Blended & Personalized Learning: Fuse RI Fellowship Panel

Jason AppelMath Teacher - Barrington

High SchoolFuse RI Cohort 1

@jason_appeljasonkappel.com

Jess GeremiaDistrict Technology Fellow

Chariho Regional School District

Fuse RI Cohort 1@jessgere

#CharihoLearns

Bill BlackPrincipal

West Broadway Middle SchoolProvidence

Fuse RI Cohort 2@BillBlackRI

Hilary LundgrenTeacher

West Broadway Middle SchoolProvidence

Fuse RI Cohort 3@miss_lundgren5

Education Non-Profit in Rhode IslandInnovative education practices as a catalyst for social change

Innovation Implementation Research

Blended Learning

We Believe

Personalized Learning Progression

What is Fuse RI?

Launched by Highlander Institute in 2014, Fuse RI promotes blended learning by working with educators across the state.

Fuse RI Fellows, who are all RI educators, collaborate with participating districts to implement the best blended & personalized learning practices based on each specific district’s needs and goals.

Scaling Blended Learning

Photo courtesy of Bellehumeur & Associates Photo courtesy of Jeremy Jarrell

18

BY THE NUMBERS

RI FELLOWS RI DISTRICTS FUNDERS

60 25 4

2014-2015

2016-2017

24 12 1

SYRACUSEFELLOWS

8SYRACUSESCHOOLS

Who are Fuse Fellows?

Educators who...

Have a Passion for Blended &

Personalized Learning

Understand Classroom Design

& Best Practice

Enjoy People and Love Supporting

Teachers and Admins

Are Time Management Ninjas who Think Outside

the Box

Learn more on Twitter!

#FuseRI

FELLOWSHIP DETAILS● Who?

○ K-12 educators who work in RI (charter, district, private)● Time Commitment

○ Fellowship is built on 100 hours of work per year for two full school years with a 2-day Boot Camp each summer

○ Each Fellow commits to being out of their home district to spend 5 full days in their Fuse Partner District each year

● Compensation○ $1,500 stipend per year ○ $2,000 flex spending account (projects, conferences, ideas)

Define Vision & Scope

Establish & Align Competencies

Identify Early Adopters

Establish Lighthouse Classrooms

Analysis & Alignment for Scale

Build Framework & Buy-In

Blended & Personalized PD

Curriculum & Software Alignment

Source Work Across Organizations

Scale Practices Throughout District

Highlander Institute’s Development Framework

PLAN PILOT REVIEW DEVELOP SCALE

Resources from our presentation available in the following slides

Why did you apply for Fuse RI? How has it impacted your work?

(Classroom Level)

Playlist Model in a High School Math ClassroomSelf-paced (within each unit)

Playlist Model in a High School Math ClassroomVideos, skills practice, problem solving

Playlist Model in a High School Math ClassroomInstant feedback for students

Playlist Model in a High School Math ClassroomInstant feedback for me

Playlist Model in a High School Math ClassroomMore screen time = more face time

A different role for teachers and students

● One-on-one and small group instruction is the norm

● Students work at their own pace and in their own way

Why did you apply for Fuse RI? How has it impacted your work?

(Home District Level)

The growing reason I applied for FuseRI

If I am the go-to person

in my district, who do I

go to for support &

professional learning?

Modernizing Professional Development

Sit and Get Workshops

Stand Alone Tool demos

Job EmbeddedOngoing SupportCoachingClassroom Visits

PurposefulInstructional Strategies Make best use of timeAnswer “The Why”

PersonalizedTailored Support Applied to their settingChoice

Current Coaching Goals The teachers will learn to:

● Utilize technology tools to collect formative data.● Utilize collected data to adjust instruction to provide timely

personalized support to students.● Challenge goal aligning to Chariho Personalized

Walkthrough Tool

*Goals were developed based on continued research of Blended Learning best practices and feedback from the Highlander Institute’s Fuse Fellows who conducted Blended Learning walkthroughs in the spring of 2015.

Blended Coaching CycleIntroduction through email & video

Tech Fellow observes teacher (focus on goals)

Tech Fellow debriefs with teacher and co-plans how the goals will be achieved

Tech Fellow continues to provide personalized planning support until lesson launch

Lesson launch (modeled, co-taught, or independently taught)

1

2

3

Debrief meeting focusHow did it go?Was this strategy successful in accomplishing the goal(s)?

Co-planning begins for next lesson if needed. Cycle repeats until participant can successfully and independently meet the goals (gradual release)

Lesson co-planning begins

4

5

Our Approach

● Job embedded learning ● Tech Fellows partner with

teachers to design blended learning experience

● Meet differentiated needs of each teacher

● Use district goals and TPCK to drive work as coaches

● Continually reflect & learn

Differentiation Pacing Teacher Instruction

Classroom Culture

Formative Assessment

Chariho tasked their Fuse fellows with evaluating the use of technology in the district. Through this work, they worked with the Technology Fellow and District Admin team to create the Chariho Personalized Learning Walkthrough Tool. This tool help us to guide professional development & future work.

Chariho Personalized Learning Focus Strands

Differentiation

Pacing

Teacher Instruction

Classroom Culture

Formative Assessment

What do I want to do

to increase

personalization in my

class? How should I

focus my energy?

Self-assessment Tool

Classroom CultureLook for Details

1. Students are engaged in student-to-student collaboration.

Students are working together and collaborating; dialogue is frequent and focused on academic work or is content-specific.

2. Classroom systems, routines, and organization support blended learning.

Students understand how to operate equipment and treat it respectfully; systems are in place so that students can troubleshoot basic problems within the software or on devices.

Students access technology independently and without any issues; students solve technical problems among themselves without relying on the teacher.

3. The physical space of the classroom is conducive to blended & personalized learning.

Teachers can see screens without moving, cords and devices are organized such that they do not restrict movement within the space, there are dedicated spaces for small group work/targeted instruction/collaborative work, etc.

DifferentiationLook for Details

Students on devices are working on different content/standards.

Devices are enabling different students to work on different standards or at different places of the scope and sequence that is right for them and their current skill level within the lesson.

It is evident from looking at screens or hearing a description of the lesson/activity that students are working on differentiated content/learning objectives.

The content of small group instruction with the teacher is differentiated for different groups of students.

Students in groups are receiving different instruction when they are with the teacher based on their needs. This can be instruction delivered to individuals as well as small groups (doesn’t need to be a station rotation model).

Students working without devices and without a teacher (independently or in collaborative groups) are working on differentiated content that meets their needs.

There is evidence of different challenge levels for students working independently/collaboratively - varied questions, more sophisticated applications, open-ended versus knowledge questions, etc. based on student skill levels. Check on students at the same table, students at different tables, students in different rotations, etc.

The teacher is providing direct instruction to a group smaller than ⅓ of the class.

Group size refers to individuals as well as groups smaller than ⅓ of the class.

More than half of observed instruction is delivered in a small group setting.

Students on devices are working on different content/standards.

Devices are enabling different students to work on different standards or at different places of the scope and sequence that is right for them and their current skill level within the lesson.

Formative AssessmentLook for Details

Students are taking formative assessments during class.

Formative assessment can be on paper, questions that students respond to through thumbs up/down, digital, etc. that provide information on student understanding of a concept/skill. Any collection of formative data for any number of students is a Yes.

Students are taking digital formative assessments.

Formative assessment is taken on a device.

The teacher is recording formative data gleaned through conversations and/or observations.

This may look like taking notes on a clipboard, mobile device, or some other organized system during direct instruction, while circulating, running a small group, or conferencing with students.

The teacher is referencing data/mastery/competency verbally with students.

The teacher shares data with students and makes statements about mastery, scores, data, or levels in order to clarify, motivate, or create a sense of urgency.

The teacher is using data from a recent formative assessment to make or modify instructional decisions.

Data from recent (within 48 hours) formative assessments are used to form groups, assign individual or groups of students new/different content, or inform different pacing for different students.

Pacing Look for Details

Students not working with the teacher are able to progress through content at a station or activity without waiting for the teacher.

Students have the opportunity to work continuously without waiting for the teacher. Students are never “finished.” If they complete work at a station, there is a relevant, content-based next step.

Students not working with the teacher have the supports they require to successfully work independently or collaboratively without waiting for the teacher.

If student get “stuck” with a logistical need (e.g., bathroom) or a content need, there are systems in place and resources available to them so they can handle it independently (hands aren’t raised for extensive periods of time, no lines in front of the teacher, etc.). Systems are in place and highly functional.

Students not working with the teacher are able to progress within a station or activity without waiting for other students.

Students don’t have to wait for other students to finish a problem or finish their work to move on to the next step; pacing is not dependent upon the group.

There is evidence of sustained student engagement for online cognitive tasks.

Sustained engagement means that students stay on task without being easily distracted.

Teacher InstructionLook for Details

The teacher gives timely, specific, and actionable feedback to individual students.

The teacher responds to student work and/or misconceptions with comments that clarify how the work could be improved, references specific qualities of the work, or provides appropriate next steps. Feedback such as “good job” or “try again” would not address this element (not specific), nor would the repetition of the same instructions for multiple students (not tailored to specific students).

Within teacher-led instruction, the teacher shifts the modality of instruction in the moment to drive toward deeper student understanding.

This may look like the teacher bringing out manipulatives, diagramming on a whiteboard, using a new resource on a device, or somehow adjusting instructional modalities/strategies versus reteaching the same way.

Differentiation

Pacing

Teacher Instruction

Classroom Culture

Formative Assessment

What do I want to do

to increase

personalization in my

class? How should I

focus my energy?

Walkthrough Tool

Pineapple Charts

● Teacher Driven ● Supported by Administration

(evaluation goals etc) ● Personalized at Building Level

You’re Invited to come visit my class!

Thank you

for inviting

colleagues

in!

Non- evaluativenotes

(optional)

Have a visit, leave a note (optional):

Encouraging

Constructive

Positive

Norms

For Visitors✖ Learning experience✖ Leave a note or

face-to-face comment✖ Reflect ✖ Be appreciative

For Pineapple Hosts✖ Fill out chart ✖ Pineapple in window ✖ Be proud ✖ Be brave

A-Hall Teachers Room Pineapple chart (Sample) Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri

Block 1 B7 StationsBurke

Block 2 D11Digital Formative AssessmentMayne

A8HaberlandDifferentiated Pace

Block 3 B2 Digital Storytelling Hague

D13Student Collaboration Sagamang

G5ASelf Paced Project work Johnson

Block 4

Your lesson designing is a process. Invite colleagues in before it is perfected. Be brave, get feedback that you can use!

Why did you apply for Fuse RI? How has it impacted your work?

(School Level)

How has blended learning evolved at West Broadway Middle School?

YEAR 1

● Two Lighthouse Classrooms in the lowest grade level

● Opening up our classroom doors at a school level and allowing Highlander Institute to take visitors through our classrooms.

● Asynchronous networking via Tweet chats and Google Hangouts.

How has blended learning evolved at West Broadway Middle School?

YEAR 2

● Scaling this work across the entire grade level from year prior.

● Choosing small cohort of teachers in a second grade level.

● Students saw the need to expand the work into higher grade levels.

● Creation of the Blended Learning team.

● Opening up our classroom doors outside of school and district.

How has blended learning evolved at West Broadway Middle School?

YEAR 3

● Scaling this work across all grade levels.

● Weekly observation and coaching debrief sessions with Dawn Manchester.

● Four teachers becoming FUSE Fellows.

● Opening up our classroom doors outside of school and district.

● Using the Blended Learning team to collect feedback from peer and outside of school/district visits.

How has your experience with blended learning & Fuse informed your

work in Providence Public Schools?

● WBMS is leading the Providence Public School Middle School efforts

● Sharing best practices with other schools● Creating Professional Development

within Providence and Rhode Island

Q&ASupporting Fuse Partner Districts

Qualities of a Teacher Leader

Photo courtesy of Clipartix

Growth Mindset is Key

Source: iNACOL Blended Learning Teacher Competency Framework

Highlander Institute Resources

fuseri.highlanderinstitute.org

Thank you!