January Newsletter

Blended Learning Department

In this issue:

Reflection: Taking a Break
Did you Know? Canvas Parent Observer Accounts
Reflecting on Blended Learning goals
Best Practices: Self-Reflection (tips and ideas)
Monthly checklist: Try something new!

How Can I Self-Reflect Using Swivl?
Monthly Digital Citizenship Focus
BL Resources
January Reflection Challenge
Road Trip Challenge: Chance to win!

Reflection: Taking a Break

It's mid-day at the amusement park and everyone's tummy is starting rumble. We take a break to eat and reflect on the day so far. People talk about their favorite rides, the lines, and tell anecdotes about the different activities of the day. Before they leave the restaurant, they make a plan for which ride they are going to hit first once they leave. The lunch break is important because it give amusement park goers the chance to reflect, relive, and rejoice, as well as a chance to make a plan for the second half of the day.

As we start off 2024 and as we close in on the halfway point of our school year, we encourage you to self-reflect on your blended learning journey. What have you tried that has gone well? Have you made progress? Did you make the right choices? What would you do differently next time? Which goal or goals are you still working on and are there any new goals you want to work toward? This newsletter will help lead you through answering these important questions and to make a plan for the remainder of the year.

Did You Know?--Canvas Parent Observer

Did you know that you can have parents sign up for a Canvas Parent Observer account? As an observer parents can see grades, assignments, events, and course interactions for the students they are linked with as observers. Once they become an observer for their child, they will stay an observer, as long as the student remains in GCS. Click HERE for step-by-step instructions. Teachers, be sure to scroll to the end of these instructions to see a note on how to generate pairing codes for all of your students.

Reflecting on our Blended Learning Goals

Whether you have been dabbling in some blended learning best practice or you have mastered all of your blended learning goals, now is the perfect time to create a new blended learning plan for semester 2.

If you haven't set any blended learning goals for the second-half of the year follow these steps:

1) Review the Blended Learning Best Practices Document. Is there an area that you would like to work on? Does one stand out as an area for improvement?

2) If yes, skip to step 3. If no, complete this Blended Learning Self-Evaluation Form. It will help bring to light in which focus area you could grow the most.

3) Now that you have identified the focus area, it is time to select some best practices to work on that will support that focus area. Please complete this blended learning plan. An example plan can be found HERE.

Best Practices: Self-Reflection

As we have experienced our first half of the day at the amusement park, lets take a moment to reflect on our day at lunch. Over the last couple of months we have investigated all of the Blended Learning focus areas and now it is time to reflect on our journey. Whether it be photos, video, or a light conversation that we have documented our experience on, it is important to think about the good times, the bumps in the road, and what we would do differently moving forward in our day.

In the article "The Role of Self Reflection in Teacher Effectiveness" Amanda Fuechtmann states "According to the Cambridge Dictionary, self-reflection is "the activity of thinking about your own feelings and behavior and the reasons that may lie behind them." While many individuals acknowledge the importance of self-reflection in their personal lives, some may wonder how this action can improve interactions in the classroom. The act of self-reflection allows teachers to recognize recurring patterns in their teaching to focus on what is most effective, avoid complacency, gain the ability to act more intentionally, and identify areas of improvement."

Here are a few things to consider as you look at self-reflecting on your teaching practices:

Try a New Idea

THIS or THAT choice board: Example1, Example 2: website (free template from website)
Checkout and use the VR Kits to take your students on a virtual reality expedition. Here is the list of expeditions. You can sign up to check out a VR Kit here.
Take your class on a virtual field trip using Google Earth (tutorial). Start by using some already created virtual field trips.
Try this new SWIVL Strategy with your students.

How Can I Self-Reflect Using SWIVL Sessions?

SWIVL Sessions is a great tool to use for self-reflection. With Sessions you are able to set a goal and then reflect on this particular goal. You are able to add video evidence to the goal you have set to support your achievement of the goal and to aid in the reflection process. Here are a couple of resources to help you with using SWIVL Sessions.

Monthly Digital Citizenship Lessons

Short lessons and activities to teach digital citizenship are available again this year for all grade levels on the Guilford is Cyber Safe website. There are lessons on themed topics for each month, October through April. Please share these resources with staff members at your school.

Congratulations to Jill McClanahan at Western Guilford Middle for being our December Challenge winner! Mrs. McClanahan submitted a Hyperdoc playlist that she created on Socratic Seminars. She has won a $25 gift card from Dewey's Bakery, a Trader Joe's gift bag filled with treats valued at $30, and a tote from Simply Southern. We are grateful to all of our partners for their generous donations:

Dewey's Bakery, Friendly Center

Trader Joe's, Battleground Ave.

Simply Southern, Friendly Center

Resources

BL Resource Website: Visit our website for all things blended learning. Locate your blended learning specialist, find out about our virtual course offerings,

District-Provided Tools Database: Want to know what digital resources we have for you? Check out the district's Air Table. You can filter to find the information you need.

Resources Document for Best Practices: If you like the Blended Learning Look-for document but feel like you need to know more, please check out our resource page that directly aligns with each of the blended learning focus areas.

Digital Learning Resources Canvas Page: Need help with one of our GCS district-provided resources? Visit our digital learning resource page to find video tutorials and instructional guides on anything from Swivl to Canvas.

✨January Reflection Challenge✨

3 winners will be chosen to receive a Starbucks gift card from Swivl
Enter to win: Log into Reflectivity and post a written reflection. Be sure to share with Jessica Lamberth (lamberj2) to enter the challenge.

Reflectivity provides a space to create a portfolio of growth. One of the best ways to target those little things that "bug you" in your classroom is through collaboration and reflection. Reflectivity helps you plan the steps to take while allowing you to share or get ideas from your colleagues.

Step by step guide: Use Reflectivity for collaborative reflection
Video guide: Use Reflectivity for collaborative reflection

Last Day to submit your Reflection Challenge entry is Monday, January 29th. Thank you to SWIVL for partnering with us for this challenge!

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Blended Learning Network:

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