Reflection: I enjoyed working with the EASyR assignment. Throughout this assignment, I was able to self-reflect about a lesson that could be transferred from a face-to-face/blended learning environment to an online learning environment. For this assignment, I was able to adapt a face-to-face/blended lesson that I used in a staff development training session in my campus to an online learning environment. I also received feedback from my instructor in regards to this assignment. Some of the modifications for this assignment are listed below:
- I have updated the lesson with a different topic.
- I have also made the necessary changes from the original lesson to the new online lesson. The modifications are shown in red color below.
- I have also implemented the EASyR model throughout this assignment and have created a table comparison between the EASyR model and Bloom's Taxonomy.
How to create opportunities for deeper critical thinking while teaching an online course?
Throughout this course, I have been exposed the EASyR model. I found this model very interesting because it integrates the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy in a different order and adds an important component in the learning process, such as the reflecting thought.
The goal of this model is to encourage deeper higher level thinking in online learning. The online learner will be encouraged to move through the different levels of critical thinking in a different way. For example, the online learner will start this journey by evaluating the material, then the online learner will analyze the resources in order to be able to use this knowledge in a real-world setting. Finally the online learner will be able to reflect upon the learning experience and the product that has been created.
For this assignment, I have chosen to use a face-to-face/blended training session that I had the opportunity to teach for a staff development session in my campus.
Synopsis of the lesson:
This training session took place in my campus as one of the training sessions for staff development on Wednesday, November 9th of 2016. I was asked by one of my supervisors to create a training session about "Blending Learning" for our faculty. Our school district adopted Canvas as the LMS for the faculty members currently teaching at the middle school and high school level about 4 years ago. Back then, just a handful of teachers/instructors were only asked to rollout this district initiative. I was one of the instructors chosen to be part of this group. SInce then every year more faculty members have joined this district initiative. Nowadays, all faculty members at the middle school and high school level are in some way trying to implement blended learning using Canvas as the main technological tool to be used in a blended environment. The expectation from the school district is that all of the students attending middle school and high school will be using Canvas in their courses. As a result of this, we have a constant demand for professional development for instructors of all content areas in regards to how to successfully implement blended learning for our students. In addition, our faculty is constantly seeking opportunities to enhance their teaching skills by collaborating and sharing how they are using blending learning in their classrooms and how Canvas has been implemented in order to be able to create these blended learning environments.
Audience: Faculty members/adults
Goal: To learn about blending learning and how the different blended learning models could be applied in the traditional classroom.
Length of the training: 1 hour
Learning objectives:
The teachers will be able to:
Throughout this course, I have been exposed the EASyR model. I found this model very interesting because it integrates the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy in a different order and adds an important component in the learning process, such as the reflecting thought.
- Evaluation
- Analysis
- Synthesis
- Reflection
The goal of this model is to encourage deeper higher level thinking in online learning. The online learner will be encouraged to move through the different levels of critical thinking in a different way. For example, the online learner will start this journey by evaluating the material, then the online learner will analyze the resources in order to be able to use this knowledge in a real-world setting. Finally the online learner will be able to reflect upon the learning experience and the product that has been created.
For this assignment, I have chosen to use a face-to-face/blended training session that I had the opportunity to teach for a staff development session in my campus.
Synopsis of the lesson:
This training session took place in my campus as one of the training sessions for staff development on Wednesday, November 9th of 2016. I was asked by one of my supervisors to create a training session about "Blending Learning" for our faculty. Our school district adopted Canvas as the LMS for the faculty members currently teaching at the middle school and high school level about 4 years ago. Back then, just a handful of teachers/instructors were only asked to rollout this district initiative. I was one of the instructors chosen to be part of this group. SInce then every year more faculty members have joined this district initiative. Nowadays, all faculty members at the middle school and high school level are in some way trying to implement blended learning using Canvas as the main technological tool to be used in a blended environment. The expectation from the school district is that all of the students attending middle school and high school will be using Canvas in their courses. As a result of this, we have a constant demand for professional development for instructors of all content areas in regards to how to successfully implement blended learning for our students. In addition, our faculty is constantly seeking opportunities to enhance their teaching skills by collaborating and sharing how they are using blending learning in their classrooms and how Canvas has been implemented in order to be able to create these blended learning environments.
Audience: Faculty members/adults
Goal: To learn about blending learning and how the different blended learning models could be applied in the traditional classroom.
Length of the training: 1 hour
Learning objectives:
The teachers will be able to:
- define blended learning
- discuss, compare and contrast how blended learning is been used in the classroom
- evaluate what is the role of the instructor in the learning environment
- identify the different models of blended learning
- create a post in Canvas in order to share with the group my self-reflection about blended learning
LFC teachers + Quizlet + Canvas = Blended Learning. Great PD session. Thank you to all of the participants! #LFClote #allenlearns pic.twitter.com/4BmqINr2Cj
— J.Salas/LFC (@LFCJSalas) November 9, 2016
Moving this lesson to an online learning environment (changes from the face-to-face/blended training to an online learning environment are noted on red)
During the face-to-face/blended training the participants started in a student-centered environment by discussing the pictures that were shown in the SmartBoard. The participants were having a table-talk with their peers. During the table-talk some questions were asked by the facilitator in order to spark deeper conversations and critical thinking.
- Define blended learning
- How do you use blended learning in your classroom?
- What is the role of the instructor in the blended environment?
- Which models of blended learning are you familiar with?
For the online course, I would use some images in the LMS annoucement and also in the first post from the instructor. However, the images in this learning environment will be used for support rather than for discussion purposes. In order to create a meaningful discussion in the discussion board, I will encourage the members of the online community to watch the video provided and to read the article provided in order for them to address the first prompt in the discussion board. (Evaluation)
After reflecting about these questions, one member of each table will share thoughts and comments of the other team-members in their group. Once all of these participants have shared with the large group then we will proced to a large group activity in different teams.
"Quizlet Live" was implemented in this training session in order for the participants to collaborate with other team-members from other teams in order to get familiar with some basic blended learning vocabulary.
For the online course, the online learners will proceed to address the first prompt in the discussion board.
Discussion Board Topic: Blended Learning
Prompt: After completing the readings assigned for this week, how do you use blended learning in your classroom? Which models of blended learning are you familiar with? Which model would you like to try and why? Please include additional resources to support your post. (Analysis)
Once this group activity was concluded, the participants were able to log in to Canvas in order gain more insights about blended learning. The participants were encouraged to either watch a video, to read an article or visit the #blendedlearing using Twitter before choosing a prompt to write in the discussion board.
Please choose one of the topics below and create a post in the discussion board. Once you have created the post, please read a post from another colleague and share your thoughts, comments or questions with him or her. If it is possible, provide an image, the link to an article or to a video in your post that supports the topic that you have chosen.
- After this learning experience, how do you plan to incorporate blended learning in your classroom?
- What model of blended learning have you used in your classroom? Share a successful lesson.
- If you were a student in your class, how do you think you would feel using Canvas? What are the pros and cons of using a LMS for high school students?
- What would you like to learn about blended learning and Canvas?
For the online course, I will continue to promote critical thinking by asking extension and redirection questions in the discussion board for the online learners to continue to dive deeper in the topic.
Extension: What is the role of the instructor in the blended environment? As an instructor, how would you balance the amount of online and face-to-face instruction? Create a sample lesson and share it in the discussion board. I would ask the students to provide feedback to the sample lesson shared by other peers as well. (Synthesis)
Redirection: What would you recommend to a colleague that would like to start using blended learning in his or her classes? (Synthesis)
Finally, the students will be able to create a self-reflection either in their eportfolio or in a different post about what they have learned about "Blended Learning". What were the aha moments...? (Reflection)