Use of f2f field study activities, online meeting and online tutorials increase interaction between teachers and students. Feb. 2016.

1. Creating Experiential
Online Courses
Rob Darrow, Consultant
OESIS/Indian Creek, 2016

2. A Little About You
• K-3
• 4-8
• 9-12
• Teachers / Others
Me: Consultant, BayArea BlendEd
Consortium, Online School Principal,
Taught Grades K-8, Adjunct Professor in
California

3. Presentation and Resources
http://robdarrow.wikispaces.c
om/

4. My Belief: A Tipping Point
• K-12 Online Learning already there
(close)
• Every school will become a blended
learning school to better personalize
learning for all students
• Ultimate goal: Personalized learning
experience for ever student to best inform
their future college and career choices.

5. The Ultimate School
Provides learning for students in the way
they need it, when they need it:
• Face-to-face
• Technology Enhanced
• Blended
• Online

6. This is a journey,
not a destination.
It takes time to transform
thinking and teaching.

7. Myths: Online Courses
• Does not mean you never meet students
in person (either f2f or online)
• Students at all levels value interaction
with instructors and with one another
• Humans thrive and learn because of
interactions with others
(Instructor-Student; Student-Student;
Student-Content)

8. What the student is doing
and where the student is.
What the teacher is
doing and where the
teacher is.
What and where the
content is.
Teaching and Learning

9. The BlendEd Consortium
(San Francisco Bay Area)

10. BlendEd Courses
Courses:
‣ Open to 11th and 12th grade students.
‣ Have 3+ spots reserved for each school in each class.
‣ Rigorous, challenging, quality standards.
‣ Designed and taught by our teachers
‣ Take advantage of the unique local learning resources (f2f
field study experiences).

11. Question
• Think about a course you teach:
what resources exist within 1-2
hours that apply concepts you
teach?
(e.g. if you taught U.S. History, visiting a
Civil War Battlefield)
• Post answer online:
http://robdarrow.wikispaces.com

12. BlendEd Course Design
• Built in f2f time online
• Built in one-to-one / online
office hours
• Built in field study
experiences

13. Field Trip vs. Field Study
Field Trip
• Viewing
• Observing
• Passive
Field Study
• Applying a concept
• Active
• Lab based / project
based
• Interact with
content or curator
or researcher

14. Interactions
Online
Virtual
Sessions F2F

15. Orientations
F2F

16. Modules & Content
Online

17. Class Meetings
Virtual
Sessions

18. Class Meetings
Virtual
Sessions
Student presentations & collaboration

19. Recorded Demos
Online

20. F2F Field Study Sessions
F2F
Bay Area Ecology:
Overnight on Mt. Tamalpais
Hip Hop History:
Viewing related art

21. F2F Field Study Sessions
F2F
- Organic Chem:
Lab Meeting
- Photo Course Outing

22. BlendEd Field Study
Students:
‣ Attend 3-5 face-to-face (F2F) sessions per semester
‣ Twice monthly virtual class meetings..
‣ Receive credit on their home school transcripts.
‣ Work actively, creatively, independently, and
collaboratively.

23. BlendEd Field Study
• Intentional
• Related to Course Content
• Provides f2f contact with instructor and
between students
• Hands on / project-based learning
• Increases teacher-student connection

24. Other Opportunities
‣ Virtual meetings with experts in
the field (e.g. parents of
students)
‣ Virtual field trips
‣ Online global projects

25. Further Readings
‣ Global Projects:
http://www.globaleducationconference.com/forum/cat
egories/gec-2015-accepted-proposals/listForCategory
‣ Global Projects (Elementary):
http://www.flatconnections.com/flat-projects.html
‣ Global SchoolNet:
http://www.globalschoolnet.org/gsnpr/
‣ iEARN: https://iearn.org/collaboration

26. Measuring Success
‣ Key success indicators:
- Real world experiences
- Course catalog expansion.
- Added value from teaching and learning in a new format.
- Connecting with local resources + students from other schools.
- Preparation for independent learning in college.

27. More info at:
www.blendedconsortium.org

28. Whip Around
One thought, comment, key point shared by
everyone in the room.

29. Contact
Rob Darrow
Rob@onlinelearningvisions.com
http://robdarrow.wikispaces.com
Bay Area BlendEd Consortium
www.blendedconsortium.org