Course | Getting Started With Blended & Online Learning

Meet Your Instructor

Dr. Catlin Tucker
Leading Blended Learning Expert, Author, and Public Speaker

Dr. Catlin Tucker is an education expert, author, and speaker. She has over 16 years of experience in education and is a leading authority on how to effectively use technology in the classroom to improve student learning and increase teacher and student engagement. Dr. Tucker has written numerous articles and books on education and blended learning. She is available to speak at conferences and events.

Dr. Tucker was the 2010 Sonoma County Teacher of the year and also earned her doctorate in learning technologies from Pepperdine University. Currently, Dr. Tucker is working as a blended learning coach, education consultant, and professor in the Masters of Arts in Teaching program at Pepperdine University.

Description

This course guides teachers through the process of designing and facilitating dynamic, student-centered, blended and online learning experiences.

What Is Valuable About the Shift to Blended Learning?

Blended learning is the combination of active, engaged learning online combined with active, engaged learning offline with the goal of giving students more control over the time, place, pace, and path of their learning.

Blended learning allows for greater personalization and flexibility, making learning more accessible, inclusive, and equitable. Blended learning effectively shifts the focus and locus of control from teacher to learner, allowing teachers to focus their energy on working with and supporting individual and small groups of students to ensure all learners progress toward firm standards-aligned goals.


Student Agency
Are you feeling frustrated by your students' lack of motivation?

It's crucial to understand that autonomy and agency are key to enhancing motivation. Blended learning offers a diverse range of instructional approaches designed to remove potential barriers and improve students' motivation and engagement levels.

Self-paced Learning
Are you dealing with unproductive behaviors in your classroom that distract from learning?

Many of the classroom management issues that surface in a classroom result from the misalignment between the pace at which learning is moving and the pace learners actually need it to move. Blended learning shifts some control over pacing to students to combat the challenges presented by a teacher-paced approach.

Differentiation & Personalization
Are you feeling daunted by the diversity of skills, abilities, and language proficiencies in your class?

It is nearly impossible to meet the diversity of needs in a classroom with a one-size-fits-all lesson. Instead, teachers can leverage blended learning models to differentiate and personalize learning to ensure all students are progressing toward firm, standards-aligned goals!

Course Curriculum

Getting Started: Pre-work for your Blended/Online Course
Welcome to the Course
Setting Up Your Technology Toolbox
About Me
Introduction to the Community of Inquiry Theoretical Framework Guided Notes
Blended vs. Online Learning

Module 1: Teaching Presence–Designing Your Blended/Online Course
Lesson 1: Design Your Course Syllabus
Lesson 2: Set Up Your Virtual Classroom
Lesson 3: Curriculum Mapping for First Semester
Lesson 4: Helping Students Get (and Stay) Organized

Module 2: Teaching Presence–Designing Blended/Online Lessons
Lesson 1: Explore the Building Blocks of a Blended/Online Lesson
Lesson 2: Formative Assessment Strategies
Lesson 3: Differentiation
Lesson 4: Student Agency

Module 3: Teaching Presence–Blended/Online Instruction
Introduction: Synchronous vs. Asynchronous instruction
Lesson 1: Asynchronous Instruction–Tips for Creating Strong Video Content & Engaging Students Around that Instruction
Lesson 2: Flip & Engage–Design a Three Part Flipped Lesson
Lesson 3: Synchronous Instruction with Video Conferencing

Module 4: Teaching Presence: Facilitating Learning Online
Lesson 1: Designing Dynamic Discussion Questions
Lesson 2: Teaching Students to Say Something Substantial
Lesson 3: Deciding on a Realistic Facilitation Role
Lesson 4: Facilitating Synchronous Online Discussions

Module 5: Social Presence–Building Community Online
Lesson 1: Creating a Safe Space Online
Lesson 2: Getting to Know Your Students Online
Lesson 3: Building Community with Online Icebreakers
Lesson 4: Checking-in and Asking for Feedback

Module 6: Cognitive Presence–Student-centered Blended/Online Learning
Lesson 1: The Station Rotation Model
Lesson 2: Choice Boards
Lesson 3: Playlist Model
Lesson 4: 5Es Learning Experience

Bonus Module and Resources
Lesson 1: Bookend Your Lessons to Increase Productivity
Lesson 2: Maximizing Productivity in Breakout Rooms
Lesson 3: Preparing For, Facilitating & Wrapping Up Synchronous Online Discussions
Preview (and Overview) of the Advancing Blended and Online Learning Course