Did you know that blended learning is one of the most effective teaching strategies for math? It helps us to create a more equitable and accessible classroom. And who doesn’t want that right? Good. I thought you did. So let’s dive in to one of the top 5 effective strategies for teaching math!

What is a blended learning classroom?

Excellent question! Many teachers have created blended learning classrooms without even knowing it. Oxford dictionary puts it quite nicely: a way of studying a subject that combines being taught in class with the use of different technologies, including learning over the internet. So, if you incorporate technology as a means of pedagogy, you’ve already been building your own blended learning classroom–way to go!

Where did it even come from?

Blended learning is not a new concept–in fact people have been implementing various aspects of blended learning in their classes for years. A quick glance at Edutopia will show articles from nearly a decade before the pandemic hit. Do you remember when the flipped classroom was all the rage? Taking videos and assigning those for homework and then completing practice problems and activities in class? A great example of early blended learning strategies at work!

What 2020 Showed Us about Blended Learning

These days it seems like everyone is talking about blended learning– why? Because most of us have been forced into it. With the onset of the pandemic, many schools switched to distance learning and teachers had to create virtual learning experiences for their students. If you were a classroom teaching in the spring of 2020, you likely felt: overwhelmed, overworked + underprepared.

I know, I was one of them!  Even with my ten years experience creating a blended learning high school, I was NOT prepared for what 2020 brought! Teachers may have been creating blended learning classrooms already, but what most of us lacked was a systematic way to transition smoothly to a full-time online classroom. Thankfully, creating systems is my JAM–so I’m here to help YOU design your own system for creating a blended learning classroom. No worries, this works even if you aren’t a math teacher 😉

Creating Your Blended Learning Classroom

Here’s my three step system to creating the ultimate blended learning experience for high school.

1. Design your Virtual Classroom
2. Determine Learning + Assessment Strategies
3. Make the Most of your Zoom Room!

Design Your Virtual Classroom

Have you guys seen the amazing things other teacher’s are doing to create their blended learning classrooms? The Bitmoji Classroom craze was definitely one of my favorite parts of spring. BUT, we need to make sure we aren’t just getting caught up in the wow 🤩 factor, we’ve got to design with pedagogy best practices in mind.

Just like a traditional classroom, your virtual classroom should be well organized and easy to understand.  Your Learner Management System can be used either as simply a digital worksheet distribution/collection center OR as home-base to ignite the creativity and energy of your classroom. Since you are here, I’m assuming you want to create the latter 😉.

Personally, I’m a fan of using a website like Google Sites to organize my blended learning classroom.  With a website, I have the opportunity to embed so many resources (videos, slide-decks, forms/quizzes, etc) that my students can interact with.  I’ve also seen great examples of well curated Google Classrooms.  The key to a well functioning Google Classroom? Create consistent organizational structures, naming schemes, and even emoji usage to help students better identify their work.

Learning + Assessment

Alright, we have a functioning virtual classroom. Pat yourself on the back! Now, let’s figure out how to get to the meat of the classroom experience–the learning! We’ve got three things to think about: content delivery, learning experiences + activities, and assessment.

If you’ve read about me, you know that I focus my learning experiences + activities around project based learning. I am loving creating virtual project experiences for my students. Take a look at Teachers Pay Teachers and Pinterest to see how others in your content area are creating learning experiences!

This next tip, helps you knock out two birds with one stone– content delivery + assessment. My friends at The Modern Classrooms Project have created a system to help YOU figure out the best way to leverage instructional videos and assessment strategies for your classroom. I worked with them this summer, and it was by far my favorite professional development! I’ll go into more detail on my modern classroom design another time, but to make it short: I design video direct instruction lessons for my students, and use tools like Google Forms + Nearpod to design interactive assessments specifically targeted to my learning goals.

Make the Most of Your Zoom Room!

Okay, maybe you are using Google Hangouts or another form of video conferencing but I love the way that sounds together–and either way, you get the point! Our time with our students is SO PRECIOUS. I don’t think anything taught us that more than the abrupt shutdowns this spring. So, when you get your students virtually present with you–make sure you are making the most of your time together!

1. Connect with your students: Find out how they are I love to do a round of Good Things or One Word Check Ins, make sure each student feels and knows that their presence is important to you
2. Actively explore ideas with them:  As a math teacher, I LOVE using desmos interactive lessons when I’m with my students, but I know teachers of all content areas are finding that NearPod and PearDeck are great ways to engage the whole class
3. Launch them into learning: Give them inspiration and direction with how to best use their asynchronous learning time. A specific goal or task to check off is often all they need to get them moving in the right direction.

That’s it! A sneak peak into how I design my blended learning classroom and my three tips for creating yours. So tell me now,,..How are you doing with designing your own blended learning classroom? What’s working for you? Drop me the details–I’d love to know!