Blended Learning and Career and Technology Education - Part I: The Definition

In this four-part series, I’ll define blended learning, discuss the models of blended learning, the implications for career and technical education, and how the Curriculum, Assessment, and Digital Delivery (CADD) areas of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education can assist in the implementation of blended learning.

Technology has created a personalized access to the world where we can connect and learn… where we can create and share.  Almost every aspect of our lives have been changed by technology, except... education.

Over the last few years, I’ve entered into blended learning discussions with various people, including educators, and I’m always surprised at their perception of blended learning.  Many believe blended learning occurs when any type of computer-based learning takes place within the classroom.  In many instances, I would define what is occurring as technology-rich instruction, but there is a difference.

Blended learning is the combination of online learning and brick and mortar schools with teachers who enable students to learn at their own pace.  Why is this important?  Because many students learn in different ways and this allows each student to optimize their learning.  Quite simply, the purpose of blended learning is to take the best of traditional education and blend it with the power of online learning which allows for a more personalized and interactive learning experience.  Each teacher has the opportunity to review data, in the moment, and determine where the student is at and to form instruction for the next period or the next day.  Blended learning also puts the student in charge of their own learning which, to me, is a very valuable lesson in itself.

According to the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Education, blended learning “goes beyond one-to-one computers and high-tech gadgets. Blended learning involves leveraging the Internet to afford each student a more personalized learning experience, including increased student control over the time, place, path, and/or pace of learning.

The definition of blended learning is a formal education program in which a student learns:

at least in part through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace;

at least in part in a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home;

and the modalities along each student’s learning path within a course or subject are connected to provide an integrated learning experience.”

See more at: http://www.christenseninstitute.org/blended-learning/#sthash.AWqDXtoh.dpuf

The key difference between blended learning and other forms of education is on its emphasis on personalized learning.  The International Association for Online Learning (iNACOL) defines personalized learning as, “Tailoring learning for each student’s strengths, needs and interests–including enabling student voice and choice in what, how, when and where they learn–to provide flexibility and supports to ensure mastery of the highest standards possible.” As you can see, the two definitions overlap, but blending learning adds online learning and leveraging the internet to personalize an individual’s learning experience.

Next- Blended Learning and Career and Technology Education - Part II: Blended Learning Models

Cheating Your Way Through High School and College: The Numbers

Academic cheating seems to be growing at an ever alarming rate. Cheating occurs at every level of education and certification and it includes students, educators, and administrators. Technology has also given cheaters new methods for cheating and, unfortunately, you can find most of these methods demonstrated on YouTube (you can find additional resources on cheating HERE).

Best College Reviews created an interesting infographic about cheating in high school and college that I wanted to share with you. They provide resons for cheating and how cheating occurs among other interesting factoids.

Please take a look at their website to find additional resources on cheating (listed below the infographic).


Source: BestCollegeReviews.org (please follow the link for additional resources on cheating)

Celebrate Creativity

I have to begin this post by apologizing for not realizing January was "International Creativity Month," but it should never be too late to celebrate creativity, should it?

The intent of International Creativity Month (founded by motivational speaker and author Randall Munson) is to remind people and organizations to capitalize on the power of creativity. My personal belief is that we are all creative in our own ways, but we might feel our creativity isn't wanted whether at school or work and we kind of "lose" our creative ability.

I believe we should encourage creativity with students, educators, and across all levels of employment. As Dictionary. com states:

Creativity is the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination: the need for creativity in modern industry; creativity in the performing arts.

So why wouldn't we want to champion the creativity within individuals? Without creativity, as individuals, we become stagnant in our thoughts and development as do our products and services within a business setting.

In a belated celebration of International Creativity Month, I wanted to offer some resources for creativity:

The Link: International Creativity Month: found on ipl2 – news and information, this resource highlights Randall Munson's newsletter and  illustrates how creativity is implemented in workplaces, in education, with food, with children, and across cultures.

The Center for Creative Learning: this site believes that people of all ages can improve their skills and ability to use creative and critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making, and that research on learning style helps us to understand how people develop and use their talents in unique and personal ways. They offer free resources, i.e newsletter, journal article reprints, sample activities, and ideas on assessing creativity (Assessing Creativity: A Guide for Educators and Assessing Creativity Index: a database of creativity tests and inventories)

Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching: Created by Iowa State University, this site includes links to online resources, techniques for creative teaching, and evaluating creativity, etc.

The Torrance Center, University of Georgia: this site provides PowerPoint presentations, podcast lectures, activities and resources on creativity.

Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity?:  This presentation is the most highly viewed TED talk of all time. Robinson argues that we've been educated to become good workers, rather than creative thinkers. Students with restless minds and bodies -- far from being cultivated for their energy and curiosity -- are ignored or even stigmatized, with terrible consequences. "We are educating people out of their creativity," Robinson says.

Is Creativity Innate or Can it be Learned?: This post found on the CareerTech Testing Center blog highlights a study released by Adobe entitled, Creativity and Education: Why It Matters.

The Phenomenons Called Curiosity and Creativity: Another post found on the CareerTech Testing Center blog highlights the concepts of curiosity and creativity.

Happy Belated International Creativity Month!

Tax Day and the Value of Accounting Services

I have to admit that I have been doing a better job of budgeting my time, taxes and donut expenditures this year, but as I completed my tax returns I began to wonder about the accounting standards and competency tests that we offer.

The CareerTech Testing Center offers skills standards and competency tests for Accounts Payable Clerk, Accounts Receivable Clerk, Payroll Accounting Clerk, and Full-Charge Bookkeeper.

Accounting is one of those areas of study that has both work and life applications. The principles of accounting can benefit your personal finances, that of your business, or it can provide a valuable career.

I hope you will take a look at our free skills standards and contact Customer Service if you would like additional information on ordering our competency tests at 800.654.4502.