students.
“Without the support and
participation of a learning
community, there is no
online course”
Moller, L. Designing communities of learners for
asynchronous distance education. Educational
Technology Research and Development
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Why Create a Community?
“Feeling lost or isolated is often big complaint of
students who had a bad online class experience.”
Lucidway eLearning group,
Missing or Disengaged Teachers. “Where’s my teacher?”
is the most frequent and complaint when it comes to online
learning.
Debbie Morrison, Instructional Designer Master’s College in Santa Clarita CA
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Strategies for Creating a Sense of Community
Catch Them
• Starters / Ice breakers
• Personalized first contact
• Personality / learning
style test
• Video intro
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Voice Board intro
Learner Profile Wiki
Email
Learner Journal
Add a web link to a
personality test, share
results in blog
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
What do you think?
In a traditional
setting, how long
does our brain focus
attention at a time?
(# of hours, minutes or
seconds)
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
Brain in Focus?
www.blendedschools.net
8 seconds
Our brain needs
stimulation in the
form of curiosity.
Kostina and LaGanza, Golden Climate in
Distance Learning 2012
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Qualities of a Good Ice-Breaker
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Fun
Non-threatening
Quick
Simple
Person-focused, not
content-focused
• Promotes finding
commonalities with
others
Providing Robust, Engaging Learning Environments
www.blendedschools.net
Strategies for Establishing Your Presence
Join Them
• Start the conversation
• Acknowledge and
exemplify contributions
• Set the tone
• Clarify
• PREVIEW
6 ways to increase social presence
1. Welcome letter
2. Personalized intro
3. Frequent announcements
4. Appear in discussions
5. Synchronous workshops
6. Office hours / conferences
HongLearning
Wang,Environments
PhD in Faculty
Providing Robust, Engaging
Focus. Feb 18, 2010