Wired for Blended Learning Success in Science

I recently observed and recorded a whole-group rotation in our Fifth Grade science class, taught by Mike Noll, a teacher trailblazer for hands-on, inquiry based blended learning. Students had already made a circuit offline and were using the simulation software Gizmos to create more complex circuits than they had been able to offline. I wanted to capture and share how blended learning can fit with our inquiry process and the hallmarks of effective teacher practices during this type of lesson. Here’s how the lesson was “wired” for success.

Pre Lesson	Prepping for Personalization: The teacher selected a discovery platform in which students could explore a range of circuit designs, providing a very open-ended creativity path easily aligned with student level of understanding. He also set up the transition materials to give students when they demonstrated the target level of proficiency in the opening task. Offline Modeling: Prior to the digital learning experience, students had build a single circuit model offline. The teacher was able to point to this model and refer students back to it as needed as they created more complex circuits in the digital space. Onboarding Effectively: Prior to beginning, the teacher circulated the room to ensure students were on the correct platform, setting expectations for use of the Gizmos platform. He also demonstrated the tools within the Gizmos platform and explained how students were to use them.
During Lesson	Guide on the Side: Through the activity, the teacher circulated the room frequently to provide feedback and prompt further learning based on each student’s progress. This role was mainly to provoke further inquiry and to help students reach a more complex application of their developing understanding. Formative Assessment & Adjustment: There were many moments for the teacher to receive formative assessment data as he circulated and viewed the student work on the Gizmos platform. He was able to spot where students were excelling to push them to a more rigorous application and where students were struggling to provide more support via the offline models and analogies. Personalizing Challenge & Pace: Based on the formative data, the teacher provided different paths, encouraging students to be creative and complex in their designs, then transitioning them to the offline written tasks which would require them to demonstrate their understanding in a different manner. Students transitioned to the next level of the assessment tiers at different points throughout the lesson.
Post Lesson	Assessment: In science, students are able to share their understanding beyond individual assessments via Schoology discussions and class presentations, further extending the blended balance and balance between individual exploration and shared experiences.