LASD and Khan Academy Pilot

The Innosight Institute, a non-profit think tank that focuses its attention on innovative problem solving strategies, recently published a report entitled “The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning.”  In their report, the institute defined blended learning as “any time a student learns at least in part at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home and at least in part through online delivery with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace.”  This definition encompasses what is occurring in my math class with the Khan Academy.

As part of their recent investigation into online learning in classrooms, Innosight Institute researchers identified six blended learning models currently being used in K-12 learning environments to deliver instruction.  Their report includes descriptions of the Online Driver, Self-Blend, Online Lab, Flex, Rotation, and Face-to-Face Driver Models.

My classroom frequently utilizes three of the six models.  I use the Rotation Model almost daily as I set aside a portion of our class time for students to work on personal goals using the Khan Academy.  The Face-to-Face Driver Model surfaces when I direct students toward specific Khan Academy modules and/or videos for remediation or to supplement what we are studying.  When the Khan Academy aligns well with our 7^th grade pre-algebra curriculum, I find myself using the Flex Model by allowing Sal Khan to deliver the direct instruction via his online videos as I provide support by way of one-on-one tutoring and flexible grouping based on student needs.  These models enable me to provide individualized instruction to my students using the Khan Academy as our “online delivery” system.

The blended learning model I choose to use on a given day varies depending on the content being covered, student need, and time constraints.  This variation means that my classroom looks different each day.  Having the flexibility to employ the various approaches to blended learning has provided me with a creative outlet for curriculum design, has reenergized my classroom, and has kept my students engaged.  With the Khan Academy, I am able to provide the best of both worlds of education — brick-and-mortar as well as the online world – to my students each day in a blended learning environment.

This entry was posted on March 4, 2011 at 11:50 pm and is filed under Grade 7, Teacher. Tagged: blended learning, khan academy blended learning, math blended learning, pre-algebra. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.