iNACOL completed a roadmap for blended learning. These elements include leadership, professional development, teaching, operations/policy, content and technology. Each element is needed in order to have a successful implementation.

1. www.inacol.org
A Roadmap for Implementing
Blended Learning
Dr. Allison Powell
Dr. Rob Darrow
iNACOL
March 2014

2. iNACOL
• iNACOL is the premier K-12 nonprofit in online learning
• Provides leadership, advocacy, research, training, and networking with experts in K-12 online
learning.
– 4400+ members in K-12 online and blended learning in over 50 countries
– Annual conference – iNACOL Blended and Online Learning Symposium: Palm Springs, CA
on November 2 - 4, 2014
• “Ensure every student has access a world class education” regardless of geography, income or
background.
• Next Generation Learning Challenges – Gates Foundation
• CompetencyWorks – Nellie Mae Education Foundation
• Our strategic areas of focus in online and blended learning:
1. Policy
2. Quality
3. New Learning Models

3. Session Focus
• There are 6 Elements to Implementing
and Maintaining a successful blended
learning program
• Promising practices for each element that
can be replicated
• Tools for blended learning
• Observations from NY City Schools

4. My Belief: Tipping Point
• K-12 Online Learning already there (close)
• Every school will become a blended
learning school to better personalize
learning for all students
• Ultimate goal: College and career ready
students and 100% graduation rate

5. This is a journey,
not a destination.
It takes time to transform
thinking and teaching.

6. Defining blended learning

7. Teaching and Learning
What the student is
doing and where the
student is.
What the teacher is
doing and where the
teacher is.
What and where the
content is.

8. Blended Learning Definition
A formal education program in which a
student learns at least in part through online
learning, with some element of student
control over time, place, path and/or pace
and
at least in part in a supervised brick-and-
mortar location away from home, and the
modalities along each student’s learning path
within a course or subject are connected to
provide an integrated learning experience.
(Horn & Staker, 2013)

9. Tech-rich = blended

10. Not About the Technology
• Change in teaching
• Change in learning
• Change in pedagogy
• Things should look different in a blended
learning environment, more student
centric, more personalized learning

11. @MichaelbHorn Tweet
“If you cannot identify
the front of the room,
you are probably in a
disruptive / blended classroom”
– #inacol13, Oct. 2013

12. Mott Hall V, New York City
7th Grade Science
One-to-One
Group Projects

13. Basis for Design Work
• Identified a need to work with experienced
design partner and iLearnNYC
implementation managers to develop and
document effective and replicable blended
learning models that leverage school-based
knowledge and experience
• Identified a need to create a community of
schools who can learn and share with one
another to advance their blended learning
strategies and models

14. iLearnNYC & iNACOL Partnership
• One year – 2012-13 School Year
• Visitations, interactions, focus on 8 lab
schools
– Weekly phone calls with district support staff
– Conversations with administrators, teachers and
students
• End Product: Blended Learning Roadmap
• Currently working on General Blended
Learning Roadmap

15. iNACOL’s Design Structure
Visioning and Fact Finding Activities:
– Ongoing interviews and information gathering from lab schools and cohort schools in
subsequent months
– Development of clear expectations and focus of each of the initial 8 lab schools
– Identifying risks to implementation
Creation, and ongoing guidance in the development, of the Design
Template Toolkit:
– Recommended structures for implementation practices
– A process by which the toolkit gets populated and utilized
– Information and data to use in the Toolkit
– Training in the use and population of the toolkit
Training, Dissemination and Implementation:
– Work collaboratively with schools and support the necessary professional
development activities
– Provide ongoing mentoring
– Coach schools to "roll up their sleeves" and prepare for implementation of specific lab
school model

16. Key Learning
• Clear Goals need to be established, written
and discussed in ongoing way
• Leadership determines sustainability and
success (Administrators and Teachers)
• Collaborative leadership style is essential
• School culture of support, innovation
(it is ok to try and fail)
• Ongoing professional development
(formal and informal)

17. Six Elements Emerged
Result:
A Roadmap for
Blended
Learning
Implementation

18. Successful Blended Learning
involves Six Elements
• Leadership
• Professional Development
• Teaching/Instructional Practice
• Operations/Admin
Systems/Policy
• Content
• Technology

19. Leadership
School Implementation
• Identified administrator/leader and teachers at each school
• Ongoing interactions (one-on-one, formal and informal) and
meetings of those involved in iLearn
• Administrators, teachers and administrators work together
towards the blended learning goals established in each school
Promising Practices
• School culture of innovation and empowerment
• Start small and build
• Communication is strong and occurs between involved people
in a variety of ways (one-to-one, phone, email, chat, etc.)

20. School Example: Leadership
At Mott Hall V:
• Daily walk-throughs at Mott Hall V by
principal and assistant principal
• Weekly meeting time built into school work
day
• Designated lead blended learning teacher

21. Professional Development
School Implementation
• Both formal and informal (Schedule trainings to one-on-one
customized PD)
• Modeling, webinars, small conferences, workshops, cohort
meetings
• Implementation Managers are key
Promising Practices
• Scheduled Time
• Teacher Resources
• Professional Sharing
• School Support

22. School Example: Professional Development
At Goddard HS:
– IM has identified two teachers to work one-
on-one to push individual growth
– Scheduled time to collaborate and share for
participating teachers
– Leadership and IM communicate regularly
about PD needs, offerings and resources to
meet these needs

23. Teaching/Instructional Practices
School Implementation
• Created Resources
– Blended Learning Continuum, Interactive Applet, Blended Learning Rubric
• Support for new blended learning teachers – modeling and
mentoring
• Analyzing real-time data to personalize learning for each student
Promising Practices
• Classroom Setup
• Data Analysis
• Individualized Instruction
• Student Engagement
• Digital Content

24. School Example:
Teaching/Instructional Practice
Olympus Academy has primarily implemented a flex model of
blended learning in which content and instruction are delivered
primarily by the Internet, students move on an individually
customized schedule. A certified teacher along with instructional
support assistants provide face-to-face support through as small-
group instruction, group projects, and individual tutoring.

25. Operations/Management Systems/Policy
School Implementation
• Restructuring of the traditional school class / school day
• Emphasis on using real-time student performance data
• Change in instructional delivery model
Promising Practices
• Operational support
• Policy development examples
• Data-driven instruction

26. School Example: Operations/Management
Systems/Policy
Because Olympus Academy specially targets students who
are at least 16 year of age and are significantly behind in
credit acquisition, school administration and teachers
recognize that students need online content and instructional
practices that is adaptive to their personal needs and allows
for flexibility in pacing.

27. Content
School Implementation
• Common platform
• Content providers to choose from
• Professional development and teacher sharing about content
provider and platform use
Promising Practices
• Content Decision Making (purchase or build your own)
• Customizable platform – many teachers using base curriculum
and supplemental based on student needs
• Customizable for individual student needs

28. School Example: Content
• Expand foreign language options by
offering online French offered by a teacher
at another school (A la carte model)
• Expand AP options by developing AP
Environmental Science (A la carte model)

29. Technology
School Implementation
• School leadership ensures that technology needs of students
and teachers are addressed, and proper training provided.
• Dedicated technical support for the blended learning programs.
• School leadership is visible in their own use of technology;
modeling expectations.
Promising Practices
• Technology Training
• Technology Support
• Hardware and Software Needs

30. School Example: Technology
• Francis Lewis has dedicated tech support onsite to support administrators,
teachers and implementation managers with the network and devices used in
the school.
• Because Francis Lewis instructors involved in the blended learning program
utilize a variety of both vendor content, Open Educational Resources (OER)
materials, and teacher-created online courses, the implementation of common
learning management system is very important

31. Implementation Plan for Roadmap
• Introduce to administrators and teacher
leaders in day long visioning meeting
• 3-5 year implementation plan
• Ongoing meetings of implementation
teams to share what is working / promising
practices

32. Overview of Roadmap Resources
• Continuum from Textbook Enhanced to
Online Teaching and Learning
• Implementation Timelines (Year 1 and 2-4)
• iLearnNYC Observation Form
• Rubric for Blended Learning

33. From Textbook to Online Teaching
Online
Teaching
Textbook
Enhanced
Teaching
Technology
Enhanced
Teaching
Web / Online
Enhanced
Teaching

37. Blended Learning Rubric
1. Leadership
2. New Staff Roles
3. New Student Roles
4. Personalized Learning Plans and Progress
5. Next Generation Curriculum and
Assessment
6. Flexible and Real World Learning
Environments

38. 4-Point Rubric
1. Under Developed
2. Developing
3. Proficient
4. Well Developed

39. Blended Learning Preparation

40. iNACOL Resources
• iNACOL Blended Learning Roadmap (NYC)
• Mean What You Say: Defining and Integrating
Personalized, Blended and Competency
Education
• A Day in the Life of a Blended Learning
Teacher Webinar -
https://sas.elluminate.com/p.jnlp?psid=2013-11-
21.1455.M.A4AD5CB70B5A4D831FFD0B6FB3AD
9A.vcr&sid=253
www.inacol.org/resources

41. • Palm Springs, Ca – Nov. 4-7, 2014
• RFP now available until March 26:
http://www.inacol.org/events/symposium/
• Registration available in April
• Start planning now!

42. www.inacol.org
Thank you!
Questions & Comments
Contact information:
Allison Powell – apowell@inacol.org
Rob Darrow – rdarrow@inacol.org
All Resources and PPT can be downloaded at -
http://aliooplv.pbworks.com/w/page/71411260/Presentations