“Blended Learning in the High School Science Classroom” Using Digital Tools to Enrich Learning – Article Outline Jonathan Thompson EDLD 5317

Topic of Article My topic of interest involves the implementation of a “blended learning” style of teaching with a secondary school science course, such as chemistry, physics, or biology. It is my belief that engaging students in these classes with today’s digital tools can only enrich their cognitive, analytical, and social thinking skills. The article I write will investigate the overall effectiveness of the blended learning style (for high schoolers in particular) and survey the digital tools that are available to teachers and students.

Connection to My Innovative Plan My plan for the 2017-18 school year involves creating a blended learning environment for both of my classes; forensic science and IPC (integrated physics & chemistry). Technology implementation on my campus has been quite slow, despite the fact that it has 1-to-1 devices for almost every student. Teachers, particularly in science, have often been found struggling to find the best digital tools and methods for innovating their classrooms. It is my goal to become one of the first science teachers to successfully cultivate a blended learning environment that involves seamless integration of digital tools. Once I achieve this goal, I will train the other science teachers on how to innovate their respective classes to achieve similar success.

Practicality for Helping Others The teachers I work with are excellent people who naturally struggle with the learning hump of technology, especially in consideration that technology advances so rapidly that we do not feel that we have the time to adequately master it. There is a general worry that stems from our “digital illiteracy.” My intention is to ease this worry by documenting and then demonstrating practical things that can be done to create a blended learning environment for teachers of any expertise level.

Lessons Learned (Research) Blended learning is not an “all or nothing” type of deal, but can be implemented in smaller steps and at specific levels of institutional engagement (Zimmer, 2017). This finding suggests that there can be a gradual process of adopting digital learning tools, rather than rushing to master all of them at once, thereby easing potential anxieties. A recent study demonstrated the effectiveness of blended learning specifically in the context of a science classroom (Stockwell et. al., 2015). It was determined that in-class problem solving improved exam performance, and video assignments increased attendance and satisfaction. Certainly, blended learning must be beneficial to science education!

Included Digital Resources (This outline, along with the completed article, will both be available on my ePortfolio / blog site: jdteducation.wordpress.com)

Journal of Technology Submission Guidelines I wish to submit my article to the Journal of Technology because I would like to add to its collection of literature dealing specifically with education. Any article to be submitted for consideration must meet some of the following criteria: Must conform to the latest edition of the APA Publication Manual. Must be original, represent work of the named authors, not be under consideration elsewhere, and not be published elsewhere in English or any other language. Manuscripts should be no more than 25 double- spaced and unjustified pages, including references. Abstracts are required and should be no longer than 250 words. Also required is a list of keywords from your paper in your abstract. Typescript should be 12 point Times New Roman or a close approximation.

References Stockwell, B. R., Stockwell, M. S., Cennamo, M., & Jiang, E. (2015). Blended Learning Improves Science Education. Cell, 162(5), 933-936. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2015.08.009 Zimmer, S. (2017). Blended Learning. Research Starters: Education,