Deploy or Die: Be in the moment and don't put off an idea you have. Don't wait on others to invent or create something that you can. It is important that our students, which are the future believe this. The world is at their fingertips. They hold endless information in the palms of their hands. We have to be innovative in our careers in order for our students/districts to thrive. Stop planning and being prepared instead be present and in the now. We have to learn to take advantage of what is in front of us and use it to create the best learning environment for our students.
The future of our student's education is blended learning. Currently, I am taking a class that has helped change my mindset about how blended learning looks in the classroom. It's about us educators teaching our learners how to take control and not about us just teaching the concepts. "Think of education as what others do to you, whereas learning is what you do for yourself." Education is just information and data. Learning is taking that information and doing something with it. Changing your mindset is the first step in taking control of your own learning.
We've been using computers in our classrooms for a long time, but in the past (and even now), we were not using them effectively. Students spent time playing "learning games" and using computer programs. Students need supervision over their learning. There were numerous times when my own students were caught playing games or watching youtube videos instead of being on the site they should have been on. We have to be consistent in monitoring students and helping them learn to use their computers as a tool. We need to have the flexibility to change things if it's not working and be committed to making sure things are working properly and that they are effective.
I think we have to change the mindset of our fellow educators that utilizing blended learning is not piling on more work, but in the end, making things easier and more effective. Doing this will help learners become more engaged in their learning, they will have ownership and voice. Which will in the end create a better learning environment and help prepare them for a future of innovative practices.
I think Covid opened many opportunities for districts, I know it did ours. We are a Title 1 campus and did not have the resources before becoming a 1-to-1 campus. With ESSER funds, we have been able to create a better 21st-century learning environment and our district has the capabilities of blended learning. We just need to support each other and jump on board! Are you with me?
References
YouTube. (2015). YouTube. Retrieved June 12, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRAMQJJu7uY.
YouTube. (2014). YouTube. Retrieved June 12, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb2d8E1dZjY&t=3s.
in the now. (n.d.), https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9a3fbd_22e1c635668940f899fd87d80257f244~mv2.png
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