November Newsletter

Blended Learning Department

In this issue:

Differentiation
Did you Know? Distance Learning Resource Course
Blended Learning Best Practices: Differentiation
Blended Learning Focus: Differentiation
Monthly checklist (videos you may need now)

Differentiation-specific resources
Professional Learning Opportunities
BL Resources
Differentiation Challenge: Chance to win!

Differentiation

Seems like every amusement park has a fun factory. Whether we go through the hall of mirrors, down a dark hallway with tipping floors, or across the revolving barrels, the idea is that you leave having had fun. In the classroom, the goal is success or mastery of the standard, but their are variety of ways that this can be achieved. A student's path to mastery does not have to be the same as the student in the next seat. Differentiation allows us to provide work that will meet a student where they are, in order to get them where they need to be. This newsletter will focus on a variety of classroom practices that can assist with them and the tools that can support these efforts.

Did You Know?

The Blended Learning Department has a public-facing Canvas course which is referred to as the Distance Learning Resource (DLR) course. In this course there are resources and "how-to" guides for all of our district provided resources that the Blended Learning Department supports. This course can be found here.

Blended Learning Best Practices: Differentiation

While students must learn the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, the path in which they take to master these standards does not have to look the same. Differentiation allows students to learn in a variety of ways and can even provide students with choice over how they can show what they've learned. This month's newsletter will focus on how we can best meet the needs of individual learners, while maintaining a rigorous curriculum.

Blended Learning Focus: Differentiation

Just as amusement parks, carnivals, and fairs have different rides and activities, differentiating instruction provides learners with various options and choices of mastering the same objective. We may all have a different amusement park experience but we master the same objective--"fun".

In the article "What is Differentiated Instruction?" Carol Ann Tomlinson provides the working definition as, "tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction. "

Here are a few things to consider as you look at building a lesson that promotes differentiation.

Monthly Checklist

Consider...

Differentiation-Specific Resources

(*While these resources are free, they are not district-supported).

Newsela: Students are able to read the same current events content, but it is differentiated to fit the needs of the specific student.
SlidesMania: Offers engaging choice board templates that can be used for PowerPoint or Google Slides.
GimKit: A game show for the classroom that requires knowledge, collaboration, and strategy to win. Students answer questions on their own device at their own pace. Throughout a kit, each student will get exposure to questions multiple times to ensure mastery.

Professional Learning Opportunities

Blended Learning has released all Fall Professional Development offerings. Interested staff may now register in Performance Matters.

Fall Blended Learning Offerings:

Self-Paced Trainings: Self-paced sessions run from October 2nd- January 8th

Online Virtual Trainings

For questions, please contact Shannon Franklin.

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.

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.

Congratulations to Rosalind Tarver, from Hunter Elementary School. She was the November Rigor/Mastery Challenge winner for her submission of a Canvas Quiz she had created. Mrs. Tarver won a $25 gift card to Taco Mama, a Simply Southern tote, a Chick-fil-A entree card, and a coupon for a treat at Dewey's. We are grateful to our community partners. We could not offer such wonderful prizes without them:

Taco Mama - Battleground Ave.

Simply Southern- Friendly Center

Chick-fil-A - Battleground

Dewey's Bakery- Friendly Ave.

Differentiation Challenge

How do you promote differentiation in your classroom?

Please submit a screenshot of one of the following to THIS LINK. Once you submit your screenshot, you will automatically be entered into a drawing for a prize.
- - - - HyperDoc that you have created.
        Canvas Mastery Path that you have created.
        Google Jamboard that shows differentiated instruction.
        Digital choice board that you have created.

Last Day to submit your Differentiation Challenge entry is Wednesday November 29th.

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