Introduction to the Unified Classroom - Utilising the Strengths of Blended Learning in Literacy and...

Introduction to the Unified Classroom - Utilising the Strengths of Blended Learning in Literacy and Reading InstructionMorten Fahlvik Head of Centre for new mediaBergen University college - Norway

NESTA Report UK

«We found proof by putting learning first.»

“Too much time, effort and money has been spent looking for the digital silver bullet to transform learning rather than evolving teaching practice to make the most of technology.”

Learning in the future…. View from the past

Illustration av Fransk kunstner - Villemard in 1910

“Blended learning is both simple and complex. At its simplest, blended learning is the thoughtful integration of classroom face-to-face learning experiences with online learning experiences.“

Kanuka, Heater og Garrison, Randy D. (2004)«Blended learning: Uncovering its transformative potential in higher education», University of Calgary

1. Blended learning

What are the best qualities of the physical classroom?

What are the best qualities of the online classroom?

2. The Blended / Unified ClassroomHomework

ICT supported classwork

ICT supported homework

3. Understanding by design & Backward planning

”Reading is the skill”Doug Lemov

4. Reading comprehension

“Blended reading instruction” in every subject

What is important when it comes to reading instruction?

What is important when working with reading comprehension?

Inspired by Concept oriented reading instruction

Reading instruction / comprehension

• Activate pre-knowledge & Inquiry• Vocabulary and terminology• Motivation - Read many times• Productive and receptive dimensions of words• Inferences

- the process of arriving at some conclusion that, tough it is not logically derivable from theassumed premises, possesses some degree ofprobability relative to the premises.

Words:Shape and content

Writing and sound

Receptive and productive dimension

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PI – Pedagogical Imagination (& Technical imagination)PO – Pedagogical Organisation, ER Explorative reasoning (Utforskende Analyse)

Action research

CS – Current situation IS – Imagined situation AS – Arranged situation

Skovmose og Borba 2005

Whole class

Small Group

Individual

Teacher ask a question to students

Students work with question at home and post their answers / thoughts in online discussion

Teacher pick up answers in class

Students discuss in groups

Students present in class

Teaching design

Iteration #1: Simulation

Iteration #2: ”Live”

Iteration #3: Non-fiction text:

Topic:The Ice Age

Goals:• Be able to explain how glaciers

shaped the landscape• Recognize and know the physical

traces of the Ice Age• Be able to calculate the ice

thickness• Be able to place the ice age on

a timeline

• Develop individual reading strategies

• Motivate students to read the text several times

• Increase insight into own reading comprehension

Pre-knowledge

Pupil made page with polls and facts

Online discussion

Question: Why did the ice start to melt by the coast?

Searching for new words

Creating crosswords

NB! All pupils made cross words.

Know – Want to learn - Learned

Reading comprehension in the unified classroom

• A community of learners was established• More pupils were activated• The silent pupils got a voice in class discussions• The pupils were better prepared for class discussions• The teacher gathered evidence of learning• Focus on reading in all subjects not only language classes

Iteration #4 - Science

Working with Vocabularyand Concepts in the blended classroom

• Pupils got more involved with finding the meaning of new words

• ”The quality of student work increases when they create content (crosswords) for each other.”

• The word cloud gave the pupils insight about their own learning compared to their peers

• The teacher gathered evidence of learning

Thank you for your attention

Morten FahlvikHead of Centre for New MediaBergen University College

Morten.Fahlvik@hib.nowww.twitter.com/fahlvik

Thesis: goo.gl/rrFswP