Getting devices in the hands of our learners was the first step in actualizing an equitable environment to help us nurture personalized learning opportunities for all students. Though the preparation was intense, planning was methodical, learner aligned technology is what we are now living...the big question becomes...how to we truly transform learning for our students?
Blended courses are on the rise here at North HS. Why is blended learning such a viable learning modality for students? It allows learning to be the constant as time becomes the variable. Flexible learning environments move from traditional classrooms that limit flexible grouping and inhibit interaction to more comfortable physical environments that are conducive to collaborative learning, responsive to the needs of all learners, and support individual, small-group and large-group instruction.
Customized responsive instruction goes from pacing that is pre-determined to instruction and pacing that is driven by individual learner needs and growing independent learning capacity. It allows students to move more quickly once proficiency is reached and yet allows more time on those learning targets and standards that give the student initial difficulty.
There are some "must have's" as we move into the blended world. Teacher use of Blackboard 9 as the learning hub is critical. This must be our curricular delivery system and this must be constant for students to access throughout the learning... anywhere, anytime. Next, the use of proficiency-based progress and feedback is what we should be working towards. A teacher must be able to outline the essential skills, standards or proficiencies that each course require and then work collaboratively with students to support them through this learning process. Student voice and choice become part of the learning process, as students work in flexible ways to reach their learning outcomes. So this is different from our current legacy system of advancement through seat time and credits. Rather, learner progress is based on demonstrated proficiency in pre-defined, agreed-upon standards.
Another area of focus needs to be authentic learning and making sure that these experiences are happening for all students. This means that assessment as learning results in authentic tasks that reinforce and extend critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, creativity, and adaptability. Assessment of learning focuses on performance, application, demonstration and student interaction with challenging content.
We have much to be proud of at Waukesha North High School, for proving our WaukeshaOne readiness and leading the way in terms of rollout and devices. Our progress moving forward is even more critical as we continue to align ourselves with these personalized learning practices. North has not arrived. However, we are knocking on the door to some pretty transformative practices that have been proven to maximize student engagement and achievement over time. So although it may be easy to rest, we have to take a deep breath and constantly push forward...because it is it our students who deserve us to do just that.
