Blended learning CoAching tips and Tricks

10/6/2018

October 1st through the 5th, 2018

Wow, this was a fantastic week for blended learning coaching. The DSD Professional Development Team worked with three school districts from across the country. Below are some of the highlights and resources from each school visit, coaching sessions, and professional development workshop.

Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District

I got the pleasure of spending three days with Bertha, Sheri, and Arielle as we traveled to twelve buildings within the SMMUSD. We visited the classrooms, met with teachers, and shared out ideas on how to implement blended learning into the K-12 classroom setting. Most of the teachers were working in Phase 1 blended learning environment with aspects of Phase 2 after 26 days of school.

Key Take Aways

Create a Ghost Group:
What is a Ghost Group? When setting up a Phase 1 blended learning environment, set up five learning studios. Break your class into four groups. Start a group out in the Mini-Lesson, Digital Content, Future Ready Skills, and Vocabulary learning studios. After the first ten minutes, students will rotate to the next learning studio. The students that were in the Mini-Lesson are now working in the Independent Learning studio.

Create a Leader and Leave Behind:
While watching the students moving from one learning studio to the next during a Phase 1 learning environment, I noticed that sometimes the students had a hard time getting started because they did not know what to do at each learning studio. (Yes, the direction were posted at each learning studio, but the students still had a hard time understanding the process at times) My coaching tip was to generate a leader and a leave behind for each group. The role of the leader would be to read the directions to the group, help to answer questions, and make sure that everyone in the group gets started promptly. When the ten minutes is up, the group will leave one student behind to help explain the directions, process, and tips to the next group leader or group. Once the group gets the gist of the learning objective, the leave behind joins back up with his group.

Technology Tools

Seesaw.me and Freckle.com were the big technology tools that we mentioned during the three days of instructional coaching.

Seesaw.me

We saw Kindergarten students posting videos and voice comments showcasing how they created a collection of ten objects. Then the video could be shared out with the parents through the Seesaw.me App.
We saw 5th-grade students showcasing their math process by recording themselves on Seesaw.me walking through the math problem step by step.
We shared out to the high school Foreign Language classrooms on how to use Seesaw.me during a learning studio to have the students practice fluency.

Freckle.com

Freckle.com was used frequently in the 1st through 5th grade math classrooms. The teachers were using the program in the digital content area as an adaptive technology program. The teachers then would use the data to drive the mini-lessons. Our next step with the teachers would be to develop data binders and use the freckle.com data as a tool to help set personalized learning goals for the week.

Photo Gallery

My Week in Numbers

12 Comments

Debbie Parker

4/2/2021 02:19:20 pm

I like the idea of ghost groups. Being able to see all groups on the first day before they ever start to practice is genius. Kids sometimes have a hard time getting started so this allows teachers to work with them first before they go to practice. Tech tools we use at our campus too. Seesaw lets kids upload their work for feedback and Freckle allows students to work on a set skill/objective and gives the teacher feedback/data to determine small groups and lets them know who needs a re-teach.

Kristy Strong

4/3/2021 02:53:09 pm

I like the idea of ghost groups. I feel like teachers would want to meet with the students before sending them off to do independent work if it's a new skill. I also like the idea of a group leader and a leave behind. I think this would help groups transition better because someone is there to give them a better understanding of the activity.

Beth Muyskens

4/3/2021 03:40:08 pm

Using a Ghost Group allows the teacher to meet with all students when teaching a new topic. I think adding this “extra” group will be very helpful when a teacher is presenting a skill or strategy that is “new” for the teacher. Sometimes when teaching a skill in a new way, the teacher doesn’t know how much help or aid t students need to be successful. The teacher can start with the top group and she can make modifications to the lesson before she works with a group that might need more structure or teacher clarification.

Carrie Higgins

4/4/2021 03:03:32 pm

I like the idea of ghost groups. The teachers will have the opportunity to meet with all of their students before having them practice the skill. I think this is especially important with new skills. I also like how the vocabulary studio gives students the opportunity to practice/review academic vocabulary they have already learned which will keep it in the forefront of their minds. I like the leader and leave behind in groups. This will definitely help with students getting started right away.

Christina Sanchez

4/4/2021 04:14:22 pm

Ghost groups are a great idea. Seeing the groups before you let them out is a great practice. I think this is a great way to get the students started. Sometimes, it takes students a hard time to get started, so this way they have a base of where to start.

Susan Blowey

4/4/2021 06:50:10 pm

I love the idea for a ghost group studio! This studio provides a great extension for students to practice the skill they just learned with the teacher before going on to other studios. I also love the addition of the vocabulary studio for students to be able to use the academic vocabulary and reinforce the content as a review or extension activity. Creating a leader to leave behind in each studio to get the next group started is a great idea also. This system allows for the teacher to be able to focus on her group of students and know that the experts in the room can help to answer questions and get groups started for her.

Dorie Glynn

4/4/2021 08:27:18 pm

I like the idea of the ghost group. This makes sure that the students see the teacher before they complete their independent work. Many teachers are worried about this. I think this strategy would definitely help put the teachers mind at ease when teaching a new lesson. I also like the leader/leave behind model to help the students feel more certain of the task at hand

Laura Alexander-Wilson

7/16/2021 01:55:20 pm

I like the idea of learning leaders to help get groups started. This would help put students who are confused on the right path as they start the studio without requiring assistance from the teacher. Ghost groups also allow the teacher time to adjust material for student groups if they see a trend developing and need to clarify a part of the lesson.

Edward link

4/11/2022 03:49:00 am

What an exquisite article! Your post is very helpful right now. Thank you for sharing this informative one.

Kimberly Halligan

4/19/2022 04:13:33 pm

Ghost groups actually fixes a "problem" a lot of teachers have expressed in relation to students not being able to do independent practice as their starting group. I REALLY love the fact that teachers can use their "ghost group" time to assist students who are struggling with concepts or catching up students who were absent the day before. It's a great solution and adds in another great group for vocabulary. Love it.

Miah Leey link

5/16/2022 05:40:43 am

Thanks for sharing this useful information! Hope that you will continue with the kind of stuff you are doing.

Zoe link

5/16/2022 05:42:25 am

Nice article! Thanks for sharing this informative post. Keep posting!