I am an elementary school teacher with a great interest in using technology as a teaching tool. I’ve had the pleasure of teaching grades two, three, and four for the past eight years of my teaching career. During this time, I employed both online and blended learning methods. Both of these experiences have numerous advantages and disadvantages. I’ve used Google Classroom as my LMS (learning management system) throughout my online and blended learning experiences.
When our schools were closed due to the COVID 19 pandemic, I used online learning to teach grade three. This was an entirely online learning format that included live video conferencing via Google Meet, as well as pre-recorded videos via Screencastify and digital assignments. This style of teaching presented numerous obstacles due to my students living in rural areas and have varying socioeconomic backgrounds, making it difficult to constantly have access to the essential technology and resources for online learning. Several of my students struggled to finish homework on their own and needed the help of their parents. Parental assistance was not always available because many parents had to continue working. One of the most significant advantages was having extra time to engage with students via one-on-one video conferencing. For example, I worked one-on-one with one of my students who struggled with reading for half an hour every day. In contrast to the classroom, where it would be difficult to devote my full focus to a single student for an extended amount of time. Another advantage was that students may communicate with one another in a secure online setting when it was not safe to meet in person.
After the COVID-19 lockdown was over and life began to return to normal I began using more and more blended learning in my classroom. I often use Epic books for daily reading tasks as students can pick from a large variety of books that interest them. The pandemic lockdown made me realize how I can use technology to better serve my students by diversifying their tasks. Prodigy, a math-related website that helps teach math concepts, is another tool I frequently utilize in my classroom. I give students the opportunity to be more independent and in command of their learning by using technology and internet tools to engage them in their study. Another way that I use blended learning in my classroom is through inquiry projects. Through appropriate internet searches and tiered assignments, I give students opportunities to build research skills and take ownership of their learning.
Prodigy Website Logo
Photo Credit: SagoTucson64, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Throughout EC&I 834, I hope to learn more about developing effective and efficient blended learning strategies that I can take back to my classroom and apply to my teaching in the fall. I hope to learn more about how to critically analyze online and blended learning so that I can provide meaningful blended learning opportunities for my students. As a professional, I see how technology can be used in a meaningful way, however I also see how technology is inappropriately used in the classroom. It is my goal to use technology as a meaningful learning tool in a blended learning environment in my classroom in the future. I can’t wait to dig deeper into properly designing online and blended learning!