1. Independence, Critical Thinking, and Blended Learning
Anastasia M. Trekles, Ph.D.
Clinical Associate Professor
Purdue University Northwest
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2. Objectives This session will help you:
Discuss and network with other educators about your blended learning experiences
Incorporate scaffolding in the online arena that promotes independent learning
Adapt and use research-based, future-ready frameworks for online and blended curriculum development

3. What is Blended Learning?
Some people call it hybrid, digital learning, or some other name
The NMC Horizon Report tells us that distance and blended learning is still on the rise in schools nationwide; more and more Indiana schools are embracing it
Is your school doing online snow days? Blended lessons? Flipped classrooms? Using an LMS?

4. Here’s the real question:
What makes blended learning work well?
Add your ideas to the Padlet:

5. Student Readiness for Online Learning
Students (and teachers!) should be independent and intrinsically motivated
Technology support should be readily available and skills adequate for the tasks required – “digital natives” aren’t always as tech-savvy as you may think!
Time management skills are key – students unable to budget their time will have difficulty

6. Events of Instruction
The things we need to do to make sure learning happens
Analyze any of your lessons and think about how you go through the Events of Instruction
When do you loop back? When can you move forward?
What can this look like when you’re not there to guide the lesson?

7. Independent Learning
Develops self-regulation, patience, social awareness
Allows children to initiate activities and find resources
Increases problem solving and goal-setting skills
Helps them develop their own scaffolds to promote learning
Hear from real kids:
Apps that promote independent learning for students can include:
Symbaloo
Forest
Pattern
Google Keep
TodaysMeet
Newsela
Kidspiration
Evernote
LiveBinder

8. Question Time! (add to the Padlet)
What does your blended or online program look like now? (if you have one)
What’s good about it?
How could it be better?
Don’t have a program yet but want one? What needs do you have to consider?

9. Planning to Blend Consider this “flowchart” as you plan
Provide support throughout the journey for teachers AND students
All areas should be considered - don’t leave anything out!

10. What Does Good Blended Learning Look Like?
Can take lots of forms
Sometimes your technology dictates certain functionality, but the right components should always be present:
Intuitive navigation
Clear learning objectives and scaffolded structure
Just-in-time support
Some examples:
Walkthroughs from winners of BlackBoard exemplary course program
Canvas example courses
Walkthrough of Google Classroom example courses
Log in to example courses from a school using Schoology

11. Assessing Your Blend
Even when you’re doing “blended” and not “online” these rubrics help ensure the support is there for independent learning to happen
Several great rubrics are available to act as a “checklist” of best practices
Quality Matters
Rubric for Online Instruction from CSU
Assessment tool from Massachusetts Department of Education
iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses

12. More Resources List of quizzes for online student readiness
K-12 Blended and Online Learning open educational resource from Kennesaw State University

13. Contact me: atrekles@pnw.edu @iceindiana @instruct_tech
Questions? Ideas?
Contact me:
@iceindiana
@instruct_tech