6 Steps to Get your School to Blending

As a blended learning coach, the below information on how to blend has been used with schools from around the country.  By following these six steps the school, teachers, students, and parents were able to understand and implement the blended learning process.  This is my recipe for blended learning.  By no means is it the only way. It is just what has worked for me as a blended learning coach. 

MindSet

First and foremost there must be time for teachers to start to understand what is blended learning.  Everyone has a different definition of blended learning and how it would in the school and even in the classroom.  Start with good professional development that will allow time for your team to define what you want to see in the classroom.  

• What do you want to see in the blended learning classroom?
• What are the goals you want to achieve for the blended learning classroom?
• What type of technology will you use?
• Start to explore different software program to use in the blended learning classroom
• Create a rubric for teachers to see what they need to do in order to be successful in the blended learning classroom
• Create a timeline of when you expect teachers to implement the blended learning program. 

Rotations

By taking the following steps, the teachers and students will be able to grasp the blended learning concept.  First start out the classroom in rotations. The teachers should 

• Start to create centers that the students can rotate through during the class.
• One station should be some type of device.  Computer, iPad, or BYOD  
• Second station would be a hands on project where students are working with a team
• Third station would be independent practice. 

The teachers should move between the groups, answer questions, and set exception while the students are working in groups. 
Once the ground work is set, then the teacher should create a fourth station.

• Fourth station is with the teacher working on concepts and skills that the students need to help with.

Once the teacher and students feel comfortable with this set up, move to the next step. 

Differentiated Instruction  

Creating skill based groups based on their level of readiness.  The teacher should now start to look at how she can Differentiated Instruction  by giving material that meets the students ability at each station.  The stations can all be focused on the same concept but they need to be in at least three levels.  High, medium, and low for example

• Technology Station:  Students can use the program like IXL where they are practicing at their own level
• Project Station:  Students can work with leveled groups to create a project.  By creating a Choice Board, the students will have a voice and choice in what they want to complete for their project.  Create leveled choice boards or just have leveled activities that the students can pick from 
• Independent practice:  the teacher can give independent practice activities at three levels.  Check out this math website for ideas
• The teacher station can cover the same concept but at in three different learning levels.

PIck a Team 

This section is for the administration team or coaches.  While the teachers are working through rotations and Differentiated Instruction  lesson, start to pay attention to how the teachers are progressing.  

• Are the teachers able to adapt to the movement in the classroom.  
• Are the teachers able to find resources to meet the needs of the students?  
  
• Are the teachers asking for more?  Meaning are they wanting to start to blend?
• Are the teachers able to keep track of the data collected at the three different stations? 

If you answered yes to all four questions then that teachers is ready to blend.  If a teacher did not answer yes to all of the questions, then keep them in the rotations or Differentiated Instruction.  Move them when they feel comfortable.  Bur remember just like in a blended learning classroom, movement is key.  Set timeframes, goals, and exceptions, for all of the teachers. 

Create a Model Classroom(s)

Now you might have some teachers who are ready to blend and some teachers who need more time to explore the above concepts.  Allow those teachers that are ready to become the "Model Blended learning Classrooms"  

• Give these teachers extra professional development to develop the blended learning skills
• Allow the teachers extra time to plan and develop units of study
• Showcase their success through a Google Community or a public discussion board that your other teachers can see
• Spend time in their classrooms. Watch, Learn, and Explore the blended learning concepts together.

Once these teachers have created a blended learning classroom, allow other teachers to watch what is going on in their room.  The next step might be for them to coach or mentor another teacher that is ready to start to blend.

Whole School Blend

Keep in mind your timeline.  When did you say your whole school would be blending?  Make sure that all teachers are making progression toward creating a blended learning classroom.  If the teacher get stuck, help them along, provide more professional development, or give them time to watch another teacher teach in a blended learning classroom. 

Blended learning coaches are a key part in getting the whole school to blend.  They can meet with the team of teachers, walk them through key aspects of blended learning, and co-teach with them in the classroom.  

*** Also remember that blended learning coaches don't always have to be onsite.  As a blended learning coach, I am able to coach teachers from different cities, states, and countries through the use of Google Hangout.  Just having someone to talk through the process with the teachers, helps them to progress towards the blended learning model. 

Move Towards Personalized learning 

Now that you whole is blended or the majority of your school is blending, it's time to start to think about Personalized Learning!