A Conversation About Technology in School: Balancing Teacher and Parent Perspectives
June 28, 2023
The Mindset of a Mechanech
June 28, 2023
Etti Siegel
Although COVID has made many Jewish day school educators more aware of technology use in the classroom, the concept of blending learning and technology during class instruction is not new. As early as 2013 researchers were publishing articles about using mixed-mode instruction or technology-mediated instruction and its effectiveness and drawbacks. There are many schools that I have been able to see in action that successfully use technology side by side with their regular, more traditional instruction. In this article, I hope to define what blended learning is, describe what value it adds to the level of learning, and describe a blended learning classroom, including best practices for blended learning course delivery.
What is Blended Learning? The Oxford Dictionary definition of blended learning is “a style of education in which students learn via electronic and online media as well as traditional face-to-face teaching.” The standard educational definition of blended learning is, “The thoughtful integration of classroom face-to-face learning experiences with online learning experiences” (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004). Blended learning or ‘hybrid learning,’ is learning that combines the best of online learning and face-to-face instruction to enhance learning (Cornell University).
A class can be technology-rich, but not be considered blended learning. It’s more than just showing a video or playing a class game that a teacher downloaded from the internet. It involves developing higher-order thinking online learning activities that complement the class’s higher-order thinking face-to-face activities. It is a formal educational program where students learn partly online and partly through traditional methods or supervised instruction. The technological part of the program should offer students some autonomy so they can be somewhat in control of their learning: pausing, skipping, and revisiting material as needed. This autonomy makes the learning personalized as different students will be on various levels and places depending on their mastery of the subject.
The Value Added by Blended Learning School leaders might see such learning as radical, perhaps too progressive for their schools. But consider the fact that many of our students have been surrounded by technology all their lives and are used to, and expect, relevant, engaging, and interactive learning experiences. They are often unmotivated by the traditional and passive approach of lecture-style teaching with filling in sheets or notetaking. Blended learning can provide more meaningful learning experiences and engage students.
The benefits are not just for students. Both students and instructors become more engaged in reflection and conversation. This requires teachers to re-think and re-examine how they teach, along with the technology, resources, and time for this method of instruction. No matter how blended learning is presented or how motivated it might make students, it is asking for change from our teachers. As a coach, I see too often that our overworked and underappreciated, amazingly devoted staff might not be excited to take on new methods and change the manner they have been teaching for years.
For this reason, teacher buy-in is crucial. Teachers know that they cannot keep all children engaged all the time through frontal teaching. Many have accepted this as normal. We must show our dedicated teachers that another method exists. Blended learning allows teachers to give individualized/small group instruction in a way that no children are left to daydream during lessons. Instead of trying to accommodate all levels in the classroom and feeling like they are only investing in the bottom third, a teacher using blended learning can now help each child reach their full individual potential.
Best Practices for Blended Learning The easiest and smoothest method is to have teachers teach at tables for selected parts of the day. The teacher sits at one table with a group of students, giving small-group instruction. Another group sits with an assistant and receives identical small group instruction or works with teacher-supplied worksheets (reviewing and reinforcing concepts and material they need to know). The other two groups work on Chromebooks preloaded with educational technology that children can then sign into and work at their own pace, with interactive work and games that gather data for teachers and administrators to see where and how the children are scoring and what concepts they are still struggling with. The period of allotted time is divided into three or four segments and the teacher has everyone switch what they’re doing when the timer rings.
Classroom management is a concern for teachers being asked to adhere to this new model. If the teacher has her class under control in the traditional setting, she should not worry about it getting worse when splitting the class into groups. I have found when the teacher is clear during the mini-lesson, before having everyone begin their assigned group’s work, the children are cooperative. Some teachers find that assigning names to each group (a candy theme, a car theme) allows an easy way of reprimanding and a great way to give “table points” as they scan the room to keep everyone focused. “Candy Canes, great focused work going on at your table!” “Laffy Taffies, you only have five more minutes, are you getting your work done?” Students respond to a teacher who is clear, structured, and consistent. If the teacher is clear about how group time runs, is structured and consistent in when and where each child learns at what times and keeps scanning the room and holding children accountable for their work, blended learning should be a wonderful asset for all classrooms.
Blended Learning in Action
I spoke with Mr. Richard Altabe, principal of Hebrew Academy of Long Beach Lower School, grades 1-5. He is a passionate educator and is a leading voice in chinuch. He shared how blended learning helps differentiate learning in the classroom, as teachers can work with small groups as other children are tracked by the programs they are working on their individual Chrome devices. Mrs. Sherri Kaye, a 4th grade Judaic Studies teacher at HALB, concurs that using Lomdei (Lomdei.com), with its many skill-building and data-driven questions and activities helps her and all the teachers reach more children.
At YDE Boys’ School, Mrs. Rochi Elbaum, principal, and Mrs. Nechy Falik, curriculum coordinator, use blended learning to ensure that math and ELA are taught in small groups, some on Chromebooks and some with the teacher, and then they switch. “All children deserve to be taught,” Nechy explains, “and this allows us to teach each child where they are.” For example, for ELA instruction, children are divided by ability so they can get the best instruction: Super Readers, Solid-On-Grade-Level Readers, On-Grade-but-Weak Level Readers, and Weak Readers. Monday is full-class instruction when the teacher introduces the reading comprehension skill and any pre-learning work. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Super Readers and Solid-On-Grade level Readers work independently while the teacher and associate teacher/assistant work with the On-Grade-but-Weak level and Weak Readers. When they switch, the weaker students can now do the independent work, and the teachers can have deeper conversations with the children who could read independently. On Thursdays, the children work with the leveled readers that come with the program being used. Math is similarly thought through so every child can get the most tailored lesson.
Bnot Yaakov of Great Neck is not doing the full blended model yet, but Mrs. Rosenshein has the children learning Ivrit on Chromebooks as the teacher walks around answering questions and helping individual students as the need arises.
Mrs. Etti Siegel holds an MS in Teaching and Learning/Educational Leadership and brings sound teaching advice to her audiences culled from her over 30 years of teaching and administrative experience. Etti spent four years as an Adjunct Professor at Aspen University, three years at Concordia College of NY, and is now an Adjunct at the College of Mount Saint Vincent/Sara Schenirer. She is a coach and educational consultant for Catapult Learning and FACTS Education Solutions, is a sought-after mentor and workshop presenter around the country, and a popular presenter for Sayan (a teacher-mentoring program), Yachad/OU, Hidden Sparks, and the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools. She is a frequent contributor to The Journal of Jewish School Leadership and Hamechanech Magazine.
She can be reached at ettisiegel@gmail.com.