Implementation outline

Project Title: Blended Learning Initiative 

Project Description: Establish a blended learning environment based on personalization and student choice

Project Goals: Establish a culture of student-centered learning and inspire students to become independent thinkers

Partnerships: Collaborate with technology, principal, administration, and 4th-grade teachers and paraprofessionals to ensure effectiveness and best practices.

Project Components:

Phase 1: Months 1-2

• Research

  • Complete Literature review on Blended Learning in Elementary Schools 

  • Determine opportunities to promote student choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning (COVA) (Harapnuik, 2018) while implementing blended learning in the classroom

  • Review Case Studies for Blended Learning

• Proposal

  • Share the innovation proposal with the principal for approval

  • Create Blended Learning goals 

  • Create ePortfolio to help with communicating with the principal, administration, and stakeholders

Phase 2: Months 3-6

• Planning

  • Discuss blended learning with other teachers and see if anyone else is interested in trying to implement it in their class as well

  • Share all documentation to ePortfolio as we progress

  • Create time for teachers to share experiences and ideas

  • Identify what academic needs the program will address

  • Set measurable goals

  • Identify content to meet the needs of the program

  • Identify what content the district already has that can be utilized 

  • Determine how content will be acquired if any is needed

  • Make an outline/plan for station rotation ideas

• Professional Development

  • Professional development on how blended learning works and how to incorporate it in the classroom

  • Professional development on all content being used 

  • Work on a new schedule for next semester to start the blended learning program 

  • Identify data to be collected

Phase 3: Months 7-11

• Start Program 

• Blended learning lessons start

• Continue professional development throughout the program

• Continue to share documents on ePortfolio

• Progress Check

  • Continue blended learning and station rotations

  • Continue professional development-discuss what is and is not working

  • Review progress towards meeting school goals

  • Analyze data and modify instruction or rotation tables

  • Model and share best teaching practices

  • Continue to share documents of ePortfolio

Phase 4: Month 12-13 

• Results & Next Steps

  • Evaluate progress

  • Check the status of goals met

  • Meet with staff to discuss findings and data

  • Address new goals for the next school year

  • Discuss others willing to participate in the ongoing project for the new school year

  • Make sure everything is uploaded to ePortfolio

• Progress Check (start of new school year)

  • Meet with all staff, paraprofessionals, and administrators participating in the program and review new goals for the new school year

  • Review subjects and content that need to be addressed 

  • Go over all programs being used

  • Review what blended learning is and what it looks like for new participants

  • Outline/station rotation plan

  • Training in all programs and over what station rotation looks like and how it will help us meet our goals

  • Schedule routine meetings for the school year to check data and for professional development

Phase 5: Months 14-17

• Progress Check

  • Meet and check progress with data

  • Have teachers check with students regarding what they like and what they don’t like about the blended learning environment and get suggestions on what they would like to see different

  • Check with teachers and find out what is and is not working 

  • Make any necessary changes to ensure proper alignment of the program 

  • Adjust station rotations to meet students’ needs, ensure engagement, and COVA

  • Continue professional development/training

  • Add- all documents to ePortfolio

Phase 6: Months 18-24 

• Progress Check

  • Continue to add documents to ePortfolio

  • Continue professional development/training

  • Progress check and check data 

  • Check with students on COVA and learning experiences

  • Have a meeting to check with teachers to go over suggestions they might have on revisions and adjustments

Phase 7: Months 22-24

• Results & next steps 

  • Record all data 

  • Continue professional development and training

  • Create a spreadsheet with all findings, data, student involvement/success, and teacher findings

  • Add all documentation and findings to ePortfolio

  • Deliver data to the principal and administration

  • Determine if the blended learning with student rotation should continue implementation with revisions and adjustments based on data

  • Determine if blended learning with student rotation should be moved to incorporating it in all grade levels at my campus for more data and student success

Conclusion:

The blended learning model empowers elementary students to take ownership of their learning by using technology and embracing COVA to close the learning gaps in education.