Vanguard Applications Are Open!
Go to vanguard.fcps.org to apply for Cohort 5 of the Vanguard Teacher Program. The deadline to apply is November 13th.
Blended Learning in the Virtual Classroom: Bag of Tricks Not Required
Cortney Krauss, Crestwood Middle School
@TeachCkrauss
Spring 2020 brought swift changes to classrooms. Teachers were asked to move their teaching to a completely virtual environment and to adapt teaching practices for distance learning. Like most of my peers, I found myself just trying to do my best to provide a standards-aligned curriculum that used the Goldilocks-approach of “not too little, not too much.” Term 4 ended with a sigh of relief-- I felt that I managed to stay true to teaching my curriculum, but I realized that I had completely let go of many of my ideals of what makes a classroom engaging and enriching for all students. I had let go of blended learning.
As we kicked off the 20-21 school year, I did not even consider implementing a blended learning approach to my virtual classroom. Thinking about teaching students via Google Meet seemed like a big enough challenge, however just a week or two in, I found myself once again not feeling true to myself as a classroom teacher. So, I decided to try station rotations in synchronous virtual class time. Despite my low (and realistic) expectations for success, I was blown away-- it worked! Perhaps even more important than just beating the low bar of working, I felt that my students were given access to content that extended beyond the twice a week synchronous learning, and it did not require me to do twice the planning.
Furthermore, as we plan to return to school in a hybrid-model, using a station rotation or playlist model will allow students to work seamlessly, whether they are in the classroom or at home. Additionally, these models can allow for students to work uninterrupted on class activities, with the valuable teacher-led activity taking place during in-person class periods. Using blended learning models will truly be a win-win for teachers and students, reducing teacher workload and planning, while increasing students’ engagement and enrichment with rigorous class activities!
The Rise of Virtual Learning Does Not Have to be the Fall of Rigorous Instruction: The Time for Blended Learning is Here!
Carrie Crawford, Accelerated Achievement & Equity, @CarCrawFCPS
Brenda Kurtianyk, Accelerated Achievement & Equity, @KurtianykFCPSAA
Charlotte Landahl, Accelerated Achievement & Equity, @charlottelandah
Erin Miller, Accelerated Achievement & Equity, @EMillerFCPSAA
Lawrence Paul, Accelerated Achievement & Equity, @LPaulFCPS
Kelli Smith, Accelerated Achievement & Equity. @MrsSmithFCPS
Coming from the world of Advanced Academics, we know the importance of meeting the needs of every student. For us, this particularly means students who have a high potential for learning and who are Gifted and Talented. A few years ago this statement was printed in an article on Blended Learning: “The process of integrating technology regularly into classroom instruction is called Blended Learning, which combines traditional face to face classroom instruction with an online technological component that students are partially in control of” (Giarla 2017). Blended learning is meant to provide students with opportunities to be a participant in a differentiated learning environment.
Differentiation is a type of learning where instruction is tailored to meet the learning needs, preferences and goals of individual students (Basye, 2018). The practice of creating playlists in particular, allows for learning to be put into the hands of students rather than teachers. With a learning plan in hand, students can work through lessons and assignments at their own pace. Since each student has their own digital copy of the playlist, the teacher can customize the list to meet each student’s needs (Gonzalez, 2016). Management of student work completion can be monitored on a daily basis allowing teachers to adjust instruction by both providing additional support to students who need it or increasing the rigor for those who are ready for more. Playlist creation can utilize flexible grouping and one-on-one face time as well as embedding opportunities for higher-level thinking and rigorous learning.
COVID-19 has brought many changes to our country, schools, and families. Teachers have been forced to make drastic changes in their teaching practices. The rise of virtual instruction has provided us not only with challenges, but also opportunity. Online learning presents as a platform for gifted students to shine. Teachers can provide learning environments that foster academic growth and positive social interaction from a distance. According to the National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC), strategically designed choice boards and playlists are also great ways to push out enrichment activities. Adding choice to learning opportunities will increase engagement (NAGC, 2019). It is important to remember that a blended learning model such as a playlists is not a curriculum in and of itself, but rather a vehicle for delivering differentiated instruction including to enrich and/or extend learning for gifted students.
Flipped Classroom "Level Up"
Jonathan Newman, Walkersville High School
@newmanmath
I wanted to share my own journey through using videos for instruction. I’m going to put it in game format so that you can find your “level” and hopefully find room for improving your use of the video notes. I also want to say that I definitely have more “levels” to go as I continue to learn and refine this process, but hopefully this helps!
Level 1: Create Videos for Students to Watch at Home!
This was the first step, that I started doing in about 2014 or so. I included parts of the video where I said “pause the video now and try this problem on your own!”. The intention was good but I bet most students did not pause the video and try the problem on their own. I did find Doceri very helpful and here’s how I use it, though find the software that works best for you!
Level 2: Create Graphic Organizers for each Notes Video
Every video I create now has notes that students must fill out as they watch the video. Research has shown that note-taking increases retention, and it is another modality for them to encode information and remember it long-term. I encourage students to pause the video frequently to catch up on notes, but the advantage of the video is that it can go “their speed”. I even show them how to increase or decrease the playback speed of the video so they can match their own note-taking ability! I find myself repeating to students “You must watch the video, listen to my explanations, and write the information down!”
Congratulations!
Jackie was selected for the Simon A. McNeely Award for innovative contributions to instruction. Tony is receiving the "Friend of SHAPE Maryland" Award as a partner contributor for advancing instruction and programming in Physical Education.
The Golden Ticket
Hilliary Woodward, Carroll Manor Elementary School
@MRSWoodwardCMES
Sometimes we can relate to Charlie, from Willy Wonka in the Chocolate Factory, before he became rich and famous. We feel like we are out of “money” or are “falling short.” We sometimes feel like we are not being treated fairly due to circumstances that are out of our control, whether that be in our professional life or our personal life. But teachers don’t ever give up hope. Teachers see the light at the end of the tunnel and like Charlie, they continue moving forward, for their students, with their students. Just like Charlie, teachers keep their eyes open and head held high and they continue to search for that “Golden Ticket.”
In a way, the Amplify mClass Dibels Assessment, is like our Golden Ticket. It gives us admittance into the next stage of growth and learning with our students. It provides us with a key that unlocks a door, one an average person wouldn’t have access to. Today, I am here to write about the Amplify mCLASS Dibels Assessment administered in our elementary schools in grades Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade across the county. Teachers conduct anywhere from three to five one minute assessments with each student one-to-one. These assessments examine Phonemic Awareness, Letter Sounds, Decoding Abilities (including nonsense words), Word Reading, Word Fluency, and Basic Comprehension. They give teachers a snapshot into students' brains and ultimately make a pathway for students to become strong readers. Every teacher's dream.
We have learned over the last two years, with the help of a countywide course called LETRS, how influential these beginning assessments and explicit instruction in these areas truly are. After teachers have administered the assessment with each student, a report is produced, or in other words, the Golden Ticket! Students are placed in categories based on their performance.
You’ve Built the Ship-Now Steer it!
By Christina Tongyai, Frederick High School
@Mrs_TG_FHS
Since the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, many have found themselves lacking in motivation and perseverance. Not only were our students affected by schools being shut down because of COVID-19, but many staff and faculty members found themselves alongside the students in missing school as it would normally run. Myself included. I do enjoy and miss seeing my students' faces. These times are hard. Not just because of the limited interaction we have as educators, but also because we seem to be missing valuable time with our students.
This hit particularly hard when I started back with a small group of students and one of the freshmen in the group had never been in our high school building. He was lost at first because of just trying to navigate the huge new building and life as a high school student.. Normally, freshmen have the first couple of weeks to learn the building, figure out classes, and their “place” in a new world. Unfortunately, they are missing that experience. Instead they are experiencing something new and unprecedented in our time: Virtual learning.
Virtual Growth Mindset
Karen Wills, Sugarloaf Elementary School
@KarenWillsFCPS
Virtual growth mindset. Virtual. Growth. Mindset. Is there such a thing? Many of us these days are not in a great frame of mind...what we’re doing is hard...but can we still have a growth mindset? Ummmm...YES. I believe a growth mindset is our flotation device right now. Let me explain.
Carol Dweck defines people with a growth mindset as those who feel their skills and intelligence can be improved with effort and persistence. Teachers...none of us started off thinking, “I’m going to LOVE teaching kids on a screen and spend double the time planning! It’s going to be great!” Most of us thought, “Wow. This is going to be hard...but we can do this.” And that was the beginning of a virtual growth mindset.
Hands-on Learning in a Virtual World
Katy Shields, Walkersville High School
@ktpss1965
Prior to covid-19, a group of friends and I met every Wednesday to play trivia. One Wednesday last March, I remember saying “I don’t understand what’s the big deal about coronavirus.” One of my teammates (who works for Blue Cross Blue Shield) said, “I think it’s going to be a very big deal.” The next day, it was announced that schools would be closed for two weeks.
I was shocked, but naively believed that instead of using snow days for two weeks, we could jump right into distance learning. The next day I talked to each of my classes about this possibility. One student objected, and I told him that his class had done such a good job with blended learning that I knew they could succeed at distance learning.
I was correct, most of the students in that class already had a growth mindset and no matter what I assigned them, they rose to the challenge. However, this was not the case for all of my students and I soon realized that even the students that were well prepared would become bored and disinterested if I just sent them the same type of screen based activities day after day. Thus, it became my goal to create hands-on activities in a virtual classroom.
Tech Tuesday
Jennifer Siderius, New Market Elementary School
@FCPS_NMESMedia
“Carmen Sandiego! Oregon Trail! CD-Roms! Floppy discs! Filmstrips! Typewriters! Ugh, you win again!” A good friend and I enjoy playing a technology version of the game “War.” We quickly throw out the oldest instructional technology that we remember using as a student or educator to see who can recall the best gem. Usually, our game dissolves into laughter as we reminisce about how cutting edge we felt at the time, especially when we compare it to the wealth of technology we have at our fingertips today.
Though my friend and I enjoy our friendly version of technology “War,” it’s also a reminder to us of how quickly instructional technology changes. The frequent pace of change can cause educators anxiety and stress as we learn new instructional technology to support differentiation and individualization of learning. It forces us outside of our comfort zones and into a place of continual learning.
How do we as leaders help our staff lean into this changing pace of technology? At New Market Elementary School, we offer a voluntary professional learning program called “Tech Tuesday” to help staff learn instructional technology tools.
Upcoming Dates and Reminders
November 4, 1:30-4:30 - Q&A with Catlin Tucker (Cohorts 2&4)
December - Elementary Vanguard Forum
December - Secondary Vanguard Forum
February 1 - First 2 Micro-credentials are due
March - Elementary Vanguard Forum
March - Secondary Vanguard Forum
April 19 & 20, 4:00-6:00 - Lead Year with Stephanee Stephens (Cohort 3)
April 27 - Q&A with Stephanee Stephens (Cohort 3)
Vanguard Teacher Program
Email: eric.haines@fcps.org
Website: vanguard.fcps.org
Phone: 301-644-5182
Twitter: @EHaines24