Through a combination of blended learning, individualized instruction, and enthusiasm, online biology teacher Leslie Fetzer’s dedication to helping her special-needs students develop core learning skills contributed to her new title as the 2012 National Online Teacher of the Year for K-12 education.
Fetzer said that teaching online lets her instantly individualize instruction for her students, and she is able to personalize lessons to appeal to each student’s own areas of interest or preferences. Access to different online tools and technologies is an added benefit.
Research by the U.S. Department of Education shows that students in online learning environments perform modestly better, on average, than those learning the same material through traditional face-to-face instruction, and that blending online and face-to-face instruction increases that advantage.
retrieval-based learning refers to the repeated recall of newly learned information in various situations or study sessions. It’s been shown to be much more effective than study without recall practice.
Spaced learning involves learning or studying the same information over intervals in time, rather than all at once, which is known as massed learning.
Gamification applies game design principles and mechanics to non-game experiences to increase engagement.
With the rise of standards-based instruction, districts and schools have been seeking out the best tools to foster it. Standards-Based grade books have been created is response to this need. As with educational changes, there are exciting potentials and pitfalls. First of all, here is what works when using the standards-based grade book:
1) Ensures targeted Assessment and Rubrics
2) Continuity across Classes and Teacher
While the Standards-based grade book is helping to ensure better teaching and instruction, we need to make sure that fosters innovation in education. In general there needs to be some flexibility in the creation and utilization of the grade book between the school and provider. In order to do that, here are some tips for not only those constructing the grade book, but also for the teachers using it.
1) Make sure the Grade book allows for 21st Century Skills
2) Make sure there is place for Formative Assessments
Children born in the 1990s, dubbed the “iGeneration” by Rosen, live in a time of rapidly changing technology, in which they are constantly connected to a number of mobile technologies. Rosen said the “i” stands for both the technologies these students use—such as the iPod, iPhone, and Wii—and the individualized ways in which students use these tools.
make sure your learning technology platform can launch a mobile course.
You want to spur the adoption of mobile learning. So direct users to a course that’s only available in a mobile format. Make the course easy to access.
The goal is delivering a lot of instructional value in a small package.