EVIDENCE OF APPLICATION
WITH STUDENTS
TOOLS UTILIZED
WEEBLY WEBSITE BUILDER
Weebly Lesson Sample - This free website creation tool was used to make all online modules for use with our lab rotation model. The lessons are accessible from school and home. Students typically completed 2-3 lessons per week. Each lesson included the creation of a Padlet page and a short assessment via Exit Ticket (see below) among other activities.
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Padlet
PADLET.com - Students used this tool both as a digital notebook and a means of digital collaboration. Students created a Padlet for each Earth Science topic and used it to collect notes, links, pictures, and relevant videos. Students can access their Padlets anywhere, even from their phones.
To easily share their work with others, students also used Padlet collaboratively. Click to see an example class Padlet where students shared in-progress prototypes and blueprints for an engineering project.
To easily share their work with others, students also used Padlet collaboratively. Click to see an example class Padlet where students shared in-progress prototypes and blueprints for an engineering project.
ACCESSIBILITY WIDGETS
GOOGLE TRANSLATE + TEXT-TO-SPEECH WIDGETS - These freely available widgets provided students with the option to have text from online lessons read aloud to them or translated into Spanish.
EXIT TICKET
EXITTIX.com - This program was used to give students immediate feedback on quizzes and a sense of ownership over their achievement data. Students typically took a quiz on Exit Ticket at the end of each online module.
REFLECTION
a) Student Access to Online Content
Students spent 2-3 days per week in a computer lab engaging with custom online content via weebly webpages. The other 2-3 days were spent in the classroom where students had access to iPads. Lessons were accessible from school on computer lab days as well as from home on any internet enabled device.
b) Duration of Usage
This year, all of 7th grade science used a blended learning lab rotation model. Students utilized the digital tools described below in one form or another throughout the 2014-2015 school year.
c) Response
Students - Student Survey Results (June 2015)
Select Student Survey Responses from December 2014
Parents - From one-one-one conversations, parents seemed to appreciate that students could access lessons from home. This was especially beneficial for students who were frequently absent and those who needed extra time to complete modules.
Administration - Though the program will not be continued next year, administration was supportive of our implementation of blended learning strategies. The following are excerpts from emails received following the mid-year evaluation of our REACH blended learning pilot:
"You were great!! Wow... they were very impressed. This was a grand slam for Monaco and you both are responsible for making it happen:)"
"Very good Laura. I loved the students comments. They are really enjoying LEARNING!!!! Way to go Laura and Alyssa:):):)"
d) Plan for Revision / Non-Usage
Our school opted not to continue the lab-rotation model next year as both 7th grade science teachers (including myself) are leaving to teach out of state next year. We also questioned the lack of a licensed teacher with students in the computer lab.
I plan to utilize many of the tools I used this year in my classroom next year. I hope to implement a station-rotation model using many of the same strategies and tools we used this year. I look forward to continuing to push my use of technology to increase student engagement and achievement.
a) Student Access to Online Content
Students spent 2-3 days per week in a computer lab engaging with custom online content via weebly webpages. The other 2-3 days were spent in the classroom where students had access to iPads. Lessons were accessible from school on computer lab days as well as from home on any internet enabled device.
b) Duration of Usage
This year, all of 7th grade science used a blended learning lab rotation model. Students utilized the digital tools described below in one form or another throughout the 2014-2015 school year.
c) Response
Students - Student Survey Results (June 2015)
Select Student Survey Responses from December 2014
- “I think the way I learn in the computer lab is organized and simple. The modules are organized and I understand them because the modules teach you what you need to know. I would give the way I learn in the computer lab an A.”
- “I actually like the way that i learn in the computer lab because i could go on ny own pace.And i also like it that it shows you everything step-by-step.”
- “Yes, the modules helps me understand better because I can pause and take notes on the video and I can even use my notes for socrative so that helps me learn better.”
- “I think it helps because what we learn in class we also learn here and that helps a lot becasue are brains stay in one topic and we get to learn even more.”
- “I like the way it is organized and the way that we have technology and then time with the teacher. It is a very creative way of learning and more engaging in the subject that we are learning. “
- “Yes, they do and in a fun, creative way. I have learned a lot from the modules, they are great.”
- “The assignment on the computer in the weebly website gives us steps, telling us how to do the assignment, and how to make process of it.”
- “They help me understand the material because when Ms. Reyes brings a topic up I already know about it thanks to the module.”
- “the computer lab is really fun i get to learn alot of things. For me the computer lab is way better than the other website that we used to do.”
- “i think that the way i learn in the computer lab helps me in the class room better then on paper because it gives me information. i think that the grade is an A. no i dont have a suggestion for the class”
- “I think that in the lab the modules do help me better. Its better than the last thing we used to learn on. It more understandable."
- “i do like the way we learn in the computer lab. it does help me cause i learn things in the classroom and i learn more about it in the computer lab.”
- “there is various tyes of ways ways the computer lab class teaches us i like it i learn A LOT every DAY”
- “yes because before we had engunity and i leanred nothing now i am learning alot more”
- “It's good to be able to learn stuff on your own without your teacher online and I understand the modules.”
Parents - From one-one-one conversations, parents seemed to appreciate that students could access lessons from home. This was especially beneficial for students who were frequently absent and those who needed extra time to complete modules.
Administration - Though the program will not be continued next year, administration was supportive of our implementation of blended learning strategies. The following are excerpts from emails received following the mid-year evaluation of our REACH blended learning pilot:
"You were great!! Wow... they were very impressed. This was a grand slam for Monaco and you both are responsible for making it happen:)"
"Very good Laura. I loved the students comments. They are really enjoying LEARNING!!!! Way to go Laura and Alyssa:):):)"
d) Plan for Revision / Non-Usage
Our school opted not to continue the lab-rotation model next year as both 7th grade science teachers (including myself) are leaving to teach out of state next year. We also questioned the lack of a licensed teacher with students in the computer lab.
I plan to utilize many of the tools I used this year in my classroom next year. I hope to implement a station-rotation model using many of the same strategies and tools we used this year. I look forward to continuing to push my use of technology to increase student engagement and achievement.