A Student-Centered Model of Blended Learning

When educators at a Washington, DC, high school ditched their lectures and devised a self-paced blended learning model, their students thrived.
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Learn more about this approach from the nonprofit organization The Modern Classrooms Project (www.modernclas..., which offers many resources for student-centered blended learning, including a free online course (learn.moderncl....
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Create a free account today to join the Edutopia community and subscribe to our weekly newsletter: edut.to/3wEVHUh

[@coachjhibb]

I LOVE this video!! I adopted a flipped classroom last year for my 6th and 7th grade math students. The transition was tough because so many of the students weren’t used to being held accountable for their learning. However, for those that bought in to the new system really learned the subject matter!! No plan is perfect, but I believe the flipped/blended classroom is immensely more effective than that the traditional teacher-focused model.

[@maryadams8718]

Can you share what you used/did as a behaviour management system?

[@moniquersilva2975]

I am a student in college studying to be a teacher, and this is precisely how I would like my classroom to function. This video has really given me hope that I can indeed do that

[@bridgetbaker4556]

Absolutely love this technique. So many students struggle with academic anxiety. By taking more control in their own learning and going at their own pace = recipe for success!

[@juanitau.sandoval906]

A great example of blended learning. I especially liked how the teachers are able to work one on one or in a small group with students who may need more help during class time. Students can also work at their own pace which reduces the boredom or not being challenged factor for more advanced students. Struggling students can review lesson videos, partake in peer tutoring or work directly with the teacher for extra support.

[@PWhiting]

And the teacher now has so much more time to not only help but to build those relationships and trust with the kids.

[@musiclvr1able]

Man, I wish I had teachers like this in school, especially for my trig class because i may have been able to understand it as well as pass it.

[@jacquelinebarbour6372]

Thank you. I recently changed my Algebra 2 class to a self-paced class. So far the students love it.

[@angelortega8868]

JUST BEAUTIFUL! This is how every classroom should be!

[@danielcash2737]

I wish I could bottle this engagement for my own classroom. Way to leverage the technology without compromising the personal touch. . Inspiring for me.

[@MsShannaK]

Absolutely beautiful and refreshing. If I had a school like this around me I would go back to teaching. These teachers and students are doing an amazing job and gives me Hope for the future. Thank you teachers who care about these babies/young leaders. We need you! Please take care of yourselves. Well done

[@mrsrulmyr7981]

This is a really awesome concept for students. They all learn at their own pace and this gives a students a chance to understand on their own timing with the support of the teacher when needed. This does seem to require a lot of accountability, routine explaining... but with time I think this is a great model of learning.

[@cultivatelearn]

This video is so encouraging! I will be using it in all of my competency-based, student-centered, and blended learning trainings. Thank you for taking the time to create it.

[@Miamya999]

It's a blessing to see my former elementary student in this video. Great job teachers.

[@yraffini]

The changes your team has adopted is a shift so needed. Why did this take so long for us to get here? Thanks! Your model offers a student centered approach they can all make gains.

[@joshualaforge9489]

The most impactful part of this video is 3:28 when I realize that woman is wearing a shop apron filled with pens and highlighters. Genius!

[@mrsshelton226]

This is a powerful video!! This model is giving me motivation to utilize instructional time more effectively in my 3rd grade classroom!! Wow! I know these kids are high school age but I know I can implement a modified version in my class. At least for math!👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾 Thank you for sharing!

[@symonesimss]

I absolutely LOVE this video. I would love to see a more in-depth video on how these educators run this with their classes from the beginning.

[@ktkc1o7]

As someone who has been both homeschooled and been through public school and college, I think that this method of teaching blends the best of them both. You can work at your own pace, it prompts self-motivation, there is a teacher at hand to answer your questions, there are other students to help you come up with ideas/have discussions with, and you can practice oral things like poetry and foreign languages. The one concern I have is that students will make a fuss out of being very far ahead or very far behind and correlate it to their intelligence and self worth.

[@danielt93]

I love this! What a creative way to empower students and instill independent learning/time management as well as utilizing instructor time effectively

[@Karen-bg7pt]

Impressive and motivational video! I am trying to brainstorm ways to implement in my classroom. This model provides ownership for the students in their learning process, plus allows the teacher to be there to guide (one on one or small group assistance), to motivate and allows for compassion too. Collaboration amongst the students is also fantastic and very beneficial for everyone in the classroom. Thank you for posting the video!

[@danielw.4588]

this is how education needs to be done. we have the technology to make it happen. this is the future of how to be successful in teaching

[@catherinepruett8595]

I love it~! This is a brilliant way to teach middle schoolers and I bet the success level is high. I wonder if I can implement it THIS year? Need more info, but this seems like the very best way for kids to learn at their own pace in a non0threatening, student-centered environment. Very exciting

[@cheriserandle7447]

Did something similar to this this morning with my computer science class. Going to try the "Flex" model with a Central Learning Hub too. Going to turn my zoom breakout rooms into the individual hubs and see how it goes.

[@portersblackboard]

Wow! This is amazing. I would have thought the students didn't like the idea of watching videos over a live lecture. I have sort of done a tiny portion of this. I teach in a junior college and if student arrive late and miss the lecture I tell them to go watch the video I prepared and if they still have questions talk to me then. But this technique is a whole new ballgame that I need to explore. I always felt that if I wasn't lecturing that I wasn't doing my job.

[@andreamoreland9769]

Fantastic approach! Teachers need a lot of resources and prep time to implement this effectively, as well as an Ed department that is flexible enough, though.

[@catherinepruett8595]

That's my concern as well. I am assuming the rewards outweigh the extra planning time

[@jeannetteyounghydeparkms5556]

Terrific! Great ways to engage students, terrific!

[@chrissprouse9288]

sent here from modern classrooms project--worth checking out for those interested in this model

[@laquitamiddleton-holmes2742]

THIS IS AN AMAZING VIDEO!!! I am saving this for consistent reference!

[@PapaLimsPhysicsClassroom]

The teachers are so amazing .. Wondering learning environment for the students

[@Tomas-km6zm]

It's fascinating that there are so few comments questioning the efficacy of these models. The high school as a whole ranks fairly low in the DC metro area, and extremely low in graduation rate. I question any approach these days that forces kids to have more screen time in a setting that provides a great opportunity for actually engaging with the people around you. I don't see anyone asking the question about those students who aren't getting it, but who also aren't asking for help--how many of them are simply developing strategies for slipping by unnoticed, like copying someone else's exit tickets, etc.? I can see doing this sort of thing twice a week in a particular class, but it really does absolve the teacher of a lot of in-class responsibility for checking on learning and for providing instruction on the subject at hand. And it skews the workload so that the teacher is probably spending more time preparing videos and other class tools than they are actually teaching. Young people want to be challenged, but they also want to be helped, and many of them aren't able to ask for that help for a variety of possible reasons. As a college teacher, I've witnessed tons of students coming to their freshman year completely unprepared for the academic rigor that is demanded of them there, and much of the reason for that comes from lowering expectations in high school and lowering the levels of rigor. Yes, this student may get this concept after five weeks, but now there are only four weeks left in the quarter--is that student going to be able to get the other four concepts that they need to grasp before the end of the quarter? There are so many unanswered questions here. Finally, concerning engagement--almost everyone acts differently when there's a camera pointed their way. We hear from several of the students who are engaged and interested, but we don't see anything about the students who are failing these classes or simply doing poorly--this video basically pretends they don't exist, and ignores them. Which is what I see happening in quite a few real-life classrooms, too.

[@barbarajackson4085]

Hello, My name is Barbara and I am from New Zealand in a small town of Huntly. I am doing some study for myself. I have some textbooks that I work from. I also watch youtube learning. I also watch students learning in the classroom and assignments too.. From Barbara in N.Z.

[@santamateo5164]

Wow! Great strategies to engage students, terrific!

[@cherylbarnes1887]

Many good ideas. How many times are you re-teaching the same lesson and teaching it over again to the same student? How much do you rely on other students to teach? Are all the exit tickets different?

[@mscurrya1]

Hi, I have some questions about how you do grading in a self paced class. For example, if a student has only completed 5 lessons by the end of a 9 week period and another has completed 7, what does the grade look like? Do you set deadlines for when the assignments have to be completed? or do they just receive their grade out of what they completed in class, meaning that the kid who only completed 5 gets the same grade as the kid who completed 7? (I really want to try this type of learning in my classroom this year, but I have a few concerns.) I'd appreciated advice or resources! Thanks!

[@ads260]

Very interested in this approach and would love to see this question answered.

[@loristiver9057]

you can get lots of information through the free course at modernclassrooms.org or on the facebook group facebook.com/groups/modernclassrooms

[@dmkraft3403]

How long did it take for the students to adjust to this self-paced blended learning model? I don't see any off-task behavior - not even cell phone use.

[@mstaz1688]

I love this...makes me miss the classroom and engaging with students. Will definitely try this method when this pandemic nonsense is over!

[@tomcosgrove9140]

This model also holds up well in a virtual setting. Check out the Modern Classrooms Project to learn more about it.

[@beltcourse6252]

Summary: - Eastern High School in Washington, D.C., employs a student-centered model of blended learning. - The approach aims to alleviate student tension, enhance commitment, and foster content mastery. - Key components of this instructional model include video lessons, self-paced learning, and mastery-based grading. - Students appreciate the autonomy to pause and re-watch video lessons, promoting a deeper understanding. - The model permits individualized progress, accommodating students at different skill levels and paces. - Peer collaboration is encouraged, with students assisting each other, whether they are ahead or behind. - Exit tickets, acting as mini-quizzes, determine students' readiness to advance or need for re-teaching. - Teachers have the flexibility to work one-on-one or in small groups due to video instruction. - The model proves effective for students with lower-than-average in-seat attendance, allowing them to catch up on missed lessons. - It offers a lifeline to students facing challenges, ensuring they have a fighting chance to pass and succeed.

[@danielcash2737]

PS- What high school is this in DC?

[@cherylbeichner4624]

What happens in math when the students who are behind haven’t covered the material they need to be successful in the next grade?

[@ricardoyip9478]

I wonder what software or app they use to make those videos..anyone knows

[@TheModernClassroomsProject]

If you are interested in learning more about the teaching featured in this video, please reach out to The Modern Classrooms Project -- Kareem and Kate developed this model for their classrooms in DC and are now training other teachers to adopt it. Our website is modernclassrooms.org and you can contact us at [e-mail]. We hope to hear from you!

[@shmadsta]

Very cool. Must have taken the teachers a LOT of time outside of work to create those slideshows and videos for each lesson lol, but worth it.

[@kellywoodring378]

I love this. How would this look in an elementary classroom at third grade level?

[@katiemeinke9325]

Check out the Teach Better Team and Grid Method! They have a FB group (:

[@dorshellstewart6880]

Good question!

[@PWhiting]

Rotation stations of the video content and shorter independent lessons, but still some independence. You would also make the mastery tests a little simpler or varied in format of expression.

[@TechyFriends]

Late but I need to know how to do this from start to finish? I.e... how to to record the tutorials (platforms, editing, uploading and where, etc), how edutopia helps with this? HELP!!!

[@richardalbrecht201]

I know EXACTLY how you feel. I felt the same way when I first saw this video. Go to modernclassrooms.org/ and it has everything, including a FREE PD that you can take that tells you exactly how to make the videos, even gives a ppt template to use.

[@jenahbing4063]

❤

[@plerpplerp5599]

This is amazing 👏

[@jassieyellow]

the strategy is at 01:43

[@glennupa]

This is called a workshop pedagogy. Nancie Atwell created this in 1987.

[@vincentcimino1687]

She should have any teachers respect.

[@jerluvincentsantillana8328]

I love this! I am very much interested and willing to learn how to start and implement this in my classroom. Can anybody please let me know how? I appreciate any information.

[@edutopia]

You can learn more about this approach here: modernclassrooms.org.

[@portersblackboard]

So what happens when student finish the course content? Do you give them more, let them stay home, have them help others . . . ?

[@bocoxgurl]

I teach the first section of English composition to high school students at the community college. If students finishes content early, I integrate lessons I teach students in the second part of English comp. This way they are best prepared for the upcoming challenge. I teach the second part during the summer semester, so my videos and lessons are already developed.

[@musiciansfriend2]

Jayme is still a great student

[@dalacosta2336]

This is helpful when students have access to tech, but when they don't, then what?

[@TheModernClassroomsProject]

That's a great question -- this model certainly leverages technology, but is possible to implement even in settings where tech is limited. For instance, teachers can set up stations (with just a few devices) where students can watch videos, or have students watch videos on their phones. Watching the video should take just 10 minutes or so each class, after which then students can spend the rest of their time working on more traditional assignments... but at their own pace and always working towards mastery.

[@keshl2231]

Classroom small. Try that with 48 students.