Design a K-12 Online Curriculum to Meet the Needs of a Large Consortium of School Districts

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Design a K-12 Online Curriculum to Meet the Needs
of a Large Consortium of School Districts

• Jed Friedrichsen and Mark Gensimore
• April 13, 2005

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In this presentation

• About blendedschools.net
• Course Offerings
• Instructional design
• Implementation
• blendedschool.net Model
• District Models

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About blendedschools.net
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South Central Regional Consortuim

• 1994 -The TIU consortium began with 4 school
  districts in Huntingdon, Fulton, Mifflin, and
  Juniata Counties and TIU 11.
• 1995 -TIU 11 and the 7 districts became the South
  Central Regional Consortium (SCRC) of the
  Partners in Distance Learning (PDL).

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2002--SCRC

• 47 member school districts
• Usesd
• videoconferencing to
• Connect classrooms
• Virtual field trips
• Deliver professional development
• Bridged multiple site videoconferences

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Videoconference is

• Two-way interactive television
• People at two or more sites can see and hear each
  other
• Print documents, video and audio tapes, slides,
  transparencies and computer screens can be
  displayed to participants at far sites

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Videoconference bridging

• Connects multiple videoconference sites at one
  time
• All participants can see and hear each other

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SCRC has

• Connected hundreds of classrooms so students
  could take classes otherwise not available to
  them, such as Latin and Calculus
• Taken thousands of students on virtual field
  trips
• Provided videoconference teacher training
• Delivered professional development to thousands
  of teachers

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SCRC became blendedschools.net on July 1, 2003

• A network of 85 PA school districts that
  optimize technology to ensure all students have
  an opportunity to learn.
• Received 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation status,
  November 2003.
• Continues to facilitate the use of
  videoconferencing to connect learners with
  teachers.
• Offers a wide variety of online courses.
• Continues to seek technology solutions to
  increase learning.

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Blendedschools.net Governance
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Customizing Solutions through Blended Learning
A network of Pennsylvania School Districts
working in concert to optimize the use of
technology to create and provide meaningful
experiences that enhance flexible, blended
learning opportunities for all students.
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What is Blended Learning?

• Distance Learning (i.e.videoconferencing)
• Virtual (i.e. online instruction)
• Brick Mortar (i.e. classroom settings)
• Experiential (i.e. projects and internships).

Segmented
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Course Offerings
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Online courses available

• Consortium-created and taught courses
• Partner-created and taught courses

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Online courses from partners

• 160 courses
• Lowest prices anywhere
• A course for everyone
• AP
• World Language
• Mainstream curriculum
• Credit Recovery
• One semester and whole year courses
• Summer classes

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Consortium-created online courses

• Created by PA teachers
• For PA students
• To teach the PA Academic Standards

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Courses available September 2003

• Thematic Kindergarten
• Thematic 1st Grade
• Reading/Language Arts Grade 2
• Reading/Language Arts Grade 3
• Reading/Language Arts Grade 4
• Reading/Language Arts Grade 5
• Reading/Language Arts Grade 6

• Reading/Language Arts Grade 7
• Reading/Language Arts Grade 8
• Mathematics Grade 2
• Mathematics Grade 3
• Mathematics Grade 4
• Mathematics Grade 5
• Transitional Mathematics
• Algebra
• Geometry

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Courses available September 2003

• Science Grade 2
• Science Grade 3
• Science Grade 4
• Science Grade 5
• Science Grade 6--Earth Science
• Science Grade 7--Life Science
• Science Grade 8--Physical Science

• Social Studies Grade 2
• Social Studies Grade 3
• Social Studies Grade 4
• Social Studies Grade 5
• Social Studies Grade 6
• Social Studies Grade 7--Geography Economics
• Social Studies Grade 8--Pennsylvania History

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Courses available May 2004

• American History
• World History
• Civics Government
• Sociology Psychology
• Environmental Earth Science
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics

• English 9
• English 10
• American Lit. Comp.
• World Lit. Comp.
• Math Essentials
• Advanced Algebra
• Functions, Statistics Trigonometry
• Precalculus Discrete Math
• Calculus

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Online courses development 04-05

• AP American History
• AP Biology
• AP Calculus
• AP English Literature
• 5 PSSA Recovery Math
• 8 PSSA Recovery Math
• 11 PSSA Recovery Math
• 5 PSSA Recovery Reading
• 8 PSSA Recovery Reading
• 11 PSSA Recovery Reading

• K-4 Student Online Induction
• 5-12 Student Online Induction
• Spanish 1
• Spanish 2
• French 1
• German 1
• Art History
• Music Appreciation

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Online courses development 05-06

• Spanish 3
• French 2
• German 2
• Elementary Spanish 1
• Elementary Spanish 2
• Elementary French 1
• Elementary French 2
• German 1
• Elementary German 1
• Elementary German 2

• Studio Art
• Drivers Education
• Java
• AP Chemistry
• AP English Language
• AP Statistics
• AP World History
• 6th Health
• 9th Health
• 3 PSSA Recovery Math
• 3 PSSA Recovery Reading

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Future online course development

• Electives
• AP
• World Languages
• NCLB Requirements
• Professional Development
• Gifted Education
• Alternative Education

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Course Maintenance

• Revise lessons
• Match with national standards
• Fix web links
• Differentiation

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Instructional design
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How do we create online courses?

• Select course development teams
• Implement a previously successful course
  development process
• Provide training
• Monitor progress

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Course developer training

• Using Blackboard to deliver instruction
• Using other software to enhance instructional
  design
• Finding and using resources
• Designing online instruction

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Course development process

• Identify need
• Assemble content development team(s)
• Research
• Brainstorm
• Assign production roles
• Ascertain resources
• Create course
• Edit course
• Test

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If students become engaged in the right stuff,
they are likely to learn what we want them to
learn.Schlechty, Working on the Work, 2002
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5 types of responses students might make to any
school task

• Authentic engagementwork has clear meaning and
  immediate value to student
• Ritual engagementwork has little or no inherent
  meaning or direct value to student
• Passive compliancestudent is willing to work to
  avoid negative consequences
• Retreatismstudent is not willing to do work
• Rebellionstudent refuses to do work and disrupts
  others or attempts to substitute work in lieu of
  assignment

Schlechty, Shaking Up the Schoolhouse, 2000
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Student responses in the average classroom
Schlechty, Working on the Work, 2002
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Student responses in the highly engaged classroom
Schlechty, Working on the Work, 2002
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Instructional influences

• Best practices in online learning
• Differentiation
• Theatres of Mind
• Multiple Intelligences
• Habits of Mind
• Constructivism
• Significant Tasks
• Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age

• Teaching to the Brains Natural Learning Systems
• Most teachers view Internet as only a research
  learning tool
• All students can learn more than they are now
  learning
• National Curriculum Reports

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Some Recent National Curriculum Reports

• More experiential, inductive, hands-on learning
• More active learning in the classroom
• More diverse roles for teachers, including
  coaching, demonstrating, modeling
• More emphasis on higher-order thinking
• More reading of real texts
• More responsibility transferred to students for
  their work
• More choice for students
• More attention to affective needs and the varying
  cognitive styles of individual students
• More cooperative, collaborative activity

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Kolbs model for experiential learning

• Concrete experiences
• What happened?
• Reflective observations
• What do I conclude?
• Abstract conceptualization
• Now what do I do?
• Active experimentation

Knowledge
Experiential Learning
Application
Reflection
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Establishing New Learning Environments
Traditional -------- Incorporating ------ New
Environments New Strategies

• Teacher-centered instruction

Student-centered learning

• Single sense stimulation

Multisensory stimulation

• Single path progression

Multipath progression

• Single media

Multimedia

• Isolated work

Collaborative work

• Information delivery

Information exchange

• Passive learning

Active/exploratory/inquiry-based learning

• Factual/literal thinking

Critical thinking, informed decision-making

• Reactive response

Proactive/planned action

• Isolated, artificial context

Authentic, real world context
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Implementation Models
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Communication

• Superintendents
• Videoconference Primary Contact (VPC)
• Online Primary Contact (OPC)

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OPC Responsibilities
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OPC Administrative Roles and Blackboard
Responsibilities

• Course Administrative Role
• Managing Courses
• Create blank
• Copy blendedschools.net courses
• Managing Accounts
• Portal Administration (Limited)
• Customizing Portal

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Customization of Roles

• Course Administrator
• Can only batch create users
• Can only remove users from July August
• Portal Administrator
• Only have access during Customizing the
  Blackboard Community Portal for Your School
  District training

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Account Creation
ti99.mgensimore
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Course Creation
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Manage Your Online School
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Training for your schools

• Managing your online school course offerings (OPC
  training)
• Teaching your online courses
• Teaching learning with Blackboard in your
  classrooms
• Using Blackboard to deliver professional
  development
• Implementing and Marketing Online Curriculum
• Course Development
• Customized training

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Other Products

• Learning Management System
• Community Portal
• Wimba (Audio Integration)
• Advanced Student Tracking System

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Services

• Hosting and Technical support
• Free Training
• Implementation and Marketing support
• Reduced prices on third party courses
• Monthly meetings
• Annual face-to-face meeting
• Annual conference
• Free videoconference bridging
• Connection access to any and all of the
  videoconference courses
• Consortium service contract pricing for
  videoconference equipment

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Options for districts implementing our online
courses

• Your school district teaches any or all the
  courses to your own students
• Your school district enters a brokering pool with
  other school districts share teachers and
  courses
• Your school districts traditional classrooms use
  the courses for learning resources and
  instructional activities

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Online Member School Districts

• Bedford ASD Cyber Charter
• Bellefonte ASD Schedule Conflict
• Chestnut Ridge ASD Traveler
• Everett ASD Home Schooling
• Fannett-Metal SD Summer School and Alternative
  Ed.
• Huntingdon ASD Integrating in the traditional
  classroom (GENIE project)
• Intermediate Unit 1 Professional Development
• Juniata County SD Gifted Education

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Top 10 Instructional Methods for using Blackboard
in Your Classroom

• Post announcements to remind students and parents
  of classroom activities, and deadlines.
• Post classroom lecture notes, handouts,
  worksheets, pictures and PowerPoint
  presentations.
• Create computer-graded assessments.
• Use the online grade book to inform students and
  parents of progress.
• Use the Digital Drop Box to collect assignments.
• Use the threaded discussion board for online
  collaboration for group activities.
• Use email for communicating with your parents and
  students.
• Create website lists to guide student research,
  provide additional learning opportunities, direct
  student use of online tutorials, connect students
  to primary resources and engage students in
  exploratory activities.
• Post class events, assignments and tests to the
  online calendar.
• Create surveys to gather information from your
  students and parents.

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blendedschools.net offers a second curriculum
and a new environment for schools and their
students
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Customizing solutions through blended learning
http//www.blendedschools.net