Reaction to Chapter 5

Chapter 5 focuses on assessing and reflecting on whether one's blended learning class is a success or not. While one spends a lot of time putting together materials and planning the use of those materials effectively, it is also important to think critically about the course itself and whether the goals of the class were met or not.

Chapter 5 also provides some suggestions on how to assess the effectiveness of the blended learning class. Some of those suggestions include asking students for feedback via a survey, asking a colleague for suggestions, and writing down one's teaching goals and constantly checking if those goals were met or not. All of these suggestions are something that I can definitely utilize for my blended learning class.

One point that Chapter 5 emphasizes is the use of outside course standards and how these course standards may not fully capture one's own classroom environment. Course standards do help educators in setting up activities and learning outcomes, and they are a guide for instructors, especially new instructors, in making sure that the learning activities are meeting a specific outcome. I do agree with the authors that sometimes these course standards do not always capture everyone's learning environment. For instance, as an ESL (English as a Second Language) instructor, some content standards do not take into consideration that students may not speak English as a first language. Therefore, when adapting these course standards, I need to implement a language standard to measure how the activity helps the students with their language learning abilities. To my knowledge, I do not know if the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) organization has online learning standards that I can follow. So, for now, I can further adapt current course standards to fit my classroom environment with the help of my colleagues and the feedback of my students.

Reaction to Chapter 4

After reading more about what blended learning is and the things that are needed to be taken into consideration before implementing blended learning, this week's chapter focused more on the actual content itself and what instructors need to do before implementing that content.

Below are the questions that I will try to reflect on and answer:

• How will you present content to students in the blended learning course you are designing? Will students encounter content only in one modality (e.g., face-to-face only), or will you devise an approach in which content is introduced in one modality and elaborated upon in the other? 

I hope to use a mixture of both face-to-face and online. Perhaps I can introduce the content online and elaborate upon it face-to-face with the students or vice versa. I think a lot of it has to do with the content as well as the goals of the module itself. Sometimes there could be some modules that have you rely on face-to-face interactions, especially if it's something that can only be demonstrated live, while there are objectives where both modalities can work.

• Will there be a consistent pattern to the presentation of content, introduction of learning activities, student submission of assignments, and instructor feedback (formal and informal) in your blended learning course? How can you ensure that students experience your course as one consistent whole rather than as two loosely connected learning environments?

I teach English language learners, and I think in the beginning, some consistency is needed. Some of my students may be familiar with using the technology, but they may not be used to using the technology for a class. There may be others who may not have access to technology or limited experience with it, and so they will need to learn how to be comfortable with using the technology. So, definitely for the first part of class, consistency is needed. I also think that students need to see things as a whole, so making sure that my objectives are clear and that all of my assignments are clearly meeting the objectives should help.

• How can specific technologies help you present content, provide meaningful experiences, and pitch integration to students in your blended course? With your planned technology use, are you stretching yourself, biting off more than you can chew, or just maintaining the status quo?

While face-to-face interaction can be helpful, sometimes I think certain technologies can help students get something more from an experience and a class. For instance, with the communicative tools, students are able to share their views on a subject and help each other with the content by collaborating with each other online. With the experiential tools, the students can take it one step further by working together on a project (which can range from videos to experiments) and learn how to communicate with each other. They can also walk away with a product that they can share with future employers and their family. I think I am maintaining the status quo with just using online tools for posting information, but if I push myself to have more experimental experiences in a blended learning environment, then I am stretching myself as an instructor.

Reaction to Chapter 3

After spending some time thinking and working on a basic syllabus and course plan for a blended class, this week's reading focused on assessments. More specifically, the chapter focused on how assessments would be used in a blended learning class.

From reading this chapter and from listening to other colleagues' experiences using online assessment tools, I would not rely on online assessments as my sole form of assessment. As the chapter points out, there are some technical issues that can occur as the students are completing the assessment. I have heard from some colleagues that the LMS that is supporting the assessment can sometimes freeze or the server can shut down as the student is completing the task. Sometimes in one of our computer labs at the place I work, if the student turns off the computer after finishing the task, then it can impact the other students' computers by shutting their computers off as well. Instead, I can use the online assessment as another way for students to practice and count that assessment score for something else. I will instead rely on face-to-face tests and quizzes for the test/quiz portion of the grade.

I do think that online work can be a helpful tool for students to complete tasks, whether it is by themselves or in groups. Some of the examples provided in the chapter are great, including one-sentence summaries, submitting logs, and working on group videos and recordings. I think it is collaboration among others, whether it's with others in the same class or in other places, that demonstrates the best qualities of blended learning. The trick is to set up the right situation with good activities that address the learning standard and assessments that accurately reflect what is being done.

Reaction to Chapter 2

From reading Chapter 2, I learned the importance of interaction and how it should be something that guides me through the planning of a blended learning class. While I have tried implementing online components to my classes, I have struggled with keeping the interaction going. After awhile, my online components become more or less a place for me to dump something and for the students to check for something instead of a place for interaction. This chapter has provided some good advice and information for me to utilize in my future classes.

For instance, the chapter suggests varying the different kinds of activities by modifying the media used. Since I normally use online discussions, maybe I can have the students do something else. Instead of writing a response to something, then maybe the students can videotape their response or record themselves instead. Instead of me being in charge of the facilitation, I can assign others to do that role, as suggested by the authors.

I do think that there needs to be a purpose for these blended activities. It's not enough for me to put these activities together for the sake of the students. Some of this needs to come from an understanding of what my role is. Although the chapter provides examples of the different roles of the teacher, I still feel that my role as a blended learning instructor is that of a coach: I am there to give guidance and support as my students try to navigate their learning of a language and expressing it through various tools. Sometimes I will need to push my students harder than in other times. However, as long as I provide clear instructions with opportunities for interaction and expression, I can help my students reach their learning goals. 

Reaction to Chapter 1

Blended learning is not necessarily a new concept for me, as I have heard it being bantered around for several years among other teachers and education specialists in the field. From what I have heard and read so far, blended learning seems like something that I can do to benefit my students and their learning. However, from reading this chapter, there are some things I need to do and think about before implementing blended learning in my English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom.

• Is it most helpful to think of blended learning as an online enhancement to a face-to-face learning environment, a face-to-face enhancement to an online learning environment, or as something else entirely?

I think it is helpful to think of blended learning as an online enhancement to a face-to-face learning environment. In my current teaching environment, I see my students practically every day, so there is ample opportunity for students to interact with me in the classroom. However, a lot of my students are studying for exams to enter university. I think that having students do some online activities outside of the classroom that can prepare them for both the classroom and the testing situations can be beneficial for them. Then, we can use the face-to-face classes as an opportunity to build onto the learning they do outside of the classroom. 

• What could make blended learning the “worst of both worlds"?

While I see a lot of benefits for blended learning in my classroom environment, I can see a lot of problems and disadvantages if I do not use blended learning effectively. As Chapter 1 mentions, "Technology should not be used to show off technology."   I need to make sure that I carefully plan the process, including thinking carefully about the outcomes and goals of my activities and how blended learning can help me reach my teaching and learning goals.

I also have to think about my students' experiences with technology. What technology tools do they know how to use? Can they access these tools outside of the classroom? What are their other roles and obligations outside of the classroom? This may impact how often I would use blended learning in my teaching context.

• What will my blend be?

This is something I need to think more carefully, but I would like to see how I can blend the grammar activities that I do in my classes so I can spend more time with them practicing and using the language instead of teaching/lecturing to my students on how to use the language.